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Post by markczgas on Aug 24, 2015 20:28:54 GMT
In recent years we have seen Supporters Trusts have a very high profile, sadly particularly when clubs are in financial trouble (eg. Portsmouth, Hereford, and Merthyr). A group of fans is looking at setting up a Supporters Trust for Rovers. I am aware that there was an attempt to do this with the Gas Trust over a decade ago, but that project got 'strangled at birth' by the Supporters Club launching the (in)famous share scheme. However that was then, time has moved on, and many fans feel the time is right to have another go at this model which is used by supporters of many clubs up and down the land. The question is, do we start from scratch, or do we seek to revive the moribund Gas Trust which may still be legally constituted?
If anyone knows anyone who was involved with the Gas Trust can they please get in touch with me (preferably by personal message), so that those wishing to pursue this idea can make contact with them.
Also, if anyone would like to get involved, get in touch :-)
UTG !
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Post by yattongas on Aug 24, 2015 21:50:12 GMT
This looks popular
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Post by britishgas on Aug 24, 2015 22:08:10 GMT
In theory I'd love to see BRFC fan-owned, but the brutal truth is that fans can't buy a club the size of this one without it going into administration first. You can't just expect a few thousand fans to stump up the cash required to pay off the debts and purchase multi-million pound assets such as the Mem. I want to see the club fab-owned, but not at the cost of potential liquidation.
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Post by gheadray on Aug 24, 2015 23:17:03 GMT
You have got my total support nothing against the older generation but times have changed as our fantastic new manager is proving It's all about getting into the media and bringing Bristol Rovers up a few gears small clubs stay small unless fans who are dedicated 100% and back their team can change their fortunes and move into a successful profit making club Up The Gas
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Post by se5gas on Aug 25, 2015 8:26:19 GMT
In theory I'd love to see BRFC fan-owned, but the brutal truth is that fans can't buy a club the size of this one without it going into administration first. You can't just expect a few thousand fans to stump up the cash required to pay off the debts and purchase multi-million pound assets such as the Mem. I want to see the club fab-owned, but not at the cost of potential liquidation. glad to see this thread on the gaschat forum as well.
I think the idea that there's no point trying to set up a trust unless the club is in financial crisis is a bit of a red herring.
It's true that in dire circumstances a supporters trust would need less money to achieve out right ownership. But its worth remembering that a lot of clubs have effective trusts who don't even have enough shares to get a seat on the board let alone own the whole club.
Swansea's, admittedly quite big at 20% have achieved great things including the 20's plenty price for all away tickets. Hull City and our even our friends south of the river don't have formal board presence but provide an effective collective voice and Hull have successfully resisted the name change for one.
Also, if woe betide, we do experience another financial crisis then surely it would be good to have an existing grass roots supporters trust in place ready to step up and play a bigger role.
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Post by britishgas on Aug 25, 2015 10:40:03 GMT
In theory I'd love to see BRFC fan-owned, but the brutal truth is that fans can't buy a club the size of this one without it going into administration first. You can't just expect a few thousand fans to stump up the cash required to pay off the debts and purchase multi-million pound assets such as the Mem. I want to see the club fab-owned, but not at the cost of potential liquidation. glad to see this thread on the gaschat forum as well.
I think the idea that there's no point trying to set up a trust unless the club is in financial crisis is a bit of a red herring.
It's true that in dire circumstances a supporters trust would need less money to achieve out right ownership. But its worth remembering that a lot of clubs have effective trusts who don't even have enough shares to get a seat on the board let alone own the whole club.
Swansea's, admittedly quite big at 20% have achieved great things including the 20's plenty price for all away tickets. Hull City and our even our friends south of the river don't have formal board presence but provide an effective collective voice and Hull have successfully resisted the name change for one.
Also, if woe betide, we do experience another financial crisis then surely it would be good to have an existing grass roots supporters trust in place ready to step up and play a bigger role.
The fans only got involved with Swansea after the club was saddled with huge debt and teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
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Post by se5gas on Aug 25, 2015 11:31:39 GMT
glad to see this thread on the gaschat forum as well.
I think the idea that there's no point trying to set up a trust unless the club is in financial crisis is a bit of a red herring.
It's true that in dire circumstances a supporters trust would need less money to achieve out right ownership. But its worth remembering that a lot of clubs have effective trusts who don't even have enough shares to get a seat on the board let alone own the whole club.
Swansea's, admittedly quite big at 20% have achieved great things including the 20's plenty price for all away tickets. Hull City and our even our friends south of the river don't have formal board presence but provide an effective collective voice and Hull have successfully resisted the name change for one.
Also, if woe betide, we do experience another financial crisis then surely it would be good to have an existing grass roots supporters trust in place ready to step up and play a bigger role.
The fans only got involved with Swansea after the club was saddled with huge debt and teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
That is true. There are a lot of other clubs that have set up effective trusts in less financially dire times however: Arsenal, Hull City, Spurs, Reading, Bristol city, Crawley, Leyton Orient, Sheffield Wednesday to name but a few
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Post by stapletongas on Aug 25, 2015 11:46:50 GMT
Has this not been tried before
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Post by se5gas on Aug 25, 2015 12:38:40 GMT
Has this not been tried before Yes it has. In the early 2000's I believe. Maybe worth another try.
We tried avoiding relegation from the football league in 2014 for example and that didn't work, thankfully we will try and avoid it again and some this season.
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Post by se5gas on Aug 25, 2015 12:42:05 GMT
Has this not been tried before Yes it has. In the early 2000's I believe. Maybe worth another try.
We tried avoiding relegation from the football league in 2014 for example and that didn't work, thankfully we will try and avoid it again and some this season.
Don't mean to be sarcy just pointing out that one failed attempt shouldn't automatically rule out another go
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 13:00:10 GMT
Yes it has. In the early 2000's I believe. Maybe worth another try.
We tried avoiding relegation from the football league in 2014 for example and that didn't work, thankfully we will try and avoid it again and some this season.
Don't mean to be sarcy just pointing out that one failed attempt shouldn't automatically rule out another go Of course, but how about avoiding the same mistakes
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Post by tommym9 on Aug 25, 2015 13:47:00 GMT
Don't mean to be sarcy just pointing out that one failed attempt shouldn't automatically rule out another go Of course, but how about avoiding the same mistakes Good point, is anyone around from the failed attempt that can provide any insight as to why it failed? Also I assume we need to board to be up for this for it to get off the ground as they would need to sell us the shares? I'm certainly not an expert so what I'm saying could be a load of rubbish!
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Post by casey12a on Aug 25, 2015 14:22:48 GMT
I think the board buy in is the reason for most of the pessimism. As a supporter people will still want some sort of value for money. If the BoD don't acknowledge or listen to a supporters trust then people will ask why put in money.
Unfortunately, the club already has a history of this.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 14:32:53 GMT
Of course, but how about avoiding the same mistakes Good point, is anyone around from the failed attempt that can provide any insight as to why it failed? Also I assume we need to board to be up for this for it to get off the ground as they would need to sell us the shares? I'm certainly not an expert so what I'm saying could be a load of rubbish! I don't if there is anyone on this forum from the old Gas Trust but I knew the people well and attended meetings with them at Supporters Direct which at that time was based at Birkbeck University in London. One of the issues was that share purchase price was never agreed by them and I never understood exactly how they planned to gain the influence they would need without that shareholding authority. On many other issues I totally agreed with them. The whole thing fell over because of lack of clarity as to what the objectives were and how they would be met. (They may of course disagree with that statement) There was total resistance from the Supporters Club, which there was to any form of "change" and generally they never gained traction. The Share Scheme did not help of course.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 14:38:47 GMT
Bournemouth and Portsmouth were owned by fans but they eventually sold out to people with money,because they didn't have the financial backing to support their ideas.Good in theory but not in practice
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Post by Severncider on Aug 25, 2015 16:47:09 GMT
There is an existing supporters group called Bristol Rovers Supporters Club with in excess of 1,800 members.
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Post by nsgas on Aug 25, 2015 16:49:32 GMT
Bournemouth and Portsmouth were owned by fans but they eventually sold out to people with money,because they didn't have the financial backing to support their ideas.Good in theory but not in practice Portsmouth FC is owned by Pompey Supporters Trust. They took over the Club on the 9th April 2013. On the 29 September 2014 they announced that the club was debt-free, having paid back its creditors and legacy payments to ex-players. The Pompey Supporters Trust is a democratic, not-for-profit organisation of supporters, committed to strengthening the voice for supporters in the decision making process at the club, and strengthening the links between the club and the community it serves. Our Mission is "to successfully develop the model of a professional football club that is owned by it supporters and central to the community in which it operates". Good in theory and practice.
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Post by se5gas on Aug 25, 2015 16:51:09 GMT
Bournemouth and Portsmouth were owned by fans but they eventually sold out to people with money,because they didn't have the financial backing to support their ideas.Good in theory but not in practice Portsmouth are still owned by the fans. Were you thinking of Notts County? They were owned by the supporters and sold out to a dodgy consortium who promised big bucks, bought in Sven and Sol Campbell and smoke and mirrors, and almost bankrupted the club again. The majority of clubs that become supporter owned remain so.
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Post by markczgas on Aug 25, 2015 20:00:13 GMT
Bournemouth and Portsmouth were owned by fans but they eventually sold out to people with money,because they didn't have the financial backing to support their ideas.Good in theory but not in practice so a good stepping stone which has led to better times ??
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Post by markczgas on Aug 25, 2015 20:05:41 GMT
There is an existing supporters group called Bristol Rovers Supporters Club with in excess of 1,800 members. Amongst our group there are SC members. What they and I think is that the SC directors are unable or unwilling to present fans' concerns to the board and also are incapable of projecting a critical stance that may/does reflect the concerns of big numbers of Gasheads. Basically they are too close to the Board, particularly Masters. This is an alternative / a fresh start. We are reaching out to you guys, the club desperately needs it !!
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