2010 FaST Annual General Meeting
9th June 2010
Chairman’s Report
I would like to welcome you all as members of the Farnborough Supporters Trust (FaST) to the fifth Annual General Meeting of the Trust. This year has seen the continued development of the new club Farnborough Football Club (FFC).
Following the season before last’s narrowly missed promotion, FFC has spent most of this season looking down from the top of the Southern Premier League. This time Steve King’s team clinched promotion for us to Conference South with 3 games to spare.
For a third season supporters of FFC have had the distinct pleasure of being able to concentrate on matters on the field. As Simon explained at a recent Fans Forum, the season was difficult financially as the bad weather disrupted home fixtures and cash flow considerably. It also had an effect on clubhouse takings as did the failed attempt to improve the car park!
Many improvements to the Cherrywood Stadium are already in place and work has continued to replace the PRE stand making use of a £150,000 Football Foundation grant. A new Club shop and revamped bar facilities are also in place.
So what has FaST been doing in the past 12 months? Well the main differences between a formally constituted Supporters Trust and a Supporters Club remain:-
· A legal requirement for independent inspection of the accounts.
· The aim of gaining financial influence by obtaining shares in FFC.
· The aim of securing representation on the FFC Board.
These objectives remain in the FaST Board’s thoughts though the FFC management team has stated that shares and board representation in FFC are not available to the Trust at this time. This position remains unchanged since our last AGM at which it was agreed that, given the development undertaken by Club Chairman, Simon Hollis, FaST would continue fund-raising and make donations to the Club for Ground Development purposes.
Our Director responsible for financial affairs, Graham Ellicott, has recently had our ‘books’ independently examined.
In addition FaST has been actively engaged in other areas:-
· Malcolm Upward has been co-opted to the FaST Board to cover Youth section issues.
· Meetings have been held with the FFC management team to hear plans for the Club, to express the views of FFC fans and to examine ways the fans can help the Club.
· Kit sponsorship for Steve King and Justin Skinner.
· Given the distance to away games, coaches were organised to all away league and FA Cup matches culminating in two coaches making the trip to the crunch league game at Nuneaton and for the final league match at Chippenham. An overall profit of £224 was made during the season which has been added to the PRE funds.
· Away travel cost insurance improved. It now covers abandoned matches and matches postponed up to 12 hours ahead of kick-off.
· Questions collated and posed on behalf of fans unable to attend the Fans Forum in March 2010. A report of the Forum was made available on the on the FaST website.
· Occasional advice has been sought from parent body Supporters Direct – the Supporters Trust initiative.
· Regular updates by e-mail and on the FaST website transmitting news to members. This included occasional requests for help from FFC.
· FaST articles for the home matchday programmes.
· Initially monthly and now bi-monthly FaST Board meetings at which all manner of issues were discussed and progressed.
· Contact with the local community through our co-opted Director and local councillor Hazel Manning and her regular Focus newsletter.
· Provision of flags for matchdays – this project is ongoing.
· Organisation of the Supporters Player and Young Player of the Year polls and provision of the awards for the Club Presentation evening.
· Fund raising in support of FFC comprises:-
1. 50/50 half-time draw for home matches. Ground Development bucket collections. Platinum lounge raffle which was replaced by the Guess the Gate competition. These matchday fund-raisers produced £7717.65 last season.
2. Dave Bassett Sportman’s Evening arranged by Garry Ward which raised £2,542.12.
3. Rob Matheson’ and Mike Lea’s sponsored cycle ride to the Hemel Hempstead match which raised around £4000.
4. Raffle for season ticket sponsored by a Boro fan which raised £600.
5. Second batch for the Buy-a-Brick scheme. It is hoped that second batch of pavers will be installed in the turnstile area before the start of next season.
6. We tried (several times) and are still trying to resurrect our ill-fated Race Night now for at the start of next season.
These fund-raising activities have resulted in the Trust being able to make donations to the Club on behalf of Boro fans totalling some £21,100 during the course of the last year. Thanks to all Boro fans for their continued efforts and generosity.
So, in conclusion, thanks to you the FaST members for supporting your Trust. Please remember it is your Trust and let us know if you feel the Board could be representing you better.
Thanks also to Steve King, his staff and the team for providing us with another successful season culminating with promotion to the Conference South and, you never know, perhaps promotion to the Conference National next season?
Finally I would like to thank all my colleagues on the FaST Board who have given their time and energy in helping to deal with Trust business throughout the year.
A special vote of thanks goes to Peter Gough for his service on the FaST Board. His move to the Bristol area means he is stepping down from the FaST Board this year and he will be greatly missed.
