Supporters Alliance Meeting Minutes 21/2/2018

The Supporter Alliance has had a meeting with Yeovil Town Football Club on Wednesday 21st February 2018. The minutes of this meeting have been typed below but you can also view the original document by clicking here.

Supporter Alliance Meeting Minutes
Wednesday 21st February
3pm

Present

Rich Rendell - Supporters Alliance Chairman
Kirstie Baker - Supporters Alliance Secretary
G&W - Paul Hadlow
YTCST - Sara Bradley (SB YTCST)
DSA - Mike Rowsell
DSA - Sharon Swain
Junior Glovers - Marilyn Cottle
Bridport Glovers - Tom Burt
Glovers Trust - Stuart Burrell (SB GT)
John Fry - YTFC Chairman (joined the meeting at AOB stage)
David Mills - YTFC Supporter Director

Apologies

Cary Glovers - Rob Newport

Notes

Opening Comments:

RR welcomed all and in particular the Glovers Trust who are represented by Stuart Burrell in this meeting.

RR restated that the purpose of the group is to work with the club to achieve tangible improvements and that at the end of the season the group should review the progress it has made. RR believes the group has made good progress so far but that this needed to be
continued as there was no point in having the meetings (or the Alliance) unless it achieved positive results

RR confirmed that it was important that minutes were issued promptly as they are the only official record of what the meetings discuss.

Approval of last set of meeting notes/Minutes and matters arising

• JH – to review and request the ramp in the Glovers Lounge for match day viewing.
• UPDATE – KB circulated JH idea of a portable raised ramp that can be put away after each game. Group in agreement.
• JH – to issue Vaping policy and make recommendation to the Board of Directions.
• UPDATE – submitted to the Board by JH, needs to be approved by the Board in the next Board meeting.
• Group – to consider donating to the cost of wrapping the fences.
• UPDATE – discussed possibility to split the wrapping into sections for smaller business or groups to sponsor.
• DM/KB – to review survey and recirculate findings.
• UPDATE – KB updated the group that the results have been summarised up to date and will be circulated before the next meeting. A further meeting/workshop will be held by the Alliance to review and take forward.
• DM/JH – regarding Glovers Trust wish to site a cabin at Huish Park.
• UPDATE - DM to send the Glovers Trust the term and conditions that might apply to such an arrangement. These need to be consistent with those applying to other fan groups with similar facilities.
• DM – to liaise with the Executive team regarding a Veteran per game for Q&A.
• UPDATE – DM to revisit.

Mark Palmer’s work for the club

DM confirmed that as a follow up to his liaison with all fan groups before Christmas Mark Palmer was happy to attend the next Alliance meeting and provide an update and take questions.

RR repeated his past statement that when complete, his view was that Mark Palmer’s report should be shared with the supporters in full.

Season Ticket Strategy for 18/19

Update from DM – this is an ongoing agenda item. DM explained that all feedback from the Alliance on this matter has been considered to build a suggested ticketing strategy for next season. The strategy will be considered internally at the club and then will be shared with the Alliance for comment.

RR said that if the final version of the strategy did not include some of the ideas the Alliance has proposed, the club should highlight the omitted ideas and give some feedback as to why they had not been possible.

Review next season including access to first floor on match days

The Alliance members present underlined there very strong desire to see all fans given access to the first-floor bars on match day.

It was remarked that fans thought there was a very strong business case for open access as it was common knowledge that first floor bars were often more than half empty on match days. DM reminded that a review of top floor and marquee arrangements will occur for the 18/19 season DM stressed that he could not guarantee this would result in changes, but matters would be fully reviewed.

RR said he wished for his recent experience to be recorded. He was a part of a group of fans who hired an executive box at a recent game. Overall the experience and the hospitality was brilliant from the food, drinks, atmosphere, great service. However, at the end of the game the group went into the Glovers Lounge to purchase drinks at the bar but were asked to leave as they did not technically hold the correct membership for that lounge. At the time of this happening the lounge was approximately 25% full.

There then followed an extensive period of discussion about catering at the club. The perception of the group is that where some good progress has been made in some areas the ethos of this part of the club is still to look for reasons why things cannot be done instead of finding the solutions other clubs seem to be able to adopt.

DM confirmed that during January 2018 the ban on playing shirts being worn in the Alec Stock lounge had been temporarily lifted as trial and there had been no issue or complaints.

AOB

PH – mentioned that Shrewsbury coach travel is being subsided by the Club. RR said the Alliance’s thanks to the club for this gesture should be recorded.
SB (GT) – asked for timing on when the minutes of the meeting would be written up. KB – to be done by the end of the week
SB (GT) – raised questions about licensing and covenants. DM said he could not answer these questions as they were of a specialist nature. The group suggested that it should invite David Lee to a future meeting to discuss these subjects.
SB (GT) – requested an update on the Big 10 challenge set by the Trust to DM in December.
DM will update separately shortly.
SW – suggested a fun day around a match. This idea received full support and the best option was to do this event around a pre-season friendly.

YTFC Chairman John Fry then joined the meeting and provided an informal briefing for the group on a wide range of topics.

Date of next meeting:

Provisional: Thursday 22 March @ 11am. Venue: Room TBA at first floor level of Huish Park.
The main subject of the meeting would be an update from Mark Palmer

It was also suggested that when they were available the complete response to all the action
points on the fans survey be subject to a separate meeting in March

Actions

JH – to escalate the ramp implementation in the Glovers Lounge with TB and DSA

DM – Ensure that the suggested vaping policy is on the agenda for the next Board meeting

DM – to speak with Dave Linney to advertise for the fencing/wrapping of the terrace area. Also, to seek price if the wrapping is broken into sections for groups to sponsor parts.

KB – to circulate survey results

DM/JH – to provide the Trust with T&Cs regarding a possible match day cabin set up

DM – to discuss with the Executive team to have Veterans present and introduced on match
days.

DM/KB – to explore the disabled supporter area inside first floor area on a match day.

KB – Open day on pre-season friendly with the Alliance supporting and show casing.

KB – to confirm dates of the next meetings

Results of the Alliance to date:

As agreed at a previous meeting the list outlining progress made by the Alliance since June
2017 should be updated via every meeting notes/minutes. Current list is:

✓ Pop up tea bars to assist with queue times at half time
✓ Extra marquee staff as due to licensing a speed bar implementation was not viable
✓ Trial of relaxation of playing shirts ban in Alec Stock lounge.
✓ Review of first floor to be conducted ready for 18/19 season
✓ Introduction of Match Day hotline
✓ Ticket bundles to give fans some flexibility in purchasing tickets
✓ Revised wording of the Alliance Objectives, Terms & Conditions
✓ Tab on website for the Alliance where updates and minutes of meetings can be viewed
✓ Pot holes and repair programmes at Huish Park
✓ Possible new screen signs behind Thatchers stand
✓ Subsidised travel to Checkatrade semi-final game

Point to note.

All fan groups engaged with the Alliance have now signed up to the latest version of the Alliance membership forms.