From our previous open letter, there has been progress on many things around the Club but we are passionate in our belief that a lack of experienced football club leadership is detrimental to success both on and off the pitch.
In recent meetings with the Chairman we have been told that opportunities to address this are being explored but we have shared our frustration and strong disappointment that this has taken too long and is fundamental to fixing many of the other issues around the Club.
Whilst we have not been given access to confirm this, we understand that additional funding has been injected into the Club which continues to operate on a loss making basis. The Chairman has given assurances that he will continue to fund the ongoing operation of the Club but as we have highlighted before, this funding is being treated as a debt to the Chairman and at some point, this debt will be greater than the value of the Club.
Although the senior leadership team appeared at the recent Fans Forum, non-match communications continue to be poor. We have been assured that the Club are trying to address this but again, we are frustrated that another five months have passed and nothing has changed.
As part of our meetings with the Chairman, we discussed alternative ownership and investment opportunities. In light of league performances and the need for significant stadium redevelopment, increases in funding are required. We continue to have serious concerns about the funding, commercial and technical viability of redevelopment options for the stadium.
The Chairman has insisted he would reluctantly engage with any viable bidder that provides proof of funds, so today we call on any interested parties to come forward, either to the Club or in confidence to the Trust. Crucially, we are not currently aware of any bidders who have made an offer for the Club and provided proof of funds for both purchase and ongoing operation.
Whilst we continue to challenge the ownership and management of the Club, we call on all fans to put their energy behind encouraging the players to succeed on the pitch. The players feed off the supporters, both positive and negative, and we all want success. When criticism is due, focus it towards the Club and not the players. We may not agree with many things in talks with the Club, but wanting to climb the football ladder is the one thing that we can all agree on.
There has been much talk of proposed protests and boycotts over recent days. However, it’s clear that a protest/boycott is already under way which is having more of an impact on the Club than any demonstration will have. Attendances at games are significantly down compared to previous years, not in the hundreds but now thousands.
Whilst the board of the Trust recognise the emotion around the Club, we feel that it is a personal choice whether supporters decide to stay away or restrict their spend on a match day. That said, we will continue to assess the situation and will consult with our membership if we feel the need for escalation is required.In the meantime, we call again on the Club to recognise the reasons why people are staying away and address their concerns.
These are challenging times and we call on all fans to stick together. We have a better chance of success by doing so, rather than attacking each other on social media. The Trust board is working tirelessly to do all it can to help represent the best interests of our members in both the short and long term in a considered and organised manner. Although there has been some progress in recent months (for example the Legends Lounge) there is clearly much more to do around the Club.
We will continue to engage with all levels of Club management striving for the change we need. We will also be making Board members available to the local media, other supporter groups and podcasts to discuss the issues we face.
Although we will continue to speak to him remotely, we have agreed to meet the Chairman in-person when he returns to SN1 next month. At that point, we will reassess the situation and engage with members as to our next steps.
COYR
Board of TrustSTFC