Supporters’ representatives: Let’s have a heated debate…
It’s Friday, so it must be time for the latest blog by BBC Devon’s Vic Morgan.
Let’s get the important stuff out of the way first. The three-one win over Carlisle United was welcome and deserved. It wasn’t the most thrilling game we’ve ever seen, in fact at times it would have been more enjoyable painting a seat and watching it dry. However, you cannot moan about a win which keeps the Town in touch with the play offs and able to roll over sides who don’t offer much in exchange. I would say well done to the two hundred or so Cumbrian fans. A fine effort. If you’ve ever been to Carlisle you know how far it is. Warm woolly hats off to them.
At half time there was an exhibition boxing match. Oh how we wished it was between members of our board who, it appeared, were scrapping about the future of the club. That scrap is now over and we have a new owner and chairman. How many is that since last Christmas?
Surely we wish Lee Power well. Why wouldn’t we? We all want what’s best for our team and a secure long term future for Swindon Town. There’ll no doubt be phone-ins and forums and the like, but there’s only one real question. Is our beloved club safe? That’s it. Please Mr Power, give us the genuine reassurance we need and let’s get on with it.
This brings me to the thorny and sometimes vexed question of supporter representation on the Board of Directors. There’s been much talk of it of late. How it would be the answer to so many of our problems. How we’d all know what’s going on behind closed doors. How we’d all have a real say in the future of the club.
Really though would we? Who would be this representative? How would you qualify? What makes one fan more able to represent supporters’ views more than another? Then when it really comes down to it, what notice would an owner really take of someone who, perhaps, has no voting powers (excuse the pun). If they did have a vote they may still be outvoted. Also would they really know what all 7,000 regular fans want?
Let me say here and now. I’m not and have never been convinced of the value of a fan sitting on the board.
If someone could persuade me with an argument that the supporter’s representative would have a real say in the future of our club, I might consider it worthwhile. Perhaps this isn’t a popular view. That doesn’t bother me. Nor do I worry if it’s not a modern view.
It seems to me the best way to move forward is to always be ready to challenge when necessary from the outside. After all, if the fans representative isn’t doing what some lobby groups want they surely would want him or her out. We pay our money and we support. We buy cars but we don’t demand a voice in the Ford, Chrysler etc boardroom. Why should it be different at a football club? I don’t have the money to put in apart from my season ticket and cost of away travel. If I was the owner, my first statement would be if you want control then where’s your cash?
I’m ready for that heated debate.
Keep it loud keep it proud keep it SWINDON.
Vic
The Washbag 
Can you really not see the difference between supporting your football club and choosing which make of car to buy?!
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Wrong for so many reasons – but the car analogy is the easiest to pick on. I don’t support Volkswagen, I have bought a car from them. If, when I next come to buy a car, Volkswagen have gone bust because their board have lost $4bn trying to invent a hover car – then I’ll go and buy an Audi. It doesn’t bother me if VW go bust because I don’t have an emotional attachment to a product.
Unless Vic wants to tell me that Swindon Town is a product and I should go and support Reading because they’re manufacturing a better product at the moment, the argument makes no sense. If the Swindon board cause Swindon Town to go out of existence – or run us into the conference – then that matters to me. On that basis, I believe I should have know that the club is being honestly run and not have to take it on trust that has been frequently abused.
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“I don’t support Volkswagen, I have bought a car from them”.
Surely, this should have read: “I do support Volkswagen as I have bought a car from them”.
When you have parted with your money in the Volkswagen dealership, you have supported Volkswagen, directly, financially. You even advertise for them every time you drive your car. (No need even to buy a Volkswagen shirt it in the Volkswagen Club Shop). Some people may even make judgement about you as a Volkswagen ‘driver/supporter’ same as a football supporter. Depending on the type, you could have bought 50 or even 100 Season Tickets worth of car! Time to demand a place on the board surely!
Football clubs have folded, so have car companies. Some football clubs have merged with others, so have car companies.
This analogy can easily be extended to supermarkets.
And about moving from Volkswagen to Audi, who will ever forget their first car? Some even give it a name. Most won’t forget their first true love either, be it human or a football club. But people move on.
I am quite sure that there are more former STFC season ticket holders than current season ticket holders. Live goes on, the level of support wanes, their circumstances change or they become a parent and due to their child now support a Premier League Team instead.
Come on………you cannot compare car to a football; the football club I love and go an see each week!
Well, consider this, whilst we look forward to watching 90 minutes of football at the County Ground, there are numerous people looking forward to Saturday as well as they will be outside vacuuming, cleaning and polishing their car.
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