Re: Supporters Trust - PRESS RELEASE : Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:32 am  

Brew wrote:

A few Questions I have-

- What is the aim of the trust these days? Its certainly shifted from the original plans when it was set up.

- How independent is the trust? No website anymore, a google search for "Halifax RLFC Supporters Trust" brings up a page on the official website

- Reading the "Supporters Direct Membership Policy" parts a) and b)

This protest/campaign does neither IMO

- I understand no one from the Fax Trust has been to the Quarterly Meetings held by Supporters Direct for RL Trusts for a while.



I feel that the interests of the Trust should stop with the club, a wider campaign such as this is not an activity the trust should be used as a vehicle to support, and is perhaps something that the supporters club should be running, if they did choose to involve themselves.

The Trust has done great work over the years, and this past year along has been very good by been able to fund the u23s, but Supporters Trust's are not fundraising vehicles,thats the job of a Supporters Club or Association.

Brew you ask how independant is the Trust and I will ask you how independant do you think the Supporters Direct is ? The last meeting I went to I was aghast to tell you the truth and the Championship reps were somewhat put in our place by Rimmer , the only one to speak up for us was the Colne Valley MP.
I have challenged this since and was told that the Supporters Direct are part funded by the RFL and the meeting came across as purely and simply a PR excercise for the RFL.
Laura Harrison has done sterling work in this area for Supporters Direct and works really hard but I think it is a conflict of interest when an organisation born out of supposadly representing fans of the game are reliant on the very organisation they should be challenging.

Re: Supporters Trust - PRESS RELEASE : Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:37 am  

If fundraising for the Club is not the job of the Trust but a Supporters Club then who is going to funrdaise for the Club as we don`t have a Supporters Club.

Re: Supporters Trust - PRESS RELEASE : Wed Aug 03, 2011 10:54 am  

Supporters Direct does have its issues and politics, I understand the Premier League withdrew their funding after been challenged over something.

As for Fundraising, I see Warrington Wolves supporters Trust run the "Squadbuilder" as a sub section of the trust, Fax trust runs the "Fax Builder" whereas for instance, at York, the club themselves run a Squadbuilder fund. I see no issue with that but what other aims does the trust have currently?

I understand that the intention is to do this not just for Halifax Fans but all RL Fans, but if thats the case should it be the Halifax Supporters Trust doing this, or a newly formed group perhaps incorporating fans of other clubs as well?

Re: Supporters Trust - PRESS RELEASE : Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:01 am  

Come to the meeting Brew on Monday and we can give everyone more info. We want to kick start the campaign but the intention is for it to grow into much bigger than just us. Think your thinking too literally about the trust. I suggest you read and digest the whole press release again.

Re: Supporters Trust - PRESS RELEASE : Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:06 am  

Brew wrote:

Supporters Direct does have its issues and politics, I understand the Premier League withdrew their funding after been challenged over something.

As for Fundraising, I see Warrington Wolves supporters Trust run the "Squadbuilder" as a sub section of the trust, Fax trust runs the "Fax Builder" whereas for instance, at York, the club themselves run a Squadbuilder fund. I see no issue with that but what other aims does the trust have currently?

I understand that the intention is to do this not just for Halifax Fans but all RL Fans, but if thats the case should it be the Halifax Supporters Trust doing this, or a newly formed group perhaps incorporating fans of other clubs as well?

The supporters trust have already raised 25k for the fax fund builder this season and as proved how important it is to the club and its supporters through hard work and determination there for I am delighted they have decided to try challenge the RFL over the disgusting way our beautiful game is run. You saw how angry I am about what happened with my speech in the south stand bar on saturday I was trying to get people to fight back and now the supporters trust as given us the chance to do this. Well done Linda, Chris and co I am 100% behind you.

Re: Supporters Trust - PRESS RELEASE : Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:08 am  

I understand that the intention is to do this not just for Halifax Fans but all RL Fans, but if thats the case should it be the Halifax Supporters Trust doing this, or a newly formed group perhaps incorporating fans of other clubs as well?

isn't this exactly what the new group is trying to do?

Re: Supporters Trust - PRESS RELEASE : Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:12 am  

Brew wrote:

Supporters Direct does have its issues and politics, I understand the Premier League withdrew their funding after been challenged over something.

As for Fundraising, I see Warrington Wolves supporters Trust run the "Squadbuilder" as a sub section of the trust, Fax trust runs the "Fax Builder" whereas for instance, at York, the club themselves run a Squadbuilder fund. I see no issue with that but what other aims does the trust have currently?

I understand that the intention is to do this not just for Halifax Fans but all RL Fans, but if thats the case should it be the Halifax Supporters Trust doing this, or a newly formed group perhaps incorporating fans of other clubs as well?

I agree with Brew on that point, If indeed it is for the whole of RL then you certainly should not have the club name in the title of that particular supporters trust, Perhaps a Championship Supporters trust or something along those lines.

Put it this way when its on Sky with the " HATE THE RFL " banners and t-shirts the only people who are going to look silly are those wearing them and the club will also be made to look stupid. It sound like a child who doesn't want to play anymore and is coming accross more that way than any other. In one of Chris Smiths posts earlier in the thread he wrote, something along the lines of i understand what people are saying " BUT I HATE THE RFL" for what they have done, from someone outside looking in it looks more like the voice of the people is more about getting his point accross than listening to the majority of what people are saying, Hate is far too strong a word. ( Do we hate the RFL and the Benovolent fund that helps players who have had the misfortune of needing it, i dont think so) I dont hate everything RFL far from it but the way this licensing went about i certainly am begrieved

If its worded properly then i would buy t-shirts and wear them to the games as a protest but anything with the word Hate on and i want nothing to do with it and when it tarnishes the club the blame will be solely down to that wording.

Re: Supporters Trust - PRESS RELEASE : Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:19 am  

rlw wrote:

isn't this exactly what the new group is trying to do?

There is no new group, just the existing trust as I understand it,

Maybe I am interpreting things wrong, but I do think emotions are running high, and right now a protest would probably leave us looking silly and bitter and could have more of a negative effect in the long term.

People from other clubs still mention "getting the buckets out" to poke fun at us, this will only add more ammuntion for when things arent going well, for people to have a bit of a laugh and take the ****

Re: Supporters Trust - PRESS RELEASE : Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:46 am  

I dont think it matters, they'll poke fun either way if they are inclined that way, actually doing something for the good of the whole game is important though. Its shows a bit of passion and pride in the town for Rugby League.

Re: Supporters Trust - PRESS RELEASE : Wed Aug 03, 2011 11:58 am  

Bubba wrote:

I know it comes down to personal opinion but I really cannot understand why anyone would be against P&R. Its the most fair, sporting, accurate, you name it, way.

Because too many clubs have gone to the wall 'chasing the dream' and SL teams daren't blood their youngsters for fear of relgation. But ever since franchising came in there's been way more youth pushing in to the first teams and no club's gone to the wall......oh.....hang on......

As for the protest, well, I fell that if we don't get other clubs involved then we'll just come across as bad losers becasue we probably wouldn't be having this conversation had we been promoted. Plus, we don't yet know the outcome of the meeting between the club and the RFL. They might (and I can't stress that word enough) have a valid reason for not admitting us.