Monthly Meeting, Supporters Bar, Ashton Gate, Bristol BS3 2EJ
Wednesday 7 August 2019, 7.30pm
Present Board – Stuart Rogers SR (chair), Miles Hendy MH (vice-chair), Mike Adams MA (minutes), Jon Darch JD, Marie Day MD, Terry Hamlin TH, Jon Watts JW, Trina Watts TW
Members – John Croker JC, Diane Rowland DR, Wendy Rowland WR BCFC – Ryan Corrigan RC
Apologies James Nicholls JN, Julie Hayward JH, Dave Walker DW
1. Minutes & matters arising
Ask the Chairman – Dave Barton has our suggested dates but has yet to reply [action SR]
Asset of Community Value – we have to re-apply and this is in hand [action SR]
Fans for the Future – only eight games are not yet booked
Website rebuild – a lot of work has been done and the site appears to be working well. The front page features BCSCT’s main areas of activity – Representation, Heritage, Fundraising and Community
Survey – we will look for fresh ideas on OTIB and making use of SurveyMonkey [action SR]
Atyeo statue – we will publicise he remaining places on OTIB and our website [action MA]. Ryan agreed to redirect requests from fans to us and enquire whether the Wedlock Wall is permanently full [action RC]
2. Welcome to new SLO, Ryan Corrigan
Ryan said that aspects of the SLO role overlap with his other work at Supporter Services. He can be reached by Twitter and also has a bcfc email address – SLO@bcfc.co.uk
Ryan accepted follow-up actions around the following:
a) late arrival of SCs and Memberships, which is an ongoing investigation; issuing an apology now
b) multiple envelopes sent to same address with SCs
c) possibility of ticketing facilities open midweek eg in shop
d) bookings for away coaches
e) reuseable plastic beakers instead of the current single-use containers
f) publicity for the cheap block of 500 tickets in the Dolman stand
g) possibility of a home fan section in the Atyeo now that away fans are being limited to around 2000
h) possibility of a SC buy-back scheme
3. Ticketing
Availability of lower priced tickets
Season card buy-back scheme
Late arrival of season cards – some fans appear to have missed the opening match. RC said all were printed and sent but some may have gone to old addresses. Membership cards were not planned to go out until after the opening match. Over 250 supporters are affected. MH argued strongly that the Club should issue an apology now rather than wait for the results of the investigation.
MD and JD gave examples of multi envelopes being sent to the same address. [actions – see 2]
4. Supporters Bar
Ashton Gate 8 plaque – this is now in place on the wall to the left of the entrance
Membership system – working well for new members, some work to do with some current members.
We have currently 505 paid-up members.
More space – we have made enquiries, favouring the adjacent room. [action SR]
Price of a pint – the prices increased over the World Cup and have remained high, even taking in the SC and Member discounts. There is a danger of driving fans away. A ‘comfortable’ price is £3.60-3.80.
[action SR]
5. Legal Case We now have nine plaintiffs, with one dropping out for family reasons.
6. Accounts 2017 are being signed off next week and 2018 are being done in time for our AGM.
7. Beezer – his funeral takes place 23rd August, 1.30pm at South Bristol Crematorium followed by a reception in the Supporters Bar. City shirts or something red are requested at the funeral.
We will make a donation to Bristol City Community Trust and put up an A4 picture of Beezer (MA can email a choice of pictures). An online appeal will be organised on a Just Giving page. [action MH]
8. AOB – advance notice please
70 Years of Supporters Club – an article will appear in the matchday programme nearest to the anniversary [subsequently found to be 9th October. A birthday cake will be organised. [action MA]
The BCFC media will carry the story on the day [action RC]
9. Meetings for rest of 2019 Wednesdays: 4 September, 9 October, 6 November, not in December