Trust News

Keith Morgan, Trust Chair

Trust Chair Keith Morgan and Trust board member Mike Spear, along with a small number of representatives from other supporters groups,  attended a meeting at Cardiff City Stadium ahead of yesterday’s match against Middlesbrough.

The meeting had been called by club Chair Mehmet Dalman. Also representing the club were Chief Executive Officer Ken Choo and head of operations Wayne Nash together with Mark Denham (Communications) and Amy James (Fan Engagement).

The meeting was informal in nature but the main points discussed were

1. All groups represented commentated that communication between the club and the general fanbase continued to be very poor and needed to be addressed urgently. It was suggested that a meeting of a wider fan base should be held as soon as practicable to deal direct with points of concern/criticism in a direct manner. Fans offered to arrange such a meeting with AJ and MD promising to attend and address such a meeting when arranged.
2. It was also suggested to the club that it would be helpful if the club could outline to fans what the club structure was in its recruitment department as this is far from clear – are self-employed recruitment people used, who makes recruitment decisions etc?
3. MD again emphasised that the CCFC board structure was very different to most as the club owner remains the sole decision maker on all major issues rather than the appointed board members.
4. The meeting was informed that the club had requested support from EFL to have the current transfer embargo lifted but that such support had been rejected.
5. Confirmation was also given that potential legal actions involving the Swiss Federal Tribunal and Nantes were still ongoing.
6. All present agreed that the current position on the field was of great concern with a very real risk of relegation to League 1.

The Trust’s latest magazine is about to hit doormats.

The 16-page edition of Moving To A Different Beat includes an article from South Wales-based writer David Collins, who joined forces with fellow Trust member Jonathan Power to write the book Fortune and Fame. It tells the story of how a young lad from Cardiff reached the top of the sporting and show business world. A proportion of the funds from the book will be donated to Velindre Hospital.

Paul Evans recalls the old Welsh League and the opportunities it gave to Cardiff City’s youngsters while we look back at the campaign to raise money for a Fred Keenor Statue, 10 years on from the unveiling.

Trust member Dai Thomas continues his story of chaotic expatriate football in unlikely settings in Peru and Rob Jeffery provides his usual brainteaser quiz.

You can join the Trust for just £12 a year. See our website for more details and you can also join on matchdays at the Trust office, near Gate 5. Help us make the voice of fans stronger.

We have been notified of the revised  Club Customer Charter. The club describes this document as “dynamic” in the sense that it is subject to regular review but the changes will be outlined at the Supporters’ Liaison meeting this Thursday. The club say that the most significant changes relate to pages 14 – 16 on the subject of Fan Behaviour, Bans and the Appeals Procedure.

A link to the revised document is enclosed:

https://cdn.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/sites/default/files/2023-01/2022-23%20Club%20Charter%20v.18.pdf

Keith Morgan
Chair

Keith Morgan, Trust Chair

The sacking of Mark Hudson as Cardiff City manager yesterday is hardly surprising given the recent run of dreadful performances and results. We wish him well for the future.

However.  it does raise at least one important question and that is who advises the club’s owner on who to appoint as manager and what football experience and knowledge does that person/those people have?

The club seems to lurch from one short-term (failed) attempted “fix” to another, both on and off the pitch.

The practical difficulty the club faces is that the owner Vincent Tan is the sole decision maker and does not appear to listen to advice from his board members even if they are prepared to express an opinion to him.

Sadly, the owner appears to have little regard for the opinions of those fans who offer a counter view to his own. Mr Tan should never forget that the fans are the lifeblood of our club.

This latest episode once again illustrates the vital need for far greater supporter involvement in football clubs as will be proposed by the UK Government in its White Paper due to be published shortly.

The club is unlikely to move forward in a positive manner unless some or all of the above issues are resolved, and quickly.

Keith Morgan

Chair

Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust

• You can join the Trust for just £12 a year through our website or call into our office before the Millwall game. We’re near Gate 5 and open 90 minutes before kick-off. The more members we have the stronger voice fans have.

Trust chair Keith Morgan had discussions with the club on Tuesday and was told the first installment of around €6m has been paid with a view to try and have the transfer embargoed lifted. The club is currently in discussions with the EFL and FIFA.

Keith Morgan was told the discussions were progressing favourably and it is hoped there will be an update in the next few days