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Trust Chair Tim Hartley and Board member, Phil Nifield, have met with the club’s Chief Executive, Gethin Jenkins, and Wayne Nash to put your questions to them. The backroom team at the Cardiff City Stadium were obviously very excited with the signing of Craig Bellamy. As Gethin told us – last month we were struggling to fill a full squad of first team players. Now we have some superb loan signings and apparently Dave Jones is still holding out for more. What a great time to be a City fan!

Here are the main points from the meeting based on the questions you have asked.

Craig Bellamy

We asked Gethin how the club, which has faced winding up orders for non payment of taxes, can now afford a player of the quality, and cost, of Craig Bellamy. He said they are confident the signing stacks up as a business case and that it is underwritten by the Malaysian investors. He reminded us that more than 10,000 shirts were sold immediately after we signed Robbie Fowler and that ticket sales have already increased since Bellamy signed for the Bluebirds.

Club support for the Trust

The club underlined its desire to use the Trust and the Supporters’ Club as important channels to communicate with fans. Gethin agreed to allow us to distribute Trust literature in the Premier Lounge and bars. Inserts into programmes could prove more difficult however and could create a litter problem.  Still, we will continue to work together for the benefit of the club and the Trust.

Memorial Garden

Wayne told us that they are still waiting for the environmental certificate which will allow the club to start building the memorial garden. However, it may be that the garden could be located away from the retail park and main entrance and near the old gates opposite Ninian Park. This would mean we can press ahead with the scheme more quickly and for some of us older supporters it will be closer to our dear Ninian Park.

Pre match and half- time events

The club is considering introducing a new half- time event called ‘Stand and Deliver’ where each of the four stands at the Cardiff City Stadium compete with each other in various competitions. Lucky winners from the winning stand will receive a prize and we as a Trust have offered to help with recruiting contestants.

The Family Stand is already enjoying some pre-match events. There was a magician on hand before the Sheffield United game to entertain the children which was a great success and players are being brought down to that area too to sign autographs.

Fred Keenor Statue

Some £4,700 was raised from ticket sales at the Deportivo game towards the Keenor appeal and the small replica statues and pin badges have been selling well at the club shop. The club is also donating some of the money raised at the Dave Jones/Ricky Tomlinson evening in September to the appeal. It should be a great night. Many thanks to the club for their continued support of the Fred Keenor statue appeal.  The total cost of the statue is between £85,000 and £100,000. It’s a long haul but we will get there!

Club shop

There has been criticism about the lack of range of goods on sale at the club shop and especially those for children. Gethin said there are things available for pocket money like rulers and stencils but that it is difficult to offer a range of goods that will suit everyone. He said that stocking the shop with new and different things is a question of cash flow for the club but that they would like to improve what is on offer. On match days the club is hoping to open small booths to sell merchandise on the concourses.

Prices at the Stadium

People have complained about having to pay more than £3 for a pint on match days but we were told that the prices at the Cardiff City Stadium are in line with other clubs in the Championship. Beer at the recent game away at Derby was dearer than it is at Cardiff for example. The company which runs the outlets, Compass, sets the prices and the club is not in a position to subsidise beer and food. With regards healthy eating in the ground, the club says it does offer a fruit option to children in the Family Stand.

Score board

Many people miss the scoreboard which was part of the big screen at Ninian. The club are aware of this and are looking into the possibility of having a scoreboard at the stadium.

Ticketing

Fans have told the Trust that they would like to see more inventive ticketing schemes being tried. Gethin told us that there will be reduced prices for family tickets for some selected matches.

The idea of 5 or 7 ticket deals is appealing but the club is keen that people do not cherry pick the best matches. It also wants to be fair to season tickets holders who have already paid up front for all the games.

As for cup matches – the pricing for these will be reviewed by the club on a case by case basis. It is not always easy as the price of cup tickets has to be agreed with the opposition and then agreed by the league. There is a real desire though to add value for season tickets holders in cup ticket prices.

City Podcast

We know that the podcast which was available on the club’s official website was popular and it is missed by lots of people. The club are keen to look at this again but say it is simply a matter of prioritising work at this time.

Stadium Tours and Open Days

All of us would like a peep behind the scenes at the Cardiff City Stadium and would even pay for a tour. There are no plans for official tours at the moment but the Supporters Trust hopes to be able to announce a competition soon, the prize being a tour of the stadium one Sunday. Keep your eyes on the website!

The club hopes to organise a family fun day at the Derby County home game in April and also a ‘Bring your Partner’ Valentine’s Day at the Scunthorpe game in February.

Relations with the Echo

A lot of us get our information about the City from the Echo and many feel the club needs to improve relations with the paper. Gethin told us that there is dialogue with reporters, that the paper is not banned from the club but that they don’t attend Dave Jones’s press conferences. Pity really…

How green is the City?

One Trust member has asked what the club is doing in terms of reducing its, and our, carbon footprint. The stadium operates a park and ride scheme and had to give a waste management plan to the council as well as an environmental assessment as part of the stadium building project. The club recycles as much wastes as it can and is also looking at renewable sources of energy, perhaps through putting panels on the stadium itself.

Half- time cigarette break

The club raised a small but important issue with us. Cardiff is one of the few clubs to allow supporters to leave the stadium to have a cigarette at half time. However, some people have been abusing this scheme by dashing off to food outlets at half time or moving the car so as to avoid a parking ticket. Wayne wants to stress that they cannot have people leaving the turnstile area but that you are welcome to bring your own sandwiches with you into the ground. The Let Me Out To Smoke’ scheme seems to work well. Let’s keep it a success.

All in all I think we have now established a very good working relationship with the club. Gethin and his team understand the need to communicate to fans through the Trust. Thanks for your support, keep those questions coming and let’s look forward to another season of superb football at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Tim Hartley

Chair

FIGURINES of the proposed Fred Keenor statue sold out at the Cardiff City Club Shop – but more were delivered today.

We initially delivered 12 miniatures to the shop and they sold almost immediately. Another 18 taken to the shop today. More are expected to arrive later this week.

The figurines, which stand 10 inch high and cost £39.99, can also be purchased at the Fred Keenor fundraising message-boards football match on Sunday, August 22, at the Under-16s pitch opposite the stadium. They make great Christmas presents.

If you have any problems obtaining the miniatures contact Fred Keenor Fund Press Officer Phillip Nifield on phillip.cattwg@btinternet.com

Any fans going to purchase one at the club shop would be advised to check that they have them in stock to avoid a wasted journey.

FIGURINES of the Fred Keenor statue that will stand proudly in front of the Cardiff City Stadium have been made by artist Roger Andrews.

Five specially numbered pre-production miniatures will be sold separately by auction to raise money for the statue appeal. No 1 will be sold at the fundraising evening starring Ricky Tomlinson on Thursday, September 16th. City manager Dave Jones will also take part in a question and answer session with guests at the Cardiff City Stadium on the night.

The rest of the figurines, which stand 10 inch high and cost £39.99, are available at the Cardiff City Stadium Club Shop  and can also be purchased at the fundraising message-boards football match on Sunday, August 22, at the Under-16s pitch opposite the stadium.

More information on obtaining the miniatures can also be obtained by contacting Fund Press Officer Phillip Nifield on phillip.cattwg@btinternet.com.

David Craig, project manager for the scheme who is also a board member of the Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust, said: “We are delighted with the quality of the figurines and we are sure that fans will feel the same. You really have to see them at first hand to appreciate how good they are.

“We’re sure they will prove very popular and expect them to be snapped up quickly. We have only ordered a limited number and we hope many people may take the opportunity to buy them as early Christmas presents for their loved one’s.”

Roger Andrews, who has been commissioned to create the statue, also produced the statue of Sir Tasker Watkins outside the Millennium Stadium.

Donations to the appeal fund can be made through the Co-operative Bank:Account name: –   Fred Keenor Statue Fund or FKSFAccount no 65392368 Sort Code     08-92-99.Cheques can also be sent c/o CCST to PO Box 4254, Cardiff, CF14 8FD. Please add the words “Fred Keenor Appeal” on the top of the envelope.
Football Match

A football match between supporters who use Annis Abraham’s Message Board (AAMB) and those that post on Mike Morris’ board (CCMB) in aid of the Fred Keenor Statue Fund Appeal kicks off at 2pm on Sunday, August 22, on the under-16’s pitch at Leckwith, opposite the Cardiff City Stadium. Team photographs will be taken at pitch side at the stadium at 1pm with the sides having use of the changing rooms. The presentation of trophies and a raffle draw will take place after the game.

Statue fund project manager David Craig said: “We want to thank those that have put a great deal of work into this match. We hope that other supporters will follow her lead and organise their own events – it can be a jumble sale, coffee morning, whatever you want to do.”

A footballing friend once said to me that the world is perfect at five to three on a Saturday afternoon.  After that, well, anything can happen.

And would we wish it any other way?  Not on your life! So here we go for another nine months of football highs and lows with the City. Whatever happens on the pitch, one thing you can be sure of is that the Supporters’ Trust will be doing all it can to ensure that we, the fans, have as much input as possible into the club.  More than 900 supporters have joined the Trust so far and widening our membership base and getting everyone involved is a priority this season.

So what did we achieve in our first full year at the new stadium?  Firstly, we got the club to drop the cost of the pre-season friendly tickets and reduce the price of beer at the stadium.  We’ve dealt with queries about parking permits, stewarding concerns, ticketing issues and allocation and eventually got the club to fit mirrors in the ladies’ toilets!

We have been very busy on the social and community front.  At the start of last season, we conducted research into attitudes of local people to the City. We presented our findings to the club and community groups. We found that many people support the City but rarely come to matches. Families particularly cited foul language and bad behaviour as a problem. Following the research, the Trust has brought many  different groups into the stadium to watch matches and try to get people living around the stadium more involved with the club.  The Trust was represented at the local Diwali celebration and we also had a stand at the Grangetown Festival where we were able to fly the flag for the City.

We have held a community five-a-side competition, a quiz and a question and answer session with Andy Legg and Jason Perry.  Leggy’s tales of what really goes on inside the dressing room were really worth hearing!  In May we visited Maesteg to celebrate 50 years of the Maesteg Bluebirds.  Well done lads.

During the year we organised a session at a Cardiff school to discuss anti-social behaviour at football matches.  We even got ourselves an international branch of the Trust as we joined the British Council in welcoming a group of Kenyan ‘active citizens’ to the stadium.  They were very impressed by the work the club’s Football in the Community team is doing.

The success of our first 18 months of operation has been recognised by Supporters’ Direct, the umbrella organization for supporters trusts in Britain. Geraint Jones and I were invited to speak at the annual conference to share our experience with other football fans.

Looking forward, we will be helping the club to build a memorial garden at the stadium. This will be a quiet area where we can remember our loved ones who can no longer be with us in person to cheer on the lads.  It’s an ambitious target but the club hopes to have the garden completed by November.

The Trust has kick-started the appeal for a statue of one of our all time greats, Fred Keenor, to be erected outside the ground.  We have already had around £27,000 pledged and are working hard to raise the rest of the money.

The Trust has developed strong links with the club over the last year and we can now put your questions directly to the Chair and Chief Executive.  There are no secrets between the Trust board and the members – anything the club tells us, we tell you. TG and Gethin Jenkins are both committed to the City long term and want to improve the dialogue we have started with them. We now have a schedule of meetings planned with the club – so keep those questions coming – be they about the Club’s finances, the price of a hot dog or policing. If the Trust is to be the voice of the supporters, we need you to speak up.

The Trust Board does its best to keep everyone informed of what we are doing – the website has all the latest news and we are now emailing members on a regular basis.  We are keen to hold more events outside of Cardiff and already have plans for social evenings in the Valleys.  Keep an eye on the website for details of these events. But the Trust will only be as good as its members so please have your say and get involved. ‘Mewn undeb, mae nerth’ – we are stronger together than as individuals.

C’mon City!

Tim Hartley

Chair

The bucket collection at the Sheffield United game raised £1,158. We wanted to thank everyone once again for their generosity.

While not as much was raised as at the Leicester Play-Off game, it should be pointed out, for example, that there were far fewer fans enjoying hospitality on Levels 3 and 4 and donations there were only one-third of the Leicester game.

In addition, we sold 63 Fred Keenor pin badges at the Trust stand, bringing in another £189. There are only a handful left so more have been ordered. Quite a few fans have also ordered badges by post.

We are also awaiting confirmation from Cardiff City of the exact money raised from the Deportivo La Coruna game – £1 was being donated from every ticket sold.

Just to remind everyone we have quite a few fundraisers coming up over the next couple of months including:

• Messageboard football match on Sunday, August 22^nd.
• Special 10-inch miniature figurines will be on sale very shortly.
• Ricky Tomlinson fundraiser at the Cardiff City Stadium on Wednesday, September 16^th which includes an auction and raffle.
• City fan Matthew Bullock is running the Toronto marathon in October.