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South Wales Central AM Andrew RT Davies is sponsoring an event at the Senedd on Tuesday, June 3, to promote the campaign for a limited pilot of Safe Standing at Premier League football matches.

The event is being held in association with the Football Supporters Federation and the Trust will be represented at the lunch-time event.

Stadium safety and architecture has changed dramatically since the days of sprawling terraces and on June 3 Assembly Members will have an opportunity to take a close look at how ‘rail seating’ works, with a display model. The seating is used successfully in the German Bundesliga.

It was reported earlier this year that League One Bristol City plan to install rail seats, which can either be unlocked or locked to create a standing or seated area inside a stadium.

Bristol City’s development of Ashton Gate starts in the summer, and Bristol Rugby will ground-share with them from the start of the 2014-15 season.

The all-seated Wedlock Stand will be replaced with a new stand and plans are in place to install 2,202 rail seats, if regulations permit it.

Further redevelopment in the Dolman Stand, to the side of the pitch, could see a further 1,568 rail seats incorporated in the stadium.

Trust chair Tim Hartley presented his annual report to the Trust’s AGM:

As a Trust we identified 4 main aims for this year. Below is our progress against those aims over the season.

• Dialogue – with the club to represent fans effectively.

• We have met the Chairman, Mehmet Dalman, the CEO and his team and briefly the club’s major shareholder, Vincent Tan. We also had the opportunity to give the club board a presentation on the Trust’s work.
• We have had a good working relationship with the Supporter Liaison Officer, Tom Gorringe, but many of our questions, (conversion of debt to equity, ongoing commitment to the club etc), remain unanswered.
• We ask questions put to us by members and always give a full report of what is discussed. The annual Trust survey was answered by more than 1,000 people this year.
• Participation – to be more involved in the club and get fan representation at board level.

• Mr Dalman appears to understand that the Trust is not a threat but a critical friend. However, translating that into formal fan representation won’t be easy.
• The Trust Board considered buying more shares as suggested in the Members’ Survey. Any shares we could buy would be tiny compared with Mr Tan’s and we decided this would not be the best use of our money.
• We have a commitment that a Trust representative will attend every club board meeting and they will support joint projects between us and the club.
•     Community – strengthen the bonds between the club and the community.

We have organised events with community groups, are partners in an oral history project about the City and organised the reunion event with the 92-93 promotion side.

• The Trust is sponsoring the LGBT Unity Cup and we will also have a stand again at the Grangetown Festival.
• We are campaigning to get Cardiff City to become the first professional club to pay every member of staff the Living Wage rather than the Minimum Wage.
•     Connection – with other trusts, politicians and stakeholders.

• We have lobbied parliament, the Assembly and government for changes to the way football is run.
• We have been part of the Premier League Trust Group and met many trusts.
• I’m on the Supporters Direct Council and campaigning for a SD Cymru office.
• We have attended cross party groups and parliamentary committees.
• We work with the Football Supporters Federations and the Supporters Club and have campaigned for cheaper away tickets and a trial of Safe Standing.

This letter was sent to the Trust by Neal Widdows

“I am an aspiring sports writer who has come up with a book idea that I would be very grateful for your help and support with.

The draft title of the book is ‘A blueprint for football’ and the idea is that the book will act almost like a manifesto from football supporters across England’s four senior divisions, illustrating precisely what the people who really care about the game want from English football.

The idea is to come up with a list of topic areas decided upon by fans, and then we use those opinions to create a survey where fans then vote on what changes they want to see in the English game.

Listed below is some topics I have come up with so far:

Finance: FFP, Wage Caps

Tickets: Prices, away allocations, away prices, cost of away travel, categoristion

Technology and Refereeing Standards

How to help the national team

League Structure: League 3 etc

Supporter Experience: Concourses, Food, Disabled Access etc

Television: Sky or terrestrial, PPV etc

Governance: Premier League, FA

Disciplinary Process

Merchandise: Kit Prices, Frequency of new kits etc

Winter Break

What I am doing right now is carrying out research on what other topics fans want to see in the book. Therefore, I am contacting supporters’ trust of all 92 clubs to ask for their opinions on what they want to discuss.

Therefore, I would be extremely grateful if you could share this with the members of your club or trust so that we can reach as many fans around England and ensure that we create a book that captures the thoughts of the great English football fan. ”

Anyone interested in contacting Neal with regards to the book should email me at nealwiddows@gmail.com

Thanks,

Neal Widdows

Who do you blame for Cardiff City’s relegation? Can the Bluebirds win promotion from the Championship at the first opportunity? Will Vincent Tan listen to the club’s fans – or ignore them?

These are among the questions City legend Jason Perry might be asked at the annual meeting of the Trust.

BBC Radio Wales’ soccer commentator Rob Phillips and Trust members will quiz Jason on all things Cardiff City at the Llandaff Institute this Thursday (7 for 7.30pm).

The Q&A will start immediately after the Trust’s AGM, and there is also an opportunity to raise any issues with board members.

All Trust members are welcome to the evening and non-members who can join the Trust from just £12 a year are also welcome to attend.

The Trust has received an encourging response to its plea for supporters to be consulted on club colour and badge changes . We are still waiting for a response from the Premier League to the letter sent on March 27.

This is what Jonathan Hall, Director of Football Services at the FA told the Trust chair Tim Hartley and board member, Phillip Nifield:

We understand the importance of the issues that you’ve referred to in your letter and appreciate your observations regarding the involvement of supporters in the approval process that deals with changes to club playing names. We felt that seeking a view from supporters as part of that process was important.

We will be happy to consider whether to extend that process or introduce a different mechanism in relation to club colours, badges and crests as you suggest – however, we would, of course, need to consult and debate that with the leagues and County FAs who represent the member clubs.

The issues are often far from straightforward and there is, inevitably, a balance to be struck between the view of supporters as well as others, including those that own and invest in the clubs.

I will liase with my colleague, Darren Bailey, Director of Governance and Regulation, who would deal with such matters, so that we can discuss with others, including our colleagues at the Premier League and Football Association.

Thank you for raising this issue with us.