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.