The Jags Trust

[Ma Ba']

The Jags Trust – time for a change?

 

I have been thinking a lot recently about PTFC and the Jags Trust and think the people running the Trust (since its inception) have had a difficult time whilst trying to assist the football team they love.

 

Far too many have come in, tried to move things on, and left in despair. This needs to be addressed and whatever the underlying problems are they need to be sorted before we have run out of willing bodies to represent the fans (no, honestly, read on)

 

Here are my suggestions to take things forward.

 

1. Tell the BoD that the Trust will continue fund raising on behalf of the Club but that all the funds will stay in the Trusts bank account until the outstanding issues are resolved, in particular the position of the Trust rep on the Club board.

2. Change the name of the Trust to ‘Partick Thistle Supporters Association’ … as it is called in the constitution anyway.

3. Poll the fans (not just over the internet because that misses too many people) and change the Trust constitution (timescale for this would be months as we need to get this right).

4. Make the number one objective on the constitution;

‘To assist the club in ensuring the long term existence of PTFC’.

5. Reassess all the other constitution objectives. I believe there is far too much emphasis on being the clubs donkey for community work (important as it is) and not focusing on the one important matter of ‘representing the fans’ at board level.

6. There needs to be a mechanism for the ‘Trust’ to gauge the opinion of the fans on a regular basis, I’m not sure what this is because I think the internet only reaches a (large) minority of the members.

7. The Trust should try to arrange a meeting with all the former Trust members to have a ‘lessons learned’ session. The objective of this meeting is to find out why these formerly committed people left their positions on the Trust and what needs to be done to ensure that we do not continuously loose willing and capable servants.

 

I personally have a difficulty with the Trust, I have been unable to bring myself to give to the fund raising ventures since the Propco deal came to light. I feel that I would not be assisting the long term (beyond 10 years) survival of PTFC and will not fund this badly timed deal that, in my opinion, was a last minute panic move to save the club from administration this year. I really hope the deal works out in the long term, but the business risks are real and all lie eventually with the club. (and not the Proco)

 

I did join the Trust as a member for the first time last year and will extend it this year because there is no other vehicle for the fans to be represented. The time has now come to raise the stakes with the BoD and stand up and be counted, otherwise there will be no Partick Thistle to celebrate the Centenary of our Scottish Cup triumph.

 

For the future of our team,

Douglas Rimmer. (JJ84)

[B.C.G. JAG]

 

6. There needs to be a mechanism for the ‘Trust’ to gauge the opinion of the fans on a regular basis, I’m not sure what this is because I think the internet only reaches a (large) minority of the members.

 

All very sensible, but this part is where I think the plan (and the Trust historically) fall down. The need to gauge opinion, assess our position, debate it thoroughly, reassess and consult again is what kills any chance of a proactive and responsive Trust. This is why we need to have a proper hustings, a proper debate there and then where all candidates (particularly for the Rep position) outline their policies and ideas. We can't afford to continually reassess our position at every turn. Let's have the debate and elect someone we (at least a majority) trust to speak on our behalf. Let's give them the mandate to be decisive when responding to events. If we don't like how they acted then we boot them out at the next election. Put it this way, you elect a MP to represent you in Parliament, but he doesn't come back and ask for your opinion on every single little issue thereafter. We are powerless until we address this.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

All very sensible, but this part is where I think the plan (and the Trust historically) fall down. The need to gauge opinion, assess our position, debate it thoroughly, reassess and consult again is what kills any chance of a proactive and responsive Trust. This is why we need to have a proper hustings, a proper debate there and then where all candidates (particularly for the Rep position) outline their policies and ideas. We can't afford to continually reassess our position at every turn. Let's have the debate and elect someone we (at least a majority) trust to speak on our behalf. Let's give them the mandate to be decisive when responding to events. If we don't like how they acted then we boot them out at the next election. Put it this way, you elect a MP to represent you in Parliament, but he doesn't come back and ask for your opinion on every single little issue thereafter. We are powerless until we address this.

I agree with this. I do understand why the first re-incarnation of the Trust had to be squeaky clean re consultation of the membership. They were after all replacing what appeared to be a closed shop. However I thought from day one of the New Trust that there were certain parts of the democracy that were OTT. I'm refering to the electioneering, manifestos etc. Obviously I want JT Board members voted in fairly but at all times it has to be remembered that those folk putting themselves up for the Board are going to be giving up a lot of time and energy for us.

A very important factor to remember at all times is that there is only a very small percentage of Jags fans that can give the time and energy to all this, an even smaller percentage that would. I'm fairly sure most of them would soon get pissed off being taken to task and held accountable on every issue.