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I went to my first match at the Vetch in September 1974 and have been a season ticket holder continuously since 2003. I feel that my professional background provides an ideal background for being on the Trust Board. I moved from the UK Sports Council Research and Planning Unit to become the first Head of Research and Development for the Sports Council for Wales where I was responsible for writing their first ever 10 year Strategy for Sport in Wales (1985-95). This resulted in an 8% increase in Government funding at a time of reductions in public spending due to having persuasively argued and specific targets linked to detailed expenditure estimates. I subsequently worked as Deputy Director of Leisure Services for the progressive Broxbourne BC in Hertfordshire, then ran the University of Wales’ first degree in Sport and Leisure Management at the then Swansea Institute, where I also worked commercially as a consultant to the Leisure industry. I have also been on the Board of Port Talbot Town in the WPL where I was Director of Finance and ‘de facto’ general manager in the 2014/5 season, when we lost in the last minute of the Europa league Play offs. The club’s debts that season were also reduced by £60,000 and I wrote the Business Plan and Club Development Policy Document that was successful in obtaining a £360,000 grant from the FAW- with whom I have excellent relationships — towards the cost of a 3G pitch. In conclusion, I am well connected with both national and local government and I think it would be fair to state that my track record shows that I can ‘make things happen
[Post edited 14 Jul 2018 20:00]
* BOX OFFICE POST ABOVE* TM
I am the resurrection and i am the light. I couldn’t ever bring myself to hate you as i’d like
Swansea Indepenent Poster Of The Year 2021. Dr P / Mart66 / Roathie / Parlay / E20/ Duffle was 2nd, but he is deluded and thinks in his little twisted brain that he won. Poor sod. We let him win this year, as he has cried for a whole year. His 14 usernames, bless his cotton socks.
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WHO TO VOTE INTO THE TRUST - Candidate 3 TIM BULL on 07:22 - Jul 15 with 5116 views
Anyone know how to contact this guy, to get an answer to a few very important questions? Also does anyone here actually know Tim Bull and could/would vouch for him?
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WHO TO VOTE INTO THE TRUST - Candidate 3 TIM BULL on 17:03 - Jul 16 with 4740 views
Come on Mr Bull. I’ve read your statement but where do you stand on the important issues such as HJ and the share sale? I’d like to vote for someone who is prepared to fight for the Trust’s role. My concern, reading you’re statement, is that you’ll be at home in the Director’s box.
So I emailed Tim directly to ask him his views/ feelings on the following 3 Questions i had asked other candidates.
Hi there Tim
Hope you have no objection to me contacting you via this method, but I just wanted to get your stance on the following pertinent questions before I make my final selection, on who to vote for in the upcoming Swansea City FC Trust Board Election.
1. What is your stance re perusing legal action against old/new board? (I fully understand we have to see through the period of mediation, but I just want your honest gut feeling, in light of the actions of the fore mentioned over the last 2 years.)
2. Are you in favour of or against, continued pressure to remove Huw Jenkins from his role as chairman?
3. Also like l would like to know your own ideas, on how do you'd purpose to improve avenues of communication with members/fans in general and also engage the younger fanbase as they are our future?
Tim,I look forward to receiving your honest and frank answers. Also just to be totally transparent, I would like to make you aware, that I intend to copy and paste your answers onto my Planet Swans account, as Im sure they will be welcomed by others as well as myself.
Thanks again
Uplandsjack
And here was his response:
Dear Uplandsjack
I have no objection whatsoever, the more information on candidates views and ideas the better so thanks for your questions. I will answer them below in the order you set them out:- Legal action: I have clearly stated that " I believe the trust should explore — without incurring any expenditure ceiling not approved by all trust members -the legal opportunities for challenging the Special Resolution of 27/10/2017, para 3.1 that allowed SK and JL to make all decisions as a ‘‘quorum of two’’. This allows neither due diligence, scrutiny nor democratic accountability to the other shareholders of ‘The Swansea City AFC Limited’ listed at Companies House. Given that SK and JL effectively control 68% of the shares on behalf of large no. of USA investors - whom will have access to them - surely the trust members, and we are all part of our 21.1% shareholding, should have similar access at requisite Company Law governed events such as an AGM, to decide club policy and elect the officers of The Board. Meaningful and proportionate representation would have prevented the debacle surrounding the lack of information provided during the negotiation of the sale in 2016, and would help rebuild the current rift with the supporters." The above applies to the current board because it is essential for the club's future well being. Unless I am made aware of facts that Counsel state we would both almost certainly win, and would be of benefit in gaining meaningful representation for supporters in the future, I think it is best to focus our energies on legal challenges to the current board to get at least 3 voting Board members from supporters and overturning the quorum of two clause .
2. Huw Jenkins: I spoke very robustly at the trust meeting with SK and JL last year that for the good of the club the time had come to sever all ties with HJ. He was part of a consortium that brought us stability and real progress from 2003 until 2015. However, since then it has been dicing with relegation and the abandonment of the 'Swansea Way'. If we were a properly constituted FTSE top 200 company he would have been replaced before now. He has made a huge profit from the sale of his shares - good luck to him as long as he has paid all the tax the rest of us are subject to - he's had a good run but in order to start rebuilding the essential trust between club and supporters, the manner of our relegation means he needs to move on.
3. Avenues of Communication: Engaging a young fan base is a very difficult one, I am involved in local politics and it is the same problem. I would advocate that we should hold a young fans forum with players and staff attending and at such a forum, young supporters would elect candidates to reserved places on the Trust Board. For example, at least one who is under 21 and one from the 21-30 age group, with one more from either age bracket, and of whom at least one should be female. I have been in the Trust for much of the time since its formation and feel they are conforming to a good level of transparency by publishing all minutes of meetings and the accounts etc. on the Trust website. I did like the previous short-lived policy that all season ticket holders were automatically trust members. Accordingly, I would hope the SK and JL would see the sense in reviving that to show by actions - not words - that we are indeed important to them. I would also advocate that the regular forums the Trust hold would be open to all fans but - like any voluntary organisation - voting could only be eligible to paid up members.
I did make the point to Nigel Hamer that 250 words was a very limiting amount -particularly for new candidates - to cover our background and aspirations for the trust, so I wrote a more detailed one. He replied that 250 was the recommended amount from the national FSF, but candidates could use social media thus I posted it on the official Swans Trust facebook page on 9th July, along with my photo as people might remember me from trust open meetings. I attach these below so if you feel inclined to do the same I would be most grateful.
best wishes,
Tim Bull
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WHO TO VOTE INTO THE TRUST - Candidate 3 TIM BULL on 09:26 - Jul 17 with 4381 views
If the allegedly illegal special resolution is reversed - what is Tim’s view on how future investment will be made into the club - without diluting the Trust’s 21% stake.
The Trust has always said the club should not take on excessive debt and yet if the Yanks undertake a rights issue the Trust only has £800k to subscribe to it - so most likely will be diluted away.
So although reversing the allegedly illegal rights issue might have benefits in respect of protecting the £21m value at stake before the sale - it is a minor issue.
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WHO TO VOTE INTO THE TRUST - Candidate 3 TIM BULL on 09:28 - Jul 17 with 4379 views
I have answered the 3 questions Lee sent me yesterday and he has posted them under the section about me previously posted. I have complained to the Trust that 250 words are very limiting for new candidates and was told to write about myself. I put a much fuller 'manifesto' on the Trust facebook site which included my aspirations for the trust which are below.
My priorities for the Trust. I was against the sale of the shares because I strongly believe that as the Trust has by far the largest individual shareholding they should be looking for meaningful voting representation on the board. Huw Jenkins has retained 5% of his shares and Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien, individually, no more than 8-9% as far as can be ascertained. On that basis the Trust should have at least 3 full members. I believe the trust should explore — without incurring any expenditure ceiling not approved by all trust members -the legal opportunities for challenging the Special Resolution of 27/10/2017, para 3.1 that allowed SK and JL to make all decisions as a ‘‘quorum of two’’. This allows neither due diligence, scrutiny nor democratic accountability to the other shareholders of ‘The Swansea City AFC Limited’ listed at Companies House. Given that SK and JL effectively control 68% of the shares on behalf of large no. of USA investors - whom will have access to them - surely the trust members, and we are all part of our 21.1% shareholding, should have similar access at requisite Company Law governed events such as an AGM, to decide club policy and elect the officers of The Board. Meaningful and proportionate representation would have prevented the debacle surrounding the lack of information provided during the negotiation of the sale in 2016, and would help rebuild the current rift with the supporters. I am disappointed at the split between the Trust and the Alliance and the Trust needs to do all it can to repair that split because united we stand and divided we fall. Despite my very strong reservations about the current ownership is it at all times necessary to be pragmatic about what is in the best interests of the club in the future.
There were also various questions from WarwickHunt and others which were puzzling as my many drinking friends inMumbles know the number of times I have been to the bars in Newton road in the last 5 years you can count on one hand and I have certainly never seen, let alone socialised with Huw Jenkins and Leigh Dineen!?! I go to real ale pubs for social discourse and sometimes Cafe Vallance in the day for meetings. I am very proud to have supported Mumbles Community Council's increase in the precept from 25p per week on a band D house - the level at which it is calculated - to just over £1 per week. We had one of the lowest precepts in Wales despite being one of the wealthiest areas, and are now able to remote raise a total sum of £535,000 per year. Now we can make a real difference with support for sport - principally to begin to make Underhill Park fit for purpose for the 33 football and 16 Rugby teams that play there and other leisure. arts and health and well-being activities that the City and County of Swansea no longer support due to the Government's austerity policies.
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WHO TO VOTE INTO THE TRUST - Candidate 3 TIM BULL on 11:15 - Jul 17 with 4297 views
The legal doctrine of 'severability' means there is no way the entire special resolution adopting the new company statutes is struck out entirely if a particular provision of those statutes is found to be in contravention of English law.
However, I have said in the past there are bits of the new statutes including to do with directors' responsibilities that I believe are at least borderline.
But challenging them doesn't actually achieve anything in particular, it merely puts a break on the speed with which Kaplan an exercise the levers of control by other means.
As such this is probably just a an empty gesture and a waste of money unless there is something I have missed.
I agree with this in the fact that so what if you do reverse the special resolution.
What are the Trust’s shares currently worth?
What then happens if Yanks conduct a £10m right issues which means Trust then has to raise £2.1m to maintain its stake - when Trust only has £800k in Bank.
Trust therefore gets diluted away.
Or are we saying we don’t want Yanks to make any future investment - as it would dilute away the Trust’s stake?
I think where legal action on this point could prove beneficial is showing the alleged illegal actions of Huw Jenkins not informing the Trust of the special resolution, to change the articles, when he was required to do so as Chairman of Board of Directors.
Add that to similar irregularities in respect of Keefe and Penny case.
All could add up to judge finding in Trust’s favour in respect of requiring to offer Trust same terms for their shares - as Selling Shareholders received.
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WHO TO VOTE INTO THE TRUST - Candidate 3 TIM BULL on 16:24 - Jul 17 with 4193 views
I am currently being subject to a completely untrue and defamatory character assassination by someone calling himself Mumbleswinesbars who obviously has a personal agenda which he needs to be honest and open about. Who are you and what is your issue and I challenge you to a public debate about who would be better for the Swans Trust myself, or someone like you.
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WHO TO VOTE INTO THE TRUST - Candidate 3 TIM BULL on 14:01 - Jul 18 with 3875 views
Thank you Shaky, i thought it was worth exploring the possibility of utilising the special resolution to see if the trust can obtain a fairer representation of voting members. I made that statement from a natural justice perspective, and you are clearly better informed than me but it might be worth exploring, subject to a transparently agreed small maximum payment.
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WHO TO VOTE INTO THE TRUST - Candidate 3 TIM BULL on 14:13 - Jul 18 with 3857 views
This sort of thing is never nice to read and is the sort of vindictive personal stuff that this site needs to work hard to remove. Whether true or not is irrelevant, shouldnt be on here and this sort of stuff can deter people from standing.
Hi LonglostJack, I have answered the 3 questions administrator Uplands Jack sent me and he posted my answers 2 days ago I think, which cover your questions on HJ - he should go, and selling shares - no and the only desire I have to be in the Board Room would be as one of 3 trust members - that is what we should have for 21% shares as HJ has 5% and Levien and Kaplan personal shares 8 or 9%, they only manage the others and only if transparently voted for by all trust members.
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WHO TO VOTE INTO THE TRUST - Candidate 3 TIM BULL on 13:21 - Jul 31 with 3455 views
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