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Following the announcement on Thursday of my appointment as Chairman of the Supporters’ Trust I was able to speak with a number of Trust Members after the Members’ Forum in the evening. I am probably known to some others but felt it appropriate to send out this more general message to all members by way of introduction.
As I said in my opening remarks on Thursday I did not envisage being in this position even a couple of short months ago. Having stepped up into the Vice Chairman’s role to support Will Morris following his appointment as Chairman, the completely unwarranted treatment of Will on the Internet led to the Chairman’s seat again becoming vacant and the need to again step up; this time to lead what I am sure we all recognise as a unique organisation. Unique not only in that it is the only Supporters’ Trust owning shares in and being represented at Board level at a club in the Premier League, but also an organisation which played a significant role in the journey that the Club took from near extinction to the richest league in the world.
Although joining the Trust as a member from the start I take no credit for the huge amount of work undertaken by a relatively small group of fans during those early days. I was the one putting money in the bucket rather than carrying it and together with many Swans Fans young and old I will always be grateful for their endeavours.
It was by way of giving something back to the organisation that I was persuaded to seek a position on the Trust Board. Retirement from my job at the DVLA had provided me with a resource which I knew would be welcome by the Board — time. Little did I realise then the accuracy of the old adage that when you are retired you can never understand how you had time to go to work! That became evident quickly however and even more so when I later took on responsibilities for media relations and membership administration within the Trust Board.
The years since we gained promotion to the Premier League have probably provided the most challenging times for the Trust since those early days; and none more so than at present. The proposal to sell some of the Trust’s shares was I know not universally welcome, but most if not all of you will have been involved in the comprehensive consultation exercise that was carried out last summer. The result was an overwhelming majority, amongst those members who voted, to accept the deal on the terms offered in the consultation documents. Since then of course the resignation of Phil Sumbler, our long standing Trust Chairman, has raised concerns about the deal.
Your Trust Board has issued a number of statements clarifying the situation but there remains a prevailing thought amongst some fans that the payment terms of the deal have changed from that quoted in the consultation documents. This is not the case. There was certainly some clarification needed when we had details of a payment structure which we had not been made aware of. Phil, who had worked closely with the majority shareholders in putting the deal together, took the view at the time that the failure by the majority shareholders to highlight potential inaccuracies in the payment terms in our consultation documents amounted to a breakdown in relations with them. As mentioned in our previous statements the majority view of the Board, including other long standing Board Members who had been closely involved in the discussions with the majority shareholders, was to continue discussions in an effort to clarify things. Phil felt he could not lead the Trust Board in that direction and resigned from the Board. The ongoing discussions between the two legal teams have however now got us to a point where the payment terms of the deal are fully in line with the consultation papers.
As is also mentioned in those consultation documents, proceeding with any decision by the members to sell shares was always subject to the Trust Board being satisfied with the resulting legal contract that would need to be drawn up. Examining the detailed clauses associated with that contract is the current process that the Trust’s legal team is now working on, and our statement issued to members on 14 December highlighted some of the specific areas being looked at. We have a sub-group of the Trust Board monitoring that process and this has been recently supplemented by specialist expertise brought in as part of the recent co-option exercise. The Sub-Group will be bringing any proposals back to the Trust Board before any final decisions are made.
The debate around the current share deal together with the poor performance of the team on the pitch has certainly put a dark cloud over the Club and indeed the Supporters’ Trust. As I see things the fundamental reasons for progressing with the sale of some of the Trust’s shares remains as outlined in our consultation documents issued in the summer. However, and at the risk of repeating previous statements if, when discussions have been completed, there is anything in the terms of the proposed agreement which is contrary to the terms provided to members’ in the Summer exercise we will bring it back for further consultation. Given the very clear mandate we received and the care that has been taken and continues to be taken, to ensure that terms are in line with the original consultation exercise, I hope that all members will recognise that the Trust Board is complying fully with that mandate you provided in the Summer.
I know that there are some of you who remain concerned that the events surrounding this deal, in particular Phil Sumbler’s resignation, has cast doubt over the ongoing relationship between the Club and the Trust. Several of you have been in touch recording such concerns. Please accept this acknowledgement that the Trust Board will take full account of such concerns as we move forward.
When the Club was sold to American Owners in 2016 any relationship was inevitably going to change. The reality is that with 75%+ voting rights the majority owners have more or less complete control of what happens at the Club. The relationship with remote owners is inevitably different in any event and from the time they came on board it is probably fair to say that our direct relationship has been mixed. It is well documented that it took a while in the early days for the new owners to properly engage with the Trust. This changed following the departure of Bob Bradley and the subsequent appointment of Paul Clement. Perhaps the most significant element of the relationship has been the regular dialogue, agreed with the majority owners, that now exists at local level, with our Supporter Director Stuart McDonald holding regular weekly meetings with key personnel at the Club. There remains inevitably a more distant relationship with the American based majority owners and questions that arose around the detail of the share deal might have been clarified earlier in different circumstances. The fact that the dialogue continues however remains a positive with the Trust able to bring the concerns of our members directly to the decision makers at the Club. Needless to say the final outcome of the current deal will also go a long way to establishing how that relationship moves forward.
Whatever the eventual outcome however it is important that we as a Supporters Trust move forward in a positive way. You have my assurance that I will be doing my best to ensure that we will always have the long term interest of the Club and its fans as the focal point of our plans and I look to my Trust Board colleagues and you the wider membership for support in doing so. Words are all well and good however and I recognise that we as a Trust Board need to show tangible evidence of progress. Currently as well as the sub-group monitoring the share sale negotiations, we also have one examining membership and communications and I am sure you will see some positive outcomes from that shortly. In the meantime if you have ideas to assist us please get in touch via info@swanstrust.co.uk.
On a personal level I am normally around on match days - home and away - so if you get the opportunity please stop and have a word. At the Liberty I am regularly at the Trust Pod pre-match whilst I normally travel to away games on the supporters’ coaches provided by the excellent Swans Travel Club.
Thanks for taking the time to read through this message which turned out to be a little longer than I originally intended. As we move deep into the festive season may I also take this opportunity on behalf of all connected with the Supporters’ Trust to wish you and those near and dear to you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - a few points wouldn't go amiss either !!
Best wishes
Alan Lewis
Planet Swans Prediction League Winner Season 2013-14. Runner up 2014_15.
As you can see from this statement there is a steely determination from the board to avoid taking this deal back to the members.Lisa will have a near impossible job to change the inevitable outcome. If you’re reading this thread Alan do what’s right,listen to the concerns of your members; I know there’s a mandate to proceed with the deal however you must see that opinions have changed along with the current position the club is in. Once again I stress ‘Do the right thing as once it’s gone it’s gone’ I admire you for stepping in to the unenviable position of chairman however I also ask for you to step aside if your not up for the fight ahead; Do the right thing Alan!
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Trust Chairman's statement on 18:47 - Dec 20 with 2301 views
Trust Chairman's statement on 18:39 - Dec 20 by donkonky
As you can see from this statement there is a steely determination from the board to avoid taking this deal back to the members.Lisa will have a near impossible job to change the inevitable outcome. If you’re reading this thread Alan do what’s right,listen to the concerns of your members; I know there’s a mandate to proceed with the deal however you must see that opinions have changed along with the current position the club is in. Once again I stress ‘Do the right thing as once it’s gone it’s gone’ I admire you for stepping in to the unenviable position of chairman however I also ask for you to step aside if your not up for the fight ahead; Do the right thing Alan!
If they're not gonna do the that thing then it must be taken out of their hands, fans pay their membership every year and they are there to PROTECT that money any Trust money for that matter, these revelations about there being 25 other shareholders as got to set alarm bells off, its whether they listen to them is the thing.
The sentence I'd like to draw people's attention to is the confirmation that the deal must be considered by the sub group (of which I can confirm that I am part) and ALSO the full board again before ANY decision can be made.
Lots of talk earlier this week of a threat of deals being agreed without that happening, so that is obviously very positive.
Over the next few weeks I (and the rest of the sub group) can review everything in detail and make our recommendation in January without being overly rushed.
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Trust Chairman's statement on 19:04 - Dec 20 with 2220 views
Poor effort, I managed 5 pages for my complaint re the deal - and at least put titles and a management summary
Must have written it before the meeting and letters, surely no one could ignore the members they represent given the promise to re consult if anything changed
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Trust Chairman's statement on 19:11 - Dec 20 with 2185 views
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:01 - Dec 20 by londonlisa2001
The sentence I'd like to draw people's attention to is the confirmation that the deal must be considered by the sub group (of which I can confirm that I am part) and ALSO the full board again before ANY decision can be made.
Lots of talk earlier this week of a threat of deals being agreed without that happening, so that is obviously very positive.
Over the next few weeks I (and the rest of the sub group) can review everything in detail and make our recommendation in January without being overly rushed.
Recommending what exactly?
I don't quite understand why this has to be done if they insist the deal hasn't changed?
Trust Chairman's statement on 18:01 - Dec 20 by monmouth
Mate, they are all nice people and real fans but this is a war now. Retired public servants or people who just happen to have been there in the good times should have no voice in the sharp end of this. We are where we are partly because they are nice and out of their depth. Not their fault but their time is done.
Quite simply Lisa should be appointed Supporter Director and Mr Cude should be Chairman. Now. Today. Get the skills where we need them before it is too late.
Indeed Mon, I'm sure that they are all lovely individuals and enjoy the work they do for the club and the community. Take Stu Mac, he's one of the nicest gentlemen i've ever met. But he should be no where near the board of directors of our club, especially at this time. Maybe i shouldn't say this, but i saw him at the Brighton game (we stood together actually) and i did mention that Phil was about to resign as i assumed he knew. He asked me when Phil had told me this and i said "Wednesday." He replied "Oh, that was days ago, everything has been sorted since then!" Of course, we all know what happened next, so i dedicate this to you Stu, (sorry) and all the other members of the trust board. Enjoy!
[Post edited 20 Dec 2017 19:32]
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Trust Chairman's statement on 19:29 - Dec 20 with 2121 views
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:16 - Dec 20 by londonlisa2001
Unless I'm reading it wrongly it says that the payment terms haven't changed. Doesn't mention anything else.
The deal is a whole mixture of things.
Does your remit cover only the "material terms" or will you also be looking at the less tangible aspects such as the relationship between the Trust and the majority owners?
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Trust Chairman's statement on 19:32 - Dec 20 with 2113 views
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:11 - Dec 20 by Bobby_Fischer
Recommending what exactly?
I don't quite understand why this has to be done if they insist the deal hasn't changed?
Sorry, I didn't notice the point on recommendation.
From my perspective, there are three parts to the recommendation.
One is whether the deal is the same as was voted on by all members. That includes payments, other financial terms, and for me, equally important is non financial terms.
The second part is whether the stuff the papers that were sent to members mentioned can actually be drafted in a way to make them deliverable. Tag rights as an example.
Thirdly for me, is a review of whether anything else affects the original recommendation and would have affected the vote had it been known at the time.
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Trust Chairman's statement on 19:35 - Dec 20 with 2094 views
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:32 - Dec 20 by londonlisa2001
Sorry, I didn't notice the point on recommendation.
From my perspective, there are three parts to the recommendation.
One is whether the deal is the same as was voted on by all members. That includes payments, other financial terms, and for me, equally important is non financial terms.
The second part is whether the stuff the papers that were sent to members mentioned can actually be drafted in a way to make them deliverable. Tag rights as an example.
Thirdly for me, is a review of whether anything else affects the original recommendation and would have affected the vote had it been known at the time.
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:29 - Dec 20 by MattG
Does your remit cover only the "material terms" or will you also be looking at the less tangible aspects such as the relationship between the Trust and the majority owners?
I don't have a remit. I can mention whatever the hell I want to. And already have started to do so.
I've already said on here on many occasions before my elevation (lol), that I personally believe that the good faith relationship is of vital importance and was a crucial part of the recommendation.
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Trust Chairman's statement on 19:41 - Dec 20 with 2062 views
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:37 - Dec 20 by londonlisa2001
I don't have a remit. I can mention whatever the hell I want to. And already have started to do so.
I've already said on here on many occasions before my elevation (lol), that I personally believe that the good faith relationship is of vital importance and was a crucial part of the recommendation.
Thanks. I sent an email to the Trust earlier saying the same thing.
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Trust Chairman's statement on 19:42 - Dec 20 with 2054 views
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:37 - Dec 20 by londonlisa2001
I don't have a remit. I can mention whatever the hell I want to. And already have started to do so.
I've already said on here on many occasions before my elevation (lol), that I personally believe that the good faith relationship is of vital importance and was a crucial part of the recommendation.
“I can mention whatever the hell I want to. And already have started to do so.”
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:32 - Dec 20 by londonlisa2001
Sorry, I didn't notice the point on recommendation.
From my perspective, there are three parts to the recommendation.
One is whether the deal is the same as was voted on by all members. That includes payments, other financial terms, and for me, equally important is non financial terms.
The second part is whether the stuff the papers that were sent to members mentioned can actually be drafted in a way to make them deliverable. Tag rights as an example.
Thirdly for me, is a review of whether anything else affects the original recommendation and would have affected the vote had it been known at the time.
So the 'post balance sheet adjusting events' covered by number three would include the fact that the Trust chair proposing the vote would have not recommended the deal had he known the true position of the counterparty. Hard to see how that is not material and wouldn't have changed the vote really. I look forward to seeing that one squared away.
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:01 - Dec 20 by londonlisa2001
The sentence I'd like to draw people's attention to is the confirmation that the deal must be considered by the sub group (of which I can confirm that I am part) and ALSO the full board again before ANY decision can be made.
Lots of talk earlier this week of a threat of deals being agreed without that happening, so that is obviously very positive.
Over the next few weeks I (and the rest of the sub group) can review everything in detail and make our recommendation in January without being overly rushed.
With respect I think it is a hueeege mistake to put all the eggs into your basket at this moment.
Rule 23 of the Trust Rules gives the members the power to give directions to the board in a vote carried by 2/3rds of the votes cast at an AGM.
That means you can potentially kill the deal dead with 14 Trust members turning up to vote on a resolution directing the Trust board to abandon all negotiations with Kaplan, and to go ahead with litigation.
Also worth mentioning is that means the board will then no longer have recourse to deciding to go ahead without consultation as was the case according to the 'current' legal opinion, because the members will effectively have changed the by-laws to block that. Decisively.
14 people potentially required.
Get 50 or 100 or more on side and the issue is burried. Forever.
Fail to put the little bit of effort in to do this now, and the Swansea fans collectively are pathetic, and all the wailing and gnashing of teeth is a complete joke.
Trust Chairman's statement on 17:30 - Dec 20 by budegan
What reasons could lie behind them being hell-bent on pushing it through?
Does anyone have any theories as to what could be in it for them?
Members voted for it. They don't need another reason.
I don't want them to sell, but they had a consultation exercise and an independently verified vote. Now, if the vote was invalid due to those term complications, or there was proof that they were acting in self interest, then it should be stopped. Is there any proof, as I'm not aware of any (no reason why I should be, but someone like Phil would know what went on). It would need more than gossip and baseless theories to do it.
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Trust Chairman's statement on 19:51 - Dec 20 with 2005 views
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:45 - Dec 20 by monmouth
So the 'post balance sheet adjusting events' covered by number three would include the fact that the Trust chair proposing the vote would have not recommended the deal had he known the true position of the counterparty. Hard to see how that is not material and wouldn't have changed the vote really. I look forward to seeing that one squared away.
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:47 - Dec 20 by Shaky
With respect I think it is a hueeege mistake to put all the eggs into your basket at this moment.
Rule 23 of the Trust Rules gives the members the power to give directions to the board in a vote carried by 2/3rds of the votes cast at an AGM.
That means you can potentially kill the deal dead with 14 Trust members turning up to vote on a resolution directing the Trust board to abandon all negotiations with Kaplan, and to go ahead with litigation.
Also worth mentioning is that means the board will then no longer have recourse to deciding to go ahead without consultation as was the case according to the 'current' legal opinion, because the members will effectively have changed the by-laws to block that. Decisively.
14 people potentially required.
Get 50 or 100 or more on side and the issue is burried. Forever.
Fail to put the little bit of effort in to do this now, and the Swansea fans collectively are pathetic, and all the wailing and gnashing of teeth is a complete joke.
[Post edited 20 Dec 2017 19:56]
I’m not sure it’s as simple as that. Rule 23 also states that any direction given to the board at an AGM must not effect the powers and responsibilities of the board outlined under rule 25. The powers reserved for the board in rule 25 take some deciphering but im sure it could be argued that somewhere in there the board could reserve the right to carry on with the deal, especially as they feel they’re acting on an overwhelming mandate of a members’ vote.
Edited to add - and there’s still the added complication of no one really knowing which rules are currently being followed. I’m still not clear on that.
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:47 - Dec 20 by LeonWasGod
Members voted for it. They don't need another reason.
I don't want them to sell, but they had a consultation exercise and an independently verified vote. Now, if the vote was invalid due to those term complications, or there was proof that they were acting in self interest, then it should be stopped. Is there any proof, as I'm not aware of any (no reason why I should be, but someone like Phil would know what went on). It would need more than gossip and baseless theories to do it.
Thanks buddy. That makes sense.
But it does beg the question as to what Phil etc have seen that the rest of the Trust either haven't, or are choosing to ignore.
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Trust Chairman's statement on 20:01 - Dec 20 with 1950 views
Trust Chairman's statement on 19:57 - Dec 20 by exiledclaseboy
I’m not sure it’s as simple as that. Rule 23 also states that any direction given to the board at an AGM must not effect the powers and responsibilities of the board outlined under rule 25. The powers reserved for the board in rule 25 take some deciphering but im sure it could be argued that somewhere in there the board could reserve the right to carry on with the deal, especially as they feel they’re acting on an overwhelming mandate of a members’ vote.
Edited to add - and there’s still the added complication of no one really knowing which rules are currently being followed. I’m still not clear on that.
[Post edited 20 Dec 2017 20:01]
Not if they had been specifically told not to go ahead by the members, by a resolution at an AGM.
Not a chance.
Only another resolution at a general meeting to reverse that would suffice.
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