11.15am
Ricky was at last night’s Well Worth Saving meeting, and has very kindly provided the following report:
It should be on STV this evening I believe, there was a great take up of application forms and Super Well 7 forms too. There must have been around 100-150 there, not a great turn-out but then you really didn’t need many to get it going.
The meeting was opened by Martin Rose who outlined what the setting up of the trust was all about. He introduced James Proctor, who is the Caseworker for Supporters Direct in Scotland. He admitted to being a Raith Rovers fan, which was brave indeed, then went on at length about how the Government has set aside cash to enable Trusts to be formed (there’s £75,000 available for 20 to be formed over two years). James described how the trusts will be completely accountable to their members, with a Board voted in each year (replaced in part, not completely to ensure some continuity). The key elements of the proposed rules are:-
Name and Definitions
1. The name of the society is to be Motherwell FC Supporters Society Limited but will be known as the Motherwell Supporters Trust.
Objects
2. The Society’s objects are, either itself or through a subsidiary company or society trading for the benefit of the community and acting under its control:
i) to develop and strengthen the bonds between Motherwell FC and the local community and supporters, and to represent the interests of the community and supporters in the running of Motherwell FC.
ii) to promote the full, accountable, democratic and constructive involvement of the supporters in the running and direction of the club, including the principle of supporter involvement on the Board of Motherwell FC.
iii) to purchase shares in the club and to enable existing supporter-shareholders’ proxies to be transferred to the Society to create a supporters’ stake holding, for the benefit of shareholders and the Club.
iv) to assist Motherwell FC in any way agreed by the Trust membership including financially, with particular reference to the pursuit of Object 2ii, in kind and in developing partnerships to further the interests of Motherwell FC.
v) to represent the views of supporters to the appropriate football governing bodies, central and local government and any other agency whose activities impact on the Trust and its members.
vi) to raise money and utilise it in such a way to promote the aims and objectives of the Trust and to benefit of the local community and the supporters of the Club, and to assist Motherwell FC in any way agreed by the Trust members.
Membership
3. The Society Board will decide and issue a form of application for membership. Members are to pay an annual subscription of £10 or such other reasonable sum as the Society Board shall decide, the first payment to be made at the time of application for membership. the sum of £1 from the first payment shall be applied to purchase a share in the Society.
Constitution of Society Board
4. With effect from the Society’s first annual general meeting, the Society Board is to have not less than 8 and not more than 15 members and will be made up as follows:
a) 12 members of the Society Board or such higher number as shall be required so that elected members of the Board are in the majority over co-opted members will be elected by the members in accordance with such arrangements as shall be determined by the Society Board.
b) Up to 3 members will be co-opted by the Society Board in accordance with a Board Membership Policy which it will develop and adopt.
Folk then got a chance to fire in some questions which were dealt with in a positive manner by both Martin Rose and James Proctor. Following on from that the proposal went to a vote which was carried with the maximum show of hands.
Next on the agenda was a report from Keith Brown who outlined how the Well Worth Saving campaign was progressing. After detailing costs he proposed, and had it unanimously accepted, that cash be spent on buying a hydraulic bench for John Porteous, the Club Physiotherapist. A full set of strips would also be purchased for one of the youth teams at Fir Park, the total expenditure for both items coming to around £3,000, money ‘Well worth spending for sure. Two more imminent events are planned in the campaign, the five-a-side competition on 29th June at Hamilton Pitz (entries still being accepted – 24 so far with a target of 32 teams) and a battle of the bands competition which is probably going to happen on 8th August.
At the end of the meeting, which was a resounding success, over 3 dozen application forms were completed (totaling £400 approx), and many others took forms away for completion.
Download a Membership Application Form
8.45am
The latest club to be linked with a move for James McFadden are Coventry City, who are also believed to be interested in Eric Deloumeaux.
Meanwhile, Stephen Pearson says he is in no hurry to leave Fir Park, even though we are likely to be favourites for relegation next year:
“I’m happy to stay at Motherwell. And we won’t go down. There is a real determination here. The events towards the end of last season have brought us together more strongly and it showed in the performances.”
At last night’s meeting, ‘Well fans agreed to the formation of the Motherwell Supporters’ Trust. More details later…
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