Trust AGM and Fans' Forum Overview

Trust AGM and Fans' Forum
12 November 2014

The AGM took place in the Princes Room at the Midland Hotel. What a magnificent venue in all its Victorian spledour.

The formal business highlights were as follows:

• Minutes of AGM 13 November 2013 approved
• Independent Report and Accounts approved (document available on this website)
• The Meeting agreed that no professional audit would be required for 2014/15 and that Figurewise Ltd be appointed to produce the Report and Accounts for that year
• Matthew Hemmingway, Jamie Dorward and Justin Brett were elected as Board members for a three year term of office. The Board now consists of 9 elected and 3 co-opted Members.
• An update to the Trust Rules was approved (document available on this website - Here)

Alan Bloore of the Football Supporters Federation spoke about their Campaign for Safe Standing, pointing out that this was not intended to enforce standing areas upon Premiership and Football League Clubs, but was to remove the Regulation requiring any Club promoted to the Championship to have an all-seater stadium within two years. The effect of this would be that every Premiership and Football League Club would have the option to create Safe Standing Areas in their Stadium. It was expected that they would only do this where Fans wanted it to happen, where there was a clear economic case for it and where spectator safety could be adequately ensured through design and control (Safety Case) to the satisfaction of the appropriate authority (usually the relevant Local Authority).

Trust Chair Mike Thompson paid tribute to the work of the Trust Board, Kate Davies of Figurewise Ltd and, in thanking the members and guests present for their attendance for this important business meeting, closed the AGM.

Fan's Forum

Vice Chair Manny Dominguez then introduced the guests for the Fans' Forum, Academy Manager Alan Nevison, Head of Academy Coaching Steve Thornber and Alan Bloore of FSF.

The audience was treated to a brilliant whistle-stop tour of the Academy, its structure and staffing, the arrangements for Coaching, Sports Science and Medicine, Education and Welfare and Recruitment. Hearing about the professional training and educational philosophies and procedures was an eye-opener for everyone present.

Alan and Steve described the set-up of City's Category Three Academy which has teams for U-9 through to U-18 (The Youth Team) and 5 Coaches in total. There is also a Development Centre which caters for U-7 and U-8 players and the U-9 team, which functions as a learning environment to develop players so that they can impress in the Academy as they progress through the age groups. They both spoke with passion and commitment, demonstrating their dedication to the young players under their mantle and we got a real insight into what life is like for the staff and players in the Bradford City Academy. All City fans can be rightly proud of the work being done in our Academy which is making great strides to develop the next generation of City starlets and establish a sustainable and improving pathway for their progress. A highly professional and caring outfit.

All three guests went on to answer questions with frankness and openness, never ducking the odd hot potato tossed in their direction by an increasingly appreciative audience. Covering the understandable concerns about the head-hunting of some of our best talent by the big guys, Steve made the point that it would never be our intention to stand in the way of a positive career move for one of our players. And of course, the Academy has been responsible for significantly more revenue being made available for the First Team Squad through player transactions than any movement of players from said First Team (perhaps with the exception of a certain Bermudan First Teamer in the more recent past).

Alan Bloore also spoke with passion about a number of fan-related topics such as the cost of following football at many clubs and the assertion that 'Watching Football is not a crime!' when he was referring to overzealous attitudes by the authorities towards the average football fan.

In all, this was a highly informative and entertaining journey around some of the key issues in football today, how do we develop young players for their benefit and that of the game as a whole and let's not forget that, without the real support of ordinary men, women and children, the game would not be the same fascinating spectacle that so many of us enjoy.

Manny closed the meeting and everyone present were then able to enjoy the raffle from which £81 was raised. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

To our guests, Alan, Steve and Alan, our sincere and heartfelt thanks for giving so freely of their time, energy and informative delivery and to those present on the receiving end, thanks for your attendance and support to our fund-raising on the night. We hope you all enjoyed the experience. And to the Gary Peacock and his team at the Midland Hotel, many thanks for providing such a splendid venue and looking after us so well on the night.

For more information on the Academy, be prepared to be amazed at www.bradfordcityacademy.co.uk.

For the Football Supporters Federation, go to www.fsf.org.uk

And you already know how to find us or you wouldn't have been reading this!