Supporters Board Meetings / Minutes

I'm on the steering group of the Independent Supporters Group. The Chair wrote this this morning, which explains a little of what's going on behind the scenes for us and might be of interest to some of you.

An update from our Chairperson, Steve:

Dear Bantams,

I just wanted to write to give you an update on activity and action. I apologise for the gap but plenty of things have been going on. Unfortunately, I was hospitalised again due to the reoccurrence of an infection that put me in hospital at Christmas. Luckily, this time, they have completely stopped that infection and I am advised that it will not return. Since I left hospital, over a week ago, I have been back, working with our steering group to deliver opportunities for our supporters. Our, "Progression not Regression" campaign is now under way and this results in a protest that will take place at 2pm this coming Friday outside the directors entrance. We have contingency to move to outside the ticket office if we cannot or are blocked from protesting outside the directors entrance. This will involve our fans bringing their own banners and chants of progression not regression or any other chants will happen. I am not going to be attending the game afterwards, and many of us are going to walk to North Parade and have a beer. The protest is as simple as that. We will not condone any illegal activity such as pyrotechnics, items being thrown onto the pitch as this harms our credibility as a supporter group. Our protest is peaceful. We will meet near the ticket office at the bottom of the hill at 1.30pm. We hope to see many people there.

In other news, we are talking to national press at the moment who are greatly interested in what is going on at Bradford. In addition, we are also now starting to communicate with media in Germany, though this is in early stages.

There is lots going on right now but our invitation to do media regularly shows that our group is being seen as a prominent supporters group as well as being respected.

Keep the faith, do not be swayed from your opinion on the club and let's get change together.

Steve

 

Cheers @Pidge

 

@Bantam Steve will be best placed to answer your questions I would have thought.

 

Why so many questions? There shouldn't be any issues, it is a peaceful protest

Do the club need notifying? Do the police need notifying?? There seems to be protests and marches going on all the time these days regarding Israel and the rest of it, which ends up far from peaceful. I bet they don't inform anyone, especially the authorities!!

 

The police have to be informed if it is an organised protest march. They don't have to be informed if it is a stationary protest. Police may become involved if a protest results in trespassing on private land or obstructs others going about their day to day activities.
The right to protest has been severely curtailed by recent legislation.

 

As I said in my post, it doesn't seem to stop most of them? Just look at the extinction/stop oil loonies glueing themselves to the roads, police do piss all and let them cause carnage, so not sure how true your statement is? Or is it very recent legislation? Genuine question as I don't keep up to it

 

I think you will find that people engaged in the sort of activity you describe do indeed get arrested and prosecuted. The most recent legislation is The Police, Crime and Sentencing Courts Act 2022 and the Public Order Act 2023. Further measures are proposed for a forthcoming Criminal Justice Bill.

 

With recent regulation it's now illegal to carry things like glue if the police suspect you are going to use it to lock on or like we saw at the coronation last year 6 people were arrested for having placards and luggage straps just because the police claimed the straps would be used to lock on. They were released without charge as the law is ridiculous but still stands. It's now also illegal to make too much noise where serious disruption to the activities of an organisation carried on in the vicinity or have a significant impact on people in the vicinity of the protest. So in theory if the protest was to be by the ticket office and the noise means the ticket office staff can't do their job then it would be illegal.
So many stupid and dangerous laws have been brought in by this government under the disguise of tackling Just Stop Oil when the reality is it's taking away rights to protest for everyone in the country

 

To the MOD who deleted my post, at least drop me a DM to explain?

 

So did the supporters board meeting happen this week? Did RS have much to say?

 

Wasn’t he in Munich?

 

That's what I thought

 

Just a thought - why don't the people who have set themselves up as another supporter group just become committee members of the Supporters Board? Then they would have access to the club as an official organisation?

 

From what I have seen so far the ISG has done more in a few weeks to influence the club than the supports board has done ever. Why would the ISG want to join up with a group that basically seems to be scared of their own shadow?

SB: Ryan when will there be hot water in the Kop bogs
RS: Soon.
SB: Ok Ryan that's great. Take your time we all know you are busy pissing off the fan base and sponsors.

 

So if the Supporters Board are not asking the right questions, surely the answer to it is to become a committee member of it and then put your questions forward which have to be answered. Starting out as an upstart group of persons will give those in charge the easiest answer in saying you are not a recognisable body.

 

There is absolutely no way on earth I'd embarrass myself by being part of a body willing to ask the CEO if we can have pool tables and arcade machines on the concourse.

What the hell was the chair thinking!

 

I believe if you have over a certain number of members you have to be recognised by the club? 800 springs to mind? And I think the ISG has around that number.

 

So I assume the last supporters board meeting didn’t happen?