I wondered how you always turn up with a tear in your trousers.

I recon that's an excellent deal.

I've just joined the "Members Club" and attended the EGM last Friday.

It was a BIG eye opener  and I'm pleased to have "done my bit" for T & M UNITED !

I URGE all supporters to join up, even if it's only via the season ticket. DO IT NOW - YOUR CLUB NEEDS YOU. 

Do they even know?

I have heard it all before.

The real pity is that so have the members

Here`s February 2005 : -

Major Deal Successfully Completed with London Interspace and Active England

In the past few months the committee has been in negotiation with London Interspace and Active England to come up with a deal that will secure the future of the football club.

Since the move from Sandy Lane the club has done everything in its power to secure its future at Bishopsford Road. All concerned had hoped that a contract for the franchises would have been found by now, but this has proved to be very difficult to achieve. Although it has been successful with the all weather pitches, it has struggled to survive financially.

The new deal which has been set up between London Interspace and the club will mean that the football club will now work in partnership with LI and Active England. Active England is a government body which has been set up to promote sport in deprived areas and the proposal is that the four units will be let-out offering this facility. This will be a commercial venture with London Interspace managing the franchises together with Active England`s and the Football clubs input.

The franchises are phase one of the proposal with a view to phase two, the reserve team pitch being completed and used by the football club and the community, and finally phase three which will be to build a stand on the waste land side of the ground with a sports complex behind. This is a long term project, but would look to be completed within the next seven years.

The board of directors of the organisation, which will be made up of two representatives from London Interspace, one from Active England and one from T&M, will decide the running of activities excluding football. The football will remain in Tooting`s sole control. This will work by a budget being set within the organisation which will be discussed and negotiated in the very near future.

Chairman John Buffoni`s View

As chairman of this football club I am pleased to announce a deal which will secure the future of T & M. In the past six months we, the committee, have been working hard to take the club forward in ever increasing difficult circumstances. The achievement to move from Sandy Lane to Bishopsford Road has been a great success, but the clubs debt and overheads at the new ground have proved to be financially difficult.

There is no doubt in my mind that if nothing is done the club would continue to move nearer to a dramatic financial crisis.

This deal will now allow the club to plan with proper stability for the future. The partnership of the football club, London Interspace and Active England is dependant on working together and there are plans to further develop the facilities. Active England have given a grant of £1.1 million pounds to the football club in order that the franchises can be fitted out to promote in-novative community projects. This money will be managed by London Interspace as part of the “Hub” which forms the basis of the partnership.

I wish to stress that the football club will be run by the football club, and all decisions relating to it will be made by the committee on behalf of the club. The budget for this will be linked to the clubs position, related to inflation and will be reviewed annually. This money will come from the “Hub” and in return all monies will go to the “Hub”. The “Hub” will be a central holding ground for all the partnerships capital and the directors will decide in consultation how the money is used.

Most importantly, London Interspace will agree to write off all the clubs dept and manage the day to day running of the facilities.

I know there will be concerns about the what ifs and I want to reassure everyone that careful consideration has been given to this. All parties are committed to moving forward together and no individual element can succeed without the other, so its important that this is seen as a partnership working for the same good. I know that together, this will be the best opportunity for this football club and that I will do everything in my power to make sure it happens.




 

Last edited by zonecross (03/7/2013 10:59 pm)

Yes every year we hear the same old nonsense. How we are moving forward, our vision for the future etc etc. It is just words and the only ones they are convincing are the members, some who cannot get their views heard for they present awkward question that they cannot answer. The money is coming from all quarters but none of it to the football club. So how is the football club supposed to move forward without any money?
Well members club? We won't get answers to this or to yours zonecross.

Apologies, the above posting was aimed at "The Bog End Rebel"'s earlier posting, not yours Mr "above the bench" I managed to skip a page - DOH ! 

My contribution and response to  the above forum comments I have copied a posting by made by Bog End Tim, I hope this clears up DeePee's view on life,in which he states the following:-

We know we have a manager, a few players, maybe some sort of limited budget and the possibility of investors. That represents some sort of progress from a month or two ago.

It doesn't address the key questions about the club's future which relate to its structure, communications and transparency.

It's worth asking why the original 'Hub Vision' - a community based club/social enterprise, where the various components operated on a principle of mutual benefit, isn't considered viable any more. Sounded like a great idea to me a few years back: I am still far from clear why that model was abandoned or why it could not be reconsidered in some form or other.

Given that that was the basis on which the club was re-constituted (and leaving aside the other constitutional arguments that have arisen on this site), we need to be given a clear picture as to why that model is no longer considered fit for purpose, if indeed that is the case. Many, if not most supporters contributed to various aspects of the set up (youth teams, gym, bar, play zone, food) beyond paying gate and programme money for first team games (not that there was ever anything wrong with fans restricting themselves to supporting the first team anyhow). We are owed a proper explanation for all of this as well as justification for whatever alternative plan is on offer. Hopefully some of this will emerge over the weekend.

We also need to know why Bill's alternative plan for the club was not considered viable.

Most importantly, we need to have a clear idea of how the T&M will be financed and run, which bits of the organization - particularly the youth set up - remain part of the club, where our money goes when we contribute to the Hub, or whatever it is now, activities, what 'mutually beneficial' arrangements, if any, remain  (eg promoting the football club to attract people to attend the facility and vice versa), what communications are 'permitted'. This is not commercially sensitive stuff but the life blood of the club we are talking about.

I can't support a breakaway club (though I can understand some of the reasons for wanting an alternative) while the stricken beast that is T&MUFC staggers on, but we need to sort out the underlying problems very quickly, if we are to survive.