A Message to All Stirling Albion Trust Members

[Hugh G Heid]

On 13/07/2022 at 13:36, RateofKnots said:

I mean, he is right, the reason the club board have done this is a direct consequence of your resolutions.

That does not excuse the Club Board bullying on LinkedIn from the Club’s account, diverting thousands out of the club’s accounts for purposes they refuse to explain or indeed signing up as much as a hundred people with the intention of rigging the voting of the Supporters Trust to their own ends.

Whether you agree with Robert Liston’s original motion or not, the Club Board have behaved exactly in a way which shows there are not fit to run a fan owned club.

Edited July 14, 2022 by Hugh G Heid

[BinoBalls]

21 minutes ago, Hugh G Heid said:

Whether you agree with Robert Liston’s original motion or not, the Club Board have behaved exactly in a way which shows there are not fit to run a fan owned club.

This is correct. It’s quite sad because the original motion — bin people with no replacements lined up on the basis we’ve been crap on the pitch — wasn’t something the vast majority could get behind, including me. 

The actions since then have shown me too many people on the Club Board — who need to be held to the highest of standards — aren’t fit (in my opinion) to hold that position. Mass signing up of so many people and voting on their behalf is so poorly thought-out it beggars belief. It’s been described as “a gift to the Trust” but it’s also an insult to those of us who were already members for years and took the time to vote ourselves. It was a two-bit dirty trick and key figures thought it was a good idea.

Then came the voting to remove the entire Trust Board, including one person who had just been appointed with a 100% majority from the members. That put the seal on it for me. 

I have reservations about some of the decisions from the Trust Board as well. I think Liston’s motion should have been buffered and treated as a non-starter instead of being put out to vote. Or at least the blatant lack of replacements and the risk to the business of jettisoning people with no succession plan should have been made clear. I also think going to the police after the voting was completely unnecessary. So I question the judgement of many parties in this. 

As for all the public tit for tat stuff, it’s utterly ridiculous. Like a pair of teenage Old Firm fans engaging in a constant circle of rumours, finger pointing and whataboutery. It has to end. 

Change is needed to move this forward. Mr Brown has had a long innings and has done some good work off the pitch, but he’s pissed off a long, long line of people — and they surely can’t all be wrong.  

[WC Boggs]

7 minutes ago, BinoBalls said:

This is correct. It’s quite sad because the original motion — bin people with no replacements lined up on the basis we’ve been crap on the pitch — wasn’t something the vast majority could get behind, including me. 

The actions since then have shown me too many people on the Club Board — who need to be held to the highest of standards — aren’t fit (in my opinion) to hold that position. Mass signing up of so many people and voting on their behalf is so poorly thought-out it beggars belief. It’s been described as “a gift to the Trust” but it’s also an insult to those of us who were already members for years and took the time to vote ourselves. It was a two-bit dirty trick and key figures thought it was a good idea.

Then came the voting to remove the entire Trust Board, including one person who had just been appointed with a 100% majority from the members. That put the seal on it for me. 

I have reservations about some of the decisions from the Trust Board as well. I think Liston’s motion should have been buffered and treated as a non-starter instead of being put out to vote. Or at least the blatant lack of replacements and the risk to the business of jettisoning people with no succession plan should have been made clear. I also think going to the police after the voting was completely unnecessary. So I question the judgement of many parties in this. 

As for all the public tit for tat stuff, it’s utterly ridiculous. Like a pair of teenage Old Firm fans engaging in a constant circle of rumours, finger pointing and whataboutery. It has to end. 

Change is needed to move this forward. Mr Brown has had a long innings and has done some good work off the pitch, but he’s pissed off a long, long line of people — and they surely can’t all be wrong.  

Well we finally get to find out with a vote and both sides heard.  You've bent over backwards to be fair minded all the way through this, so good on you.

[RateofKnots]

1 hour ago, Hugh G Heid said:

That does not excuse the Club Board bullying on LinkedIn from the Club’s account, diverting thousands out of the club’s accounts for purposes they refuse to explain or indeed signing up as much as a hundred people with the intention of rigging the voting of the Supporters Trust to their own ends.

Whether you agree with Robert Liston’s original motion or not, the Club Board have behaved exactly in a way which shows there are not fit to run a fan owned club.

Behaviour on both sides has been childish, ill tempered, poorly thought through and damaging to the public perception of the club, the club board and the Trust.

It might be better for all concerned for both boards to be removed, elections held for all positions under strict conditions that both sides HAVE to work together. Otherwise there is no guarantee that this situation won't keep repeating.

[WC Boggs]

53 minutes ago, Hugh G Heid said:

That does not excuse the Club Board bullying on LinkedIn from the Club’s account, 

So it's bullying now is it?   Criticizing the Trust board chairman for failing to answer emails is bullying?  No context, no quote, just playing the victim as usual. It was on Linkedin from the club account. Oh wow really?  Well emails were getting ignored, so how else should they have complained?  A note strapped to a Carrier pigeons leg?  Telegram? Semaphore flags from the top of Morrison's maybe?  Jesus Christ and people wonder why I call them man babies and drama queens. 

[vikingTON]

12 hours ago, WC Boggs said:

No they were not smart ass.  Go fuckin lie to your own  club's supporters.

How many were registered to vote under a single email account?

With chump enablers like you it's no wonder that SAFC are in such a sorry state. 

[WC Boggs]

1 minute ago, virginton said:

How many were registered to vote under a single email account?

With chump enablers like you it's no wonder that SAFC are in such a sorry state. 

I was talking about volunteers and staff  when you butt in without checking the context. How many of them were registered in a single email account. None you clown.

[vikingTON]

On 19/05/2022 at 00:15, WC Boggs said:

One man did not vote 50 times. That is a  scurrilous and slanderous lie. Multiple votes by 50 registered members were submitted via one email address. I do know who that was. You don't.

How many of those '50 registered members' fall under the same category stated below?

7 minutes ago, WC Boggs said:

I was talking about volunteers and staff  when you butt in without checking the context. How many of them were registered in a single email account. None you clown.

 

On 13/07/2022 at 04:08, WC Boggs said:

This situation and  entire chain of events was kicked off by YOU, not the, club board.

The 73 members you dismiss as a gang, has virtually every volunteer and employee of the club within it,  you stupid man.

Be specific please.

It is tragic that a deceitful clown like you still pollutes a football club like Stirling Albion.

I've no reason to judge the alternative board as being a better solution in the long term, but you and your lackeys make Hugh Scott seem like an exemplar in representative democracy right now. 

Puffed-up clowns like you are the common enemy of all fan-owned clubs.

[WC Boggs]

In the end I'm just glad the membership will decide. as opposed to a coup. At least that way it might not be a total wreck.

Part of me would welcome it if the club board lost.  I say that because I like the people on it. They could finally walk away from it all. The work, the hours, the strain, the worry, the bitch fights, the abuse and Trust board's repeatedly pressuring for powers outside their remit, that nobody asked them to get. Either way it goes it's a win  for them. Leaving this fans owned f**k up of a model behind them would be a win win for them. 

[WC Boggs]

4 minutes ago, virginton said:

How many of those '50 registered members' fall under the same category stated below?

 

Be specific please.

It is tragic that a deceitful clown like you still pollutes a football club like Stirling Albion.

I've no reason to judge the alternative board as being a better solution in the long term, but you and your lackeys make Hugh Scott seem like an exemplar in representative democracy right now. 

Puffed-up clowns like you are the common enemy of all fan-owned clubs.

Sure I'll be specific. Go f**k a duck ya Greenock gremlin.

[Red Watch]

9 hours ago, WC Boggs said:

Sure I'll be specific. Go f**k a duck ya Greenock gremlin.

What a pity that Bellsdyke is not open to admit you!

[WC Boggs]

5 hours ago, Red Watch said:

What a pity that Bellsdyke is not open to admit you!

Don't you have better things to do?  Like thinking up more  new ways to drag the Albion through your mental excrement on social media. There must be more sponsor scaring shite you can suggest should happen to the club.

[Binos]

On 14/07/2022 at 18:05, RateofKnots said:

Behaviour on both sides has been childish, ill tempered, poorly thought through and damaging to the public perception of the club, the club board and the Trust.

It might be better for all concerned for both boards to be removed, elections held for all positions under strict conditions that both sides HAVE to work together. Otherwise there is no guarantee that this situation won't keep repeating.

This situation will repeat if stuart brown stays in post

It is already doing so, it is repeating now from 4 years ago 

The trust board went at that time 

Stuart said he would go but didn't 

He is the common denominator 

[headthebaw]

This is a sorry state of affairs. This thread has become little more that an embarrassing mud slinging contest with very little clarity. There is nothing to be gained (and much to lose) by continuing to air our dirty laundry in public like this. 

I can't help feel that the majority of fans that turn up to games are largely unaware of what is happening behind the scenes and it's a minority of fans that frequent these pages. That being said, there are clearly serious issues that need resolved.

Maybe independent arbitration would be a route to a solution.

 

[WC Boggs]

2 hours ago, Binos said:

This situation will repeat if stuart brown stays in post

It is already doing so, it is repeating now from 4 years ago 

The trust board went at that time 

Stuart said he would go but didn't 

He is the common denominator 

That's a neat one sided summary with a convenient memory.

This situation will repeat whether Stuart  stays or goes.  It will repeat because we have a constitutional model that permits it to.

Of course it's repeating from four years ago. It was guaranteed to do that when Jim Thompson and Doyle were voted onto the Trust board. Thompson who 4 years ago declared he could, or would not work with Stuart Brown.  Did you really think he stood back for election with any other intention than bringing us back to the same place.    Doyle, who 4 years ago, told Colin Rowley he wouldn't rest until he had Colin off the board.   What about those two missing common denominators from your summary?

Yeah the Trust board went back then. It went after 5 Trust board members resigned from it, who had not been informed by the Trust board  secretary, of meetings taking place.  Maybe you should tell the punters who that  secretary was.   Minutes not kept of decisions taken at the rigged meetings.  H'mm the secretary not doing his job again. No membership list lodged with the Trust lawyers.  After resigning, rather than face being ACCOUNTABLE for all that. The ex Trust board member in possession of a list of members, doggedly REFUSED to hand it over to the newly elected interim Trust board.   Let me think..... who was that?.....ummm........well f**k me if it wasn't JIM THOMPSON.  He was an important denominator back then wasn't he Binos?   A bit rude leaving him out, tsk, tsk.

Stuart said he would go, but didn't.   No he didn't  go, because those that wanted him out and the replacement they had lined up, were disgraced and gone  walkies and none of them should ever have been allowed to stand again.

Stuart is ONE common denominator. How did you fail to notice or mention the other TWO Binos?

 Actually Stuart and the rest of the club board should have resigned as far back as last December. They should have resigned for their own sake rather than waiting for the inevitable war drums to start.  They should have resigned the day the membership voted for another war by putting Doyle and Thompson onto the Trust board.  It was only ever going one way and In their place I'd have just told the membership, you've voted for another war, fine, have it among yourselves, we're offski, cheerio.  Let the  Trust board wannabes take over and buy some popcorn.

That's what they should have done, but they obviously love this club more than I do.  If you're looking in out there club board guys and gals, there's still time. Put yourselves first, and just walk away and let the numpties get on with it.

 

Edited July 15, 2022 by WC Boggs
Typo

[BinoBalls]

Always amazed me that the original Trust Board seemed to do literally nothing regarding membership renewals or getting new people to join. Like really basic stuff just got left.  
 

I don’t have all the facts but I believe Jim Thompson is the man responsible for that mess. I believe when Robert Clubb joined he sorted all that out. 
 

I have never met Robert Clubb in my life but on forums he always came across as a fair-minded, intelligent man, definitely not the hysterical man-baby type. Yet even he expressed some exasperation that his attempts to engage with the Club Board on various matters he’d looked into to improve governance were ignored. 
 

When decent, capable people started to complain Brown et al had been ignoring them, it suddenly added more weight to all the previous complaints of the same nature. Managing your stakeholders is a key part of running a company and from my point of view it looks like Stuart Brown has consistently failed to do this with just about everyone who has served on the Trust Board through the years — regardless of if they were aggressive, meek, incompetent, or capable. And that’s one of the reasons I think he should now resign with dignity, before this whole thing gets even uglier. 

Edited July 16, 2022 by BinoBalls

[Binos]

9 hours ago, WC Boggs said:

That's a neat one sided summary with a convenient memory.

This situation will repeat whether Stuart  stays or goes.  It will repeat because we have a constitutional model that permits it to.

Of course it's repeating from four years ago. It was guaranteed to do that when Jim Thompson and Doyle were voted onto the Trust board. Thompson who 4 years ago declared he could, or would not work with Stuart Brown.  Did you really think he stood back for election with any other intention than bringing us back to the same place.    Doyle, who 4 years ago, told Colin Rowley he wouldn't rest until he had Colin off the board.   What about those two missing common denominators from your summary?

Yeah the Trust board went back then. It went after 5 Trust board members resigned from it, who had not been informed by the Trust board  secretary, of meetings taking place.  Maybe you should tell the punters who that  secretary was.   Minutes not kept of decisions taken at the rigged meetings.  H'mm the secretary not doing his job again. No membership list lodged with the Trust lawyers.  After resigning, rather than face being ACCOUNTABLE for all that. The ex Trust board member in possession of a list of members, doggedly REFUSED to hand it over to the newly elected interim Trust board.   Let me think..... who was that?.....ummm........well f**k me if it wasn't JIM THOMPSON.  He was an important denominator back then wasn't he Binos?   A bit rude leaving him out, tsk, tsk.

Stuart said he would go, but didn't.   No he didn't  go, because those that wanted him out and the replacement they had lined up, were disgraced and gone  walkies and none of them should ever have been allowed to stand again.

Stuart is ONE common denominator. How did you fail to notice or mention the other TWO Binos?

 Actually Stuart and the rest of the club board should have resigned as far back as last December. They should have resigned for their own sake rather than waiting for the inevitable war drums to start.  They should have resigned the day the membership voted for another war by putting Doyle and Thompson onto the Trust board.  It was only ever going one way and In their place I'd have just told the membership, you've voted for another war, fine, have it among yourselves, we're offski, cheerio.  Let the  Trust board wannabes take over and buy some popcorn.

That's what they should have done, but they obviously love this club more than I do.  If you're looking in out there club board guys and gals, there's still time. Put yourselves first, and just walk away and let the numpties get on with it.

 

I'll take your point on jim Thompson, he should offer up his resignation again for clean slate 

But stuarts had his time,  rubs up too many people and should go

[RateofKnots]

13 hours ago, Binos said:

This situation will repeat if stuart brown stays in post

It is already doing so, it is repeating now from 4 years ago 

The trust board went at that time 

Stuart said he would go but didn't 

He is the common denominator 

Well, I did say both boards should go. 

[WC Boggs]

1 hour ago, BinoBalls said:

Always amazed me that the original Trust Board seemed to do literally nothing regarding membership renewals or getting new people to join. Like really basic stuff just got left.  
 

I don’t have all the facts but I believe Jim Thompson is the man responsible for that mess. I believe when Robert Clubb joined he sorted all that out. 
 

I have never met Robert Clubb in my life but on forums he always came across as a fair-minded, intelligent man, definitely not the hysterical man-baby type. Yet even he expressed some exasperation that his attempts to engage with the Club Board on various matters he’d looked into to improve governance were ignored. 
 

When decent, capable people started to complain Brown et al had been ignoring them, it suddenly added more weight to all the previous complaints of the same nature. Managing your stakeholders is a key part of running a company and from my point of view it looks like Stuart Brown has consistently failed to do this with just about everyone who has served on the Trust Board through the years — regardless of if they were aggressive, meek, incompetent, or capable. And that’s one of the reasons I think he should now resign with dignity, before this whole thing gets even uglier. 

I have met Robert Clubb and a fair- minded, intelligent man he certainly is.  Resigned from the Trust board before all this crap started and in no way any kind of man baby.  I do remember Robert  being of the opinion that  Stuart could do with learning some humility  and a bit less abrasive in disagreement.  I have no reason to dispute Robert's opinion.  From my own experience, Stuart can be set in an opinion that doesn't stand up and describe a shit sandwich like an Oscar's banquet so adamantly, that you have to remind yourself hang on, no it's still a shit sandwich. 

Stuart is not Mr Perfect. He is not some kind of evil villain either.  Far from it. He is an honest,  jovial, kind man. very protective of friends, colleagues and staff and above all, his beloved club. That's the man I know.  He is also the man Robert knows, he is both.  A  hardhead when it comes to business, resistant to any request that he feels attempts to merge the remit of one board with another.  As I would be.    Resistant to the point of pissing people off.   The thing with Robert, is that getting a bit pissed off doesn't  doesn't turn into a vandetta. That's not his nature and why there was peace.  His departure made it easier for the vandetta men to swoop in and go to war. For the record, I don't know Robert well but I've always liked him.

That is not a criticism of Robert resigning.   Robert never liked being on that board from day one and yes Stuart did rub him the wrong way.

Is Stuart beyond criticism? No.  Does he and the other remaining board members deserve the Trust board going after them like a gang of demented Elmer Fudds for a second time.  No they don't.  Will this end well whoever wins?  I very much doubt it.  Will Stuart being removed or stepping down herald the end of internal board wars. No it won't, because the board with the non executive power will always  want to grab executive power. You have to come up with a constitution that forbids it.  One where power resides in the membership. Not this board. Not that board, elected or not. And most smegging definitely not in the hands of a handful of shareholders too big for their Hush Puppies. Surely the whole point of being fans owned is NOT to tolerate that.

I still back my friends, I do think their lives will actually improve by getting out of it though.

 

[WC Boggs]

2 hours ago, Binos said:

I'll take your point on jim Thompson, he should offer up his resignation again for clean slate 

But stuarts had his time,  rubs up too many people and should go

I don't mind anybody still being of that opinion. I'm not interested in being the thought police here.  As long as it's clear Stuart's not the only old combatant in this bitch fight.  If you've any doubt about what went down 4 years ago, former Trust board member and interim chairman Duncan Strathdee is a good source to check with. Club padre and a minister of the church.