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A Message to All Stirling Albion Trust Members


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Readers will have seen my post of 20.40 on Saturday which attempted to promote a conciliatory approach to the current problems which also drew upon views garnered at the Peterhead game.  I appealed to Mr Boggs to become involved constructively with a view to engineering a solution likely to avoid disruption at the club.  You will have seen his reaction and drawn your own conclusions as to his motives for reacting in the way that he has.

Since my post we have seen the publication via Twitter (but not via the Club’s official website) of a missive from the Club Board and the publication of a communication purporting to be from solicitors acting on behalf of the Club Board.

In order for readers to have a more balanced picture, I set out below the text of an email issued by the Trust Board late last night in response to the Club’s earlier communication:

 

The Stirling Albion Supporters’ Trust seek to clarify a number of points raised in the Club communication today.

The Club’s communication, a letter from Gilson Gray LLP, the solicitors acting on behalf of Mr Brown, and associated statement, focuses on two points: the offer of mediation and voting by members. The Club says the letter was not answered.

We stated in a communication with the Membership on 8th July 2022, that previous attempts at mediation had failed. Mediation has been attempted before, in 2018, but the agreed outcome was then rejected by the Club Board and, subsequently, an accusation of bias was leveled at the mediator by the Club Chairman. When a new Trust Board was elected, it was hoped that some progress to address these issues could be made but all attempts have failed: in 2021 attempts to set up Terms of Reference for a Joint Working Group were ignored by the Club; and, in February 2022, a joint meeting which agreed a way forward was rejected by the Club less than 48 hours later.

In May of this year, after a further mediation suggestion at the Club EGM, a telephone conversation took place the following day and once again the Club placed obstacles in the way of progress, the Club chairman stating he was unwilling for his Board to work with three elected members of the current Trust Board.

Therefore, by the actions of the Club Chairman, we have every reason to believe the results of any mediation would be rejected by the Club Board. The Club Board have proven unwilling, time and again, to work with the Trust or be accountable to the Trust as the majority owners of the Club. Rules, via the Club’s Articles, need to be in place to ensure that this and future Club Boards are subject to the oversight and scrutiny of the Club’s owners - as is normal practice in all businesses.

Secondly, the letter suggests a proper vote of the Membership. Unfortunately, and as has been communicated, prior to the Trust AGM which had been scheduled for March, the membership was flooded with new members in a clear case of entryism engineered by the Club Board. Attempts to distort the membership included writing to members of Stirling Golf Club requesting they join and vote in a certain way. In addition, the voting process was abused in a clear breach of Trust rules - in one example, a Club Director was trying to vote on behalf of 42 others.

There will be a democratic vote of the Membership, but the appropriate rules and governance structure need to be in place to ensure the long term stability of the Club first. The current Club Board have shown themselves to be unwilling to work with the Trust to put these rules in place.

We have made it clear that new Board appointments will be selected after an interview process and put to the members for approval. Appointments will be for a fixed term. There will be no restriction on who may present themselves as a candidate to an elected board. We would also like to make it clear that there is no threat at all to anyone’s jobs or any volunteer positions at Stirling Albion. That is not what our actions are aimed at – they are aimed at putting
proper governance structures in place for the future. In the best interests of Stirling Albion we call upon the Club to participate in a full and appropriate handover with the incoming interim board.

It is clear the governance structure, including changes to the Club Articles of Association, is required to safeguard the long term stability of Stirling Albion, removing tensions that have existed over the years.  It is essential that we move forward and improve the relationship between Trust, as the majority shareholders, and the Club Board. These changes will provide a framework for this and we hope make a start in uniting the support.

To reassure, members will be given a vote on the appointment of Club Directors following this interim period. We believe the Trust members should have a vote on the appointment of Club Directors - this is something that under the current structure does not exist.

Please let us know if you would like any further information, you can contact us by simply replying to this email.

 

A couple of points occur to me.  Firstly, are the solicitors aware that several previous attempts to mediate came to nothing and the reasons for that happening?  Secondly, great store has been attached by the solicitors (and by our lavatorial correspondent on this forum) on the need for Trust members to have a vote on removing existing directors.  One wonders whether the solicitors were or are aware of the jiggery-pokery whereby a Club Board member actively “recruited”  a flood of previously unheard-of people interested in  joining the Trust?  One wonders, also, if the solicitors were or are aware of attempts being made to rustle up additional members from within Stirling Golf Club? 

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1 hour ago, King Crownest said:

Willie Gibson was there aye??

I will bet you all the hallucigenic drugs you're on that the current Queen of the South manager did not roll up pished to a Stirling Albion Supporters Trust meeting and start ranting about Stuart Brown.

Also, you say the chairman reneged on the mediation AFTER the Trust board quit.

Actually, he reneged on the mediation weeks BEFORE the Trust board quit.

If I were indiscreet, I would be able to tell you about the joint Club/Trust meeting at which it happened and who was the CLUB director who was left seething at the chairman suddenly changing his mind.

This is already too fractious an issue for you to keep splurging BS and fantasy into a public forum - and yet you keep doing it!!

Finally, you keep saying it's a coup. No it's not. How can it be a coup when the Trust is using its legal powers to sort out something it legally owns?

I hold no torch for the Trust board at all - this should have been sorted years ago.

But the fact is it IS getting sorted now and there is no going back.

The Club board says it has the best interests of the club at heart - so it will surely do everything now to make sure this transition is smooth.

That is what Stirling Albion needs.

100% Agree with your comments, this mess the Club finds itself in SHOULD have been sorted out years ago. We are finally going to get it sorted out. I wish the interim Board who take over on the 3rd of August all the best. I think they will need it. I can see a number of people throwing their dolls out the pram when this does happen. 

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18 minutes ago, Red Watch said:

Readers will have seen my post of 20.40 on Saturday which attempted to promote a conciliatory approach to the current problems which also drew upon views garnered at the Peterhead game.  I appealed to Mr Boggs to become involved constructively with a view to engineering a solution likely to avoid disruption at the club.  You will have seen his reaction and drawn your own conclusions as to his motives for reacting in the way that he has.

Since my post we have seen the publication via Twitter (but not via the Club’s official website) of a missive from the Club Board and the publication of a communication purporting to be from solicitors acting on behalf of the Club Board.

In order for readers to have a more balanced picture, I set out below the text of an email issued by the Trust Board late last night in response to the Club’s earlier communication:

 

The Stirling Albion Supporters’ Trust seek to clarify a number of points raised in the Club communication today.

The Club’s communication, a letter from Gilson Gray LLP, the solicitors acting on behalf of Mr Brown, and associated statement, focuses on two points: the offer of mediation and voting by members. The Club says the letter was not answered.

We stated in a communication with the Membership on 8th July 2022, that previous attempts at mediation had failed. Mediation has been attempted before, in 2018, but the agreed outcome was then rejected by the Club Board and, subsequently, an accusation of bias was leveled at the mediator by the Club Chairman. When a new Trust Board was elected, it was hoped that some progress to address these issues could be made but all attempts have failed: in 2021 attempts to set up Terms of Reference for a Joint Working Group were ignored by the Club; and, in February 2022, a joint meeting which agreed a way forward was rejected by the Club less than 48 hours later.

In May of this year, after a further mediation suggestion at the Club EGM, a telephone conversation took place the following day and once again the Club placed obstacles in the way of progress, the Club chairman stating he was unwilling for his Board to work with three elected members of the current Trust Board.

Therefore, by the actions of the Club Chairman, we have every reason to believe the results of any mediation would be rejected by the Club Board. The Club Board have proven unwilling, time and again, to work with the Trust or be accountable to the Trust as the majority owners of the Club. Rules, via the Club’s Articles, need to be in place to ensure that this and future Club Boards are subject to the oversight and scrutiny of the Club’s owners - as is normal practice in all businesses.

Secondly, the letter suggests a proper vote of the Membership. Unfortunately, and as has been communicated, prior to the Trust AGM which had been scheduled for March, the membership was flooded with new members in a clear case of entryism engineered by the Club Board. Attempts to distort the membership included writing to members of Stirling Golf Club requesting they join and vote in a certain way. In addition, the voting process was abused in a clear breach of Trust rules - in one example, a Club Director was trying to vote on behalf of 42 others.

There will be a democratic vote of the Membership, but the appropriate rules and governance structure need to be in place to ensure the long term stability of the Club first. The current Club Board have shown themselves to be unwilling to work with the Trust to put these rules in place.

We have made it clear that new Board appointments will be selected after an interview process and put to the members for approval. Appointments will be for a fixed term. There will be no restriction on who may present themselves as a candidate to an elected board. We would also like to make it clear that there is no threat at all to anyone’s jobs or any volunteer positions at Stirling Albion. That is not what our actions are aimed at – they are aimed at putting
proper governance structures in place for the future. In the best interests of Stirling Albion we call upon the Club to participate in a full and appropriate handover with the incoming interim board.

It is clear the governance structure, including changes to the Club Articles of Association, is required to safeguard the long term stability of Stirling Albion, removing tensions that have existed over the years.  It is essential that we move forward and improve the relationship between Trust, as the majority shareholders, and the Club Board. These changes will provide a framework for this and we hope make a start in uniting the support.

To reassure, members will be given a vote on the appointment of Club Directors following this interim period. We believe the Trust members should have a vote on the appointment of Club Directors - this is something that under the current structure does not exist.

Please let us know if you would like any further information, you can contact us by simply replying to this email.

 

A couple of points occur to me.  Firstly, are the solicitors aware that several previous attempts to mediate came to nothing and the reasons for that happening?  Secondly, great store has been attached by the solicitors (and by our lavatorial correspondent on this forum) on the need for Trust members to have a vote on removing existing directors.  One wonders whether the solicitors were or are aware of the jiggery-pokery whereby a Club Board member actively “recruited”  a flood of previously unheard-of people interested in  joining the Trust?  One wonders, also, if the solicitors were or are aware of attempts being made to rustle up additional members from within Stirling Golf Club? 

I would to think that the Solicitors would have had no idea as to what is happening in the background. 

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8 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:

image.png.e584ecb7b5433e7a30b65592a76283df.png

To sign it Stirling Albion Players in fancy font gives it so more legitimacy. 😂

Oh ye of little faith - what makes you think this did not emanate from the playing squad?

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The inference from the players statement is that various backroom people may quit in disgust if the club board are ousted. I hope the Trust have considered this — we may need to fill a whole manner of positions. 
 

Say what you like about Mr Brown but he certainly has the loyalty of those closest to him. Shame he couldn’t have seen the value in trying to be a bit better at keeping the only major stakeholder (the trust) sweet, then none of this utter shambles would have happened. I guess that’s the downside of being a “business hard head” as someone close to him recently described him.  

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19 minutes ago, Red Watch said:

Oh ye of little faith - what makes you think this did not emanate from the playing squad?

No it definitely did. All the players retweeted it. I just thought the specific format was amusing. Individual signatures would've been my go to.

What is interesting is that in this situation the loyalties of the physio and doctor are apparently tied to Stuart Brown. Not to Stirling Albion FC... 

Edited by LeodhasXD
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4 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:

What is interesting is that in this situation the loyalties of the physio and doctor are apparently tied to Stuart Brown. Not to Stirling Albion FC... 

Yeah that’s also the interpretation I’m taking. And that’s really unfortunate. 
 

The sad thing is a clear majority of fans aren’t on either side here. We’re being held hostage while this war plays out. And if people start quitting or certain players decide not to give 100% then we will be the ones who suffer the most. And we didn’t bring any of this. It’s two small groups for whom fighting and public escalation and pettiness have seemingly become more important than the club itself. 

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3 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:

What is interesting is that in this situation the loyalties of the physio and doctor are apparently tied to Stuart Brown. Not to Stirling Albion FC... 

That is an excellent point.

Notwithstanding this, I have my suspicions about the trigger for this "letter".

I remember being told in 2016, the physio was actively touting support from amongst the squad in support of the appointment of Martin Corrigan, then Assistant Manager, to the vacant managerial post (Stuart McLaren having gone).

Stuart Brown was known to favour Martin but got overruled by the Board who appointed Dave Mackay.  Shortly after, Martin left.

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23 minutes ago, BinoBalls said:

The sad thing is a clear majority of fans aren’t on either side here. We’re being held hostage while this war plays out. And if people start quitting or certain players decide not to give 100% then we will be the ones who suffer the most. And we didn’t bring any of this. It’s two small groups for whom fighting and public escalation and pettiness have seemingly become more important than the club itself. 

Yeah it's not very good. Being fair - the current board manage to run a semi-competent football club just now. I hope Darren does well, he's been one of my favourites as a player and he is a good guy who's been capable of getting two teams smaller than SA promoted.

But I am a critic - this week I've criticised Falkirk, Dunfermline,  Ross County and Partick Thistle and my own personal dealings with the club board don't leave me with much good impressions. The unknown might cause apprehension because the Trust board might put even less capable people in charge...

... but the apocalyptic statements are just embarrassing.

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On 23/07/2022 at 10:51, headthebaw said:

We all want a change in fortunes on the pitch for our club. The lack of this recently has brought this situation to a head.

The current board runs the club very well. Plenty of evidence following Tuesday nights game. No one can surely deny this. I have grave reservations that an interim board can deliver this. I have zero confidence in what is being proposed by the Trust. 

The relationship between the Club Board and the Trust has evaporated but please don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Premiership clubs including my own could learn a thing a thing or two about the match day experience with the Stirling Albion vs Aberdeen match. 

I haven't seen people selling pies in boxes since the early 80s and it worked very well. 

Good luck for the season and hopefully the meeting will resolve current issues for the better. 

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2 hours ago, Binos said:

There is literally no lengths Stuart won't go to, to keep himself in a blazer 

Agree  the sooner we get rid of Stuart Brown the better imo

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3 hours ago, LeodhasXD said:

No it definitely did. All the players retweeted it. I just thought the specific format was amusing. Individual signatures would've been my go to.

What is interesting is that in this situation the loyalties of the physio and doctor are apparently tied to Stuart Brown. Not to Stirling Albion FC... 

Both the physio and the doctor signed motion to get rid of the TrustBoard that was deemed incompetent as it gave no reasons. Pretty clear on where they stand.

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I’ve been a Stirling fan my whole life time and have deliberately avoided all of this debacle throughout - but given the players are apparently now involved I thought I’d try get to grips with what’s going on here
 

I know this has all been done to death over the summer but can someone confirm or deny that the way I have interpreted things is correct? 
 

As far as I’m aware, there will be a vote of the Trust membership on August 3rd to determine whether the current Club board should remain in post? 

 

If the trust then votes to oust the current club board, there will be an employment process for a new board and once that has happened, the trust membership will then vote on whether those individuals should be involved in the new board? 
 

If this is the case, who will then run the club whilst the trust employ a new board? 
 

I don’t have a side to this argument so I’m not looking to get involved in any debates about this but if someone would be willing to tell me if I’m talking shite or not that would be grand! 

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There was a couple of posts a few pages back saying that cooler heads were required, and I couldn't agree more.

Some of the people involved in and around the boards have fantastic business and governance experience, but they seem to behave differently when it comes to their plaything, for want of a better word.  If a group of people got together with good ideas, good people skills, a willingness to do a solid handover and a penchant for the sensible and unspectacular running of a football club then I'd vote them straight in.  

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1 hour ago, Snoddyisabino said:

I’ve been a Stirling fan my whole life time and have deliberately avoided all of this debacle throughout - but given the players are apparently now involved I thought I’d try get to grips with what’s going on here
 

I know this has all been done to death over the summer but can someone confirm or deny that the way I have interpreted things is correct? 
 

As far as I’m aware, there will be a vote of the Trust membership on August 3rd to determine whether the current Club board should remain in post? 

 

If the trust then votes to oust the current club board, there will be an employment process for a new board and once that has happened, the trust membership will then vote on whether those individuals should be involved in the new board? 
 

If this is the case, who will then run the club whilst the trust employ a new board? 
 

I don’t have a side to this argument so I’m not looking to get involved in any debates about this but if someone would be willing to tell me if I’m talking shite or not that would be grand! 

No vote for the Trust membership of the 3rd of August. Only Shareholders are allowed to attend.  The Trust Board have proposed removing the 3 Club Directors and installing new Club Directors on the night. 

The Trust Board have already made it known 3 new Directors in a new interim Board will be installed, they are Neil Emslie Interim Chair, Directors Ian Allardice and Allisdair Dunn, both major shareholders in the Club after the Supporters Trust. 

Hope this makes things clear. 

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15 hours ago, King Crownest said:

Willie Gibson was there aye??

I will bet you all the hallucigenic drugs you're on that the current Queen of the South manager did not roll up pished to a Stirling Albion Supporters Trust meeting and start ranting about Stuart Brown.

Also, you say the chairman reneged on the mediation AFTER the Trust board quit.

Actually, he reneged on the mediation weeks BEFORE the Trust board quit.

If I were indiscreet, I would be able to tell you about the joint Club/Trust meeting at which it happened and who was the CLUB director who was left seething at the chairman suddenly changing his mind.

This is already too fractious an issue for you to keep splurging BS and fantasy into a public forum - and yet you keep doing it!!

Finally, you keep saying it's a coup. No it's not. How can it be a coup when the Trust is using its legal powers to sort out something it legally owns?

I hold no torch for the Trust board at all - this should have been sorted years ago.

But the fact is it IS getting sorted now and there is no going back.

The Club board says it has the best interests of the club at heart - so it will surely do everything now to make sure this transition is smooth.

That is what Stirling Albion needs.

Yeah OK, so it was a Gibson who was a former player, but the first name wasn't Willie.  Andy or Charlie? whatever. It was still a litany of character assassination and nothing else. 

Actually I didn't say Stuart reneged on the mediation at all.  I said he didn't step down because the Trust board was gone. The mediation gone with it.   

Tell about the joint club/trust meeting at which the mediation was reneged on. Be indiscreet. Be transparent, go for it.  Let's all carry on with the old war that never ends.

I keep saying it's a coup because it is. That's what removal without a vote is, a coup.  Does the constitution give the Trust board the right to remove the club board without a vote?   Yes it does, which is one of many reasons we DO need a new constitution. One which is specific on the circumstances those powers can or cannot be used in.  

There is no legal obstruction to the Trust board removing one board and installing another in it's place.  Whether the rabbit hole that takes us down makes it a good thing to do for the club  is an entirely different matter.

You are fighting  a war  stuck in 2017, when you could attack the chairman at will and there was no club board solidarity backing him up.

This is not 2017 and the same board.  Relationships have grown between a new board and with the volunteers and employees of the club. While you can legally oust one board and replace it with another without a vote, doing that is not without risk of serious backlash from people who have bonded as a unit over years.   You can just bulldoze over that  and scream it 's legal, roll over and take it.  Or you can park up the bulldozer and get democratic legitimacy.  

It's not getting sorted with this.  Treating governance of a business, like a slagging match over which faction controls a Miners Welfare committee is not a solution.  A new constitution is going to sort nothing, if its primary purpose is to create an executive that needs Trust board approval to go for a piss.  We need a constitution that can prevent this happening again. 

A constitution that yes puts the EXEC board up for mandatory election after a set number of years.  Let's have the years the business plan is supposed to be implemented in and the  term the board stands for making sense.    Demanding a 5 year business plan, but also demanding elections every 2 to 3 years,  is only likely to produce a succession of business plans that never get completed, because board popularity rises and falls relative to results on the pitch.  It's a nonsense, so do you think we can park amateur hour on governance next to the bulldozer?

We need a constitution that prevents another  board war.  One that clearly sets out what the Executive remit is  and what the Trust board remit is.  One that assures BOTH boards are  accountable.  Not one thinking it can do what it likes because it was elected and the other not recognizing boundaries because it wasn't.  Let's have a procedure in place for keeping BOTH boards getting on with clearly defined responsibilities and setting out a disciplinary format for transgressions by either.  I'm all for that.

What I'm not all for, is some constitutional stitch up by EITHER side to strengthen the personal power of ANY individual on EITHER side.  That's where any new constitution has to take us away from.  Away from personality clashes  and into common achievable objectives.  It's about time we had a fans victory instead of your victory or mine.

Stuart thinks he's saving the club from you. You think you're saving the club from him.  NOBODY is saving the club from ANYTHING.  Only an end to all of it will save the club from the chaos it's heading for.  Both sides need a new constitution thrashed out between them. That's what was supposed to happen. That's what was happening until Smith and Sanz buried it.  You just want to win and f**k the cost.  I want the fans to win, the cost and risk of all this is not acceptable

Edited by WC Boggs
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