community and fan ownership of Accrington Stanley

[expatriate]

Colleagues, Friends,

With the new season well and truly underway I wanted to use this bulletin board as a way to invite fans and members of the broader community to a meeting in Accrington that I hope to set up in early September with the express purpose of advancing the concept of community and fan ownership of ASFC.

This is a direct follow up to my commitment, made earlier in the summer, during the bulletin board conversation about ground and infrastructure development. At that time I promised to get back with more detail and more momentum that I felt could benefit the town and the club, and I also promised at that time to try and be as inclusive as possible in these conversations so that anyone who felt they wished to contribute could do so.

By way of introduction I would make the following points:

1. One of the reasons for this message is that I hope we can set up a time that maximises the attendance of as many people as possible. In the past we have set up meetings, and then informed people, only to find large numbers unable to attend. Hopefully the use of this wonderful bulletin board will allow people to come back to me (PM me or direct response on the board) with suggestions on when and where we hold the meeting.

2. Its important to have an inclusive and transparent agenda. I hope that through this bulletin board we can come up with suggestions for agenda items that then mean our final agenda will be meaningful and will benefit from input from a wide variety of people.

3. I hope to invite the club's auditors, Pierce, to attend. If we are to be serious in our hope of creating a long term sustainable club that works with and for the community, then it will take professional structuring.

4. The ownership of the club is very different from management. I would like to request that we focus our meeting on the subject of community and fan based ownership, and then also extend to governance (transparency, accountability, sustainability). Only thereafter can we credibly address the issue of long term management.

As you know, my view is that ASFC belongs to the community. With the events of the past few years behind us, I hope I am not wrong in hoping that we can blaze a new trail and who knows, even a new model. The club needs the support of the broadest widest constituency of people in this area. If we are to get better crowds and more sponsorship, then we must restructure from the top.

I close by highlighting the obvious. Its possible none of this will lead anywhere and we must manage our expectations, however each journey starts with a first step, and I hope you will agree that our club has now got to the stage where an issue of this magnitude and importance can be debated with a positive attitude and with as inclusive a participation as possible. It also helps that I have been able, in the past few months, to acquire a greater working knowledge of the dynamics of the club's operations as well as seeing how different models work overseas.

I do hope that the current management of the club in the form of Mr Heys and Mr O'Neil might come along as well, but this initiative is entirely personal to me, though benefitting, as you would expect, from conversations with lots of people.

More to come on this.

In the meantime can i request that we try and limit our conversation to this board and not by PM unless you absolutely feel you need to chat direct. as always my email address ilyas.khan and my mobile is 07826 600600. i will always try to answer calls and reply to emails. Be aware i am still in Asia till next weds.

Ilyas

[Mr T]

Ilyas

As always THANK YOU, and what a FANtastic vision for OUR club

See you at the Macc game

[AccyMad]

Nice one Ilyas - looking forward to this meeting. As you're back for the Macc game, I trust you will also be here for the Carling cup vs Newcastle?

[jaysay]

Stanley are lucky to have a man like Ilyas in their corner, with just the interests of the club and its fans at heart

[yonmon]

Great to hear from you ilyas !...and an even greater vision for 'our' club..
The hope is that every Fan of The Reds will be there to support you !... WE will !!

[Stanleymad]

Originally Posted by jaysay

Stanley are lucky to have a man like Ilyas in their corner, with just the interests of the club and its fans at heart

Jaysay - Your best quote ever

.............& so true A big Thank you Ilyas

[Outback Ozzy]

Ilyas, thanks again for all you have done for this small but mighty club. Early September for a meeting is good for me as I am on holidays until the 20th and only going up to Northumberland for part of this, hopefully then I will make the meeting.

PS I am not a secret Geordie in disguise, I am going to see my grandchildren who live 18 miles north of Newcastle so no connections please.

[Exile on Spencer St]

Am still having palpitations at the prospect of Newcastle Utd but this suggestion can't be forgotten/ignored/lost in all the euphoria over the next couple of weeks. It's vital the ownership of the club is secured by and for all its fans and, if Ilyas and others can achieve this, it will be a bigger result than beating the Geordie Giants..

[ukcowboy]

What a vision!! I will attend on any date/time, like the Newcastle game, I wouldn't miss it for the world!!!!

Thanks again Ilyas.

[Greeny]

In or out of the country Ilyas as Accrington Stanley at heart , without him we would not be here today. A meeting , brilliant, venue ,well how about Accrington town hall ? or a school hall, depends on how many people attend.

[expatriate]

the town hall or a school or church hall sounds like a great idea if we get the numbers of people who wish to attend.

if people have ideas about the matters that should consitute and make up an agenda or discussion points, please do let me know. i have some email traffic already (thanks a lot) so i understand that some of you may wish to conduct that part of the conversation bliaterally rather than on a discussion board. i am very comfortable with that, but would continue to advocate this bulletin board since it has a remarkable way of ensuring transparency (both of intent and action).

i will come back with some ideas on the agenda, and some sense of dates that seem to fit later on next week.

Also, Ultras and official fan club - please think of yourselves as a part of this process. For all kinds of reasons you are critical to the success and future of the club.

[Stanleymad]

Originally Posted by expatriate

Also, Ultras and official fan club - please think of yourselves as a part of this process. For all kinds of reasons you are critical to the success and future of the club.

Im sure the supporters club members will be interested, myself will be present once its set. Like back in November im sure every stanley fan from any denomination, we all [osc, assf, ultras, accyweb & general stanley fans or members of the public - even other footy fans] be it will be keen to see our towns club move forward for its longevity

[cashman]

well if the dates ok, fine wi me. may be n idea, if not already one? fer ya to contact local rags, once a date is sorted?

[expatriate]

Accy mad, in so many ways i think this is very exciting - the debate about football club ownership and sustainability outside the exalted sphere of the top premiership clubs, has been quite intense. I am hoping that we might be able to show that a small but proud and determined club in the North West, the true home of football, can re-cast itself.

i know there are risks here, and i know there will be people who dont like the idea of a club not having an "owner", but the long term benefits to our town and community are immense. fortune favours the brave, or, as a yonmon will attest, action begets action. Inaction begets sloth.

i think we ought to really go for it, but in a systematic and clear sighted way. putting ownership and governance to one side, and then hiring decent day to day management is the key in my view. Having lived through the past few months, I dont think we have an alternative.

[JEFF]

Originally Posted by expatriate

the town hall or a school or church hall sounds like a great idea if we get the numbers of people who wish to attend

The upstairs room at Bold Street Club is always available