NUST meltdown

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

What would people want from a supporters club?

Now if only NUST had asked questions like that...

[peasepud 59]

It's a shame it all started with high hopes and seems to have ended up nowhere. From a long distance looking on it seems to be a very insular organisation and I wonder whether it has much of a future therefore.

 

I think NUSC (not NUST) has an important role to play overall and could work well if it got back to basics and became a properly ran supporters club, first thing needed though is to remove the ego's and then sit down and listen to what the membership says it wants from the organisation.

 

Isn't the club and the trust one and the same in most people's minds?

 

The club doesnt exist anymore, I believe it needs to be resurrected, ideally by removing Trust status and going back to the original blueprint we had for a Supporters Club or (less preferably) setting it up again from scratch while NUST continues to implode.

[Tom_NUFC 0]

One of the things I feared was that come renewal time in September, people wouldn't renew due to lack of communication. And it looks like that has happened.

And why should they? At the minute, it seems as though the trust is treating its members like dirt.

 

I don't have a problem with the trust status, but NUST really needs to be sorted, and the committee needs to take a long hard look at their dialogue with members. When it started as NUSC, I wrote an article in True Faith in which I said that the members would dictate the direction of the (then) supporters club. Of course the committee had to make a lot of decisions in setting the thing up and then converting to trust status, but that's not happening and I'm desperately disappointed at that.

[Asprilla 96]

You could always get one of the board members to come on here and tell us what their plans are like Pud. I might go on there and suggest it myself. Because I get the feeling they don't make that much effort to tell their members what those plans are, where the money's going etc. £100 for a lifetime membership is a proper piss-take as well imo.

 

Is a good idea.

 

They must know that a lot of supporters and current or potential members post on forums. Why dont they visit a few of them and state their case? why not take the public meetings they were having to forums? Of course they will be trolled, but surely thats what mods are for?

Their public relation exercises are generally more or less on par with the club's ones tbh.

Yep.

 

I'm oot.

Edited October 24, 2010 by Asprilla

[Tom_NUFC 0]

You could always get one of the board members to come on here and tell us what their plans are like Pud. I might go on there and suggest it myself. Because I get the feeling they don't make that much effort to tell their members what those plans are, where the money's going etc. £100 for a lifetime membership is a proper piss-take as well imo.

 

Is a good idea.

 

They must know that a lot of supporters and current or potential members post on forums. Why dont they visit a few of them and state their case? why not take the public meetings they were having to forums? Of course they will be trolled, but surely thats what mods are for?

Their public relation exercises are generally more or less on par with the club's ones tbh.

Yep.

 

I'm oot.

You're right. NUST at the minute is a parody of NUFC. Absolute farce.

[sammynb 3508]

wtf, we hear barely a word from these twats and now none of us have renewed we're being barraged with emails.

Irrelevant and annoying emails.

This turned up this morning.

 

The Price of Success ... Protecting fan culture in Newcastle and Germany

 

What have German fans got to worry about; they have ticket prices which are half of those in England, their club teams as a whole make a massive profit, plus they have standing areas and massive stadiums with great atmospheres, what could possibly go wrong? Well, German football fans are taking no chances and recently held a mass rally with supporters from pretty much every club attending, they know they have something quite special and don’t want to risk losing it. In England we never saw it coming and are still paying the price today; atmosphere diluted, no standing, almost every club carrying huge debts and of course the highest ticket prices in the world.

 

In Newcastle the typical fan can only look in disbelief at a minimum of £42 when tickets went on sale for the match against Sunderland, supporters in Germany have seen what awaits them in the future if they don’t act now. Tom Dunmore from respected football website www.pitchinvasion.net comments, “This is proactive, preventive protest: rather than waiting until it's too late, German fans are mobilising to prevent the destruction of their fan culture”. English football is forever at a crossroads and one of these days needs to start moving back in the right direction, if only Newcastle United could be at the forefront, as always we live in hope.

 

As a few people know I also support St Pauli, especially the way they run their club, and instead of citing German fans actions, the NUST seriously need to look at how St Pauli's supporters groups are run. The way they work with a unified voice, that represents what the supporters need and want. Not just linking a few articles to complain shite.

Fuck me, if the NUST had put half this much effort in throughout the last year they wouldn't be having problems with members not renewing now.

[Isegrim 9897]

Load of rubbish. The ultra-generated atmosphere in the stadiums is tedious. The legal structure of most clubs is so that fans only have very little to say regarding the running of clubs. The low costs of tickets is compensated by annoying advertising all over the places.

German fan culture at the moment is represented by self-obsessed Ultras. I can't wait for the day to get rid of these pesky morons tbh.

[Guest alex]

I've got the same, irrelevant email.

[Mac-Toon 1]

I've just come across (not literally) this board last week and had joined especially because of this thread.

 

First post on here by the way.

 

Well, basically I've been asking myself lots of questions about NUST for months and reading all the posts on here, I'm obviously not the only one. I've sent all my questions, mostly opinions to the trust and have received a response which makes for some dull fuckin' reading.

 

Will I be 'fucked by the regime' if I post them on here or d'you think they'll be ok with public viewing.

 

My main issue being the circular of Liverpool protests emails yet they'd sooner take the quiet little boys and girls attitude with Ashley. Not forgetting to tell their members about care in the community schemes at Benwell Borstal or newly founded MP's.

 

It seems all their bets are being hedged on the off chance that some mystery North East business is going to obtain the club, and then possibly allow the trust in that way. Fuckin' give owa, man.

 

Anyway, I'll put them on if you 'regs' know if it's alright to? The official drivvle comin' out of this email is likely to cause severe nausea.

[ewerk 31195]

I don't think there's any problems with posting emails on here.

[Gemmill 46026]

I emailed them and got fuck all back. Post it up, I cant see how there would be a problem.

 

Welcome btw.

[Mac-Toon 1]

I appear to have deleted the mail I sent to NUST so will sum it up in a quick paragraph or 12.

 

I attended the initial NUSC meetings, paid my miniscule £10 fee as I believed the only way Newcastle United can reach the dizzy heights of premiership survival is without Mike Ashley. A view I'll hold until the day he walks. I believed, and still do, that without protests we don't have a voice nor a cause. I bought into the 3 year Season ticket Ashley dream and felt I'd been sold well fuckin' short when Xisco rocks up and KK walks. I joined the club to allow my voice to be heard in some way, with the ultimate goal being steady ownership of NUFC. Obviously, minus Mike Ashley.

 

I asked what has happened to communication with the trust and why they have the brass neck to send pissy emails about Liver protests yet run a mile when it comes to protesting at OUR fuckin' club. This is a fuckin' disgrace if you ask me. I asked what the purpose of this MP was, and queried why she wasn't at the original NUSC meetings, given the fact she's such a massive fan.(Ahem)

 

I also advised (get me) that until communication is improved and I understand what the fuck is going on, that I'll hold onto my £10 membership fee.

 

This was the reply which returned. Fair play for his honesty and the fact there was a reply.

 

Thanks for the email and sorry about delay in replying.

 

I was at the original NUSC meetings as were virtually all of the present board of the NUST. The boycott that you mention which started under NUSC failed because supporters did not follow it and was over long before the present committee were elected. I personally have stuck to it since however and I certainly have not forgiven what has gone on in the past.

 

There are a lot of people out there who accuse the fans / NUSC etc of being responsible for getting Newcastle relegated. I personally do not agree but find myself being accused if it most nights out after the match. The point being that we get criticised from both sides whatever we do. We are just a bunch of ordinary fans trying to what is right for the Newcastle fans - I don't accept that the Trust is for the fans in the "dear seats" looking down on others.

 

The members of NUSC voted overwhelmingly (99.8%) to change its status to a Supporters Trust. This changed the focus to be about "fans in" rather than "Ashley Out". This is because it is a long term aim and we will still be here long after Mr Ashley has left town.

 

To achieve our aim we will have to persuade a lot of businesses and business people to become involved with us - this will not happen if they think that we are a "protest group". In the year since we formed a Trust the whole Trust movement is gaining a lot recognition mainly because people are realising that football cannot continue down the road it is heading - changes have to happen. Our local MP will not only give us some kudos in the business community but can open doors for us - we recently met the Minister for Sport and put our point of view to him.

 

We took the 30,000 petition that you mention to the Newcastle council planning committee and gave a presentation against the signage at St James Park - unfortunately the Council made their decision in favour of passing it.

 

I understand your frustration but I genuinely feel that fan representation/ supporter stake is the way forward - after all the next owner after Mr Ashley might be worse!

 

All the best for the future

 

Regards

NUST

 

 

The bit I can't stand in all of this is that he get's blamed for our relegation. I've never heard anyone spouting that.

 

Make of that what you will. Personally, I'm fuckin' appalled with how far removed and distant to the fans feelings they seem to have become.

 

Internal politics running wild perhaps.

 

Cheers.

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

I've never heard anyone blame NUSC/T for the relegation either Mac-Toon.

 

I'm dubious that 99.8% voted for trust status or would've voted voted for trust status if they knew what that entailed, although I must admit, I can't even remember the vote.

[Mac-Toon 1]

I voted back in March. More on face value and how much I trusted them really more than any particular visions certain comittee members may have had. To be honest, I only knew who a handful of them were.

 

I'm not saying we should be standing outside the strawberry with wa mammys bottom sheet with 'Coknee wankaz oot' plastered all over it. But howay, the whole operation has died a quick steep decline and I'm sure they'll realise once membership renewals are looked at, that their direction is neither understood nor agreed with.

 

30,000 signature were gathered on the petition to stop the shitty, horrible, unwanted, unneeded, cheap shit house signage being slammed on top of the Gallowgate but then nothing was done. I say nothing, a petition was taken to the council but if that had of been Hicks and Gillett putting Walt Disney and Mickey Moose on top of the Kop they'd have been up in arms - and you know who'd be sending out circular emails giving them their backing don't you?

[Problem Child 0]

I won’t be renewing. Since the membership voted for trust status the committee have made no effort to communicate with the rank and file. They locked themselves in a metaphorical cupboard only to reappear with the absurdly ambitious YWC campaign, which all too predictably fell flat on its face.

 

Voting for trust status and its objective to buy a stake in the club was one thing, not consulting with the membership about how this objective might be achieved something different altogether. It stinks of the committee thinking they know better than everybody else. You’d have thought that after the embarrassing failure of YWC they might have gone back to the membership so we could decide (as a collective) what direction the Trust should take, but no, they've carried on ignoring the people who backed the supporters group with cash. As has been said, they’re increasingly behaving like the club itself.

 

My personal view is that the supporters group should be about helping supporters respond in a structured and coherent way to events. This was the basic principle on which NUSC was formed. Keegan was shoved out the door and supporters were by and large outraged, but we didn’t act as one. Some turned up with bed sheets. Some didn’t turn up at all. Others turned up and protested in the ground and many emailed the fanzines demanding they organise a protest. We were united in our opposition to what had happened but responded in haphazard and ineffective way. NUSC was about changing this. It’s hard to work out what NUST is about.

 

The Keegan issue is long gone but the next time the shit hits the fan can we rely on NUST to show some leadership? The answer I’m afraid is not a cat in hells chance. We only need to look at the renaming of the ground last year. NUST started an online petition and... and nothing. The supporters protest was the usual miss mash of ineffectual spontaneous nonsense and a year on the ground is being turned into an advertising hoarding for SportsDirect.

 

The bottom line is to date NUST has been a failure. I’d stick with it if I thought things might change, but the attitude of the committee over the last year has been nothing short of a disgrace and the most effective message I can send them is not to renew.

[Mac-Toon 1]

Agree with every word. The email I've posted tell's me that the objective of the trust is to influence local businessmen/women to invest in the club, then hope on the off chance that the new owners would let them have a say/influence on how the club is run.

 

It hasn't worked and to gain support they have to engage their passionate members regarding the direction of the trust.

[ChezGiven 0]

I won’t be renewing. Since the membership voted for trust status the committee have made no effort to communicate with the rank and file. They locked themselves in a metaphorical cupboard only to reappear with the absurdly ambitious YWC campaign, which all too predictably fell flat on its face.

 

Voting for trust status and its objective to buy a stake in the club was one thing, not consulting with the membership about how this objective might be achieved something different altogether. It stinks of the committee thinking they know better than everybody else. You’d have thought that after the embarrassing failure of YWC they might have gone back to the membership so we could decide (as a collective) what direction the Trust should take, but no, they've carried on ignoring the people who backed the supporters group with cash. As has been said, they’re increasingly behaving like the club itself.

 

My personal view is that the supporters group should be about helping supporters respond in a structured and coherent way to events. This was the basic principle on which NUSC was formed. Keegan was shoved out the door and supporters were by and large outraged, but we didn’t act as one. Some turned up with bed sheets. Some didn’t turn up at all. Others turned up and protested in the ground and many emailed the fanzines demanding they organise a protest. We were united in our opposition to what had happened but responded in haphazard and ineffective way. NUSC was about changing this. It’s hard to work out what NUST is about.

 

The Keegan issue is long gone but the next time the shit hits the fan can we rely on NUST to show some leadership? The answer I’m afraid is not a cat in hells chance. We only need to look at the renaming of the ground last year. NUST started an online petition and... and nothing. The supporters protest was the usual miss mash of ineffectual spontaneous nonsense and a year on the ground is being turned into an advertising hoarding for SportsDirect.

 

The bottom line is to date NUST has been a failure. I’d stick with it if I thought things might change, but the attitude of the committee over the last year has been nothing short of a disgrace and the most effective message I can send them is not to renew.

 

They met the council at a hearing and got no joy apparently. Did they not present the petition to the council and lodge their protest or something?

[Howmanheyman 33834]

I won’t be renewing. Since the membership voted for trust status the committee have made no effort to communicate with the rank and file. They locked themselves in a metaphorical cupboard only to reappear with the absurdly ambitious YWC campaign, which all too predictably fell flat on its face.

 

Voting for trust status and its objective to buy a stake in the club was one thing, not consulting with the membership about how this objective might be achieved something different altogether. It stinks of the committee thinking they know better than everybody else. You’d have thought that after the embarrassing failure of YWC they might have gone back to the membership so we could decide (as a collective) what direction the Trust should take, but no, they've carried on ignoring the people who backed the supporters group with cash. As has been said, they’re increasingly behaving like the club itself.

 

My personal view is that the supporters group should be about helping supporters respond in a structured and coherent way to events. This was the basic principle on which NUSC was formed. Keegan was shoved out the door and supporters were by and large outraged, but we didn’t act as one. Some turned up with bed sheets. Some didn’t turn up at all. Others turned up and protested in the ground and many emailed the fanzines demanding they organise a protest. We were united in our opposition to what had happened but responded in haphazard and ineffective way. NUSC was about changing this. It’s hard to work out what NUST is about.

 

The Keegan issue is long gone but the next time the shit hits the fan can we rely on NUST to show some leadership? The answer I’m afraid is not a cat in hells chance. We only need to look at the renaming of the ground last year. NUST started an online petition and... and nothing. The supporters protest was the usual miss mash of ineffectual spontaneous nonsense and a year on the ground is being turned into an advertising hoarding for SportsDirect.

 

The bottom line is to date NUST has been a failure. I’d stick with it if I thought things might change, but the attitude of the committee over the last year has been nothing short of a disgrace and the most effective message I can send them is not to renew.

I renewed and like Mac toon and yourself went to the first meeting, (and a couple more which to be honest I'd say were a bit of a waste of time but for somegood craic from John Anderson), but I think the pair of you raise some very good points which anyone from the committee would have a job arguing with. It's almost like we've become too nice and middle class to kick up a fuss, 'what'll the media think of us?' has been a consideration that has got a bit out of hand if you ask me.

[Mac-Toon 1]

We've all received the emails making praise of Liverpool and Man Utd supporters groups making waves - and we've all seen the footae of the marches on a matchday.

 

Why can't we do that? Saying they don't want Ashley Out is laughable - *refer to other post saying 'another owner could be worse than Ashley'.

 

So what d'ye do? Send a poxy email and ask questions and get given answers that don't align to what the nusc was formed for. I think I've lost what has happened in the changing to a trust - I thought the main aim would've remainded the same. I didn't realise initially that the pissin' down thursday night in the Irish Club was for the benefit of community activities.

[Problem Child 0]

I won’t be renewing. Since the membership voted for trust status the committee have made no effort to communicate with the rank and file. They locked themselves in a metaphorical cupboard only to reappear with the absurdly ambitious YWC campaign, which all too predictably fell flat on its face.

 

Voting for trust status and its objective to buy a stake in the club was one thing, not consulting with the membership about how this objective might be achieved something different altogether. It stinks of the committee thinking they know better than everybody else. You’d have thought that after the embarrassing failure of YWC they might have gone back to the membership so we could decide (as a collective) what direction the Trust should take, but no, they've carried on ignoring the people who backed the supporters group with cash. As has been said, they’re increasingly behaving like the club itself.

 

My personal view is that the supporters group should be about helping supporters respond in a structured and coherent way to events. This was the basic principle on which NUSC was formed. Keegan was shoved out the door and supporters were by and large outraged, but we didn’t act as one. Some turned up with bed sheets. Some didn’t turn up at all. Others turned up and protested in the ground and many emailed the fanzines demanding they organise a protest. We were united in our opposition to what had happened but responded in haphazard and ineffective way. NUSC was about changing this. It’s hard to work out what NUST is about.

 

The Keegan issue is long gone but the next time the shit hits the fan can we rely on NUST to show some leadership? The answer I’m afraid is not a cat in hells chance. We only need to look at the renaming of the ground last year. NUST started an online petition and... and nothing. The supporters protest was the usual miss mash of ineffectual spontaneous nonsense and a year on the ground is being turned into an advertising hoarding for SportsDirect.

 

The bottom line is to date NUST has been a failure. I’d stick with it if I thought things might change, but the attitude of the committee over the last year has been nothing short of a disgrace and the most effective message I can send them is not to renew.

 

They met the council at a hearing and got no joy apparently. Did they not present the petition to the council and lodge their protest or something?

I believe they did although it was pointless. This was/is a battle that was/is never going to be won by jumping through official hoops. We can either follow the lead of the Scousers and get ourselves organised and active, or we can meekly roll over and do nothing except write letters to people who don’t care.

 

It’s not for me to say which is the right option, but I do believe NUST should be talking to its membership about this kind of thing. About whether or not the trust should offer the wider support an organised plan of action they can get behind. I fancy they don’t consult the membership because their afraid they’ll back action and the committee is afraid of being branded a protest group. The problem is without action supporters remain powerless. Forever doomed to have their loyalty exploited, they’re love of their club thrown back in their faces. Without action NUST is toothless, and almost certainly pointless.

Edited October 26, 2010 by Problem Child

[Mac-Toon 1]

Problem Child - I agree with you on the reasons why they wouldn't wish to consult their members. I also suspect half the current comittee don't agree with the direction of the trust, witnessing their views first hand.

[Problem Child 0]

Problem Child - I agree with you on the reasons why they wouldn't wish to consult their members. I also suspect half the current comittee don't agree with the direction of the trust, witnessing their views first hand.

You may well be correct but it’s hard to say, since they don’t talk to us.

[Tom_NUFC 0]

Problem Child - I agree with you on the reasons why they wouldn't wish to consult their members. I also suspect half the current comittee don't agree with the direction of the trust, witnessing their views first hand.

You may well be correct but it’s hard to say, since they don’t talk to us.

 

Well, speaking as an ex-committee I will say this.

On a number of occassions there would be certain committee members who would take it upon themselves to do stuff and make announcements. And the first you'd know about it would be a press release, e-mail, article in the Chronicle had been made. There were certain people who wouldn't even consult with other committee members, let alone the rank and file members. So I think Mac-Toon's view is likely to be accurate.

 

The YWC campaign was/is great in theory, but if it ever stands a chance if working, then it's going to be a long term aim. It was pushed through far too quickly.

 

As I've already said, Trust status and community activities are fine. I don't see them as being a problem, but I think the rank and file members need to have a greater say in how we go about this, and I think the trust also needs to play the role of a traditional supporters club and have more social activities. There's absolutely no reason why this can't be done.

 

From the trust point of view, I can understand the support of the liverpool fans. The good thing about the trust movement is that trusts can work together and offer each other help and advice. But what a lot of people have said is bang on. It shouldn't be a lead story on the NUST site. It's not about NUFC/NUST and most NUFC fans will feel indifferent to Liverpool and some will hate them. So for NUST to splash across their website NUFC fans back Liverpool fans isn't the right thing to do.

[peasepud 59]

You wont get a committee member coming on here because half of them are part of the problem and the other half know that as soon as they speak out they'll be booted off the committee and therefore powerless to do anything at all to influence things.

 

Its time the membership pushed forcefully for communication and a say in how the Trust is being ran.

[Guest alex]

I won’t be renewing. Since the membership voted for trust status the committee have made no effort to communicate with the rank and file. They locked themselves in a metaphorical cupboard only to reappear with the absurdly ambitious YWC campaign, which all too predictably fell flat on its face.

 

Voting for trust status and its objective to buy a stake in the club was one thing, not consulting with the membership about how this objective might be achieved something different altogether. It stinks of the committee thinking they know better than everybody else. You’d have thought that after the embarrassing failure of YWC they might have gone back to the membership so we could decide (as a collective) what direction the Trust should take, but no, they've carried on ignoring the people who backed the supporters group with cash. As has been said, they’re increasingly behaving like the club itself.

 

My personal view is that the supporters group should be about helping supporters respond in a structured and coherent way to events. This was the basic principle on which NUSC was formed. Keegan was shoved out the door and supporters were by and large outraged, but we didn’t act as one. Some turned up with bed sheets. Some didn’t turn up at all. Others turned up and protested in the ground and many emailed the fanzines demanding they organise a protest. We were united in our opposition to what had happened but responded in haphazard and ineffective way. NUSC was about changing this. It’s hard to work out what NUST is about.

 

The Keegan issue is long gone but the next time the shit hits the fan can we rely on NUST to show some leadership? The answer I’m afraid is not a cat in hells chance. We only need to look at the renaming of the ground last year. NUST started an online petition and... and nothing. The supporters protest was the usual miss mash of ineffectual spontaneous nonsense and a year on the ground is being turned into an advertising hoarding for SportsDirect.

 

The bottom line is to date NUST has been a failure. I’d stick with it if I thought things might change, but the attitude of the committee over the last year has been nothing short of a disgrace and the most effective message I can send them is not to renew.

Good post. Sums up the problems for me.