Present:
Ray Hedgeman (Chair)
Bobby Blair (Secretary)
Aaron Alexander
Paul Breading
1. Minutes of last meeting held on 22 November 2021.
Minutes of the last meeting had been circulated prior to the meeting and were duly approved as a true record of the meeting.
2. ATFC Supporters Club Future
BB advised that she had called the meeting because of concerns relating to RH’s recent absence and other concerns that had been brought to her attention for a person in the position of chair.
The first item discussed was actions from the last minutes. RH had not completed the action of compiling and passing the membership spreadsheet and paperwork over to PB as discussed at the last meeting. BB had been made aware that the football club had received emails asking about membership cards but PB couldn’t do anything without the supplied spreadsheet. PB highlighted that he had the unfinished action of adding a supporters question form to the website but informed he would do so as soon as possible.
It was then addressed that between this meeting and the last RH had removed himself out of the blue from the WhatsApp group used to arrange meetings and communicate while no discussions were underway. BB went on to say that she had rung RH to enquire if he was OK, he had said yes everything was fine. RH then said the reason that happened was due to a technical issue on his phone and that he had accidentally removed himself.
When RH asked to be added back a couple of weeks later PB had suggested a meeting was needed and asked for dates. RH had responded that yes a meeting was needed but offered no dates. PB had chased RH who then did not respond.
BB also said it had come to her attention that RH had been approached by Scott Lorimer about the Supporters Club running a coach for the tour of duty game to which RH had said no. PB mentioned that he saw that the supporters club were receiving bad press on social media for not running a coach. The committee had been unaware of the request by Scott Lorimer. BB pointed out that this should have been brought to committee for discussion. RH said he had told Scott that the Supporters Club were not in a position to run one. BB pointed out that it should have been a committee decision not a decision made solely by the chairman.
Prior to the meeting BB had asked RH to bring receipts in respect of the £100 donated by the Supporters Club for Christmas presents for the homeless shelter. RH said he had not saved/kept receipts, however he handed over a hand written receipt from himself with a handwritten list of what had been purchased. There was no suggestion or disbelief at all that RH had not purchased the products as intended but there was concern from BB that the Supporters Club accounts would highlight a concern as the monies had been transferred to RH account and the receipts didn’t act as proof of the expenditure.
PB voiced that these valid concerns need to be addressed to move forward with the supporter club and that we can’t have the chairman not responding to calls for meetings and the other points raised. PB continued to say that we are handling monies raised from supporters. We need to be completely transparent with the accounts. PB addressed RH’s position by asking if he would consider stepping down as chair. RH then said that he had been considering resigning for a couple of weeks. PB asked to clarify if he was resigning as Chairman, to which RH responded yes.
BB thanked RH for all he had contributed to the Supporters Club and wished him all the best for the future. RH left the meeting at this point.
BB mentioned she had been given the names of potential new committee members and felt that approaching them directly would be the best approach as putting an advert for committee members in the programme notes had been unsuccessful.
PB proposed that BB be elected as chairman based on BB’s past experiences which was seconded by AA. PB offered to step up as Secretary as AA was already in the role of Treasurer. This was agreed.
End of meeting.
