Report of Meeting with BCAFC

March 26, 2024

Bantams Supporters Trust met with the Club on Monday 26th February. It was a useful and productive meeting.

 

So much has happened since the last meeting. On the pitch we have seen improvement and the game against Wycombe in the semi-final of the EFL Trophy, despite losing, was widely seen as the best home performance this season so far. However, progress on the pitch has been halted due to the weather more than once this year.

 

Much of our discussion goes over our recent survey findings, and the survey itself covers some of the national picture as well, and the topics are regular features of what we discuss in these meetings. So, without further ado lets dive into it.

 

Report of the Meeting

 

Survey

The Trust reported that over 160 supporters took part in the survey and explained that 60% were non-members, and 40% were members of the Trust, and that the majority taking part were of an older age group, predominantly white male living in Bradford and west Yorkshire area, and 17% identified as Women.

 

Season tickets

The survey covers last season as well as the take up for this year, so, most supporters who took advantage of the early bird offer renewed in this way this season, and there was a slight increase on this seasons.

 

Digital

We also explained most pay in one go and most were satisfied with the process of purchasing season tickets. Breaking that down further, the levels of satisfaction are lower when it comes to digital ticketing over a physical card. It is likely that this is an age preference.

 

Matchday tickets

The vast majority, 87% strongly agree that they represent good value. 45% strongly agree with an online discount, whilst 41% strongly agree that £20 is a fair price for a matchday ticket, and 46% strongly agree that £15 is a fair price for the advance online ticket price.

 

The Club were clear that matchday prices were not going to become cheaper.

 

Bantams Membership Scheme

We explained that 70% of our participants were not members of the scheme. This may have been an age thing. 58% said that as a season ticket holder they felt they were Club members. And 49% said the benefits we not worth the price.

 

Of those that were members, there was no overall majority in terms of what enticed them. 54% said it was the loyalty points, 52% felt they wanted to contribute more to the Club and 4% said they were induced by the special offers.

 

Loyalty Points

There was no overall majority. Most people at 33% felt they didn’t have enough points to buy the away tickets they wanted. 25% said they had enough loyalty points to purchase all they wanted and 23% said they couldn’t buy any at all due to not having any points.

 

The Club found it hard to believe that some couldn’t buy any for not having enough points as most away tickets ended up being made available to season ticket holders and many went on general sale.

 

Perhaps there is a layer of supporters not constantly looking when away tickets come out with the perception they are not going to be able to get one because they don’t think they have enough points.

 

It was asked about whether the times of ticket release have changed as sometimes they’ve gone on sale at mid-day. It was said that they do sometimes resale in less than 24hr hours.

 

It was pointed out that if the team vastly improves on the pitch, the demand will be greater.

 

A point was made that smaller grounds with limited away capacity was a constant issue in the lower leagues.

 

It was pointed out that the loyalty point scheme was still fairer than the priority card. It was said that the Priority card didn’t work as it was taking money off supporters on the premise they’d get a ticket.

 

It was suggested from the Trust that the Bantam Membership Scheme acts in a similar way to the old priority card as it costs and the 100 loyalty points is an incentive in a competition to get more in order to buy away match tickets.

 

The programme

There was no overall majority view on this. No, probably not like to see it back won out at 37%. 27% did definitely want to see it back, and yes probably came in at 19%. And 15% said definitely not. So, it is likely that certainly the older age bracket would’ve liked to see it back but there is a wider reluctant acceptance that it won’t return.

 

The Club definitely said it was not cost effective to produce, and even the sponsors were not bothered about it as not many were actually bought. Colchester’s free programme was mentioned but theirs was run at a loss.

 

It was said that it was not only waste in money, and cost club money, but had an environmental impact. There was a lot of waste. 

 

The Club were committed to souvenir programmes – if we are in a glamour cup tie for example. This was felt to be a good concession.

 

Kiosks and bars

35% visit them every game and 20% rarely / occasional, 16% never, and 13% most games.

 

Value for money

The majority answer was ‘adequate’ at 37%. The second highest answer was poor at 27%. Very poor scored as much as 19%, whilst ‘good’ got over 19%, with ‘very good’ receiving over 1%.

 

Many popular additions to catering options Tiffins can’t do for the moment. Most supporters who took part in the survey want chips, 60%. Everything else was inconclusive. Gravy and mushy peas both scored 15%. Bitter / ale scored 18%, vegetarian alternatives scored 17% and both Bhajis and Samosas scored 21% and 20% respectively.

 

Other suggestions to improve in-stadium offerings reflected a dissatisfaction. Better quality of service, food and cheaper prices were all suggestions. Less queuing, cash sales, opening more kiosks pointed to the need to improve the services.

 

It was said that takings on the catering were on the up, and requests for things like gluten free products or vegetarian options for example were not done in general because the demand for them was not enough.

 

It had been said by Doug, the Manager of Tiffins catering that food requests could be emailed in. However, it was said that supporters who had arranged for something to be brought in would have to pick it up at a bar /kiosk.

 

Indicating levels of agreement on a range of statements/topics

The Trust doing a good job in representing supporters

Almost 24% strongly agreed, almost 37% somewhat agreed, and over 32% sat on the fence saying they neither agree or disagree, while nearly 5% somewhat disagreed and over 1% strongly disagreed.

 

The Supporters Board do a good job in representing supporters

15% strongly agreed, with 36% somewhat agreeing. 39% neither agreed nor disagreed, and 4% somewhat disagreed while nearly 5% strongly disagreed

 

Feeling that Bradford City’s supporter engagement is good

Over 15% said they strongly agreed, and over 46% somewhat agreed, and over 29% neither agreed nor disagreed. Only 6% at the time somewhat disagreed and over 1% strongly disagreed.

 

The Club felt quite pleased with this.

 

Feeling that Bradford City cares about you and your views

Only 8% strongly agreed with that statement. 40% somewhat agreed, and almost 32% neither disagreed nor agreed. Nearly 14% somewhat disagreed with over 5% strongly disagreeing with that statement.

 

Swearing and bad language is part of watching football

Over 13% strongly agree, with over 30% somewhat agreeing. Slightly less, 27% neither agreed nor disagreed with over 17% somewhat disagreed and nearly 11% strongly disagreed. There was no overall strong opinion about this.

 

We agreed with the Club on this one that swearing and bad language is widely accepted at football, and it is a society problem, and if we are trying to make football more inclusive to wider, diverse groups, then it needs to improve.

 

Importance retaining the 3pm blackout to protect lower league clubs

There was a stronger opinion felt about this one. 41% strongly agreed with this, and just over 26% somewhat agreed, with over 19% of you sat on the fence. Only 8% somewhat disagreed, and only 3% strongly disagreed.

 

This is in line with the national view of football fans.

 

The Club’s opinion was that football would be better if it was removed, saying that if fans couldn’t get to a game they should be able to have a choice of watching it on TV. They didn’t feel that smaller clubs would lose their regular footfall. They feel there is a fear that supporters may choose to be sitting at home over coming to the game.

 

It’s right to ban fans from drinking within sight of the pitch

There was no really strong view about this one. Although nearly 28% of you strongly agree and 24% somewhat agree. Just 16% sat on the fence on this with the same percentage somewhat disagreeing. Almost 13% of supporters strongly disagree.

 

It was said that fans on the continent drink on the terraces. The Club thinks it is a draconian law. The club felt current ban means that people are more likely to binge drink before a game, rather than drink slower during a game. The Trust felt it was a justifiable point.

 

Football is doing enough to encourage diversity and welcome Women, LGBTQ people and ethnic minorities to the game.

There was no strong majority opinion on this. Almost 15% strongly agree and over 35% somewhat agree. 34% are on the fence on this one, whilst only 6% somewhat disagree and 4% strongly disagreeing.

 

There should be an independent football regulator to ensure football clubs are run sustainably.

There is a stronger opinion felt about what you think this. Over 47% strongly agree that there should be an independent regulator. Over 34% somewhat agree whilst over 10% are sat on the fence. Over 4% somewhat disagree and just over 2% strongly disagree.

 

It was pointed out that time is running out before the end of parliament and it is difficult to see the White Paper (Fan-Led Review Report) being voted on at this stage

 

TV companies having too much sway in deciding kick-off times/schedules

There is definitely strength of feeling on this. Over 64% strongly agree with this whilst 28% somewhat agree. Nearly 7% are sat on the fence and only 1% strongly disagrees.

 

The Club believe this is the direction of travel for football, but at the same time there is a concern supporters could be over saturated by the power of the broadcasters.

We know that there is a heavy reliance on the expected income of TV broadcasting deals that can help clubs competing in the transfer market, but if broadcasters are dropped or fail to make a profits this could affect the continuity of expectation from club, which in turn may increase the likelihood of financial concerns.

 

Purchasing a season ticket TV package that exclusively shows all Bradford City’s away matches.

30% strongly agreed whilst 28% somewhat agreed. 23% were on the fence, and 5% somewhat disagreed while 9% strongly disagreed.

 

The difficulty with this one is in the lower leagues Clubs will always prefer bums on seats, and of course there are of course issues around the 3pm blackout which would mean none of our Saturday away fixtures would be at 3pm.

 

The bigger clubs can always not worry about bums on seats as they pretty much sell out away ends, and not worry about teatime or evening weekend kick offs as demand for tickets nearly always exceeds capacity.

 

The Club strongly agreed with wanting this. They referred to the 3pm ban saying that we have been living with the ban for so long that people have got used to it, and there is a fear of removing it because smaller clubs feel they will lose out to the armchair fan.

 

I consider myself a supporter of the Bradford City Women’s team

Only, nearly 8% strongly identified with it. 18% somewhat agree, and 44% where not that really bothered one way or another. 12% somewhat disagreed and 10% strongly disagreed.

 

It shows that despite the razzmatazz around the national women’s team and the bigger brand clubs, it has not had that transformative effect with our support base, and it is probably the case at many other clubs in League 1 and 2.

The Club agreed that the Womens’ game hasn’t really hit beyond some of the leading Premier League clubs.

 

Of the various initiatives supporters would like the Trust to focus its campaigns and communications on:

  • Improving the atmosphere came out top with 47%;
  • Linked to that was safe standing / railed seating at 34%;
  • Registering Valley Parade as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) received 38%;
  • 33% selected Working to lower ticket pricing/reciprocal deals with other clubs;
  • 28% opted for Supporting diversity initiatives such as Kick it Out and Fans for Diversity campaigns;
  • Nearly 27% want to see us working to improve the policing and stewarding at home games;
  • and 26% want to see us work with the Club and police to improve away travel and matchday experience;
  • and 24% of you want us to support local community initiatives.

 

Other suggestions were: disabled parking, catering, events, the steps up to the pavement behind the Kop get too congested and there's ample space to widen them.

 

The Club said regarding widening the steps to the pavement from the kop, that the road is the responsibility of the Council.

 

Liaison Officer developments

It was reported that they now have taken on three volunteers for the disability SLO role, and Marco Townson overseas the different SLO areas.

 

Season ticket prices and special offers for next season

It was reported that the Club hadn’t yet decided on their options, and whilst freezing the price at £198 was an option, over the last 3 seasons it had stayed the same price, but the cost of running the Club operations have increased, their overheads have increased by 32% and they may have to look at increasing cost.

 

Railed Seating

The Trust suggested using this opportunity to raise the £70 - £80 estimated cost to fund the implementation of railed seating for those wanting to create the atmosphere and who would like the choice to stand in a designated area through marketing a specific area of the ground through season tickets. So for example, the Trust suggested, if everyone paid an extra £3 over two seasons for two railed seated areas of 2,000 it would pay for itself.

 

It was explained however that the Club had more immediate pressures in maintaining fixtures and fittings within the stadium. Roof repairs was cited as an example.

 

Premier League Proposals

This largely refers to offers to the EFL from the PL money to be cascaded down where there is no agreement yet. An element of this is linked to the PL’s deal with TV Broadcasters, and linked with the TV package is FA Cup proposals which would mean no replays and rescheduling. Semi final and final ticket pricing among other things are also been discussed.

 

Improving our Structures Dialogue with the Club

It was explained that the Trust felt whilst there is much gained with the Club in terms of it’s ongoing discussion and debate through our structured dialogue, the Trust has not been on a same level playing field as the Supporters Board (SB). A Trust aim is working with the Club on projects. For example, consultation about the season tickets for next season could’ve involved both the Trust and SB. Club publicity of its structured dialogue with the Trust is another example raised.

 

At some clubs they publicise jointly agreed reports of meetings is another good practice example.

 

The Trust feels it is fantastic that the Club gives the amount of time it gives us, and we discuss things that are national as well as all things Bradford City in a way that is not done with the SB.

 

We meet three times a season with the Club, which is well within the recommendations for structured dialogue.

 

It is true that as we are an independent organization it is important to maintain that independence, however, building a partnership for example, being involved in any consultation exercises, being involved in a process, a community partnership, a diversity or inclusion campaign, joint work on policing and stewarding of away matches, and being part of something which raises the profile of a specific project and the Trust’s profile is something that many other Trusts have achieved and we have achieved in the past.

 

In many ways, the Trust feels that it has made progress in being able to have this structured dialogue with the Club that it hasn’t had before, however, it is always good practice for both the Trust and Club to be jointly looking at ways of improving in building on the good relationship we have.

 

Finance

Commercially the Club is growing, on the ticketing side the Club is down, and catering the Club is doing better.

 

Paperwork will be published for all to see when the accounts are done.

 

Ownership

It was asked about Stefan Rupp coming to attend. It was suggested that he didn’t have to physically attend, it could be on a Zoom call and it was suggested with both the Supporters Board and ourselves.

The Trust's Contribution to Alan Carling

January 7, 2025
Alan was a very knowledgeable man. He was a lecturer of Social Science at the University of Bradford and active in his union, so he had first hand experience of engaging with representatives of the employer and business. He knew how to carefully, and articulately put a position forward. In 2011 he submitted a an evidence paper to the Government's Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on the recent history of Bradford City, illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of football in the UK at the time, and still relevant today. Drawing on the Club's toughest period of modern times; from the Premier League to League Two up until 2011, it called into question the Governance Model and looked at supporter involvement and including what the German Bundesliga way of organisation has to offer for English Football. In about 2013, Alan was invited, along with a handful of select supporters, to give evidence to the government’s Expert Working Group (EWG) on football governance, which was published in 2016. Alan gave evidence on the effectiveness of the Supporters Board at Bradford City, which began life in 2012, chaired by former Manager of Operations, Dave Baldwin. Along with the case for the Supporters Board was the development of Structured Dialogue, a vehicle of fan engagement with the Club, something the Trust still has in place today. There was also the role and purpose of Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO), Supporter Director roles and Supporter Ownership shareholders rights – Fans’ reps gave evidence to all these things to the Government Expert Working Group and can be found and read up on here . All of this was a precursor to the 2021 Fan-Led Review chaired by Tracey Crouch, and the Football Governance Bill which is still going through parliament. Alan was Chair of the Trust from 2006 until 2013 and continued to volunteer on the Trust Board, always a strong advocate of the Trust having two channels of communication with the Club as a 'critical friend', through the Trust directly and via the Supporters Board. Alan was also on the 'Remembrance Panel' working group on the Supporters Board and the Trust continues to lead the way in organising the annual bucket collection, raising much needed funds for the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit (PSBRU). Alan was a close friend to those that knew him well and he was tremendously proud to represent the cause of the Supporters Trust, which is first and foremost about encouraging his much loved Club, Bradford City to give football supporter representatives a say in the running the Club. A kind and caring person, Alan, gave confidence to others and was an excellent counsel, giving guidance and direction to his team. After he stepped down as Chair, Alan became our Treasurer, but he was much more than that, he was a true ally and friend right until the end. Alan Carling Funeral Arrangements - Further Details We would like to confirm further details of the funeral arrangements. As you know, the service will be held at Oakworth Crematorium at 12:15 on Friday 17th January. The address is Wide Lane, Oakworth, BD22 ORJ. There will then follow a private burial at Morton Cemetery for family. A webcast of the service will be available for those unable to attend. Joining details will be sent in due course to those who have elected for this option. For those unable to attend who have asked about donations we will also circulate details of charities. Following the service there will be a reception at Bradford City Football Club from 2:00pm, in the 2013 Suite. The address is Valley Parade, Bradford, BD8 7DY.

A Message & Funeral Details from Alan Carling’s Family

December 23, 2024
Friends & Family, Thank you all for the your messages of condolence, and the lovely memories Alan many of you have shared with us. At this very difficult time your messages, conversations, offers of support and acts of kindness, solidarity and remembrance have been a real source of solace for the family. Alan’s Funeral will be held on 17th January, starting at 12:15 at Oakworth Chapel & Cemetery, Wide Lane, Oakworth, Keighley, BD22 0RJ. The funeral will be followed by a gathering with food and a chance for those that knew him to meet and remember Alan at a venue a short drive from Oakworth Cemetery that we are currently confirming. We will let you know further details as soon as we can. Alan had a rich and varied life that touched many people’s lives in many positive ways, both small and large. We want the funeral to be a time for everyone to celebrate and remember his life. Please do pass this note to friends or colleagues that you think would want to attend, but that we may have missed. There will also be a webcast of the ceremony for those not able to attend in person. If you could please also let us know by return if you or others are attending in person that would be appreciated, so we are able to keep track of numbers for the chapel space and catering. Many Thanks - Sarah, David, Iain & Jonathan

Share Your Stories from Valley Parade for Virtual Reality (VR) Project

December 17, 2024
We, as Bradford City fans are being asked to participate in telling their stories of being at Valley Parade by answering online survey questions about your experiences of Supporting City at Valley Parade. You can choose which questions you want to answer and your stories / memories can be told anonymously. The questions include sharing memories of their first Bantams match, most memorable game, how they started supporting the club, family members’ memories of following the Bantams, where they sit at the University of Bradford Stadium and what it means to be a Bradford City supporter. The stories will be shared with artists who will turn them into different art forms e.g. paintings, film, poetry. The different artists interpretations of the stories will be embedded into a digital copy of the stadium that Chris Gaffney, (Professor of Archaeological Science at the University of Bradford) and his team are creating, and people will be able to explore using VR. There is an intention to embed the stories in the physical stadium that people will be able to access using a QR code when attending matches. They will be revealed during the Bradford 2025 City of Culture celebrations. The stories may also feature in a book being written to tell people about the different innovations that have been created by the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit as a result of fans donations. Any profits from the book will be go towards the future research of the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit. For further reading please go to the University of Bradford’s press release about the project

Sad News of Loss of Our Longest Serving Active Trust Member

December 13, 2024
It's with great sadness that we must inform you, our members, and the Bradford City family of the loss of our long-term Supporters Trust board member, former Chair, Treasurer and friend Alan Carling who passed away on Friday 6th December 2024. We cannot do justice in a few short words to the contribution Alan made to the cause of the Trust and the wider community over several decades. We will pay our own tribute to all he has done for us and will keep our members informed of the details of Alan's funeral in due course.

Fans continue to campaign as Premier League Club Ticket Prices Soar

December 6, 2024
After 19 out of 20 top-flight clubs raising prices over the summer, and a widespread attack on concessions for supporters at both the younger and older end of the spectrum, many of the FSA’s supporters’ groups are pushing back. Fans organized with the FSA’s Premier League Network are continuing to spread the FSA’s #StopExploitingLoyalty campaign across the weekend Premier League’s fixture lists, and they look set to continue into Christmas. Despite the cost-of-living crisis and football clubs earning ever more income from broadcast (especially in the top 2 tiers of the pyramid) and commercial income, the cost of football tickets increased at most clubs this year. A decade ago the FSA secured the £30 Premier League away cap and tens of thousands of fans benefit from that every week in the top-flight and EFL (where many clubs choose to implement their own deals – these can be reciprocal deals). Home ticket prices are a harder nut to crack as every club is allowed to set its own pricing structure. Football clubs exploit the loyalty of fans who cannot switch their ‘brand allegiance’ as customers can in other sectors, and matchday prices are higher in the Premier League than those in the Championship and especially in comparison to EFL Leagues One and Two, but it is important to keep a watchful eye at that end too. Read more about the Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign in the Premier League here and here . Motion on fans’ co-ordinated action against ticket prices hikes At the FSA’s AGM in June there was a motion passed for fans in the Premier League to co-ordinate action on the cost of football tickets, proposed by the Spirit Of Shankly. Find out more about the campaign proposals and other motions voted on at the AGM here . The New Football Governance Bill includes changes to support fans The Regulator will now explicitly require clubs to provide ‘effective engagement’ with their supporters on changes to ticket prices. This is a direct result of the FSA’s campaign activities on ticket prices. See more about how the Bill is stronger in protecting Clubs and supporting fans here . Away ticket prices & the impact of TV, 2024-25 in the EFL The FSA is monitoring away match ticket prices and how rescheduled matches for TV affect you. Let us know which away match ticket prices and rescheduled games affect you and why so we can inform our FSA EFL League One & Two Network. Email us at hello@bantamstrust.co.uk

Save the date for our meeting to ratify our AGM

November 29, 2024
Many thanks to everyone that attended our AGM. It is always fantastic to see people that support us making an effort to attend either in person or on Skype. Unfortunately, the numbers present did not make the meeting quorate, although it was a really good effort. To ensure that we are quorate within our rules we have to have a minimum of 20 in attendance to be able to carry out and agree the business of the meeting. To remedy this, our rules allow us to provide you with another opportunity to attend our AGM meeting with a minimum 7 days notice so that we can ratify our AGM business. The date for this meeting is Wed 11th December from 7pm at Jacobs Well near the Interchange and Hall Ings. So, if you have been perhaps thinking of attending on Skype or maybe physically then here’s your second chance! It’s great when we get the opportunity to see you. The Skype meeting details are here .

Report of Trust meeting with BCAFC Nov 2024

November 27, 2024
In attendance from the Club were, Ryan Sparks (RS) – Club CEO and Paula Watson (PW) – Director of Operations. Representing the Trust was, Manny Dominguez (MD) – Chair Apologies were given from Justin Brett (JB) – Vice Chair, and Matthew Pickles (MP) Bantams Supporters Trust met with the Club on Monday 18 th November. The last meeting with the Club had been the 5 th August, 3 months ago, but we hadn’t met with RS since February so this was a much-needed catch up. This meeting covered a lot of ground and we hope it got across what matters for supporters, and in the process a Trust sense of involvement in Club developments. So, without further ado lets dive into it. Season Tickets and Matchday tickets The Trust feels that it is important that season tickets and matchday tickets should continue to be affordable for all. The Clubs position is it desires the same but the club will be facing extra costs of more than £300,000 due to the new governments recent budget measures on employers. Home and away loyalty points It was raised that supporters that come in any other way than through the turnstiles, for example going through to a sponsors’ box, don’t get their loyalty points added. It was advised supporters using the boxes can email the club which matches they will be using the boxes so that they can be added by ticketing staff, or they can explain to a steward to exit to go through the turnstile to get their QR code scanned before the game. It was also expressed that even getting QR codes scanned at home or purchasing an away ticket, doesn’t automatically enable supporters see their loyalty points added straight afterwards. The Trust was advised to email the Club examples. Away ticket availability The concern was expressed that some away tickets come on sale quite late making it difficult to plan ahead. It’s not always easy because supporters are at the mercy of the away club. It was said our Club try to give at least 4 weeks notice or more about away tickets, and the Club have recently giving 48hr notice ahead of away ticket releases, with dates for purchase pending loyalty points collected, then season ticketholders and then general sale. Atmosphere end consultation It was said that there was still a lot of dissatisfaction among the regulars that sit in block B, and some say they will no longer buy their season ticket. The Club said there have been 3 key consultations with supporters. One had been on season tickets and the outcome was most would be happy with an increase. Another had been on the branding, and over 4,000 took part largely rejecting any change to the Club crest. And approximately 80% of supporters were happy with the relocation of the atmosphere end to block B out of approx. 3,000 that took part. It was also pointed out that supporters would’ve liked to be directly involved in the processes. The Club felt it was a case that fans in Block B wanted to be emailed about it. Railed seating within the ground for both home and away supporters and cost Staying with atmosphere, it was asked if there had been any thought of planning where in the stadium there would be a choice to stand for both home and away supporters – would block B be considered as the home choice for example. The response was that it had been put on the back burner for the time being as there was a more urgent need for repairs over the shop, changing rooms roof at a cost of £75,000 which has largely been completed now. Club Business Strategy (with regards to fan engagement) We looked a this with particular attention to ‘supporters after the game’ and ‘fans feeling valued’ and there a plans to carry out surveys to understand how fans feel valued, and what would make supporters feel more valued. Improving our structured dialogue and the Club promoting of work with the Trust and Supporters Board (SB) It was briefly explained that more fans would understand the value of the Trust and SB if the engagement with them was occasionally publicised on the Club website. It was felt from the Trust side, from the meeting, that the Club were more willing to commit to following up on decided action points being made. Fan Engagement Plan (FEP) We looked at this necessary requirement all EFL clubs have to commit to agreed to in the summer of this year. Supporter engagement is a means of giving fans a sense of being closer to the club. A close association encourages and strengthens loyalty. It is a term that has come to encompass everything a club does to communicate with its supporters. Clubs will be required to publish a FEP on an annual basis which will be overseen by a senior Club official. This requirement builds on the work clubs are already undertaking with supporters including hosting two meetings or fan forums each season to get their views on key issues faced by supporters and clubs. Stoke City’s FEP is the best example of a template all clubs should aim towards. The Trust picked up on the fact that the Clubs’ FEP has a quote from the SB’s Chair and dates of when they meet throughout the year and it was suggested that we have the same, a quote from the Chair and that we should aim for quarterly meetings in a year. Governance Meetings The Trust would get invites, and there we could raise ideas on diversity, community projects and sustainability. The Club said it was aiming for silver in the Equality Code of Practice. Last season the Club achieved Bronze. On sustainability the Club are concentrated on working with the EFL’s ‘Green Code’ sustainability programme. Restorative Justice and Crime Reduction It was raised about incidents at away matches against Walsall and Tranmere. Examples were given that at Tranmere, supporters were allowed to stand on the steps of the stands, and when our first goal was scored supporters toppled over each other. The Club hadn’t heard about that and it was suggested to email the Club and Tranmere Rovers. It was also raised that disabled supporters get a raw deal at many grounds where we travel to especially where there is no choice of two areas of a ground to get into. Where we only get one stand, other supporters tend to stand in front of wheelchair users, obscuring their sightlines. Asked about the appeals panel – where supporters accused of doing things they shouldn’t have been doing can appeal a decision, and have their case looked at again, availability for a Trust volunteer would be made. Transport – Getting supporters to and from matches on a week night It was explained that fans can get a day rider for £3 on a match day by using the promo code 'BANTAMSMATCH', check here , but it’s much more difficult to get home from a night match. It was asked if the Trust could contact the local authority and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to see if they have any ideas to improve this situation, and response from the Club was favourable. Football Governance Bill The FSA was at the heart of 2021’s Fan-Led Review of Football Governance which made a range of recommendations to strengthen the game’s governance – most notably the commitment to introduce an independent regulator. The Bill, which has cross-party support was stopped in its tracks under the Tories due to the snap general election, and kick started again under a Labour government. In the Trust’s view, we feel it has been strengthened to protect both football supporters and clubs. The stand out changes since the first draft of the Bill are:  New powers in the Bill include consulting fans on ticket pricing, home stadium relocations, and fan representation at clubs Parachute payments included in Regulator’s remit so it will have full oversight to tackle financial sustainability across the football pyramid Requirement to consider government foreign policy dropped to cement regulator’s full independence However, the Bill has not yet run its full course through parliament and therefore it is not law, and as such, the Clubs position is that it is committed to following the regulations as laid down by the EFL. It remains unclear how long it will take to become law. It currently has 19 amendments and it is likely there will be more tweaks to it than that before it gets over the line. What is likely to take longer is the limited period it will take for the Premier League (PL) and EFL to agree an amount of money (after years of failure to agree) that the PL redistributes before the Independent regulator would come in to choose a proposal from either or impose a figure of its own. There is a view of course that this will never happen. But one thing is true; this financial redistribution underpins the whole Bill. The disparity of wealth between the EFL clubs and PL clubs is far too great already and is still widening. EFL Sky Deal It was asked by the Trust how the Club benefits from the new Sky deal and it was said that the Club is £50,000 worse off in League Two compared with having iFollow under the previous arrangements. The Club votes with the collective generally when it comes to voting to accept new changes, it also voted in favour of the new TV deal with a view to being in League One or higher as the rewards are financially greater under the new deal. Under the previous EFL iFollow streaming service agreement, the Club benefited generating £250,000 from supporters using the service to stream home and away, live streamed matches. Club Maintenance Costs The Club said that maintenance costs on the stadium were significantly up on last year. More than £70k has been spent on the pitch and drainage, so far, with more works taking place over the coming weeks and months. Ownership It was asked if there was any developments in terms of Stefan Rupp’s intention to be involved and investment since his open letter to fans and his attendance at the fans forum last summer. It was said he had come over for the Doncaster Rovers game at home in October, and nothing has changed with regard to his commitment to the Club, and was in the UK’s for Saturday’s postponed visit of Accrington Stanley. With regards to the stadium, it was said that the Club are in a stronger position with Gordon Gibb and there will be consultation with the Trust should Gordon Gibb wish to sell in regard of the Asset of Community Value (ACV).

Our AGM will be on Skype

November 14, 2024
Our AGM is fast approaching and we welcome all members and supporters wishing to attend. The Annual General Meeting or AGM is the meeting in the year where we can discuss the achievements of the Trust. It is a forum to discuss the purpose of the Trust and how we can go forward seeking to gain more influence with the Club. With more emphasis on the need for clubs to engage with supporters due to the long awaited Football Governance Bill being in a process of becoming law, there has never been a more important time for football supporters coming together to discuss and debate how we can do this effectively and we can get more fans to be actively involved. You do not have to be a member to ask questions but only members can vote. We will be meeting at Jacobs Well in Bradford city centre, near the Interchange and situated on the left hand side before the Jacobs Well roundabout. If you are coming by care there is parking behind the Media Museum. We encourage people to arrive early as we will start at 7pm on Wednesday 27 th November. If you are unable to attend in person you can attend online via Skype. The link is here . If you would like to become an active member of the Trust you can download the nomination form here . Members have until the 20 th November to submit the form to us. You can send us the filled in form or ask for more info by contacting us via email at hello@bantamstrust.co.uk . Download our Agenda and papers for the AGM here .

Sky & EFL Broadcast Selections confirmed up to March

November 11, 2024
The EFL and Sky Sports have confirmed all broadcast-selected Sky / EFL matches for the period up to the weekend of March 1 and 2, 2025. By November 1, selections were delivered by Sky Sports to the EFL. The League has since liaised with the respective Clubs and relevant local authorities to ensure an appropriate spread and balance of home and away fixtures, prior to announcement. From Monday 11 th November, Clubs and fans have up to four months’ notice of matches that have been moved in order to be broadcast. This continues the League’s commitment, ensuring fans will be able to plan with more certainty when making travel and hotel arrangements. The full list of broadcast selections is available at EFL.com . You can see our three selected / affected game BradfordCityAFC.com . Broadcast selections are subject to change due to fixture rearrangements in relation to international call-ups, fixture postponements and Cup ties. Already this season, fans at home have enjoyed watching their team more often on TV across all competitions, with all EFL Clubs set to feature more than 20 times on Sky Sports during the 2024/25 season. Sky Bet EFL fixtures are broadcast via either an existing Sky Sports channel or Sky Sports+, integrated into Sky TV and the Sky Sports mobile app. Sky Sports+ is available at no extra cost for subscribers of the full Sky Sports package. All televised fixtures will also be available on streaming service NOW . Selections for matches scheduled from the first weekend in March will be made on a four-week rolling basis starting from the first week of February (for example: a selection for the first weekend in April will be selected from the first weekend in March). The Football Supporters Association (FSA) are tracking the cost of away ticket prices and fixture changes due to broadcasting. If you are dissatisfied with any of the rearrangements of fixtures or prices of tickets for the moved away games this season since the start of the season and including up to March 2025 then please let us know and we can inform our FSA Network for League Two. You can email us at hello@bantamstrust.co.uk .

Save The Date For The Trust AGM 2024

October 30, 2024
Our AGM is on Wednesday, 27th November, from 7pm, at JacobsWell , near Bradford Interchange. This is your opportunity to make your voice be heard and contribute to making us stronger in terms of building the Trust membership and our finances, but we also want to influence the Club in securing it’s long term success and longevity, bringing in supporter led initiatives along the way that improve the match day experience for all. You will get to hear about our achievements through our reports at the AGM. The existing Trust Board would like to see new Trust Board Members that have new ideas and proposals that will broaden our reach. Find out how you can play a role in the Trust here . If you would like to be a Board Member, please find a Board Member Nomination form for this year here . All Board Members are volunteers and we are a not for profit organisation. The deadline for submitting your nominations is the 20 th November 2024. There is space for a candidate’s statement on the form, and a proposer and seconder need to be members. For any enquiries about being a Board Member please contact us here . Members who receive our regular emails will be able to download our Draft Agenda and Papers for the evening. For our AGM to be quorate, we need 20 Members in attendance. Only Members can vote. The AGM will start at 7pm, so please arrive in good time to order a drink at the bar. We will be in the snug area of the pub and greet members at the bar from 6.30pm. We understand that many of you will live across the country and further beyond, and therefore to encourage attendance we will have a hybrid meeting as in previous years, of members, in person, in the pub, or online video via Skype. The Skype meeting link will be provided nearer the time.
More Posts
Share by: