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.

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 .
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 .
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.
October 16, 2024
A supporters trust is a not for profit, democratic organization that is run by football supporters for football supporters, committed to strengthening the influence of supporters over the running of the club they support. Lead by a small group of elected volunteers, they are accountable and subject to recall by the membership. The elected volunteers are board members steering the organization to work with the football club, committed to strengthening the voice for supporters in the decision-making process at a club and strengthening the links between the club and the community it serves. In England, Wales and Scotland, there are approximately 140 supporters trusts, with as many as 110 that have a financial stake in their club and as many as 40 clubs in the pyramid that are owned by supporters. Three of them are in the EFL: Exeter City, AFC Wimbledon and Newport County. The vast majority of supporters Trusts were formed out of crisis, including ours. You can read the history of how we were formed here . How does it work? Supporters’ Trusts are constituted as Community Benefit Societies (CBS), a form of Co-operative that operates under a one-member one-vote principle. CBS's are registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and any changes to the rules must be approved by the members and only become effective once the FCA has agreed to them, checking they are in keeping with the spirit of the organisation. The members own all assets and liabilities collectively. Under FCA rules the Trust must remain solvent if it is to continue to legally exist. Trusts are non-profit making organisations any profit made is either kept as reserves or reinvested to meet its objectives. It will never take the form of a dividend to members. Bantams Supporters Trust was formed as Bradford City Supporters Trust in 2002 as an interim board before formal elections in 2004 in accordance with these rules and guidelines. Our registration number is 29446R. As a CBS, we meet the requirements of the Football Supporters Association (FSA) as an affiliate member, as do all other supporters trusts, and provides trusts with model rules that fall within the CBS. Membership Our rules say that because members are effectively shareholder, a minimum share or cost to a member is £1 and all members paying a contribution are entitled to vote – one member one vote. In previous years we had a free membership to encourage members to join and had a patron membership for those that wanted to contribute financially. This was only on a temporary basis, and at our 2023 AGM we reverted back charging from £1 as a minimum. There is a free email membership but are not entitled to vote, All members receive our email news and surveys, and we regularly share them on social media You can see our FSA Model rules (2022) here . Can a supporters travel group have membership of the trust? Yes, Supporters’ travel clubs will be able to have affiliation membership of the trust. We welcome contact with all supporters groups. Members of all supporter groups are encouraged to join our Trust as our purpose is distinctly different. Our finances All our income is modest and comes entirely from its’ membership. Much of our income goes towards operational costs such as maintaining the website and our CRM database, where we can email our news articles and surveys directly to our members. Our income goes on investment on our merchandise that we sell in the main stand concourse, and also on sponsoring players. Ways in which the FSA help supporters Trusts The FSA, national organization run by fans for the fans, campaigns for the interests of football supporters in England and Wales. It promotes the campaigns that supporters trusts and other fans’ bodies are involved in at their clubs, whether that is about bringing ticket prices down at a specific club or promoting a community initiative led by a trust and club working together. It can also highlight issues where the fan engagement commitment from a club isn’t there or where the owner of a club has mismanaged the finances and relations with s trust has turned sour. All professional football club are obliged to engage in consultation with supporters through EFL and Premier League regulation, and a supporters’ trust would provide a formal mechanism. Bantams Supporters has a direct relationship with our Club through the formal mechanism called structured dialogue. The FSA works with the EFL to promote good fan engagement practices and recently worked on guidance for clubs to involve supporters’ trusts and other supporters groups to come up with a ‘fan engagement plan’ on a yearly basis. Included in the guidance pack drawn up by the FSA are various engagement models such as ‘Fan Advisory Boards’, ‘fan consultation groups’, ‘structured dialogue’ and others. It also includes formal engagement structures around how clubs and supporters should meet, how many times they should meet, numbers and who should be there, inclusivity and diversity, independent democratic bodies such as supporters trust etc. There is some guidance to some of this on the FSA’s website here . Training The FSA also provides training to supporters trusts to develop its board members, its polices, and specialist projects – this could involve developing a community project or getting a club listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV as we did earlier this year, see here . EFL Networks The FSA also has support through its’ EFL Network group which meets on a monthly basis with an agenda guided by trust reps with guest speakers on a whole variety of projects promoting fan engagement, getting young people interested in supporters trusts, diversity projects, campaigns to encourage clubs to promote carbon footprint reduction, and regular updates on the Football Governance Bill. What do supporters trusts do? The bread and butter of any supporters Trust is engaging with members and meeting with the club they support. One topic Trusts don’t get involved in with a club is about team performances, players and managers. The conversations revolve around supporter experience on a match day, improvements to the facilities, accesibility, inclusivity, diversity, carbon footprint, foodprices, ticket prices, season tickets, community activities, restorative practice, policing and stewarding as well as well national campaigns FSA are invoved in to improve the interests of supporters, the health of our football clubs and of course the hot topic of fan engagement, and there is so much to improve there at City! All supporters trusts are at different stages of development, some have small membership bases, perhaps with very active layer of a volunteer board, some have medum to large membership base and a small active volunteer board. Much of this depends upon the relationship a trust board has with the club they support. The better a relationship it has with a club, it is more likely there is a better understanding of what a trust does from the wider club fan-base and membership of the Trust. Some more established trust have a community arm whereby many community projects and fundraising comes from, helping to fund club supported and fan-popular charities. Almost all post on social media and some have a physical presence at football matches selling merchandise or some have Trust lottery schemes. Some even run coaches to away matches. What is the differeence between the Supporters Board and the Trust? The Trust is completely independent of our Club. Whilst the the Supporters Board has a certain amount of autonomy as a group of football fans with its own constitution, it is still an extention of the Club’s consultation process and connection between the Club and the fans. Until two season’s ago or maybe three, the Trust had a formal seat on the Supporters Board. This was at a time when all the representatives represented a greater spread of the supporter-base than it does today, where the members of the board are there as individuals. In the ever changing landscape of fan engagement many supporters boards are now Fan Advisory Boards and it is the case that the FAB model, the FSA recommends a seat should be for its’ affiliated supporters’ group – a supporters trust. You can see more on this here . The other difference is that the SB is more focused on Club matters, and whilst the Trust will also be focused on the same, it also has a wider national remit that may affect the Club’ business motivations. As we know, no club is an island, there are 72 EFL clubs all in competition for prize money Getting involved with the Trust We at Bantams Supporters Trust would like to do so much more than what we are doing currently. The Trust Board meets once a month, and ordinary members can come and see what it is like as an experience. We meet every third Wednesday of the month on an evening between 7 and 9 at Jacobs Well in the city centre, near the Interchange, and this ‘open door’ policy has had some positive effect. Members can be co-opted onto the board at any time of the year and stand for election at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) usually in November, 6 months after our years’ end on the 30 th May. The Trust Board has a Chair, Vice Chair, Treasure and ‘Acting’ Secretary. We also have a Website Administrator. We would like an Equality Officer and Women’s Officer, people who are good at sharing our posts, and writing articles about the matches – previews and post match reviews. Sub-Groups can be formed to focus on specific issues, projects that we would like to develop and / or within the trust, enabling cross representation where we have members that are members of other groups for example and open dialogue. Ultimately we are all volunteers, we encourage as many members as possible to assist with our work. It is important that more supporters join us. The bigger our support base is, the bigger voice we potentially have. The more members get involved, the more we can achieve and have a greater presence. Join here today, and don’t forget to contribute financially to support us. Remember, your membership sub allows you to be able to vote.
October 10, 2024
On Saturday 7 th September Stand Up To Racism, an anti-racism campaign group that has a national profile, leafleted outside Valley Parade before the Carlisle game. The leaflets were well received and the activity was at Bradford to show a presence after far right infiltrated rioting took place in many towns and cities in the UK in early August. Bantams Supporters Trust would like to show its support for anti racism campaigns such as Stand Up to Racism because we believe that such campaigns can bring communities together. In 2020 the world of sport and in particularly football, taking the knee before the start of a match became a silent act of team solidarity against racial inequality and injustice. This received widespread support from the majority of football fans. It also formed the backdrop to the ‘No Room For Racism’ initiated in 2001, widely supported by the PL, EFL, FA, Kick it Out, FSA and others Over the years, charitable football campaigns such as Kick It Out and Fans for Diversity have put on education programmes, and support diverse supporter and football club groups promoting inclusivity. Bangla Bantams and Bhaji Bantams are good examples of this. But the work should not stop there. When workers and football supporters (most are workers or retired workers), both men and women, of all backgrounds unite through struggle on common causes, we can cut across the feelings of negativity, fear and prejudice that exist in our society, and we can make positive gains in the interests of all. We are inviting members and supporters to help with leafleting with Stand Up to Racism on Saturday 19 th October, when the Bantams take on Gillingham. We would like to advise members and supporters to meet outside the 'City Hub Community Café' at 1.30pm. Please contact us via email if you would like to take part.
October 1, 2024
It has been just over two years since the historic announcement that safe, licensed standing in seated areas would be allowed in football ground’s subject to the all-seater policy. So, it’s an opportune time to reflect on where we’ve come from and how it’s going. Licensed standing commenced in England and Wales in January 2022, with five early adopters – Cardiff City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. As of 16 September, there are 22 grounds that offer licensed standing, with Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town the latest to receive licences. This is equal to around a third of all grounds subject to the all-seater policy – with over 100,000 licensed standing seats. Giles Smith, Chief Executive of the Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA), said: “The controlled return of safe, licenced standing at professional football grounds in the modern era has been an important and historic step forward. Since its introduction in July 2022, we have seen a steady increase in grounds offering licensed standing, based on the requirements of safety and giving fans a choice of being able to sit or to safely stand.” To be eligible to offer licensed standing, clubs must aim to meet published guidance and supporting criteria, developed by the SGSA. This includes that safe standing installations – whether seats incorporating barriers or seats with independent barriers – must be on the basis of one standing space per seat, and clubs must demonstrate that the viewing enjoyment of others not within the standing area is not impeded. Over the last couple of years, evidence has demonstrated a number of benefits from introducing licensed standing, including: Improved fan safety The key benefit is that the risk to fan safety through a progressive crowd collapse and subsequent injuries has been virtually eliminated, as the barriers limit forwards and backwards movement. In addition, the risk of injury, and the danger posed to others from spectators standing on seats or on the backs of seats should they fall forwards or back, has reduced. Enhanced fan experience Critically, barriers help enhance spectators’ feelings of safety – particularly in having a barrier behind them and so being protected from people falling on them – which increases their enjoyment of the game. They can also provide stability for spectators who may be unsteady on their feet whilst standing for long periods of time, and for people moving up and down aisles and gangways (which may also speed up egress). There are also other secondary benefits, such as making it easier for spectators who arrive late to reach their seats in the middle of rows faster, as others are already standing and have a barrier to lean against when latecomers pass. Reduced crowd management issues There are additional safety management benefits, which have been found in grounds with safe standing infrastructure, including: egress is more uniform because the barriers limit spectators’ ability to climb over seats to exit the stand more quickly spectators are lined up more clearly, so obvious gaps and therefore any risk of overcrowding can be identified, particularly using CCTV barriers make it more difficult for spectators to move within areas, such as towards segregation lines or the rear of stands clearer aisles and gangways, as spectators are more aware of their space and use the bar to lean on a more positive relationship between stewards and spectators in those areas as stewards do not have to attempt to get standing spectators to sit down. For more information on licensed standing, visit the SGSA website . SGSA is the government’s advisor on safety at sports grounds in the UK.
By Simon Hagerty September 30, 2024
Members and none members are cordially invited to our Supporters’ Trust Annual General Meeting (AGM), to be held on Wednesday 27th November, from 7pm, at Jacobs Well , near Bradford Interchange. We will also be on Skype if you live too far away to attend. Bantams Supporters Trust is just as relevant today as it was when it was founded over 20 years ago, then when the Club was in crisis. Today, thankfully, we are not with collection buckets to save the Club, and rather, we are part of a necessary mechanism of Club fan engagement called Structured Dialogue, a process where we can put across what our members and supporters are saying in response to an ever evolving moving feast of developments at our Club with the back drop of how national developments are taking place within football and society. For those of you that are not aware, the Trust is a Mutual Benefit Society, which means that we are a cooperative – democratically owned and controlled by our members. Each member can have a share, which at its minimum, is valued at £1. The importance of the shares is that they could be used for buying a stake in the ground or the Club if members were to direct us into doing that. At the AGM you will be able to hear about the work of the Trust throughout the year, and you will be able to hear about the purpose of its policy motions. We encourage questions, discussion and debate, but only members can vote. 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 .
September 25, 2024
On Saturday 14 th September, our League game against Walsall at the Bescot Stadium was marred by an incident when a City supporter threw a pryo onto the pitch. It is understood the Football Association (FA) are looking to fine Bradford City for the incident. It is not the first time this has happened and because there is a regular frequency with these incidents it is likely that all will be taken into account in deciding the penalty for the Club. The Trust deplore the actions of a tiny minority that, probably unintentionally (without thinking), ruin the match day experience for the majority of supporters. It is understood from the Club’s own statement which came out on the 20 th September that a young male supporter was arrested and is, ‘subsequently released on police bail, with conditions they do not attend any football fixtures in the UK while the investigation is ongoing’. Dangerous Pyro’s are a major fire hazard and are known to cause burns and breathing problems, alongside damage to hands, hearing, lungs and eyes. The smoke can often be a reminder to those who were witness to our own fire disaster of May 11 th , 1985. We wish to remind supporters that anyone found in possession of, or using, pyrotechnic devices face Club bans and will be reported to the Police. Stewards can have the powers to: Search spectators on their entry to the ground. Physically intervene against and eject spectators who are in breach of ground regulations. This includes decisions on refusal of entry. Check out more info on stewards’ roles and duties at Sports Ground Safety Authority . Awareness campaign In recent years the EFL and Premier League along with the FA and Football Supporters Association, (FSA) joined together to get behind the campaign of ‘ Love Football, Protect the Game ’ which came about after fans had come back after the Covid Lock-down’ and there was a noticeable increase in anti-social incidents at or around football matches. Banning orders From August 1 st 2023 there were a total of 1,624 football banning orders in force, an increase of 24% compared with 28 July 2022 (1,308). Within the 2022 to 2023 football season, 682 new banning orders were issued, an increase of 32% compared with the 2021 to 2022 football season. Reported incidents at football matches Incidents were reported at 1,516 football matches in the 2022 to 2023 football season (50% of a total 3,024 matches). The number of matches with reported incidents decreased by 6% (-93 matches) compared with 1,609 matches in the 2021 to 2022 season. For more data, look at the government’s statistics . Restorative Justice The Trust at our last Structured Dialogue meeting in August with the Club raised the idea with the Club about preventive strategies to act as a deterrent for further incidents and what they currently have in place. Perhaps a good example of a preventative strategy is to educate those supporters inclined to use pyro’s by showing the video of the traumatic events of the fire disaster. It was suggested to have representation on the ‘Appeals Panel’ if a defendant wants to appeal a decision. Love Football, Protect the Game If you regularly attend matches home and away, it is impossible not to see the visual presence of the ‘Love Football, Protect The Game’ campaign, especially at away grounds. We firmly believe that it is not worth the risk of a whole lot of trouble to throw a pyro onto a pitch. We do not want a bad reputation for our Club or our supporters.
September 16, 2024
Mansfield Pizza Hut restaurant are offering an exclusive discount to matchday going fans visiting Mansfield and the One call stadium, for the upcoming season. This will include City v Mansfield for the EFL Trophy Group match on the evening of 17 th September 2024. We received a recent email from Mansfield Pizza Hutt Restaurant and would like to communicate this to our members about this offer. In addition to this offer they also provide free parking to any customers for the duration of their meal and afterwards throughout the game. They are a 4-minute walk away from the ground, and a good option fans to take advantage of a discounted price meal and have the convenience of free parking so close to the ground. The above image shows the voucher explaining the offer.
September 4, 2024
In attendance from the Club were, Marco Townson (MT) - Lead Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) and Alex Pyrah (AP) – Fan Engagement Officer FEO). Representing the Trust was, Manny Dominguez (MD) - Chair, Justin Brett (JB) - Vice Chair and Matthew Pickles (MP). Bantams Supporters Trust met with the Club on Monday 5 th August. The last meeting with the Club had been the 26 th February, 6 months ago. As expected so much that has happened since then, so this was a much-needed catch up. Much of our discussion was about how the Trust can be involved in some way with the various developments within the Club that improves supporter and community cohesion within the City. So, without further ado lets dive into it. Season tickets The Trust felt it is commendable that the Club had frozen matchday ticket prices considering the temptation to put prices up as seen at many other Clubs. Also The Trust felt that it is amazing there is a tremendous amount of support in terms of so many, over 13,500 buying season tickets at the ‘Early-bird’ price, despite it going up a by £50. Our view was that there will be many who would be happy to pay more than £249. The Club agreed, as they have many paying more after the ‘Early-bird’ deadline. In total, nearly 14,000 have bought season tickets so far. There will be many who have bought additional costs to get into the suites and bars, and so on as well. It was pointed out also that there are some Trusts that work with their Clubs to provide a hardship fund whereby from those that like to pay over and above for a season ticket, that excess, can be put in a pot to subsidise those that can’t pay those sums of money – a hardship fund. It was said the Club and Community Foundation are already doing something like this – similar to what Yorkshire Water do. Ticketmaster We asked about the Ticketmaster and telephone service situation a few months ago when Ticketmaster had signed a deal with the Club. It was explained that the older ticketing system, Talent, was not without its flaws, the plastic cards were no longer working and they had to bring in a whole new telephone system. A complete overhaul was needed. Atmosphere and the move to the lower tier of the Kop The Club said the move was for safety reasons, and that all QR codes would be scanned to ensure all fans in the Kop would be at their seats. Club Business Strategy for the coming season It was explained that there were strategies for a wide range of things at the Club but the business strategy for fan engagement at least covered: · Family Excellence – The Club have received bronze for this EFL award this year, its third consecutive year and wants to achieve gold. · Ticketing · Food and drink · Website and first impressions · Outside the stadium · Merchandise · Travel and last mile (to Valley Parade) – e.g. road signs / artwork · Stadium facilities – Disability access around the ground has now been completed. · Supporters after the game · Fans feeling valued Improving our Structured Dialogue and the Club promotion of our work with the trust and Supporters Board (SB). Fan-Engagement Plan The Trust welcomed the fact that the Club had recently put it’s Fan-Engagement Plan on the Club website . The Fan Engagement Plan (FEP) is something all EFL Clubs are required to have published following a recent EFL AGM in early June where Clubs voted to approve regulation changes . You can find out more about how and why fan engagement has become of vital necessity for the whole of football in our Trust article here . We mentioned and discussed the Stoke City example of a FEP , which we all agreed was very good and Club said that they had used as a template. We 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 4 dates in the calendar year. It already says that the dates of meetings can change. This seemed like a reasonable suggestion from the Club. Restorative Justice, Environmental Sustainability, Diversity and Community We have also been vocal and had meetings/emails with Paula Watson (PW) – Director of Operations about restorative Justice and crime reduction, environmental sustainability, Diversity campaigns, building community links with the Club and Community Foundation but they haven’t continued. There was a suggestion from the Club that we could have a person on the appeals panel with regards to restorative justice as MP works for the Probation Service, and the Club already have a representative from the SB on it. We have also asked about being involved in a ‘Community Day’ or ‘Open Day’ event, this is usually held ahead of a new season where Junior Bantams get autographs from players and there are different activities being run for the community at the Club. There is an intention for this to happen for the 2025/26 season. We asked about the solar panels intended for the roof of the stadium and it was said that they are now in place situated above the ‘Bradford End’ and Midland Road. On the Club website, Leanne Hunter, Watt Utilities Operations Director said of the project, “In an effort to create a sustainable and environmentally conscious future for the team, the community and the environment, Bradford City AFC and Watt Utilities collaborated to design and implement the enormous solar panel project, which took eight weeks to build and install after a year of planning.” Staying with environmental sustainability, we also asked about the First Bradford sponsorship deal, and about any plans for running services for evening kick Off’s and it was said that any special offers were to be looked into. On the Club website it says there is a matchday saver scheme that if you download the First bus app you can use the code: BANTAMSMATCH to secure unlimited travel all day for just £3 on matchdays. Together in Sound There was an idea suggested regarding bringing fans together by encouraging supporters to vocalize `We are the Bantams’ and by using technology, bring the voices together to create the voice of a crowd. It was agreed it was a possibility. Ownership We explained about how the Asset of Community Value had to be triggered into action; the owner of the stadium would have to declare their intention to sell. The community group that nominated the ground to be an Asset of Community Value, in this case, the Trust, would have 6 weeks to decide if we want to bid. If we wanted to bid we would get 6 months to come up with a bid. Stefan Rup could bid and other interested parties. Ultimately it would be up to the owner to choose the bid. It was noted that the T&A piece earlier in the summer got it wrong. It missed out the fact that there is a 6 week period for the Trust to decide to put a bid in, and we may not decide to put a bid in at all. Any Other Business The Trust raised the possible idea of a fan exchange, of City fans going to watch Hertha Berlin, and Hertha Berlin supporters traveling to watch Bradford City. Date for the next meeting November.
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