Do you trust Peter Phillips?

Stuart Walker who is a CM board member has sent upthecherries.co.uk an article about the current climate at AFC Bournemouth.

This is the personal opinion of Stuart Walker, CM board member, and in no way represents the collective opinion of the CM board as a whole.

There are two aspects to the relationship between the CM and the club; moral and legal.

The new ‘Community Club’ was born from the ashes on the famous night at the Winter Gardens. From then on fans of AFCB thought of, and were told that they owned the club.

The Golden Share was to be the embodiment of this ‘ownership’ and the Golden Share now rests with the CM.

Since 1998 there have been numerous appeals and investments. However the one theme that runs through all of these is the share theme. Playershare, Cherryshare, Eddieshare and so on. Whenever money is needed the fans step in because it is their club.

As late as the fit-out of the top floor restaurant there was a significant push for supporter involvement. The top floor was completed in no small part due to the help and funds of the supporters. I saw many individuals and companies turning up to fit out the new restaurant from air conditioning engineers to plasterers. All came together to give their time freely because they felt that they ‘owned’ the club.

Every time those supporters attend the club they are bombarded with a series of giving opportunities. Playershare raffles, programmes, match day draw tickets, expensive beer, expensive tea and hot dogs, expensive shirts. But time and again the fans put up with high prices and poor service because they own the club. It has to be said that there is also a great deal of this spirit in the non-playing staff also. They work for low wages, longer hours and in sometimes poor conditions because they care for this community club.

Morally the club belongs to the supporters and their ownership and involvement should be recognised from the top down.

Legally the supporters may or may not own the club, but it is clear that from the updated articles of association that they have the ability to veto the appointment of any director (effectively neutering board changes) and to out vote all other shares on any issue whatsoever but only at a general meeting. This in practice would mean that directors would have to abide by the decision of the holder of the Youth Fund Share or face an EGM and subsequent removal.

Sadly the right to appoint the Chair was given away in the transfer of the golden shares to the CM however the golden share rights per se were not, save for the somewhat wishy-washy caveat that the rights would only be used ‘strictly on the understanding that the voting powers will continue to be used only in exceptional circumstances’.

I would argue that the removal of the golden shares is exceptional. Further I would also argue that if the club is being run so badly that it is still not making a profit and if the shambolic state of affairs continues that would also be an exceptional circumstance.

Fans should be aware that this is not a new situation. Peter has been making noises about getting rid of the golden shares for some time now. However I would like him to answer one simple question; if the golden shares are such a disincentive for investment how on earth did the club manage to issue and extra £158,848 worth of shares during 2004/5? Is he seriously suggesting that the people that paid this money over are idiots?

No of course not. I suspect that the real reason that Peter wants to get rid of the golden shares is possibly closer to the fact that he knows that they actually have a little more power than he is comfortable with.

Why has this issue surfaced now? In the close season? What would happen if we got rid of the golden shares? Who would stand to benefit?

A further question- but this time one for you to ask yourself. Given all the ‘news management’ given all the disappointments, given the way that the club now treat the fans and the CM do you trust Peter Phillips and the main board to make the right choice?

I believe that we have the right to make changes

The question of course is whether we want to exercise these rights.

Stuart Walker aka ‘Flowerman’