All New Bolton Wanderers Supporters Club

[BWSC]

Hi, please let me introduce myself, my name is Matthew Jones, I’m an ardent Bolton Wanderers supporter who feels a little disenfranchised from the club these days, I know we have bwsa, but having attended a couple of meetings and functions over the years, I feel that this group is out dated and doesn’t represent today’s average supporter, I know we have all these excellent forums and message boards but we don’t have a direct link or voice with the club .
 
I think this actually puts us at a disadvantage to supporters of other clubs, as we don’t have a say in how our club is run !
 
So with this in mind I and a couple of other die hard wanderers have decided to start our own supporters club, one that will be proactive and that intends to take over as the official voice of BWFC supporters,
 
We intend to hold a public meeting before the start of the season and would encourage anybody who would like to get involved in any capacity to sign up.
 
www.bwfcsc.co.uk

PS  We are not another forum or messageboard but hope to utilize all the wanderers fan sites

thanks, matt

[Diana Prince]

I know we have all these excellent forums and message boards but we don’t have a direct link or voice with the club .
 

Speak for yourself. Me, Garty & Duckers meet regularly for a G&T.

P.S. I hope you'll only accept proper fans and not JCLs.

[Big_Sharps]

This is the 3rd forum he has put this on.

[Sluffy]

Hello and welcome Matt,

I’m not trying to be funny or anything but what makes you think the club wants a fan’s voice within the club?

Oh I know they say the fans are essential and all that but the club is more or less owned by one man Eddie Davies – run as a business, with something like 80% plus of its revenue coming direct from Sky.  Whether we like it or not, us fans are in no position to demand that the club listen to us.

I also wonder if the role of a supporters club is somewhat outdated these days?

At one time the supporters club would help with travel, tickets, etc – all of which can now be easily arranged by individuals over the internet.

They also allowed the fans to have a voice – but people say what they think on forums such as this straight after a match for instance – and the club and the players read their views directly.

What is it that you are attempting to achieve?

[Diana Prince]

Not taking the piss but wot sluf sed!
Maybe there's ball all members of the official club because one isn't really required. Any reasonable grievances email Phil and he'll get back to you. He's alright really you know.

[Howfen White]

Are you Mr Turkey?

[Big_Sharps]

Are you Mr Turkey?

Turkey is too cool for forums, show him some respect.

[Squidgy]

P.S. I hope you'll only accept proper fans and not JCLs.

How dare you disrespect the yoof!

[Diana Prince]

I see Natasha's joined and with a cheeky new photo too. Nice. The 23 years old is a bit of a fib though, isn't it?

[Natasha Whittam]

I see Natasha's joined and with a cheeky new photo too. Nice. The 23 years old is a bit of a fib though, isn't it?

I can assure you I have not joined up.

If the person pretending to be me had done his homework he'd know I was 31 and a brunette.

[Manny]

If you want my opinion, you're wasting your time. The official supporters club is already recognised by BWFC and it's hardly anything special.

I know for a fact that Phil Gartside and other high profile figures within the club regularly visit the message boards. Not just this one, but all the others too.

[Squidgy]

Mr Gartside,

I disassociate myself from any for the crazy ramblings from the poster known as 'Sharps'.

I have also entered the competition for the free tickets, so chop chop.

[Diana Prince]

I can assure you I have not joined up.

If the person pretending to be me had done his homework he'd know I was 31 and a brunette.

Get em sued!!

P.S. Manny, as I've already said & me and thee know,  Philip will listen to any reasoned arguement, so why the need, I don't see why either.

[BWSC]

"I think there's three really good reasons to have a supporters club. Firstly it's the best way for the club and the fans to talk to each other. If the fans would like to see something change (the style of stewarding, a statue of Nat, the price of pies etc) then a large and committed supporters association would have the ear of the club much more than individual fans would.

By the same token, the club would be able to test out ideas. Do supporters really want free travel to Sunderland? Or would they rather the money was invested in subsidising the ale in the fanzone? What about the free scarves initiative? The club could let the fans know about stuff like this through the fans' organisation in a way they can't elsewhere.

The second major reason to have an independent supporters association is if things go wrong. Most fans are very happy with the way the club is run by Messers Gartside and Duckworth. But after the reorganisation of shares a few years ago Eddie Davis owns the whole thing, lock stock and stadium. If things went wrong for his business and he lost his fortune, or even if he decided to pull out, the club would be in deep financial trouble.

If we end up in this situation (God forbid) like many others have done, it will be essential to have a supporters association to liase with administrators and ensure the long term health of the club. In times of crisis, the voice of the fans needs to be strong and united - it's better to have this before any crisis occurs.

Third and final... We all know the atmosphere at the ground isn't great and the club's relationship with the fans has suffered in recent years. An active supporters association would be a good way of energising the fans, and coming up with initiatives to create a better atmosphere. In addition, we'd be looking to have our meetings/functions in Horwich, Bolton, Farnworth and anywhere else where there are large pockets of wanderers fans.
There's also a lot of fun to be had from meeting up together and maybe getting ex-players to come and talk to us etc."

we'll only know whether the club will recognize us if and when we can get enough interested so we can approach them

[aarons2009]

Do fans really want free travel to Sunderland?..... Oh no we would rather pay £30 or whatever the price is instead and have half as many fans travel down than their would be if free travel was on.....your deluded. 

[Diana Prince]

Indeed. Ungrateful fúckers!

No offence, but I don't think Uncle Eddie needs a supporters club to save him from the clutches of Gartside and Duckworth.

[jimbo_bwfc]

Regarding those different things that having a supporters association can do, I can do 90% of those things in 30mins when the club send round those questionnaires at the back end of each season.

A cynic might say they don't read or act on them, but unless they are mind-readers they have certainly taken many of my ideas in those on board and acted on them including the revamping of children/young persons ticket prices at the beginning of last season.

I was a member of the BWSA a few years ago and it certainly wasn't the place for me, and not the right place for a fair percentage of Bolton fans so I do appreciate that there is a market for a new more modern thinking supporters association. I'm just not interested in joining one personally.

[Sluffy]

"I think there's three really good reasons to have a supporters club. Firstly it's the best way for the club and the fans to talk to each other. If the fans would like to see something change (the style of stewarding, a statue of Nat, the price of pies etc) then a large and committed supporters association would have the ear of the club much more than individual fans would.

By the same token, the club would be able to test out ideas. Do supporters really want free travel to Sunderland? Or would they rather the money was invested in subsidising the ale in the fanzone? What about the free scarves initiative? The club could let the fans know about stuff like this through the fans' organisation in a way they can't elsewhere.

The second major reason to have an independent supporters association is if things go wrong. Most fans are very happy with the way the club is run by Messers Gartside and Duckworth. But after the reorganisation of shares a few years ago Eddie Davis owns the whole thing, lock stock and stadium. If things went wrong for his business and he lost his fortune, or even if he decided to pull out, the club would be in deep financial trouble.

If we end up in this situation (God forbid) like many others have done, it will be essential to have a supporters association to liase with administrators and ensure the long term health of the club. In times of crisis, the voice of the fans needs to be strong and united - it's better to have this before any crisis occurs.

Third and final... We all know the atmosphere at the ground isn't great and the club's relationship with the fans has suffered in recent years. An active supporters association would be a good way of energising the fans, and coming up with initiatives to create a better atmosphere. In addition, we'd be looking to have our meetings/functions in Horwich, Bolton, Farnworth and anywhere else where there are large pockets of wanderers fans.
There's also a lot of fun to be had from meeting up together and maybe getting ex-players to come and talk to us etc."

we'll only know whether the club will recognize us if and when we can get enough interested so we can approach them

I'm not impressed that you've sent the exact same post to us as you have to Wanderers Ways.

If you can't be arsed at such an early stage in dealing with the questions we've asked, then I've no confidence what so ever that you could ever represent our views to the club.

Just seems to me that you have got your own agenda and are trying to round up people to try and establish some sort of a power base in order to try and push it.

Think you are on to a loser myself.

[Diana Prince]

Do you mean you really do want free travel to Sunderland then Sluffy?

[Manny]

Not just Wanderers Ways, this exact same thread is on all the forums.

[Sluffy]

I just can't see the point of a Supporters Club in this day and age myself.

When the club was largely reliant on the fans as its major income stream - then the supporters club did have some influence - but now that Sky provides the vast majority of revenue - the fans (and by extension supporters clubs) hold no sway at all these days.

The club as a cosy relationship with the existing supporters club - so it keeps it sweet by massaging its ego by officials and players turning up for their meetings, etc. - but that is all it is really.

The club isn't stupid - it knows what the fans think by reading the BWFC forums - and don't give me this thing about the fans on the forums thinking one thing but all the fans who don't post on the forums think another!  There is fair representation of fans views across the forums (with our forum being somewhere in the centre ground of opinion, in my opinion).

So what is the 'new' supporters club trying to achieve?  The only thing I can think of his to push the personal agenda of the founder.

As he was unable or unwilling to give a personalised reply to the various BWFC forums he's posted on - then he doesn't seem to see us - his potential supporters - worthy of his time or respect.

So personally I can't see the point of the venture or it being successful.
 

[Sluffy]

Not just Wanderers Ways, this exact same thread is on all the forums.

Yes - but it was his 'reply' to the various points raised on here and ww - that a 'standard' reply copy was sent - we don't seem to be worth an individual reply.

Hardly makes you want to join an organisation that can't be arsed to talk to you - does it!

[Big_Sharps]

Stop complaining Sluffy before I refuse to do you're dirty work on the Bolton News forum any longer.

[Sluffy]

I do really appreciate your defence of me on BN but I prefer to look after myself with reasoned arguments and non aggression - It's a bit dull doing it that way I know - but that's the sort of man I am!

[BWSC]

I’m sorry if I offended anyone by posting the same reply, it probably was a little lazy but all the forums have posed similar questions so I tried to give a universal answer and get our message over at the same time.
As for the question of whether the club needs a supporters club and whether the fans are an important revenue stream? we think a massive yes

We’ve noticed the people who have a greater say in how a football club is run, are the people who have the biggest spending power, i.e. sky, , Executives, advertisers and club sponsors "but not individual fans,"  anyone who is a substantial spender at any club, has clout,

This is where we would be looking to capitalise and where we would be looking to put something back into the club as opposed to the present association who only take from the club.
 We would look to raise money by membership, raffles, sponsorships, even merchandising, we would then channel this  back into the club in the form of sponsorship, advertising and purchasing numerous packages to offer as prizes to members thus becoming a major benefactor/ working partner to the club. We need to give the club an incentive to want to listen to and deal with us,

Clubs such as Sunderland, Birmingham and Aston Villa have very strong ties with their supporters clubs for this very reason, and have a big say in how their clubs are run.
In return, their supporters are offered huge discounts on season tickets for members, beyond anything offered by the club, cheaper drinks in their supporters clubs, all kinds of concessions on merchandising and cheaper travel to away games

We would want to harness this and in addition take control of the fanzone, to be run by the supporters club, so that when we play teams like Utd ,  the fanzone isn’t just  ‘cancelled ‘ but relocated to an alternative venue like the ‘arena’ or even a marquee.

I understand what your saying about all the BWFC forums, but all these forums have lots to say, but are fragmented and don’t carry a lot of clout, the club wouldn’t deal with any one forum officially because they would then have to deal with all the forums.
 so we as a supporters club would want to utilize all the resources and go to the club with the views of all the forums, not just burndenaces or wanderersways.

Like we've said, unless we get a decent amount of interest, it wont even get off the ground. but thanks for letting us have a platform to discuss this and spread awareness