DT Election 2003 - Questionnaire

Are you a member of WISA? If not, why not?

I am not. I will rejoin when I believe that WISA is totally concentrated on AFC Wimbledon .

Why should WISA members vote for you?

I would like all Dons Trust members to vote for me but there is no particular reason that WISA members should vote for any of the candidates in preference to another that I can see.

How much time can you commit each month to DT duties (excluding AFCW activities?).

Impossible to quantify.

What role would you perform on the DT board?

I am standing to be a member of the board and do not plan to stand for any post other than member.

Would you undertake any additional activities in AFCW?

I have done in the past and I am happy to again.

Did you support the recent share issue enthusiastically, with reservations, or were you unhappy with the idea?

Enthusiastically. Didn't everybody?

Do you favour a register of interests to record any benefits (financial or otherwise) Trust members gain from their dealings with the Trust or PLC?

No. Not for all members.

What personal qualities (apart from professional skills, and a capacity for hard work) do you have that the DT Board needs?

I will leave that to the members to decide.

Please list all financial benefits that you have received in the past through dealings with the Trust or Plc.

None.

What do you think of the Trust's performance and achievements so far?

I prefer to focus on the incredible achievement of Wimbledon supporters as a whole, setting up, running, financing and supporting a club with its own ground in such a short period of time.

What changes would you propose, if any, to the way the Trust operates?

I would like to simplify the constitution, move towards annual elections and, possibly, reduce the membership fee for adults.

How could the Trust board improve its communication with members?

More meetings. The website and newsletter are fine in my opinion.

When considering candidates for board member positions for the Club, what characteristics would you look for?

The best available people for the job.

Should directors of DT subsidiaries (E.g. AFC Plc) be allowed to take up elected posts on the DT Board?

I would like the DT board to have 2/3 direct representatives on the PLC boards but not as “executives”. I would not want any DT board members to be “executives” for the PLC.

How do you currently understand the duties and relationship of the DT Board in relation to the AFC Wimbledon PLC, AFC Wimbledon Ltd., and AFC Stadium Ltd. boards?

I have not yet decided what I feel would be best. This should be the subject of a proper debate as it is an extremely complicated issue.

Should the Trust membership have the final say on the big issues, like where the club has its home ground or selling shares in the club?

Yes.

Should Trust members have the right to propose motions at the AGM and other general meetings?

Yes.

What ideas do you have for paying off the rest of the debt on the purchase of Kingsmeadow?

I have the same ideas as everybody else. A combination of share sales and fundraising. There is no magic solution, just hard work and a greater acceptance of the share issue as a pragmatic part solution.

Are there any situations in which the Trust could, or should, relinquish control of AFCW?

None that I can imagine.

Do you see Kingsmeadow, The Fans Stadium as a temporary or permanent home for AFC Wimbledon ?

Currently it is our permanent home and should be treated as such. However, we must always be investigating and open to the possibility of moving back to Wimbledon or very close to it. I don't see the point of making an unsuitable move to Merton purely for the sake of being within an arbitrary set of political boundaries. However, if a site in Plough Lane (or close to it) ever became available, and that is not impossible, then we should do whatever we can to make that work.