DT Election 2003 - Questionnaire

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

Yes I am currently a member. I have been a member since the very start of the association in 1995 having been one of the five founders of WISA.

Why should WISA members vote for you?

Assuming they are Trust members and eligible to cast a vote, because they believe I will do a good job on their behalf. WISA members may well remember my work for WISA over the last 8 years, they should expect the same commitment and enterprise from me.

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

I believe I can commit as much time as is required or I would not have stood for election.

What role would you perform on the DT board?

If you mean what position I would fill, that remains to be decided by the newly elected board if I am fortunate enough to gain a position on the DT board.

Would you undertake any additional activities in AFCW?

I would continue to support AFCW in the way I currently do.

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

I supported it enthusiastically and was happy with the idea – especially in the absence of any other way of raising the necessary amount to purchase Kingsmeadow in the time we had to seal the deal.

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?

How far should this extend? Should a voting member also declare their interests? I am unsure how workable this would be.

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

Passion, enterprise and a keen interest in speaking my mind (whilst keeping my ears open).

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

I have been paid according to agreements with either AFC Wimbledon Ltd or The Dons Trust for contracted work in my professional capacity as a graphic designer for the following jobs:

Design and production of the Sutton United v AFC Wimbledon friendly programme (first AFC Wimbledon match).

Design of the current AFC Wimbledon Official Website.

Design and production of the Dons Trust comedy night programme.

Design and production of the Dons Trust nostalgia evening programme.

Design and production of last season's “Yellow & Blue” (as a sub-contractor to the company that was awarded the contract to produce it).

Design and production of Dons Trust newsletters No. 2 & 3.

Design and production of this season's AFC Wimbledon programme (on a match-by-match basis).

I have also been paid for domain name registration and hosting but in all such dealings this has not seen any profit gained (ie arranged via my business and passed on at below cost price – ie cheaper than either the Trust or AFC Wimbledon would have paid had they gone directly and not through myself - due to using my account with webhosting company).

I would like to add all the above was done at rates I would not (and do not) extend to any other client and does not list work I have carried out for both the Trust and AFC Wimbledon which was not invoiced for (ie I have done as a donation to either the club or the Trust).

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

The achievements of the Trust are the achievements of us all. We should be rightly proud of all we have done so far. That said, unless I believed there was work to do and room for improvements I would not have stood for election.

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

•  Board meetings minuted and published where sensible.

•  Voting history of board members on issues.

•  More open meetings/surgeries.

•  Positions on the board to have an area of responsibility to clearly define who to go to for offers of help, to seek information or to pass on ideas – and said positions to be clearly identified and conveyed to the membership.

•  Trust page in the club's programme to invite ideas and critiques in the form of Q&A sessions with board members (as well as using the page to convey the thinking of the board and their actions).

•  I would also like to see the constitution where appropriate enable a set number of resignations from the Trust board to trigger an election of the entire Trust board. This would, I believe, enable contentious matters to be taken to the members if a set amount of Trust Board members felt the need.

•  Co-option kept to a minimum and always carried out only when a clearly identified skill or strand of representation is absent. Any appointment should be cleared identified to the membership before co-option along with reasons for such an appointment. I would also envisage this being for a set period defined in advance rather than the current practice of co-opted members joining for a lifetime of a board.

•  Introduction of an AFC Wimbledon “charter” (much like Charlton FC have). Whilst this is not directly linked to the actual operation of the Trust I feel it would assist both AFC Wimbledon and the Trust for all supporters to see who we are, what we do etc.

How could the Trust board improve its communication with members?

•  More visibility in terms of identifying who the board members are and what responsibility they have on the behalf of members.

•  Possibly more frequent newsletters (whilst appreciating that costs involved in such mailshots may make such communication prohibitive).

• More frequent open meetings (a set amount to be defined and written into the constitution – at least quarterly in my opinion).

•  Dissemination of board decisions and minutes of meetings where appropriate.

•  Publication of Q&A sessions via the programme.

I would also like to see an overview (or – excuse the parlance – “mission statement”) of the constitution so that members can get an easy feel for our main beliefs and ‘rules' (this could form part of the aforementioned “club charter”).

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

Enthusiasm, experience in business, desire to serve and an appetite for hard work. A background in football would be helpful but I feel we can seek answers from other sources on such matters, remembering that so much of what we do is new and breaking new ground but we must consult where necessary.

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

I am split between understanding the concerns of some members on this issue (and I share some of those concerns) and also believing that DT Board members could play an important role on subsidiary boards. I believe that DT Board members are wholly accountable to the membership (or at least should be). Given my ambition to see voting patterns passed on to the members I also believe that it would be fairly simple for a diligent membership to ensure that the board were accountable and removed by way of an election if deemed necessary. It should not need a board member to agree to stand down in some circumstances (ie we must ensure the board can be removed or at least challenged by way of a ‘vote of no confidence').

I wholly appreciate the fact that whilst we may currently enjoy a situation whereby it is highly unlikely that anyone would dabble in skullduggery we must be mindful of the legacy we leave the future fans of AFC Wimbledon. If we can organise and solidify a process to trigger an election leading to potential removal of members of the Trust board we could have a directly elected and accountable member on a subsidiary and it be a benefit rather than something to fear.

I would like to see this debated by the membership and a consensus reached and voted upon.

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 currently do not understand it as clearly as I would like to. I would like the structure clearly defined along with publication of a guide to the rules and checks in place to ensure each particular section cannot destroy all we have built. In short, I want to see how ‘Hammam-proof' we are and how that works.

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. But I feel this question is attempting to hint at the share issue not being voted upon and as such find it a slightly loaded question. For the record, I believe that when members voted for the purchase of Kingsmeadow it was clearly stated that shares and donations would be the most likely option to achieve that goal. I also believe there were no viable alternatives to a share issue.

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

Yes, they should, with due notice given to the board and the membership.

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

A final push for shares to be sold.

Exploration of the possibility of supporter loans (at favourable rates for the club).

Naming rights for the stadium.

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

None that I can think of.

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

Home for now, but the return to Merton if possible and prudent should not be ruled out. This matter should be dictated by the membership.