| Q01 |
Are you a member of WISA? If not, why not? |
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No I'm not a member of WISA and there's no particular reason why I'm not, I've just never joined. My dad is a member though so I keep in touch with what's going on through him. |
| Q02 |
What role do you think WISA has in the future of the Club/Trust? |
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I think WISA has a very important role to play as exactly what it is - an independent association for the supporters. It is there to represent the supporters and should there ever be a conflict between the actions of the Board / Trust and what the majority of the supporters want then WISA can be that independent body to represent them. |
| Q03 |
What personal qualities (other than professional skills,
and a capacity for hard work) do you have that the Dons Trust Board
needs? |
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I believe I have the necessary passion and commitment that being a Board member requires. I am a good listener, approachable and friendly. I am also a problem solver - I can work through issues in a logical and reasoned manner, I like to pay attention to detail and am conscientious. |
| Q04 |
What do you perceive the role of the Dons Trust to be? In
particular, what do you see its role to be in relation to the club?
What is the role of the members/owners? |
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The Trust should be the custodian of the club. It is there to represent the fans and ensure their views are translated into the aims and objectives of the club. The Trust provides the strategy that the club then delivers. The role of the members is to contribute towards setting the direction of the club and to vote on key decisions such as a new stadium. |
| Q05 |
Have you been involved in any projects / organisations /
working parties or volunteer groups on behalf of the Club or the Dons
Trust? If so, what was your role and what did you achieve? If elected,
and bearing in mind the time consuming nature of the Dons Trust Board,
will you still carry on this work? |
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I haven't been involved in any projects yet but I would like to contribute now and hope I can do that by being elected to the Board. |
| Q06 |
How will you get more people to volunteer and help out the
club? |
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That's a difficult one! We have a wonderfully devoted and committed fan-base and so far have been very lucky with the generosity of the volunteers. I don't know what specific things could be done other than promoting communication with the fans and encouraging as many people as possible to get involved and 'do their bit'. Perhaps if the different roles and responsibilities of positions at the club were identified then others may feel it easier to volunteer rather than a blanket "please help"? In addition, if jobs could be shared that might ease the perceived 'burden' that might be putting some people off. |
| Q07 |
What are the biggest problems facing the Dons Trust? And
what three things would you suggest to make it more dynamic? |
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I think the biggest problems are lack of participation and understanding. Before I stood as a candidate I hadn't really thought about what the Trust / Board did or how to get involved. We are a club owned and run by the fans so the Trust should be accessible and receptive to the views of everyone. I therefore suggest:
I. New Board members - some different people to offer different opinions. Also some younger members and female ones to truly reflect the body of the fans.
II. Better communication - up-to-date communication with the fans. This could perhaps be done through the match-day programme - short messages / articles about what the Trust is up to. The distribution of flyers could also be organised and be handed out by board members - this would make sure the right messages get to the fans and would also mean the fans see who the members are - encouraging participation and engagement. This could include key issues and action points from meetings rather than formal minutes (although obviously these need to be published elsewhere). Board members could also be available on match days to answer questions / queries. I think if fans were regularly informed about discussions but in summary this may encourage others to get more involved.
III. Establish an informal group - perhaps a more informal group / gathering / forum could be established (with a fresher image) that aimed to engage with the younger fans? There may be some who perhaps don't feel like they can contribute or that its all a bit too formal for them. They would like to offer an opinion but are perhaps nervous of attending a Trust meeting or feel a bit intimidated? This group could be an on-line network or meetings could be held - I think it's important to engage with and listen to the younger fans and encourage them to participate and feel they can be involved. We also need to make sure we keep them as fans and they can help bring new ones.
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| Q08 |
Why do you believe you can put your views into practice and deliver on any promises you make? How much time do you have to devote to Trust matters? |
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I believe the Board is there to represent the fans but also as a fan myself I would seek to put my views forward for discussion. Ultimately I would like to deliver on those views as long as I felt that they were in the best interests of the club i.e. not over-committing financially, surrendering control etc. I don't think I can really make any promises other than that I promise to be fully committed to the Board and work hard to achieve the success the club deserves. My job is fairly demanding but I do not have any other commitments and I am confident that I will have the necessary time to devote to the Trust. |
| Q09 |
Do you have any financial interests in the club, associated companies or Trust? If so, please could you specify? |
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No |
| Q10 |
If we are not promoted this season, do you think we should try to get a league place and / or go professional (i.e. take on full-time players) as soon as possible, whatever the cost (financial or otherwise)? Is fan ownership non-negotiable? |
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We should definitely aim for league status and/or to go professional but not at 'any cost'. We should not make that change by adopting a high risk strategy - it has to be done in a measured way. We need to make sure the finances are in place and that the projected income is realistic and sustainable. We should not borrow money to fund players wages.
Fan ownership is non-negotiable but if someone offered the club a substantial amount of money then I believe the Board should at least discuss the opportunity and negotiate with that individual about alternative methods of involvement. This is particularly relevant where we will need to raise capital to fund a new stadium.
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| Q11 |
What schemes should / would you put in place to help reduce the club's debt? |
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I would ask the relevant directors to look at our repayment package and make sure we had the best deal. I'm sure there are other Board members that are better placed to investigate this and I would trust them to do so. I think it is also key to ensure that we have regular income to help pay back the debt and that financial planning is based on sound assumptions - we should not take huge risks or rely on windfalls from cup runs or TV royalties etc. I would also seek to continue the great efforts that go in to fundraising and perhaps look at new ways / more commercial packages of raising monies. |
| Q12 |
What action will you take if you feel the Club is committing itself to ventures it cannot afford? |
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I would raise my concerns at Board meetings and encourage debate. As I understand it, all key financial decisions require Board approval so I would make sure these were properly evidenced and assumptions were challenged before making a final decision. The directors are also accountable to the Board so the Board would be able to scrutinise their work and ensure they were operating appropriately. |
| Q13 |
If the Club makes a profit from FA Cup or Trophy runs, or from the sale of players, should that windfall be used to improve the infrastructure of the Club or be used to improve the playing squad? |
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That's a tricky one! Instinctive answer would be to improve the infrastructure of the club. However, if there was a chance to reduce the club's debt with some of that profit then that could also be explored. I think the club should only use the money on players should there be a clear need for it i.e. if all our defenders were injured. Investment in the club, be it on infrastructure or players, should always be carried out after proper evaluation and consideration of all the options. |
| Q14 |
Do you see The Fans Stadium, Kingsmeadow, as a temporary or permanent home for AFC Wimbledon? |
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Temporary. However, if no viable alternative sites could be found then I would not be against staying at Kingsmeadow. |
| Q15 |
What is your opinion on the possibility of a move to the Greyhound Stadium what would you do if elected to make it a reality? |
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I would love to see a move to the Greyhound Stadium - it's as close a return to Plough Lane as you could get! However, if the deal was not favourable I would not force the issue. We need a home that is right for the club in every way - affordable and deliverable. |
| Q16 |
What will you do to improve communication between the Trust members and their board? |
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I think communication needs to be more open and different methods should be explored. As mentioned in question 7 above, communication should be more regular and more informal - short snippets of useful info / key issues / actions from meetings etc. The use of social networking could also be explored to reach younger fans and encourage participation and debate. Board members should also be more visible - perhaps take it in turns to answer questions on match days. |
| Q17 |
Do you believe that the Trust should adopt a clear stance on issues such as Milton Keynes’ inclusion in the England 2018 World Cup bid, or do you think that the Trust should maintain a diplomatic silence and leave such issues to WISA? |
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The Trust should absolutely maintain a diplomatic silence on such issues. The Trust is a professional body and should operate in a professional way. Other commercial organisations would not openly criticise each other so the Dons Trust should not do so. We also need to make sure we have a good relationship with the FA and therefore make sure we do not do anything to jeopardise that. |
| Q18 |
Should Trust board members always be bound by ‘collective responsibility’? |
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Yes. It is the Board's duty to represent the majority - members are elected by the fans to represent them and they have that collective responsibility. |
