We are grateful for John Samuel for providing us with this glimpse of the first ever AGM minutes of the Wimbledon Supporters Club (MK).
There are some interesting insights in how this journey began.
Minutes of Wimbledon Supporters Club (MK) AGM 7pm – 17th May 2004
- A minute’s silence was held for Paul Starling who had died a few days before the AGM. He was the founder of AskMK an Internet site, which hosts a Wimbledon forum.
- There followed a welcome address from our outgoing Chairman Brian Baker who talked about the founding of the club in October after he, Gordon Rockett and Carol Rockett had met in a pub after one of the first games at the NHS. Brian being a lifelong Wimbledon fan, Carol also came from a Dons background and had been a regular at Plough Lane and along with Gordon, her husband, was a season ticket holder with the Dons. These three decided to place an advert in the local paper to call a meeting so that a supporter’s club could be initiated for the Dons in MK. They invited Thames Valley Police and Pete Winkelman to attend and 30 people turned up and a fledgling supporters club was formed. Now was the momentous occasion when the club would move from having non-elected officers filling posts to having the first ever election of officers so that the members could decide the personnel to drive the club forward over the next year.
- The Committee was then introduced, and each member said who he or she were and what they had contributed over the past few months. Of special note were Brian Baker (Chairman), Paul Bland (General Secretary), Gordon Rockett (Press and Media), Trevor Winn (Entertainment’s Officer) and Carol Rockett (Treasurer) who had all decided to stand down to allow new blood to move the club from it’s formative stage towards maturity. Their combined efforts were well appreciated by all those members present.
- Treasurers report was presented detailing income from Oct 03 to April 04 as £13,120.89 with expenditure being £7,426 leaving a balance on account of £5,694.89 – £2,000 of which is awaiting payment to Football in the Community and the Academy.
- A letter was read out from a South London supporter who, along with his wife, is a season ticket holder and has attended most home games and several away games. This letter highlighted the unity between both the old supporters and the new supporters from Milton Keynes. His view was that the support in MK was vastly improved on the Selhurst days and that both sets of supporters respected each other and were blending together to make an extremely vocal and motivated force behind the players. He welcomed the formation of the supporter’s club and hailed it as one of the true successes of the move.
- The quorum was then checked and there being well in excess of 21 voting on resolutions commenced.
7. Resolutions Carried
a) That the Supporters Club formally adopt the constitution.
b) The Secretary will validate any motions received, by confirming the membership status of the proposer and seconder. After that the proposer and seconder will remain confidential. Motions will not be attributed to individual members during the adoption process at the AGM or at any time.
c) Proposal that the Supporters Club actively pursue the prospect of forming into a Supporters Trust that will bring benefits to both Wimbledon FC and Supporters Club members.
d) Pursuant to the aims of the first point in clause 3 of the constitution, the Supporters club Management Committee will seek to formalise its relationship with InterMK and Wimbledon FC. The objective of this is to be formally recognised as an “official” yet wholly independent link to their supporters as per the Supporters club constitution.
e) The existing subscription level of £5 per Adult and £1 per junior be retained for the season 2004/5.
f) The Supporters Club Management Committee shall decide the membership fee and communicate it by renewal notice, in public areas of the team stadium and on the Supporters Club web site no less than 30 days prior to the renewal date.
g) The discounted membership fee shall be applicable to all members under 16 at the end of each season.
h) Monthly newsletter – either in paper or electronic format to each member of the Supporters Club. This will include (but not limited to) news on the activities of the Supporters Club and how these will benefit the members.
i) Brian Baker, Paul Bland and subsequently Gordon Rockett and Trevor Winn all to be granted honorary membership of the club.
j) Supporters Club Management Committee to form a sub group to work with InterMK, focussed specifically on the development of the new stadium; the group will seek InterMK recognition as the “official” voice of the teams supporters in issues relating to the development of the stadium. The group will seek active participation on behalf of the supporters throughout the development and ongoing operation of the stadium and represent the Supporters Club on the Safety Advisory Committee, if as anticipated, it is asked to attend in a consultative capacity.
k) The Supporters Club Management Committee will seek to create an exhaustive list of agencies and organisations it deems necessary to have a voice with and formalise these relationships. This will include nominated contact individuals from the committee for each agency or organisation.
l) A nominated representative of the Supporters Club Management Committee will work with Wimbledon FC to identify the geographic area deemed “target market” which will include the Milton Keynes area and work to promote the club within the area.
m) Clause 6.4 should end – or more often if agreed by the majority of the Management Committee.
n) 2 months stagger between membership year and accounting year to allow time for the auditing process.
o) Amend clause 7.5 to read £100.
p) Amend clause 5.5 to insert the word reasonably between shall and deem.
q) The Supporters Club Management Committee will join the Milton Keynes Council for Voluntary Services (MK CVS) within a month of the committee’s establishment. As a new Voluntary organisation, the Supporters Club management committee will avail itself of the services of MK CVS for general training for its committee members and specific training for its officers including the chair and treasurer.
r) The committee may co-opt individuals or representatives of organisations to the Supporters Club Committee as it deems fit for as long as it deems fit. This may be done by a simple majority vote at any time. The committee may revoke this co-option at any time by a simple majority vote.
s) Lessons learnt review. To start committee members should discuss the questions – in what have we been successful and why? In what have we been unsuccessful and why? Having reviewed the answers to these questions the committee shall develop three action lists under the headings; what are we going to start doing? What are we going to stop doing? What are we going to change the way we do? The results should be made available to members. These lessons learnt reviews will be a regular, ongoing feature of the committee meetings.
- Resolutions Rejected
a) Proposal to make “The Cowshed” the official forum of the Supporters Club.
b) Creation of the role of Marketing Officer.
c) Clause 4.7 – list of organisations granted affiliate status – resolution deferred for a year as no affiliate members exist.
d) The Supporters Club Management Committee will seek to create a list of agencies and organisations it wishes to influence or to hear its opinion on behalf of the supporters. This will include nominated contact individuals from the committee for each agency or organisation. – rejected as very similar to 7 (k) above.
e) Establishment of sub-groups of non-members of the Management Committee.
- Election of Committee members
- Points raised in AOB
a) Language in the bar, social events, and stadia – we are meant to be a family club. Notes in program etc required.
b) Away fans in home stands are seen to be a continuing problem with extraordinarily little attention being paid by the club – can the Supporters Club strongly voice the supporter’s concerns?
c) Name issue – we should have a stake in the ground. What are the Supporters Club going to do about it?
d) Smoking at Social events – family club, this is not child friendly – can these events be made non-smoking?
e) What can we do in future to ensure friendlies are not cancelled?
All of the above was agreed to be investigated by the new Committee at its first meeting.
There being no other business the meeting adjourned at 9:40pm
Signed………………………………………
Damon Le Geyt – Chairman, Wimbledon FC Supporters Club (MK)
