The Stirling Albion Supporters’ Trust are pleased to be able to update you on the continuing progress to democratise the Club.
It has been almost 5 months since the Board of Stirling Albion Football Club resigned at the beginning of September last year. This left the Club in danger of not being able to continue its normal business so the Stirling Albion Supporters Trust, as the majority shareholder, stepped in to appoint people to run the Club.
Since then, a lot has been happening in the background to ensure the Club continues to operate successfully and makes progress for the future. The immediate priority was to ensure that the Club could operate and fulfil its commitments both on and off-the-field and to this effect the Supporters Trust Board appointed two Directors, Alasdair Dunn and Ian Allardice, who are the two biggest individual shareholders. Jim McAllister the Club’s Child Wellbeing and Protection Officer was also appointed to the Board to meet the SFA Licensing Requirements. In addition, Andy Kennedy was appointed as General Manager on a voluntary basis to oversee the day-to-day running of the Club.
All the existing staff and volunteers were retained and in fact new staff and volunteers have been appointed, including our new video production team to put together highlights of our matches. The appointment of the two Directors was an interim move and once the day-to-day operations of the club were stabilised, the aim was to put in place a method of appointing a new board following a democratic process to reflect the values of a fan-owned football club. The Club and Trust are grateful to the employees and volunteers who continued to work in a professional manner so that business-as-usual could continue whilst the new Directors managed the transfer of responsibilities.
As you will have read with our recent communication, Alasdair Dunn had been asked back in August last year, to produce a report on the options for governance of a fan-owned football club and has now completed this report which was shared with the membership earlier this month. Following this report and its recommendations the Supporters Trust Board has worked with the Club Board to produce a Working Together Agreement which we feel reflects the way forward. We have also had the assistance of Jim Thomson and Robert Clubb, Supporters Trust Board members and Alexandra Frew, an individual shareholder, in creating a draft Management Structure for the Club.
A great deal of work has been going on to improve the operating systems of the Club and update our IT Services, alongside reviewing our partnership with Active Stirling and our Community Engagement & Youth Development activities. We have taken on an Office Administrator to help with the day-to-day running of the Club, as well as two University of Stirling students to assist with our Community Engagement and Commercial Activities. This continues to take forward improvements in a variety of areas for the future running and success of the Club.
The Working Together Agreement is attached to this update and lays out how the Supporters Trust, and the Club will work together in a democratic way which reflects a fan-owned football club.
Both the Club Board and the Supporters Trust Board believe this agreement represents a great opportunity to move forward in a positive manner after all the turbulence of the last 12 months. The feedback being received from fans, the general public, the staff and volunteers as well as the management team and the players is that there is a great atmosphere around the Club and a strong desire for everyone to work together for the benefit of Stirling Albion and the wider community of Stirling.
One of the exercises we have approaching is finding people who can provide the skills required to form a new Board of Directors. The Working Together Agreement outlines the fully democratic procedure for electing directors. We will be looking for people in the local community to offer their expertise and time to ensure we have a Board which has the ability to build upon the work which has already been done and to ensure we have the best fan-owned football club in Scotland.
Discussions are also taking place with the Stirling Albion Junior Academy and the Stirling Albion Foundation to ensure that everyone involved in our Stirling Albion community are talking to each other and fully involved in everything that is going on. To assist in this, two of our Trust Board members, Jim McAllister and Bjarni Eyvindsson, have been appointed as trustees of the Foundation.
The Working Together Agreement is now being checked by the Trust’s solicitors and we expect this to be signed within the next few weeks, after which we will start the process of creating a democratically run football club reflecting fan ownership.
We plan to arrange future workshops for Trust Members and would like to get your views on what topics you would like to discuss or any issues which you feel you would like further information on. Simply reply to this email to share your opinions, questions or suggestions.
FOR INFORMATION
CURRENT CLUB BOARD
Alasdair Dunn – DIRECTOR
Ian Allardice – DIRECTOR
Jim McAllister – CHILD WELLBEING AND PROTECTION OFFICER
CURRENT BACK-OFFICE STAFF
Andy Kennedy – GENERAL MANAGER
Christine Curtis – COMMERCIAL MANAGER
Laura Downes – OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Niall Marshall – HEAD OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY
Shubhankar Mulay – STUDENT INTERN YOUTH AND COMMUNITY
Jack Crerar – STUDENT INTERN COMMERCIAL
Kenny Arnott – MATCH DAY SAFETY OFFICER
SUPPORTERS TRUST BOARD
John Sanz (Chairman)
John Buchan
Ross Hutchison
Robert Clubb
Steve Smith
Jim McAllister
Kelly Marie Wilson
Bjarni Eyvindsson
Jim Thomson
STIRLING ALBION FOUNDATION TRUSTEES
Graham Douglas
Jim McAllister
Bjarni Eyvindsson
STIRLING ALBION JUNIOR ACADEMY
Grant Morrice – Chair
Sharon Grant – Secretary
Mike Blenkharn – Treasurer
Jim McAllister – Child Wellbeing and Protection Officer
We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Ben McAdam for all his excellent work as the Club Videographer. Ben has now vacated this position to pursue a superb opportunity to study overseas at the University of Kansas. The Trust Board wish him all the best in this and all his future endeavours.
In addition, we have a large team of volunteers who provide essential services without which we would not be able to run the club successfully, especially on home match days, and our gratitude and thanks goes to them.
Video Camera Operator
Video Editor
Announcer and Interviewer
Turnstile Operators
Match Day Co-ordinator
Stewards
Hospitality
50-50 Draw
Match Day Programme
Club Retail Shop
Boardroom Guest Services
Meet and Greet Staff
Ball attendants and Co-ordinator
More volunteers are always welcome, so if you would like to get more involved in helping the Binos, please don’t hesitate to get-in-touch by simply replying to this email or speaking to one of the Trust Board members at a game.