Ian opened the meeting by
welcoming all attendees and asked that they write their name, membership number
(if known) and signature on the list provided, as all attendees would gain a match
credit point for attending. It was
noted that the very low turnout was disappointing.
Ian introduced the committee:
ChairmanIan
Lawrence
Vice ChairmanChristine
Lawrence
TreasurerRichard
Beale
SecretariesClark
Campbell and Chris Williams
Ian asked if there were any
objections to the committee members to which there were none.
He also thanked Paul Richards,
Dennis Jones & Ashley Jones for their help throughout the season.
Copies of last year’s AGM
minutes were handed out. Linda Edgar read them out for clarification.
Treasurer’s Report
Richard handed out copies of
last season’s club accounts containing details of Assets and Liabilities. He
reported that the cumulative value of the club at the end of last season was
£. Albert Froud commented that there was a big difference between the
previous year’s club value and last season’s club value. Ian and Richard
confirmed that there were a number of reasons to account for this namely:
The club had run full double deckers for most of
last season’s games.
Members were refused transport if the double
decker was already full. In previous seasons the club would have run a
second bus at a loss to accommodate the extra travellers.
If members stated they had paid for future games but
there was no record with the club then they needed to prove they had paid.
In previous seasons Ian would have taken their word for it in good faith.
Away trip attendances were increased last season
compared to previous seasons.
Club Rules
Ian read out the Club Rules
which are attached.
Coach prices
Due to the high increase in
fuel costs Ian confirmed that the bus company had increased the cost of bus
hire by £120 for a double decker and £115 for a single decker which equated to
roughly a 20% increase. Ian proposed that the bus fare be increased by £3.50 to
cover this increase and any possible future rises. The price increase was
agreed. Bus costs would therefore be £21.50 adults, £19 seniors and £16.50 Juniors.
The surcharge for North East trips will remain at £3. The prices would be
reviewed after 6 months to see if they could be lowered.
Ticket prices
Arsenal have increased the
ticket cost of a Grade B game by £1 and a Grade A game by £2.
This means packages for home
games will be:
Grade B:£55 Adults, £52.50 Seniors and £50 Juniors.
Grade A:£70 Adults, £67.50 Seniors and
£65 Juniors.
Ian pointed out that Junior
Gunners and Cannon Club tickets are cheaper but he wasn’t sure of the exact
price.
Match confirmation
Ian proposed that members
should contact the club between 7-14 days prior to the game to confirm their
booking and departure time. If confirmation is not received the member’s ticket
and coach booking may be allocated to another member on the waiting list. Arsenal
have confirmed that they will be increasing their spotchecking of paper tickets
and therefore each member should carry their membership card to prove identity.
If a fixture changes which prevents a member from attending then that member
should inform Ian asap. Ian would prefer if members contact him by email on his
msn email address as the Orange one no longer worked. Alternatively contact on
his home phone between 4pm and 8pm.
Other business
Ian reiterated that some
members are continuing to pass on their tickets to other people when they are
unable to attend a game. Club policy is to inform the club if you are unable to
attend so that another member may be allocated the ticket. It was agreed that
if a member passes on a ticket or turns up with different people to those on
Ian’s list a verbal warning will be issued. If the same member reoffends they
will be banned from the club.
Ian asked if there was interest
in donating and presenting a trophy for the Player of the Year Award for
Supporters Clubs. After a discussion concerning the cost of a trophy, the low
chance of the club being selected and deciding who would present the trophy, it
was agreed not to take part. This could be reconsidered later in the season.
Arsenal have asked for ideas
for articles to be published in the Supporters Clubs Culture page in the
programme. They are also asking for any suggestions on how they can promote
their Supporters Clubs. Any suggestions/ideas to be sent to Ian.
Ian advised that there is a
development planned for Queensland Road and that this may affect parking. This
will be confirmed at a later date.
Time of Goal/Raffle
It was agreed to reduce the
number of raffles throughout the season to a Christmas draw and the end of
season draw.
The minutes for the Time of
the Goal draw were decided as follows:
1 minute (0 – 1.59), 2 minutes (2.0 – 2.59), 45 minutes
(45 – end of 1st half) etc
Fanzines
As less and less fanzines are
bought on the bus it was agreed that they would no longer be sold on the bus.
The extra work involved for Ian to provide this service was not worth it.
Ian suggested that, whilst on
the bus, if people want vents open, volume turned up etc they should ask the
driver themselves instead of asking Ian & co who are also trying to collect
the money and hand out the tickets. Also when Ian is making the announcements
regarding future games etc it would be helpful if people were quiet during this
time. This would save him having to repeat it to people who weren’t listening
or couldn’t hear because of the noise.
The club plays in a 7-a-side
football league and welcome new dependable players. Games are on a Friday
evening at Spytty Velodrome and players must be male and age 16+. Anyone
interested should contact Ian.
Orders and payments for
shopping must be submitted to Ian no later than 7 days before the shopping
date. Ian confirmed that he would be collecting shopping on the following
dates:
Ian reported that Graham from
Maidstone Supporters can get discount on hotels. Details are on the club’s
website along with an address of a site that lists hotels near to all the
Stadiums in Europe.
Club issues over member
behaviour
Ian expressed that he has
been close to quitting as Chairman because of the behaviour of a small minority
of members. He said that he does not expect to be shouted at, insulted or
undermined when trying to do things in the club’s interests. Any such behaviour
from members will result in them being banned from the club. If a member does
have an issue then they should discuss it in private with Ian.
Yaz asked if the DVDs could
be switched off on the way home from evening games as it often disrupted the
vast majority who wanted to sleep.
Chocolate, crisps, drinks
It was agreed to continue
with the sale of these and Chris asked that people don’t bring their own.
Raffle
The raffle was held and the
results were as follows:
