Another example by Fax4Life of the petty mentality within some Fax supporters within the clique who really do pee me off, the happy back slippers I call them the trust was set up by supporters for supporters

I can't remember the last time I received any minutes from the meetings either by post or electrically and I've been a member since it was communicated out at the Irish club many years ago

Can I ask does the Fax Trust get free match tickets-dining packages, and if it does why isn't every paying trust member given an opportunity to enjoy the benefits

Keep up the good work but don't dis engage good people with your silo mentality

The logical step is then for people to infer that the silence indicates the discussions at the meeting didn't have a great outcome. Another stick to beat the club with.

It's seriously unimpressive how the club is run at all levels at the moment, on field, marketing, paying its way. We are being left behind. At least the talk of SL has stopped now. The only comment from the club recently has been an inference that we can't afford to compete. It will continue if people continue to walk away and cease supporting the club. Is this what was learnt by the recent jaunt to Sydney Roosters?

Great time to be a Fax fan, we're just proving to the doubters how small time we really are right now

It is a real shame how the Trust has ended up in my opinion. It's one of the reasons I resigned from the board. It does a great job of raising cash but is too close to the club in terms of direction, as the club has a lot of direct influence with the board members. When I started the trust all those years ago with Ady Vaughn and a few others it was the sole intention to help the club but be totally independent from the club to ensure a supporters voice. The way I see it is that it is now developing a "them and us" mentality alienating potential new members and donators, John you really need to rethink your post mate as I think you've totally got it wrong. I find your post totally misguided. Mind you some of the emails I've received from the club this week aren't much better either.....

So you have to be a member of the trust and attend the meetings to know what's happening?

In that case why do I still receive the emails if the minutes of each meeting despite not having been a paid up member for years? I got the auto enrollment for having my name on the shirt last season, which some people had to wait months to get confirmation of. But that wasn't included in this seasons names on shirts thing, and my name isn't on the shirt this year anyway.

I know the trust is run by volunteers giving their time ect. And I don't think you'd find a fax fan who doesn't appreciate it given it goes a significant way towards funding the u20s. But if you want to get more people involved and to the meetings. Surely some openness as to what's happening at them would be a start?

I could have picked any post to quote but picked this one because I thought it were the best summary.

The problem with the club, and its a bit of a historical one for whoever has been in charge, is that post like these will be received with a "oh he/she is always slagging off the club" mentality. What they do not see is that posts like these should be with the view of improving stuff down at the club. They are never taken that way though but the people in charge at the current time always forget that we will still be here long after they have gone.

This topic is probably one of the most interesting ones I have seen on the forum since I have been a member and rings some very loud alarm bells about what is happening behind the scenes at Fax.
The success of any organization is built around its infrastructure, people and communication. Reading these comments makes me wonder if we are not on a united front and are lacking direction and impetus to take the club forward.
Maybe the club should put a questionaire on the social media or hard copy at the game and get the feelings at the coal face level. This would avoid the claim that the Supporters Trust is no longer an independant body from the club etc.
It would also give the BOD a real feeling for what we, as loyal supporters, truly think and perhaps introduce some fresh ideas and perhaps new blood into what appears to be the classic 'lots of work done by a small minority' situation we clearly have at the club.
Just trying to find a solution!

Does it not speak in volumes to anyone that a phone app designed to bring news and information to people, ( new and old fans ) which is developed by our directors company isn't updated and claims the next game is last weeks.

I can't help but feel the club is sinking and fast. Rent arrears, dropping crowds, communication etc. I've not known anytime in the last 4 years that big has been this bad. Some may say I'm all soon and gloom, I'm just saying what I am seeing with my own eyes.

You're not alone. How on earth was Mr Abboott to find the millions needed to buy and improve the shay when the club is struggling so much?

So another season starts 3 games in and we've mustered 1 win and 2 bonus points...
Lets analyse some of things people are talking about.

We could have easily won all 3
Which we could, we didn't though.

We have new signing's, new partnerships need to be struck up.
Agreed, so do other sides though, and why do we keep coming back to this problem.

You don't win any trophies this early.
Yes, but you can certainly lose them.

Crowds are flat, atmosphere isn't what it was even a few years ago.
It isn't what is was, we're all part of that, the Rugby is poor, we've gone from one extreme to the other.

The Coach is lambasting players in public for mistakes
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, players need confidence and the freedom to play, people will run through brick walls for the right coach/captain. No class from Karl here, his own shoulders are big enough.

Michael Steele thinks we all need to bring an extra person to the games
Ok Michael, do you want me to lose my friends, if they came and watched the tripe we are being served i'd be embarrassed. I'm gonna do damage to my own credibility if i start telling people the dross we get served is the most entertaining way to spend a Sunday Afternoon.

Rent Issue
Embarrassing, just embarrassing, in the right, in the wrong, doesn't matter, we handled it poorly, luckily it was money owed to the council, and they are also up to their necks in the Shay shenanigans.

General impressions of the place
The players don't look fit, the dugout looks like a Post Office queue on a Monday morning, 6 kit men, even the Dallas Cowboys wont have that many? a TV Manager? 3 people choosing who presses play to an AC/DC track or Your Fax are on Fire, The Harveys Suite still looks like million miles from the normal Fan experience, the home shirt is dreadful. On paper everything looks fine though, doesn't it?

In Short
The usual bluster coming out of the club about what a big year it is, and how things are developing on and off the field. The bottom line is though, and people need to really focus on this, the Rugby is poor and the crowds are dwindling. For heavens sake, don't any of you dare criticise anyone at the Club! you're only part of a dwindling pool of consumers, why should they listen to you! They need a win tomorrow or I fear the worst. this years positives, Ben Johnstone and Ross Divorty.

One final word.
Didn't anyone question last week when we had a penalty and set of 6 on the Batley line, we took off Tony Tonks, our most damaging player, the one most likely to crash over the line, he wasn't tired, he was playing well, he didn't want to go off, his look and gesture said it all. If the plan was to take Tony off at a precise time regardless of the match situation, well done, a great success Karl, Lee and co, well done....

Pretty much agree withe above.
Will wait until after tomorrow's match to make further comment, hopefully I will be in a position to make wonderful positive comments on the great win and the style in which we achieved it.

Chris, for you to say that you left the Trust because the trust was too close to the club. In defence of the trust board I can say you are absolutely wrong, in fact you are way off the mark. The trust is proud of the fact that they are independent of the club, and always have been, and always will be. When you set up the Trust, where were you for the first seven years that I was the Chairman?
The money raised by the trust in support of the junior teams is fantastic, over the past few years they have contributed well over £100.000.

Message to the trust board. If you are going to make statements on social media, make sure the content is passed before going into print