Quote chissitt="chissitt"Is Swag still active now? although they all still post on here individually, I've not heard of them doing anything collectively for ages.'"
This is a fair question and deserves an answer which I’ll try to provide.
SWAG was set up in 2004 with one aim and that was to make the Council and the public aware of the total lack of community sports facilities within WMDC, especially a Stadium complex. It was not set up with the express aim of getting Trinity a stadium although clearly that was our hope. It was expected that once a dialogue began and it became a political issue the club would take the lead along with a Stadium Trust of some sort.
That was accomplished fairly quickly and by 2007/8 and the announcement of Thornes Park as a chosen site we thought the job was pretty much done as far as we the founder members were concerned.
The idea was then that TRB, Prince Buster and later IA would just help out as a voice. However a recession, a total retraction by the Council and three BOD’s, and a huge planning bungle within the last five years has meant that one of those SWAG representatives (TRB) has been forced into pushing the project and become far more involved than was ever anticipated.
It’s a testament to him and IA that they have stuck at it. SWAG is effectively in hibernation and has been for some years. The reason being that this is no longer a protest issue but more a planning and financial one. As such it simply isn’t suitable to be discussed amongst a democratic group such as SWAG. SWAG has fulfilled it’s original mandate.
Now here’s where it gets complex and TRB may wish to correct me on what I now say. People like myself and our friend Jinjer are no longer heavily involved, out of choice in my case. The main reason is that TRB and IA are invited to the meetings is as part of the Trust team, they may even be on the Trust now though I’m not sure on that. They don’t directly represent the fans or SWAG but they kind of do or at least try to.
I personally don’t get involved because I’m a hot head on hear and I simply can’t trust myself. Which is a bad thing because both IA and TRB have unless I’m mistaken signed confidentiality agreements to which they are legally bound. I’m like you I only know what bits of gossip I here and I don’t hear much.
What people need to understand is that these two are tolerated and have gained some trust and respect - but they really are small fry who can mainly just observe and comment but they have little power. The only card they can play is to get SWAG campaigning on the issue again. For now that appears to be counter productive. Knowing Phil as I do I am willing to trust him. I could ring him today and probably get the full SP if I begged him but as he’ll testify I don’t because it’s not fair on him or on people like yourselves. I’m not trying to sound noble I just know my limitations.
Basically unsatisfactory and frustrating though it is you have to decide whether it’s better to have two agents in the room who you can’t currently communicate with or have them outside the room in full contact but with nothing to say. For me TRB and IA make one vital contribution - they stop the whole thing being brushed under the carpet and forgotten about which I can assure you it would have been years ago if it were not for them.
Thats how I see it.
