Supporters club reincarnation version 666

[andrew]

Let me dispel this claim immediately because nothing could be further from the truth..

.. and may I take this opportunity to reiterate my previous comments: ”Every member of the supporters club has at all times conducted themselves in a professional manor and have had legitimate reasons for not attending a meeting and have then informed, sent apologise to the Chairman of the stakeholders group for nonattendance..”

If you don’t believe me then that’s fine with me..

And finally with regards to making people aware of the voting taking place for the committee of the supporters club and about the vote to dissolve the Red Army Supporters Club, then I can reassure everyone that all the necessary notifications were issued, sent out to all the members of the supporters club in accordance with the rules and regulations contained in the Companies Act.

 

[andrew]

..can I please try and respond to these vile and ugly comments immediately because all the volunteers, committee members and directors of the Red Army Supporters Club have always tried to help and support the Cardiff Devils right from the start, from its difficult rebirth in 2008 and through some very challenging episodes during the last several seasons, up to and including the recent expulsion from the Red Army Stakeholders Group.

And in addition both individually and collectively the members of the supporters club have never been obstructive or unwilling to move forwards in any way. And contrary to some of the views held on this forum, volunteer members of the supporters club have worked tirelessly behind the scenes with the Cardiff Devils management on many different issues including the suggestion of and creation of the Stakeholders forum..

 

[Finny]

Whichever way you put it, it smacks of control and it could be seen as picking on the weakest link, you could be next

How?

If the club started trying to control the Inferno, all that would happen is a new forum and website would be created by someone else/James and co in disguise.

Same with Away Travel.

Nobody forced CDSL to dissolve itself, but it would appear that they had to as they had nothing to offer but interaction with the players. Doesn't that say enough?
The almost complete lack of outrage against this move shows that what CDSL has done in recent years is not irreplaceable.

 

[James]

..can I please try and respond to these vile and ugly comments immediately because all the volunteers, committee members and directors of the Red Army Supporters Club

Can I ask what comments you find vile and ugly? No one could ever accuse CDSL of not doing everything by the numbers. I don't see anyone belittling the work that CDSL put in on match night volunteering however large question marks hung over the ability of CDSL to organise anything else. This isn't vile or ugly it's an unfortunate truth. There has been lots of tiptoeing around so not to offend anyone where the main problems with the supporters club were self evident to all. Coming on here and going off at defcon one whenever anyone dares question the sacred cow of CDSL doesn't help anyone's case.

 

[Sheincar]

Are / were CDSL not a limited company so their finances available for scrutiny anyway?

I would have thought so.

When you hear the amounts that other supporters clubs/booster clubs make for their EIHL clubs - it's perhaps not surprising that the club want to ensure everything is done for our supporters club to do the same.

Plus, as someone else has already mentioned, the two events raised by the new supporters club appear to have been very well received and attended - despite being during the off-season.

How much did those events raise? Why shouldn't travels' books be inspected?

 

[Foxy]

Yes they do James, to Companies House, in the same way as the DCF( as a charity ) have to show them to the Charities commission. Do you think it should be a two way street, where you could look at the clubs books to see where any moneys you raised were used ? Good luck with that.

Whichever way you put it, it smacks of control and it could be seen as picking on the weakest link, you could be next

No, it shouldn't be a two way street. The supporters club was supposed to be helping the club, not being obstructive and unwilling to move forwards. The money goes to the club, that's all we need to know. Did you know EXACTLY where the money raised by CDSL was spent when the club were based in the WNIR?

Trying to portray us as the next in line if we don't agree with you is wrong, the club have previously tried to gain some element of control and yet here we are, 5 years later still 100% unofficial and independant.

There probably is some element of control, but if that is what it takes to actually have a supporters club that is good at what it does and successful then so be it. The conditions that were sent to CDSL were not onerous, rather they sought to make CDSL actually work for the supporters instead of being the incredibly insular group that they were.

To answer Andrews post, even if there were other conversations between CDSL and the club, the conditions that were given to CDSL were also sent to all the other members of the stakeholders group, are you now saying that what was emailed to everyone is not what you received? Or perhaps this thread just hasn't gone the way you hoped?

Yes you certainly did know where the money was going at the WNIR. The supporters club at that time was then used for raising money solely for junior development. If the juniors wanted anything then provided they produced the receipt or an estimate then it was provided by CDSL. I know for certain that if the club required money for anything special then it would have been provided under the same circumstances.

To try and smear the reputations of committee members that have worked their guts out to keep the club going is appalling and i hope you can back up those accusations.

 

[Foxy]

Whichever way you put it, it smacks of control and it could be seen as picking on the weakest link, you could be next

How?

If the club started trying to control the Inferno, all that would happen is a new forum and website would be created by someone else/James and co in disguise.

Same with Away Travel.

Nobody forced CDSL to dissolve itself, but it would appear that they had to as they had nothing to offer but interaction with the players. Doesn't that say enough?
The almost complete lack of outrage against this move shows that what CDSL has done in recent years is not irreplaceable.

What that same CDSL that raised thousands of pounds to pay the players in the lock out year and fought to keep the club going. Try asking Paul Sullivan if the monies raised were peanuts........ I believe he was chairman at the time

and stop being naive if you have two organisations competeing for the same market then CDSL were left with no alternative but to fold.

 

[Finny]

I think we have different definitions of the word 'recently'.

That was 12 years ago. I was talking about the last two or three years after it was resurrected having been made dormant (when I was a director).

 

[Finny]

Are / were CDSL not a limited company so their finances available for scrutiny anyway?

I would have thought so.

When you hear the amounts that other supporters clubs/booster clubs make for their EIHL clubs - it's perhaps not surprising that the club want to ensure everything is done for our supporters club to do the same.

Plus, as someone else has already mentioned, the two events raised by the new supporters club appear to have been very well received and attended - despite being during the off-season.

How much did those events raise? Why shouldn't travels' books be inspected?

Don't know.
Because they're not a limited company?

I'm still waiting for someone to explain why this change is a bad idea?

 

[jodysstillagirlsname]

I didn't say change was a bad idea, change for change sake is. In this case maybe it needed to freshen up. It is just the way the ideas are implemented, there seems to be no thought for the existing volunteers and these changes are just railroaded through as would have happened with SOHB if there hadn t been such an outcry. A little common courtesy with the existing volunteers doesn't cost anything and could save the club management a lot of hassle and the new volunteers would not need to waste time getting involved in complaints

 

[Sliput]

Are / were CDSL not a limited company so their finances available for scrutiny anyway?

I would have thought so.

When you hear the amounts that other supporters clubs/booster clubs make for their EIHL clubs - it's perhaps not surprising that the club want to ensure everything is done for our supporters club to do the same.

Plus, as someone else has already mentioned, the two events raised by the new supporters club appear to have been very well received and attended - despite being during the off-season.

How much did those events raise? Why shouldn't travels' books be inspected?

The travel are not linked to the club officially ?

Also, when you give money to travel you get to go to an away game + tickets, plus they sponsor players. When giving money to a supporters club ( not just Devils, any team ) you dont always physically see where the money goes.

 

[Finny]

It is just the way the ideas are implemented, there seems to be no thought for the existing volunteers and these changes are just railroaded through as would have happened with SOHB if there hadn t been such an outcry. A little common courtesy with the existing volunteers doesn't cost anything . .

Hang on, I thought that was exactly what happened?

Andrew has himself confirmed that he and the other cdsl directors were invited to numerous meetings with the club and though some were unable to attend they still conversed via email. The club put an offer out to cdsl which they declined. So far there has been no terms announced that I feel were inappropriate.

And so I don't see any problem with the club moving on and looking into new options. You're not seriously suggesting that the club speak to every cdsl volunteer or member are you? That what the cdsl board are there for.

When cdsl was initially formed 12 or so years ago it saw a big shake-up from the previous supporters club, most notably in the line up of the committee. It had got stale and the new fresh faces saw cdsl become very successful.

IMO it is now cdsl that has got stale and the supporters club needs freshening up. Hopefully this creation of this new group will do that and be as successful as cdsl was in its early years.