Re Last nights meeting
 

Most of us probably know the outcome of last nights meeting with Ilyas, however I thought this article may be of interest:-


Accrington Stanley fans agree to set up survival fund (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

Thanks for that UK :) Just wonder what one or two will think of this, when they see it all in print... Not a bad write up though :)

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

I thought that report was a fair reflection of what went on last night, you could add extras but lets just wait and see.

One thing I didn't like was hearing that it's 99% certain Kenny Arthur will not be a Stanley player next season.

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

One thing I will add IMHO if Whalley refuses to talk then Stanley will go into administration and his shares will be worthless, will people still support Eric the Legend then?

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

Yes Baggy, the Kenny stuff did take me back, but if we ain't got the cash then..... we will not be able to keep players like Kenny! Sad but true. Wish I'd have bumped into you last night, one of the poster's I would have relished meeting :) Still there maybe other occasions :):):)

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

Why do you think that Stanley will go into admin? Bearing in mind that Ilyas said last night that as a shareholder, he will take EW to court "Duty of care" and all that??? And as you will be aware because you where there last night "Admin" was not a thing that Ilyas wanted. :):)

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

I received a phone call asking me why nobody seemed to be discussing last night, I thought if I mentioned admin someone would respond to show we are not operating a code of silence, admin could still happen but we won't let it without a damn good fight.

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

Where you the guy with the black hair stood next to Rob?
Did the meeting carry on after in the pub?:(

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

With you all the way on that, admin will be the very very last resort, but I feel after last nights meeting, we are along way away from that...:cool::)

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

I was with Rob, stood just to the right, bits of grey mixed in with the black.. Stanhill afterwards, I was driving back home so it was just crisps and nuts for me... :(

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

ew . needs to sell sell sell before he kills off the club he loves and take a year or to out of football and just be a fan again and let the club back into is hart

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

hmm, I thought there may have been a little more discussion on here today as well.

so anyway, from what I can remember (got a little hazy not long after The Stanhill Pub - Bat out of Hell on the Karaoke etc )

Ilyas started by telling everyone what he knew about various things and answered as many questions as he could in as brief a way as possible. The only one I can really remember (cos it went on the longest) was relating to the terms of borrowing of the Do'ns takeover bid. Apparently this surrounds a firm in the Midlands who specialise in loans to football clubs to see them through short term requirements and the money is paid back based on Football League payments and Sponsorship. The projected loan fell through because of Fraser Eagle collapsing (major source of repayment). It was inferred that the offer has been reopened. This source of borrowing is apparently common place in football but as most of us are aware this could potentially be lethal to us because it would seriously reduce our monthly incomings. This was at the point where Ilyas got involved because he was not prepared to let this happen. As a shareholder he would be entitled to oppose the deal via the courts.

After numerous other questions that perhaps other people can remember Ilyas went on to outline his proposal. In a nutshell he wanted the fans to form a new company that would exist solely to provide a fighting fund for Accrington Stanley. This fund would be kicked off with the £250,000 that he had offered for the share issue. He explained that he thought the club needed around £500,000 of injection and this was the figure we should aim to raise within 12 months (but as quick as possible). If for any reason we fall short of that figure he will put in the remaining figure this time next year.

The new company will be signed up on tuesday and directors will be appointed. Volunteers were requested and seven people stood forward - 3 of those people were myself, UKCowboy and Loweiy. We won't necessarily become directors of the company as seven may be too many so we will thrash that out between ourselves and the lawyers on tuesday. If you weren't able to attend the meeting but still feel like you could or should be considered for one of these positions then you need to contact Ilyas as soon as possible. He gave his mobile number out to anybody who wanted it so if you haven't got it and would like to speak to him regarding this matter then PM me and I will PM it back to you. You could PM him yourself but there may be no guarantee that he gets the message quickly enough. The remaining volunteers will form the initial committee. Once we are up and running we could sort out a more formal basis for election of a committee.

I raised the subject of whether a Supporters Trust would be a similar, better or more intricate version of this company and he dismissed the Trust as 'not a quick alternative at this moment as time is of the essence' which is true - especially as the meeting was called initially with a view to heading off the Inland Revenue on wednesday if the worst came to the worst. I personally think that we should review this decision at a later date as a Supporters Trust can get a great deal of back up through various other agencies.

The aims of the company will be to seek a greater control of the club through board representation and/or share issue. We were all under no illusion that EW does not have to sell any shares to us as he will then relinquish his majority shareholding which would force him into greater transparency via shareholders meetings etc. But, and here is the big but, the offer which the Fans will be putting to him is of such magnitude and benefit to the club that he would be daft not to accept it. There are legal proceedings that could be followed that Eric is not acting in the best interests of the club (which he has a duty to adhere to) by refusing.

As has been pointed out in various places, his shares are technically worthless at the moment, working with us we can all manoeuvre the club into a healthier position where his shares will be worth something. It is a win win situation but is reliant on EW losing his two handed grip on the club.

Somebody then asked a question relating to whether we as a club should just join the rest of the footballing world and take administration with its various penalties and thus reduce our overall debt to next to nothing. Ilyas was very definitive in his answer of no, first and foremost because it is a dishonourable way to conduct business. As Accrington Stanley we will pay our debts regardless of whether we are the poorest club in the football league.

I would like to also make special mention to a lady who was in the room who I dont know. When we were all muttering amongst ourselves about possible fundraising activities she said that she had wrote to various of our bigger neighbours requesting any help they could offer. Yesterday morning she had received a reply from Preston North End saying they would certainly send a strong reserve team to play a fund raising friendly. The offer itself is not the outstanding thing here but rather the fact that she had taken it upon herself to do this. The room quite rightly gave her a round of applause for her actions. This gave way to one of the quotes of the night from Ilyas to further explain why he thought we could raise a lot of money "we are not to proud to ask anybody for help". Nobody missed the inference that perhaps somebody else might be.

Lastly I would like to apologise for whistling the theme tune to Thomas the Tank Engine whilst Mr K was explaining that he is also involved with trying to save the West Midlands Train line. I was bloody whistling it all night after that!

A very constructive night and it was a pleasure to see a reasonable amount of people attend a meeting that was arranged at short notice and early evening. Once we get going we will hold a public meeting (I assume) with more notice and then we can start signing people up to the cause.

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

No the Mid Hants Railway. Like the club it came back from the dead after British Rail took its tracks up.

Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line) Official Website - Index

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

who are you then? the Fat controller :p

was good to meet you Haggis :)

Re: Re Last nights meeting
 

Somebody then asked a question relating to whether we as a club should just join the rest of the footballing world and take administration with its various penalties and thus reduce our overall debt to next to nothing. Ilyas was very definitive in his answer of no, first and foremost because it is a dishonourable way to conduct business. As Accrington Stanley we will pay our debts regardless of whether we are the poorest club in the football league.

Just too add to this also Macca, Ilyas was also very much of the opinion that Eric should receive monies back for his shares and for the fact that he has put so much in to the club and taken us to heights that most of us - if we are honest - did not think possible.... :):) That was yet another good point of the night :) When most clubs go into admin at the drop of a hat :( THE STANLEY conduct things in a proper and proud manner :)