TiL Respond to Football Club Press Release Firstly I would like to say that we were asked by the club yesterday not to release a pre-prepared statement as they would like to consider its contents first. As ever, we felt we have been professional in allowing the club to communicate with us at every opportunity, and that we are trying very hard to work with them. Consequently we find it totally unacceptable that our actions made in good faith were only a ruse so that the club could issue a statement first - we were not consulted, we were given no indication they intended to do this, we did not have prior sight of it (as the club insists they should have of our statements) and the club did not have the manners to give us prior warning that it was going to be posted on the club's website. Mr Mitchell advised our board of the statement after they released it.
With regards to the statement we wanted to release yesterday, it has obviously been superceded by the club's actions. Therefore, the following contains most of the wording we had prepared yesterday along with additional comments in light of the club statement of today:
Following a meeting between Trust in Luton Chairman Liam Day and Luton Town Football Club director Richard Bagehot, we would like to inform our members, and the supporter base as a whole, that LTFC have expressed to TiL that at present they do not wish us to take up our rightful place on the LTFC Board. Members will be aware that a place on the Board along with a 10% shareholding in LTFC Ltd was agreed as part of Jayten Stadium Ltd acquiring LTFC.
The reason given was the existence of “a number of conflicting interest matters within the Club's business which could be compromised if any sensitive or confidential information relating to them were to reach certain members of the TiL Board, or its wider membership”.
Currently these concerns are:
I. The continued 'threat' for planning consent for the construction of a football stadium on land at Junction 10. This militates against the Club's declared intention to relocate to Junction 12.
II. The preparation of the Club's defence to claims against them from previous management.
III. Dealing with the FA over whatever may be the next stages of the conduct of their investigation.
IV. Dealing with a claim being made against the club for the repayment of money, that the Club is disputing.
V. (Connected to I ), details and strategy of the Club's application for planning consent to construct a football stadium at Junction 12, together with training, community and other facilities.
Mr Bagehot explained that the Club Board would be prepared to look at the appointment of a Trust representative to the Club Board once the above sensitive issues had been resolved. However, as TiL have pointed out, some of these issues have been going on for months, if not years, so exactly when is the club going to allow TiL to take its rightful seat? There was no answer forthcoming.
With reference to items (I) to (V) we also pointed out that our previous representative acted faultlessly in his duties as a director for over three years. We should all remember that meetings he attended included disciplinary matters of previous employees, player movements and issues raised about directors probity, amongst other sensitive issues. There is absolutely no reason at all to believe that TiL would endanger any of the issues (I) to (V). TiL therefore do not accept these reasons as anything but excuses by the club in order to stop the fans voice being heard in the formal environment of Board meetings. The club have remained silent on our view and therefore we do not accept any of (I) to (V) as having any validity at all.We were also told that a reason for not being allowed to take our seat on the Board was that because we have not “unreservedly supported the club's Junction 12 re-location plans”. We will not allow the club Board to dictate our policy on key issues such as this. We have been given absolutely no information on this project apart from information that every other fan has been given to date so how can we support it “unreservedly”? We pointed Mr Bagehot to our official view on our website, which clearly shows that we are neither for or against Junction 12, or any other location for that matter, as there is simply not enough information on which to provide a view. Unfortunately, the club seem prepared to present to local businesses on the status of the proposed stadium but have not seen fit to include supporters in their presentations (either ourselves as shareholder or LTSC at the 'Meet the Chairman' evening last night). This does not help to aid a building of trust between the fans and the board, or indeed help to garner supporter backing for their plans.
Of course, like all fans we would prefer to stay in Luton and that must be the first route to assess. However, if Junction 12 is shown independently and professionally to be the best option we would support it. What we will not support is a smoke and mirrors campaign, with vague information, the exclusion of (paying) supporters and where individuals seem to benefit hugely at the expense of the long-term future of Luton Town Football Club, no matter what location is being proposed. Again the club have remained silent on this response so, again, we do not accept that this has any validity at all.
In the meeting with Mr Bagehot, the primary and first reason that was given for us not being able to take our seat on the board was that the TiL Board contains individuals that they do not approve of. Whilst TiL does not like the club's stance on dictating who is on our democratically elected Board, we made the offer to LTFC that those “certain members of the TiL Board” have magnanimously offered to step down from the TiL Board so as not to be the cause of the block from the Club, and pave the way for us retaking our rightful seat on the LTFC Board, i.e. the issue will be taken away. It appears this has actually made no difference to the club's current stance, and therefore we believe this cannot be a real, or major, reason for LTFC not wanting a supporter's representative at their Board meetings. Again, another reason without any validity and as Chairman I will now state that we have made this offer once, and once only. We will not allow Mr Bagehot et al to dictate to our members who they can and cannot vote for on our board. We will not stop any members from standing for TiL board positions. We will not let the club determine the make up and constitution of this independent fans organisation. Let me remind Mr Bagehot and his colleagues, that if it was not for the actions of TiL members, they would not have a club to be in charge of, and Mr Mitchell would not be at the club now. Luton Town Football Club supporters saved this club from extinction, allowed Mr Mitchell to be part of the club, and we will be around for generations to come - long after the current board has gone.
After the club's statement on 30 September 2007 relating to financial information being ready for collection on 1 October 2007, I can confirm that we are still not in possession of important missing pages of the accounts. These were requested two weeks ago and three times since.
In addition, we requested copies of board minutes, as is our legal right. Mr Bagehot told us that none exist for the period 2004 - 2007. Ignoring the fact that a lack of board minutes is highly unusual (as this means no record of important decisions and votes exists anywhere at the club), we know for a fact that this statement by Mr Bagehot is not true. Hence our request for this information stands and we expect it to be honoured.
We will be writing to Mr Pinkney and his colleagues to confirm that from now on we expect full board minutes to be kept, as is usual practice in any business, especially a high profile and cash based one such as Luton Town Football Club Ltd.
The club has remained silent on when we can expect these important pages and minutes and so I look forward to Mr Pinkney's communication to me (as stated in his press release of today). I hope he will acknowledge that it is now 4 months since we were told that we would get this information so the club could be 'transparent' and prove no wrong-doing; that this information will be at his fingertips after the due diligence he has undertaken this year; and that it will be with us by return. Let me remind fans that we have asked for nothing outside our legal right and promises made on taped record (Luton News present) by Mr Mitchell (CEO) so there is no honest reason why Mr Pinkney should not comply.
With regard to the club's statement today that we have had no representative since January 07, I am afraid that this is again incorrect. Mr Mitchell and Mr Bagehot are well aware that during our hunt for a new representative, I myself was filling in the role. I stepped down publicly when it became clear that the probity of the board was being called into question by Mr Newell, and as the club refused to furnish me with any information relating to Mr Newell's sacking (you may recall a public apology by Mr Mitchell for his error), I had no option but to distance TiL from these claims (some of which have now been proved correct whilst others are still unresolved). Since then, I have repeatedly asked for information (especially financial information) so that a TiL representative could be reappointed. Throughout the summer Mr Mitchell has been chasing me for the nomination - he will have records of this himself. However, without the promised financial details TiL cannot place a representative in a position of director as this carries liabilities, the extent of which we are currently unknown and uncertain. To use this line of argument as a reason why they are not prepared to let us take our seat is ludicrous as it is them themselves that have caused this situation.
With regard to the comment in the club statement “no other agendas being pursued” can we remind the club that the TiL 'agenda' is freely available to all - unlike many other people's, landowners, developers etc. Perhaps they would like to read it.
However, for the first time in months, there is one thing with which we can agree with the club. Feelings on this matter do indeed run deep. To pay lip-service to fans through TiL or any other supporter organisation, to attack supporters integrity, to make disparaging remarks about anyone who has a valid opinion different to the clubs, to ignore the real concerns of lifelong (paying) supporters, to accuse supporters of derailing their plans, and to be active in keeping information away from supporters and shareholders is hardly a way to 'build bridges' and stop the 'them and us position'. We call on all at the club to stop this behaviour that attempts to divide the fan-base and put the long-term future of Luton Town Football Club first.
I hope this clarifies the position of TiL and, as ever, we will keep you updated.
Kind regards
Liam Day |