As I finish writing this I realize this may be slightly tangential. It's not my intention to hijack this thread, however... and I think that there's a fair bit related discussion here.
There's been a lot of questions tossed about and quite a few answers to go with them, but I guess my question is how the Trust relates to the various supporter groups scattered around the world.
I have traded some emails with Gemma Gifford (NCFC Media Relations Manager) while getting my group recognized by the club, but while I understand that the relationship between groups and the club is in a bit of flux right now (including how the groups are displayed on the club's website), there's never been any formal agreement on rights and responsibilities concerning either both side. There was apparently a meeting the Friday night before the Birmingham game where groups could meet with the club to discuss things, but it was announced way too late for probably any of the groups abroad to attend. I've dropped a couple emails to Gemma since offering my (admittedly unsolicted), but haven't heard anything back.
I noticed that the Global Canaries webpage is no longer directly linked from the “Fans” tab dropdown options. I assume this is part of the reassessment. My suggestion to her was to look at what other clubs have done for their similar sections and see what might be a best fit for NCFC. I examined a handful of clubs and found a common theme - a google map (similar to what's here on the forum) for quick reference and an easily navigated listing usually broken down into subcategories by English county, other UK, and overseas. Ease of navigation is key. No one wants to go beyond a couple of mouse-clicks to find the group with which they might identify. The listing for each specific group has a brief description and more contact info.
I had hoped the discussion from the Friday Sept 19 meeting was focused on how the support groups can serve the club and vice versa. I’d like to think of ourselves as ambassadors for the club. In the UK that probably has a different meaning than over here, because so much more of that mission here is simply getting recognition for the club as 99.9% of people have never heard of it. The common refrain among folks here is that if it’s Saturday and we run to the grocery store in your jersey after a game to pick up a few items for lunch, other people think you’re wearing some Brazilian shirt. If they ask you obviously take a moment to inform them. Same thing goes for when I go down to the Stockyard wearing a jersey and a Tettey mask and dance in front of a dozen longhorn cattle while my son records it (there's a new @BigGrantHolt video coming). We’re just trying to expose NCFC to the world. While those of us in the USA are in our second year of heavy EPL broadcasting thanks to NBC, there are obviously a half dozen or so clubs that have a huge head start in gaining exposure. We're just spreading the word.
There are of course other activities, in short:
[SIZE=11pt]Organize services and events for group members – watch parties, friendlies, social events, etc…[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Bring local fans together through their love of NCFC [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Protect and enhance the NCFC brand [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Value, maintain, and promote the history of NCFC[/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Communicate the views of group members to NCFC [/SIZE]
[SIZE=11pt]Help support NCFC-affiliated charitable causes [/SIZE]
I think it's safe to say these items are congruent with the goals/aims of the Trust.
For me, the club’s primary duty is acting as a conduit linking Canary supporters to the clubs. If you’re in Kansas, where do you find other like-minded fans? Google is a wonderful tool, but like a phone directory 30-40 years ago not everyone knows (how) to use it… but if they go directly to the club they should be able to easily find their nearest group. The website doesn’t need to be idiot-proof (there is no such thing), but should be as simple to intuitively navigate as possible. Looking at the supporter group systems for other clubs I know there are all sorts of other potential benefits out there, and I encouraged Gifford to research them (examination and adoption of best practices, as we say in my office). From over here, right now our focus is on the networking. Our interests aren’t going to be the same as say, the Posh Canaries, simply because our daily/weekly/monthly/annual Canary experiences are different. Our members might make a game or two a year whereas local groups might be season ticket holders and/or regularly attend away games… so if a topic come up like say, stadium expansion, while we might have an opinion, it’s not a pressing concern since there’s little impact on us.
Anyway, I'll stop here before y'all's eyes start glazing over... but I'd appreciate any feedback/experience anyone has between support groups and the club.
