Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST)

[LFEE]

Any feedback from Tuesday? Heard it was lively 🙂

[Thiago]

Was that the thing with Caulkin in a pub? 

 

I wouldn't mind getting involved more tbh, but I sense I'm too far geographically to achieve anything but vanity projects.

[Joey Linton]

Did you attend the AGM @Geordie2302? 

[Guest HTT II]

These cunts still alive?

[James]

They are still waiting to Greg to finish work so they can start the meeting

[Geordie2302]

On 25/02/2022 at 19:34, Joey Linton said:

Did you attend the AGM @Geordie2302? 

I did. Think I got the dreaded Rona not long after as I’ve not been 100% since.  Had three proxy votes but my motion didn’t pass.  Reckon there was 25 people there including 7 board members. Whole thing was a bit weird down to the venue.

Accounts were provided and about 2 minutes to read before voting them through. Lots of “achievements” over last two years. Although to be fair Thomas’s update was very good around season tickets and other fan related issues. 
They’ve spent 23k in last year with no verbal explanation and not had a chance to dissect the accounts but cba as I’m bombed at work. 
kept it cordial and said why I’d raised the issues (not personal attacks, foundation of a strong trust etc). Some of the board were fairly receptive to parts of what I said around communication / transparency issues. Greg inferred they’d just change rules to another sponsorship organisation at one point. He went down in my estimation but that’s between me and him for now. 
there was a q and a session which didn’t reveal much. Asked if they could pick up castore quality with the club (on behalf of another member). They said they would. 
 Alex asked if I’d help with the rules at the end which was a surprise.  Was expecting minutes but not seen anything as yet and not sure if that was an appeasement. Meh. Was expecting an update from the FSA but last I heard it was with their legal advisors.  
had a nice walk in Jesmond though and got a Chinese on the way home so that was nice. 

[Joey Linton]

36 minutes ago, Geordie2302 said:

I did. Think I got the dreaded Rona not long after as I’ve not been 100% since.  Had three proxy votes but my motion didn’t pass.  Reckon there was 25 people there including 7 board members. Whole thing was a bit weird down to the venue.

Accounts were provided and about 2 minutes to read before voting them through. Lots of “achievements” over last two years. Although to be fair Thomas’s update was very good around season tickets and other fan related issues. 
They’ve spent 23k in last year with no verbal explanation and not had a chance to dissect the accounts but cba as I’m bombed at work. 
kept it cordial and said why I’d raised the issues (not personal attacks, foundation of a strong trust etc). Some of the board were fairly receptive to parts of what I said around communication / transparency issues. Greg inferred they’d just change rules to another sponsorship organisation at one point. He went down in my estimation but that’s between me and him for now. 
there was a q and a session which didn’t reveal much. Asked if they could pick up castore quality with the club (on behalf of another member). They said they would. 
 Alex asked if I’d help with the rules at the end which was a surprise.  Was expecting minutes but not seen anything as yet and not sure if that was an appeasement. Meh. Was expecting an update from the FSA but last I heard it was with their legal advisors.  
had a nice walk in Jesmond though and got a Chinese on the way home so that was nice. 

The rest of the members must have still been at work. 

 

Realistically with those sort of numbers you never stood a chance of getting anything voted through. The whole thing seemed very under advertised. 

 

Perhaps @Greg might explain what he meant about changing the rules? I'm sure some clarity on that would be welcome. 

 

Thanks for the update though. 

[Geordie2302]

My own fault really as I had more proxies than I was allowed and only needed 20% majority to carry it. I had about 16% within the rules (more if those who nominated me had included but it is what it is). 

the thing with changing the rules you need 20% of the whole membership which is around 15k to agree at an AGM. Then the FCA have to approve them. Probably a challenge too far given the low turnout. 

[LFEE]

17 hours ago, Geordie2302 said:

I did. Think I got the dreaded Rona not long after as I’ve not been 100% since.  Had three proxy votes but my motion didn’t pass.  Reckon there was 25 people there including 7 board members. Whole thing was a bit weird down to the venue.

Accounts were provided and about 2 minutes to read before voting them through. Lots of “achievements” over last two years. Although to be fair Thomas’s update was very good around season tickets and other fan related issues. 
They’ve spent 23k in last year with no verbal explanation and not had a chance to dissect the accounts but cba as I’m bombed at work. 
kept it cordial and said why I’d raised the issues (not personal attacks, foundation of a strong trust etc). Some of the board were fairly receptive to parts of what I said around communication / transparency issues. Greg inferred they’d just change rules to another sponsorship organisation at one point. He went down in my estimation but that’s between me and him for now. 
there was a q and a session which didn’t reveal much. Asked if they could pick up castore quality with the club (on behalf of another member). They said they would. 
 Alex asked if I’d help with the rules at the end which was a surprise.  Was expecting minutes but not seen anything as yet and not sure if that was an appeasement. Meh. Was expecting an update from the FSA but last I heard it was with their legal advisors.  
had a nice walk in Jesmond though and got a Chinese on the way home so that was nice. 

“Think”? Did you not get tested for COVID?  Hope you and others are ok.

[Geordie2302]

3 minutes ago, LFEE said:

“Think”? Did you not get tested for COVID?  Hope you and others are ok.

I’ve since done a few LF tests and all been negative. Previously I’d have said I had man flu as just feel a bit shit with a headache and a blocked but runny nose.   

I hope everyone else is ok too but hadn’t really thought about it given the pub we were in was rammed. 

[SteV]

The Newcastle United Supporters Trust has been working closely with Leeds United in the weeks following the 1-0 victory at Elland Roadon the 22nd January 2022. Following these discussions, a report has been published regarding the incidents that took place outside, and inside the away section. The final report can be found on our website here. 
 
After receiving approximately 125 reports in the days after the game, there was clear distress highlighted by those who were caught outside the away turnstiles in the build-up to, and after kick-off. Leeds United contacted us on the Monday following the game after being alerted to the serious concerns Newcastle United fans had for their health and safety. From these reports, Trust Vice Chair Thomas Concannon was able to provide Leeds with a detailed view of Newcastle fans in attendance that day and provided Leeds United with 10 of the most detailed reports for them to analyse.
 
Two meetings were held with Leeds United, with one meeting taking place with representation from the West Yorkshire Police and the Football Supporters’ Association. The Trust was able to ask questions about the incident that took place outside the turnstiles and was able to establish an understanding of what led to Newcastle fans being involved in a very crowded situation outside the away turnstiles, and then subsequently inside the away section.
 
We raised concerns around the operation of the turnstiles, which were the main cause of what was to follow, citing many fans informing us that tickets were not being read by the barcode reader. There were also reports of the barcode being ripped from the ticket due to the perforation line on the ticket, which Leeds acknowledged was a contributing factor to the incident. Leeds has acted on this immediately by removing the perforation line on the ticket to prevent the barcode from being separated from the main ticket. We will also be making the recommendation to Newcastle United that any future tickets with perforation lines should not be folded at the perforation line in order to fit them into the envelope before sending them out to supporters.
 
We raised concerns around communication with supporters, with supporters claiming very little information was given to them as to why the queues weren’t progressing and no prior warning that the gate would be opened to allow fans to access the stadium, which in itself caused problems. Supporter reports expressed a lot of disappointment at the communication from both Leeds United and the West Yorkshire Police. We are satisfied they have acknowledged these complaints and are seeking to improve this going forward.
 
Concerns with the layout of the queuing system, as well as the layout of the stadium inside, were also raised, and whilst immediately amending the stadium inside is an unreasonable ask, we are pleased Leeds United has acted immediately to improve the queuing system outside the away turnstiles.
 
We also questioned the lack of response from stewarding teams and police, with what many Newcastle fans have described as poor reaction times and struggling to make the situation any safer for fans involved. We urge that Leeds United, and clubs around the Premier League and beyond, plan for such eventualities and provide the correct training to stewards to handle difficult situations like this.
 
From the very first meeting, we praise Leeds United for taking this situation very seriously and are satisfied that steps are being taken to prevent any incidents like this from happening again to any set of supporters attending Elland Road. We are pleased to learn that following this game, Leeds United took immediate steps to prevent this from happening outside the away section again and that further fixtures with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Norwich lead to no further such incidents.
 
We are also pleased the West Yorkshire Police have committed to improving their communication with supporters going forward, and will seek to prevent a build-up directly outside the turnstiles should any incident like this occur again.
 
We would like to place on record our thanks to Leeds United for treating Newcastle United fans with the respect they deserve following this incident and appreciate the seriousness in which they handled gathering evidence to create this report for your consumption. We are also happy to hear they have sought to liaise with supporter organisations of teams due to travel to Elland Road.
 
Newcastle fans were faced with a very difficult situation that caused a lot of stress and anger from those involved. Those in attendance were amongst our most hardcore away followers, with a lot of experience following Newcastle United away from home, both domestically and abroad. The feeling that this was one of the worst experiences to have come across was a common theme across many of the reports sent in.
 
We would like to thank Newcastle fans who sent reports in, especially in such detail which helped us form our presentation to Leeds United and the West Yorkshire Police. We can only hope going forward that an incident like this doesn’t occur again, and that lessons are learned, and continue to be learned to ensure the safety of supporters

[Heron]

On 19/03/2022 at 13:15, SteV said:

The Newcastle United Supporters Trust has been working closely with Leeds United in the weeks following the 1-0 victory at Elland Roadon the 22nd January 2022. Following these discussions, a report has been published regarding the incidents that took place outside, and inside the away section. The final report can be found on our website here. 
 
After receiving approximately 125 reports in the days after the game, there was clear distress highlighted by those who were caught outside the away turnstiles in the build-up to, and after kick-off. Leeds United contacted us on the Monday following the game after being alerted to the serious concerns Newcastle United fans had for their health and safety. From these reports, Trust Vice Chair Thomas Concannon was able to provide Leeds with a detailed view of Newcastle fans in attendance that day and provided Leeds United with 10 of the most detailed reports for them to analyse.
 
Two meetings were held with Leeds United, with one meeting taking place with representation from the West Yorkshire Police and the Football Supporters’ Association. The Trust was able to ask questions about the incident that took place outside the turnstiles and was able to establish an understanding of what led to Newcastle fans being involved in a very crowded situation outside the away turnstiles, and then subsequently inside the away section.
 
We raised concerns around the operation of the turnstiles, which were the main cause of what was to follow, citing many fans informing us that tickets were not being read by the barcode reader. There were also reports of the barcode being ripped from the ticket due to the perforation line on the ticket, which Leeds acknowledged was a contributing factor to the incident. Leeds has acted on this immediately by removing the perforation line on the ticket to prevent the barcode from being separated from the main ticket. We will also be making the recommendation to Newcastle United that any future tickets with perforation lines should not be folded at the perforation line in order to fit them into the envelope before sending them out to supporters.
 
We raised concerns around communication with supporters, with supporters claiming very little information was given to them as to why the queues weren’t progressing and no prior warning that the gate would be opened to allow fans to access the stadium, which in itself caused problems. Supporter reports expressed a lot of disappointment at the communication from both Leeds United and the West Yorkshire Police. We are satisfied they have acknowledged these complaints and are seeking to improve this going forward.
 
Concerns with the layout of the queuing system, as well as the layout of the stadium inside, were also raised, and whilst immediately amending the stadium inside is an unreasonable ask, we are pleased Leeds United has acted immediately to improve the queuing system outside the away turnstiles.
 
We also questioned the lack of response from stewarding teams and police, with what many Newcastle fans have described as poor reaction times and struggling to make the situation any safer for fans involved. We urge that Leeds United, and clubs around the Premier League and beyond, plan for such eventualities and provide the correct training to stewards to handle difficult situations like this.
 
From the very first meeting, we praise Leeds United for taking this situation very seriously and are satisfied that steps are being taken to prevent any incidents like this from happening again to any set of supporters attending Elland Road. We are pleased to learn that following this game, Leeds United took immediate steps to prevent this from happening outside the away section again and that further fixtures with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Norwich lead to no further such incidents.
 
We are also pleased the West Yorkshire Police have committed to improving their communication with supporters going forward, and will seek to prevent a build-up directly outside the turnstiles should any incident like this occur again.
 
We would like to place on record our thanks to Leeds United for treating Newcastle United fans with the respect they deserve following this incident and appreciate the seriousness in which they handled gathering evidence to create this report for your consumption. We are also happy to hear they have sought to liaise with supporter organisations of teams due to travel to Elland Road.
 
Newcastle fans were faced with a very difficult situation that caused a lot of stress and anger from those involved. Those in attendance were amongst our most hardcore away followers, with a lot of experience following Newcastle United away from home, both domestically and abroad. The feeling that this was one of the worst experiences to have come across was a common theme across many of the reports sent in.
 
We would like to thank Newcastle fans who sent reports in, especially in such detail which helped us form our presentation to Leeds United and the West Yorkshire Police. We can only hope going forward that an incident like this doesn’t occur again, and that lessons are learned, and continue to be learned to ensure the safety of supporters

Excellent work this and exactly the sort of stuff the trust should be doing. A big win I'd say. 

[SteV]

3 minutes ago, Heron said:

Excellent work this and exactly the sort of stuff the trust should be doing. A big win I'd say. 

Indeed. In situations like this the best you can hope for is that problems get acknowledged and rectified. That (at least on the face of it) seems to have been what’s happened here.

[Wallsendmag]

What happened to all the money raised in their attempt to buy 1% of the club? Is it still a going concern and are they still collecting or did it end up being shared amongst local charities?

 

Tried to find out but there's not much information out there.

[NWMag]

1 hour ago, Wallsendmag said:

What happened to all the money raised in their attempt to buy 1% of the club? Is it still a going concern and are they still collecting or did it end up being shared amongst local charities?

 

Tried to find out but there's not much information out there.

They have stopped taking money now and are in the process of looking at charities to dish it out too. I believe that members will get to vote before a final decision on charities is made

[Thiago]

This won’t do much to alter the opinions of Hurst’s critics.

[Fantail Breeze]

“Today, all of Alex’s dreams came true…

 

… he also let Greg and other minions from NUST go with him to carry his bags.”

 

 

Edited April 8, 2022 by Fantail Breeze

[LV]

Ashley’s jeans also getting a run out there 

[Pixelphish]

Fucking hell.

[Guest HTT II]

1 hour ago, Thiago said:

This won’t do much to alter the opinions of Hurst’s critics.

At least we now have owners engaging with supporters, that can only be a positive. 

[NE27]

1 hour ago, LV said:

Ashley’s jeans also getting a run out there 

 

Howay man, leave Amanda alone ffs.

[Guest HTT II]

I like Greg’s beard mind!

[Joey Linton]

2 hours ago, Fantail Breeze said:

“Today, all of Alex’s dreams came true…

 

… he also let Greg and other minions from NUST go with him to carry his bags.”

 

 

 

I'm just pleased for Greg that he got the time off work. 

[Thiago]

2 hours ago, HTT II said:

At least we now have owners engaging with supporters, that can only be a positive. 

It's wonderful and I encourage it. 

 

I also can see why people questioned Alex's motives. The fact he stepped down and then was reinstated without a vote amid talk of access to the owners etc doesn't enhance the idea of it being a democratic group. I get it, many would do the same when there's a chance to such unfiltered access, but it looks poor. 

[Fantail Breeze]

19 minutes ago, Thiago said:

It's wonderful and I encourage it. 

 

I also can see why people questioned Alex's motives. The fact he stepped down and then was reinstated without a vote amid talk of access to the owners etc doesn't enhance the idea of it being a democratic group. I get it, many would do the same when there's a chance to such unfiltered access, but it looks poor. 

 

Unfiltered access though, let’s be realistic  Alex thinks he’ll be sat in the Directors Box every game.

 

Even the most engaged owner will limit it to a quarterly meeting about what colour to paint the bogs.

 

Fan engagement is fine, but the majority of the issues fans raise are a load of bollocks - you only need to look at the forum minutes of most clubs across the country to see that. 

 

NUST will at best have such limited impact because of how badly they are run. The fact they’ve still not sorted out the donations for the pledge scheme is shambolic. Couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery.