Trust Forum - Tues 22 November

[iscalad]

Some good questions from the floor during the 2 half of the forum.

- Club merchandise - Looking at speaking with The Terrace again around the partnership with just their retro range. Carrie (Commercial manager) welcomes feedback on missing ranges.

- Mobile unit to move around the City/local area to sell merchandise and increase visibility of the club. Currently being fitted out.

- Food running out - Food has to be ordered 1 week in advance so hard to see patterns. Lessons have been learnt so far this season. Sounds like they were basing food figure on ticket sales too early, but learnt from this and patterns in ticket sales, lots coming only a few days before a game to improve availability.Potential new system to come for next season where you can click and collect food from your seat to the kiosk at a certain time to pick up.

- Partnership with John Lewis (potential area within JL to sell ecfc items coming soon).

- Health and safety issue with overcrowding on Old Tiverton Road after the game. Away coaches blocking exits. Message passed onto Justin to speak with Police Liaison team to review.

- Club helping promote the trust. Tax imprecations on higher donations (didn’t quite understand, maybe just me tho
Hopefully that summarises for those unable to attend.

The £2 membership fee is just that and all who pay into the Trust this is counted as income. Income is VATable. If as an individual you decide to pay more for your membership ie.£10 a month, the extra £8 is counted as a donation and is not VATable.

 

[iscalad]

Regarding the old Tiverton road issue,unless you are going to let people leave in a certain order,then it’s inevitable that old Tiverton road will be busy,most people stick to the footpaths so I’m not sure there is much anyone can do about that.When I lived near the speedway ground in st thomas the crowds exiting there were everywhere,especially after the bank holiday meetings,but I don’t recall any health and safety issues about that !

Never heard of it in the 70s

 

[manc grecian]

Can the commercial manager not look on other teams websites to get some ideas?

 

[dontpassback]

Sorry, it may have been St James Road end. Also, raised was asking for cars to not move from the club car park for 15mins after the game, accident waiting to happen at full time, being looked into.

Fair enough Tom,I can see coaches blocking the traffic and pedestrians view at the St James road end,and to be fair I haven’t seen any issues at old tivvy road when everyone comes out at the end of the games,but with bigger attendances there are bound to be issues

 

[GhostofAlanGow]

For what it's worth, I was there tonight and thought Caldwell spoke honestly and well (even if he didn't really answer my question!).

 

[Colesman Ballz]

The £2 membership fee is just that and all who pay into the Trust this is counted as income. Income is VATable. If as an individual you decide to pay more for your membership ie.£10 a month, the extra £8 is counted as a donation and is not VATable.

Just like to add that the VAT issue is related to the threshold for contributions. The current situation is that no VAT is payable as we are beneath the threshold. Exceeding that would mean the entire sum would be "Vatable" not just the extra. It is not like income tax where you have a basic allowance free of tax, you are either in or out.

 

[Grecian in Guzz]

Fair enough Tom,I can see coaches blocking the traffic and pedestrians view at the St James road end,and to be fair I haven’t seen any issues at old tivvy road when everyone comes out at the end of the games,but with bigger attendances there are bound to be issues

Gents. Compared with "normal" games last Saturday was dodgy (crushing) to say the least trying to get from Fan Zone onto St James Road via either the player's car park or the passage beside The Park building.
When we get well supported visitors perhaps we need to park their coaches on other side of road (so home fan egress not impeded) and get police to manage traffic whilst away fans are loaded ?
None of us want an SJP Hillsborough
UTC

 

[Grecian in Guzz]

For what it's worth, I was there tonight and thought Caldwell spoke honestly and well (even if he didn't really answer my question!).

Next job a politician as he said !
UTC

 

[tom_ecfc]

Just like to add that the VAT issue is related to the threshold for contributions. The current situation is that no VAT is payable as we are beneath the threshold. Exceeding that would mean the entire sum would be "Vatable" not just the extra. It is not like income tax where you have a basic allowance free of tax, you are either in or out.

Would that mean we are limited to the amount we can raise via trust membership, the trusts main money maker? (i think?)

 

[fred binneys head]

Excellent event, well done to everyone involved. I like the cut of GC’s jib the more I hear from him.