Hopefully you are all having an enjoyable summer and not missing football too much. There are only a few weeks to go to the start of the season, so we thought it worth putting out a short members’ newsletter, focussing primarily on the CST Annual General Meeting and board elections.
AGM – Date and Location Confirmed
Now that the kick-off times for the first games of the season have been announced, we can confirm to members that the 2015 CST AGM will take place in the Attenborough Suite in the Copthorne Hotel at Stamford Bridge (the same location as last season) at 14:00 on Sunday 9th August. Teas, coffees and light refreshments will be provided. The meeting will end by no later than 16.30.
Agendas, etc will be sent out by email to voting members two weeks before the meeting. Information for members wishing to submit motions, which need to be in by 24th July, can be found here. We will also circulate in advance of the AGM the 2015 CST Annual Report and Accounts, which will be discussed at the meeting, with members able to question the board on the contents.
Supporters unable to attend the AGM in person will be able to listen and participate in the meeting online and a podcast of the meeting will be available after. This has been successful for previous meetings with significant numbers of members engaging in this way. Details of how this can be done will be sent to members nearer the time.
A reminder that you need to be a fully paid-up member to attend, participate in, vote at, or put forward motions to the AGM. You can become a paid-up CST member here for just £5 per year, which includes a free CST pin badge.
Current members should ensure that their subscription payment is up to date via the same link. If you are unsure, contact the Trust via
[email protected]
CST Elections – Nomination Reminder
Voting members are reminded that nominations for the forthcoming CST board elections are welcomed from voting members. Nominations close on July 24th.
The annual board elections are a key part of the annual cycle of the CST, as it is essential that members decide on the composition of the board if they are successfully going to represent their views. Together with the regular members meetings and the annual members’ survey, the elections underpin the whole ethos of the CST.
We are keen to attract new blood to the CST board, to bring new ideas and perspectives to the group and freshen things up. If issues such as the Stamford Bridge development, ticket pricing, ground atmosphere and ticket touring interest or frustrate you, this is your chance to get actively involved in working to represent the views of our members,
Board membership can be both interesting and worthwhile, brings with it certain responsibilities and requires some time commitment (though nothing too onerous). If you are a voting member and want to find out more about what being a board member entails, contact any existing board member or send us an email.
Post AGM Quiz – All things Chelsea
After the AGM, we are holding a Chelsea quiz for members attending the meeting. It will be held in the Finborough Arms starting at 17.00. Dan Levene, Chelsea supporter and football journalist for Get West London and @BluesChronicle on Twitter will be the question master. More details will be sent to members in the next few days but we will be looking for teams of four so why not start getting your team together. We anticipate the quiz will end by c18.30 at the latest.
Stadium Development Consultation
The feedback we have received after the recent consultation process with supporters and local residents has been very positive and generated much interest and excitement and we would certainly endorse that. The CST understands further consultation is likely to take place in the next few months. Given this, we feel a survey of CST members on what they saw, which was originally planned, is probably unnecessary at this time. The topic will, of course, be discussed at the AGM.
Annual Survey – Thank You
Thank you to everyone who completed the 2015 CST Members Survey. The results are currently being collated and analysed, and will be discussed at the AGM.
Supporters’ Summit
CST board members will, with representatives of other Premier League Trusts, be meeting Premier League representatives at this weekend’s Supporters Summit. The summit, organised by Supporters Direct and The Football Supporters’ Federation, gives an opportunity for topics such as ticket pricing and the impact of television on match-going supporters to be debated and tactics for appropriate Trust-wide campaigns agreed. As an example, the extra money generated by the new Premier League TV deals commencing in 2016/17 means there are clearly opportunities for all PL clubs to look at using a proportion of that money to reduce the cost of tickets.
Feedback from that meeting, and the wider Supporters Summit, will be given to members at the AGM.
Subsidised Away Days
The recent announcement by the club of the continuation of away travel subsidies for all games outside London, and the expansion to five of away games with subsidised match tickets, is to be welcomed.
Chelsea’s total subsidy for our travelling supporters last season significantly exceeded the £200k per club allocated for this purpose by the Premier League (and is in excess of what many other clubs offer their travelling supporters) and this announcement shows a continuation of this trend.
In the News
Watch an unofficial 3D render of the proposed new Stamford Bridge [VIDEO]
Chelsea in bid to play at Wembley during renovation period
UEFA improves disability regulations for clubs across Europe
CST Board members Tim Rolls and David Chidgey give their thoughts on the future of Stamford Bridge
Many English fans pay ten times the amount for season tickets than those in Europe
Six stadia designed by new Stamford Bridge architects Herzog and de Meuron
Fan convicted for assaulting steward with inflatable shark
