Friday, April 15, 2005

BLC (Branch Liaison Committee) Meetings

Just thought for information I will post these meeting notes when I get them emailed to me. It may be of interest to let you know what is going on "behind closed doors". This one is for March we usually get the meeting notes about 3 weeks after the meeting. If you don't think it is a good idea to post these notes let me know and we can discuss.

BLC MEETING 19th MARCH 2005
AT BLACK CAT HOUSE PRIOR TO COVENTRY CITY GAME

ATTENDANCE LIST

Fred Taylor BLC CHAIRMAN/BOLDON
Steve Dean BLC SEC. /JARROW
Brian Hallimond BLC SEC. /ALEC HALL
Doreen Fowler SAFC SENIOR SUPPORTERS
Freda Oyston DISABLED SUPPORTERS
Grahame Anderson DISABLED SUPPORTERS
Paul Newby NEWTON AYCLIFFE
Mike Love SOUTH EAST NORTHUMBERLAND
Rebecca Barr BOLDON
Rob Gilchrist SUNDERLAND
Chris Bovill LANGLEY PARK
Stephen Bovill LANGLEY PARK
Lesley Callaghan SAFC
Louise Wanless SAFC
Phil Clarkson SAFC

APOLOGIES

Stan Hall, Mike Smith.

Welcome
The Chairman welcomed everyone thanking them for their attendance,

Matters arising from the last BLC meeting.

Branch contact details are all on safc.com now, could all branches check to ensure info is up to date.

A provisional date of 23rd July for inter branch 5 a side tournament at Academy of Light has been set aside, this will go ahead, depending on a minimum number of teams, it is hoped that this will be achieved and it will become an annual occasion for all to enjoy

Season Ticket Renewals
The majority of season ticket renewal packs were sent out this week the remainder should be sent out in the following week. If anyone hasn’t received their renewal packs by end of March could they please contact the club.

It was pointed out that the Club will allow S. T. holders to transfer/additional seats/adding to your party anyone wishing to do this should contact the club to discuss availability on 0191 551 5151.

Phil Clarkson clarified the procedure required for using voucher 62 for applying for all away game fixtures, it was agreed that the present method of submitting vouchers from the branches to Lesley Ryan was still the best method to use.

DDA Legislation/changes to pricing structure
The club handed out media releases regarding the changes to season ticket holders for disabled supporters to comply with the disability discrimination act.

The main change being that previously wheelchair patrons were charged a reduced rate of £12 for a match ticket, with their personal assistants paying £10, but now in order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act, the disabled person will be charged the prevailing rate in the location they are in the stadium but personal assistants will be provided with a ticket free of charge.

Freda Oyston of the Disabled and Escort branch robustly defended her member’s views but conceded that in the past some disabled patrons have enjoyed free or subsidised access to some stadia but that this new pricing policy ensures compliance with the Disability Discrimination act and is a fairer system for everyone.

The club stressed that they had sympathy with those supporters affected by an increase in cost due to their prime location at the halfway line which results in an increase but pointed out that the persons affected if they so wished could relocate to a lower priced section of the ground. Many supporters would actually gain in saving on their cost of their season ticket and some people who are on the higher rate of mobility may well now be entitled to obtain their seat with a free seat for a personal assistant. The main result of this act shows that disabled supporters are not discriminated against and are treat with equality.

The club passed round statements on this matter from Darren Bernstein from the football league and from Phil Downs chairman of Nads

Freda Oyston stated that as a representative of NADS she can confirm that Sunderland are a shining example to other clubs on how they treat the Disabled supporters of not only our own club but those of visiting supporters only last week she obtained a phone call from a Plymouth supporter praising the staff of the club in re locating a supporter with walking difficulties from row 40 to a more suitable position.

Last four home games
The club asked for the branches to rally their members for the remaining fixtures in the hope of gaining everyone’s goal of promotion to the premiership. It definitely spurs the players on when they have the backing of a good crowd and it is hoped that the remaining games will all be played to crowds in excess of 30,000. The Jarrow Branch informed the club that they were hoping to stage an under 10 football tournament with some teams from Scotland attending who wished to attend the Reading game that weekend of the tournament, and asked whether the club could consider making tickets available to them as a schools type offer which was on for this game.

Supporters player of the year event
There will be a Player of the Year event to be held at the Stadium of Light but the date is yet to be confirmed and may well have to be carried forward to next season due to pre season tour games etc. Again it was stressed that all affiliated and non-affiliated branches will be invited to attend but only one trophy from the Sunderland main branch will be presented on the night, If any branches wish to hold their own events they should contact the club who will look at all requests and assist if possible.

Sky fixtures
It was pointed out that no more games kick off times will be changed for Sky as they have all now been announced except the last game of the season. It was pointed out that the final game against Stoke City could be televised but the kick off will not be altered as all games on the last day of the season have to kick off at the same time.

As a matter of interest Lesley Callaghan pointed out that surprisingly French football have managed to secure a very lucrative television deal which just goes to show what can be achieved with a little competition for TV. rights. The French TV deal is outlined in the following article:-

FRENCH FOOTBALL IN MONEY-SPINNING TV DEAL
French pay-per-view channel Canal Plus has won exclusive rights to broadcast live French first division football matches for the next three years. As the Financial Times (FT) reports, the deal with the subsidiary of Vivendi Universal, worth a record 1.8 billion euros, makes French football the most expensive for TV rights in the world, overtaking the English Premiership's previous record three-year deal of 1.13 billion pounds (1.65 billion euros) agreed on by BSkyB and the BBC last year.In recent times, Canal Plus has been in a battle with its rival TPS to dominate the French pay-TV market. It secured a clean sweep victory over TPS by making the highest bids for each of the four TV-rights packages auctioned separately on Friday. France Telecom had also bid for one of the packages.The record bid has surprised analysts, who had expected offers closer to 500 million euros a year. The bid was almost double TPS's total offer and 60 per cent more than the rights cost three years ago, when they were shared by Canal Plus and TPS. Financial service provider Merrill Lynch predicted Canal Plus's victory would only allow it to add 150,000 subscribers to its total of 4.9 million, "as most French football fanatics already take the service". The investment company had previously warned that a 600 million euro a year bid would result in a loss of 384 million euros.The deal is expected to be good news for French football clubs, who will reportedly make combined losses of 30 million euros this year. Lower gate receipts and higher taxes mean they are at a disadvantage to the big European leagues. Furthermore, as many of France's best footballers play overseas, the French Ligue 1 lacks the superstars of England's Premiership, Spain's Primera Liga or Italy's Serie A. The proceeds of the deal will be split 80 per cent for first division teams and 20 per cent for second division teams. Canal Plus are hoping their monopoly of French football will help lure thousands of subscribers away from TPS, forcing it to concede defeat and agree to be taken over.
Any other business
The Disabled Branch would like it brought to the Club’s attention that cars are parking on double yellow lines at the end of games blocking access from the car parks. And that cars are still edging past barriers to get past before the coaches are allowed to go.
The Langley Park branch asked if it was possible to get a picture in the programme showing a boys football team the branch sponsor wearing strips they bought for the team, they were informed to contact Rob Mason.
In the close season the club asked if the BLC would consider putting more input to the official club website with more frequent articles about the branches etc, Steve Dean of the Jarrow Branch could co ordinate this with another branch representative and volunteers would be appreciated at the next meeting.
Stokoe statue update Lesley Callaghan informed the group that the club had met with sculptors and in the next few weeks models will be ready for viewing the whole final structure should be ready for unveiling in about 6 months time, it is hoped fans will approve of the design which is a typical pose people conjure in their minds of Stokoe at Wembley in 73. The proposed location I likely to be in the car park near Joans Café or near the South East Corner somewhere.
The Newton Aycliffe branch thanked Louise Wanless and Martin Walker for help over their recent Sportsman’s dinner and informed they are to stage another branch function with a talking involving former referee George Tyson and former Sunderland players Jim Montgomery and Ritchie Pitt at the Alexandra pub in Grangetown. The club reminded the group that the Stadium of light is always available for hire at competitive rates for to stage functions of this sort.

Closure of meeting

The Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance, meeting closed at 1.15pm.

Next meeting to be held prior to the Leicester game 23rd Apr. 2005 at The Black Cat House 12.00pm

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