Cod Almighty | Diary
Getting fans on the political agenda
1 June 2017
With no football, or at least none of interest, it hasn't escaped my notice that there's an election going on. While such events are greeted by the majority with a weary sigh, Casual Diary's interest was piqued by the promise of a flexible football ticket for train users.
As someone who has missed a mere handful of away games in the last four seasons, and with all but a few done as an Intercity Mariner, the proposal caught my eye. The proposal was for a flexible ticket to stop fans being out of pocket when kick-off times are moved to accommodate TV, replays, police advice and so on. While our promotion has reduced the TV interruptions (we're no longer so big a fish in so small a pond), the aversion to Town fans enjoying themselves displayed by the police and Gloucestershire's finest means travel costs still run into hundreds of pounds.
As a connoisseur of the ticket split, I often buy up to eight separate journeys for each game. These are purchased weeks in advance to get the lowest cost, only to be rendered useless when the kick-off time or day of the game is moved. While replays or postponements are viewed as a risk worth taking, arbitrary kick-off changes on spurious grounds are a constant source of ire. TV dictates are viewed with equal displeasure. Over the last few seasons the additional expense of a last-minute ticket – plus the £10 per ticket admin charge for switching trains or dates – has meant many a cheap away day has turned into an expensive luxury.
The fact that such an issue has made it on to the political radar can only be due to the work of fans' groups up and down the country.
This leads on to the role of trusts and fans' groups in the political arena. I have long held the view that at next year's North East Lincolnshire Council elections the Mariners Trust should stand against any councillor who refuses to pledge in writing to support the new ground. If we take on board the views of our major shareholder/non-chairman that the club cannot survive without the revenue a new ground would generate, it becomes a matter of life or death to our club. The trust, given its stated aim of giving voice to the views of the fans, would surely be justified in doing so.
This would take the issue to the top of the local political agenda and force NELC and the local parties to take account of the views of a substantial group of the electorate. It is only in doing so both locally and nationally that football fans will force the politicians to remove themselves from their 1980s bubble where all fans are drink-imbibing hooligans.
This led me to explore what else, if anything, the current vote-seekers are offering football, and fans in particular. Aside from the obligatory pretence at fandom, I cannot remember any of the local candidates having much to say on GTFC. A quick search revealed the following.
The Conservatives promise to continue their commitment to football, citing the £30m deal done with the local authorities, ruling bodies and Premier League to provide 30 cities in England with new artificial facilities and more coaches. The average artificial pitch costs approximately £50 per square metre, so a full-sized pitch would cost around £500,000. With a basic coaching course costing £150, and a UEFA B licence £2,500, the cash would run to one pitch per city and 100,000 basic coaches or 6,000 UEFA B coaches. The same UEFA B coach licence in Germany or Spain costs €450.
The Labour Party, in addition to flexible train tickets, will compel clubs to have at least two elected supporters' representatives on every board. This would obviously have the effect of reinstating the second trust director on the GTFC board. Labour will introduce a rule that whenever a club is sold, its supporters' trust must be offered shares, and will rein in the owner's right to change a club's name or colours against the wishes of the fans. The Labour Party will also force the Premier League and FA to redistribute a minimum 5 per cent of TV income, including international rights, to grassroots football; on the current TV deals, this equates to £8.2bn over three years.
Only two other parties have specific football-related policies. The Green Party would go a step further than Labour, committing to legislating to turn clubs into community- and supporter-owned co-ops. Finally, the Lib Dems will force local authorities to consult on safe standing areas and outlaw homophobic chanting.
A final thought on politics and football: as Harold Wilson once said, England have only ever won a World Cup under Labour. It was true in 1974, and sadly still is. So think on.
Away from politics, in what was billed as a busy week, Town have promised further signings, no doubt announced the minute this diary is published. I am heartened by the signing of the lightning-quick Sam Kelly. The hardest thing in football to counter is genius. Extreme pace comes a close second.