Nothing changes, if nothing changes: Foxes Trust statement on relegation

[Freeman's Wharfer]

4 hours ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

I do have a question for @Foxes_Trust and, including you both as I think you’ve suggested you’re part of the board - @CosbehFox @Freeman's Wharfer the fact the club have ignored you for two years.  Was that raised directly with Whelan when you met her ? 
 

If you want to maintain confidentiality of your meeting and not divulge her response (which I doubt was of any value), fine. However, it is absolutely critical to know: a) if it was raised; b) if it was - without divulging her actual response was a clear solution presented by Whelan; c) if it wasn’t, why not as that is a huge failing. 
 

 

So neither myself nor @CosbehFox were in that meeting with Susan Whelan. It was the Co-Chairs of the Trust Lynn and Steve.

 

The meeting was not long after we’d joined the board and they were invited along to join an FAB session that she attends. They were asked to abide by the terms that the club has put in place with the FAB (those who are part of it have had to sign an NDA) and, even as a Trust board member, I don’t know all the ins and outs of that meeting.
 

In all honesty I don’t think the fact that the club hadn’t responded to those questions in the summer of 2023 was raised. A year and a half on, I think the Trust had moved on from that situation and there were plenty of current issues to discuss.
 

To be clear, and fair, the club hasn’t ignored the Trust for two years, there is fairly regular contact and there has been direct communication on several things (most recently the digital ticketing stuff and number of exemptions allowed etc). Of course, it could be better, and there’s plenty that the Trust would like to see the club doing more on. To get to that point will take more people being willing to get involved and drive change.

[ian__marshall]

@Foxes_Trust Great to see the shift in approach this season versus last time, and sorry for the long post. 

 

I think you can try to communicate with the club until you're blue in the face (no pun intended) but it's inevitable it will fall on deaf ears as they've got their heads buried in the sand and aren't open to feedback so I feel any efforts to apply pressure directly are a waste of time as it's too easy for them to ignore. 

 

Having given this some thought, their weakness is actually what they perceive to be their strength. They think that by not engaging with the fans and then putting out the occasional tweet or Top's Programme Note, that they are in control of the communication channels. The Trust itself have stated on many occasions that the club have either dangled the carrot of dialogue then never followed up/ignored the request, or agreed to dialogue under the protection of an NDA knowing full well any incompetence will remain private. This has created a communication vacuum which the club no doubt are delighted with. 

 

What it does however mean is that there is a void there to be filled. I think the Trust need to seize upon this and take control in my view. If you bombard the communication channels you'll own them and then the club will be left with a choice, continue as is and let others control the messaging, or step in themselves and start communicating to control the narrative. 

 

We're very fortunate as a club/fan base that we have a lot of fans / invested stakeholders who are in positions of influence within the media/public domain. The Trust need to call upon these individuals to start talking openly about their concerns. Off the top of my head we have the likes of Gary Lineker, Manish Bhasin, and David Neilson who are high profile TV personalities, Nick Ferrari, Geoff Peters, and Jason Bourne who all have influence/contacts within the national Radio industry, the likes of Rob Tanner and John Percy who whilst not supporters are happy to openly discuss the club's shortcomings in international/national print media, and then we also have the more niche but growing podcast communities with BSLBs, LTID, LC Pubcast, and WYS. As long as the narrative is factual asking for answers and doesn't veer into conjecture the club wouldn't be able to do anything to silence the noise. 

 

Despite the perception that the vast majority of fans are happy clappers who have been brainwashed by the club, I think the issue is rather one of awareness/ignorance. Most will turn a blind eye because the only contact they have with the club is the clubs emails and attending games, so whilst the performances are abject, the issues aren't in their face, and then they'll either read a programme or the clubs emails and hear Susan or Top outlining their commitment, talking about the debt conversion, or how despite the disappointment they still aspire to be top 6 PL, all of which softens the reality. However, as we've seen over recent years in politics, whoever shouts the loudest regardless of the facts seems to win the day. 

 

I appreciate it is quite time intensive and will require commitment and dedication from the Trust to keep the issues in the spotlight, but in my opinion this is the best way you can influence the change that is needed. 

 

Edited 22 April by ian__marshall

[Skidmark]

Glad to see the Foxes Trust taking a necessary much harder line.

 

Well done. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

On 21/04/2025 at 19:18, Foxes_Trust said:

The two groups are different in nature, of course. 

 

We're sure @Union FS will also have their own approach on how they handle this situation and what they want to say - different approaches are a positive thing and it shouldn't be only one group expressing concerns to the club.

 

That said, we are meeting with UFS to discuss how we can collaborate and the newer board members at the Trust are very familiar with the more prominent members of UFS. That provides a good foundation for the two groups working together where it makes sense to do so.

Useful conversation last night I'm told.

[Chrysalis]

On 22/04/2025 at 10:27, Freeman's Wharfer said:

So neither myself nor @CosbehFox were in that meeting with Susan Whelan. It was the Co-Chairs of the Trust Lynn and Steve.

 

The meeting was not long after we’d joined the board and they were invited along to join an FAB session that she attends. They were asked to abide by the terms that the club has put in place with the FAB (those who are part of it have had to sign an NDA) and, even as a Trust board member, I don’t know all the ins and outs of that meeting.
 

In all honesty I don’t think the fact that the club hadn’t responded to those questions in the summer of 2023 was raised. A year and a half on, I think the Trust had moved on from that situation and there were plenty of current issues to discuss.
 

To be clear, and fair, the club hasn’t ignored the Trust for two years, there is fairly regular contact and there has been direct communication on several things (most recently the digital ticketing stuff and number of exemptions allowed etc). Of course, it could be better, and there’s plenty that the Trust would like to see the club doing more on. To get to that point will take more people being willing to get involved and drive change.

Yes they havent ignored you on less important trivial stuff like ticket prices.
But they have on this issue as you just confirmed in your post.
Can you please explain why the trust decided to "move on"?

Edited Wednesday at 09:22 by Chrysalis

[Freeman's Wharfer]

18 minutes ago, Chrysalis said:

Yes they havent ignored you on less important trivial stuff like ticket prices.
But they have on this issue as you just confirmed in your post.
Can you please explain why the trust decided to "move on"?

Well given that happened before any of us newer board members joined, I can’t say for sure. But I would imagine that those involved with the Trust at that point in time felt that they weren’t getting anywhere and, after several attempts, gave up trying to get answers to questions the club weren’t prepared to address.

 

The club and Trust were working on the structure of the Fan Engagement Framework (including the FAB) at the time and maybe that also provided hope of a future where there would be a channel for supporter feedback - not just from the Trust - to the club.

 

We’ll be pushing hard for the club to address supporter concerns this time around. For anyone with issues they would like raised, per the recent statement, please feed that into the Trust.

[Tommy G]

It's hard to believe reading through all these threads but we have to accept the few hundred regular contributors on this forum are the MINORITY when it comes to the fan base, who on the whole aren't bothered and happy to continue supporting the club whatever happens, whoever owns us, whoever is on the board and whatever drivel we put out at 3pm on a Saturday.

 

I hate the term happy clappers but its recognised as a definition. We simply don't have it in us as a fan base to turn our back for a season or two (en masse) and rock the boat. Quite clear, plenty of people on here who every single post is a whinge against the club but have renewed their season ticket for a variety of reasons, family, friends or whatever - so effectively are enabling it. 

 

At some point enough is enough and the ship hasn't sank deep enough for some of the fanbase. I've been a ST holder for 15+ years, not as long as plenty on here - and I enjoyed the social aspect, sat with my dad and brother etc, but I can see them outside of a football setting and probably have way more fun than at the KP - in my view it's an excuse. 

 

Everyone can rant and rave on here, the terrace or within a fan group but unless the numbers are there nothing is going to change. 

[davieG]

3 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

It's hard to believe reading through all these threads but we have to accept the few hundred regular contributors on this forum are the MINORITY when it comes to the fan base, who on the whole aren't bothered and happy to continue supporting the club whatever happens, whoever owns us, whoever is on the board and whatever drivel we put out at 3pm on a Saturday.

 

I hate the term happy clappers but its recognised as a definition. We simply don't have it in us as a fan base to turn our back for a season or two (en masse) and rock the boat. Quite clear, plenty of people on here who every single post is a whinge against the club but have renewed their season ticket for a variety of reasons, family, friends or whatever - so effectively are enabling it. 

 

At some point enough is enough and the ship hasn't sank deep enough for some of the fanbase. I've been a ST holder for 15+ years, not as long as plenty on here - and I enjoyed the social aspect, sat with my dad and brother etc, but I can see them outside of a football setting and probably have way more fun than at the KP - in my view it's an excuse. 

 

Everyone can rant and rave on here, the terrace or within a fan group but unless the numbers are there nothing is going to change. 

Long standing ST holders are in fear of not getting one back if there are changes plus there's the FOMO as knowing LCFC we're as likely to have a good season next year as a bad one. Then you have the ludicrous situation of ST prices  v Match day prices where you only have to attend 10/11 games to make the ST worthwhile plus you can now legally pass matches on or sell them back to the club. Pay by instalments as well. Everything points to keeping your ticket.

 

How many gave up after the Great Escape season and regretted it, definitely a few on here.

[The Horse's Mouth]

Thanks foxes trust your statement is incredibly valuable to me and I feel much better about the club now, keep pushing you’ve achieved so much!

[SemperEadem]

Slowly you can see the reform group changing the mindset of some at the Trust from just being happy to be in the room and having direct line to the clubs comms director. 

[Tommy G]

13 minutes ago, SemperEadem said:

Slowly you can see the reform group changing the mindset of some at the Trust from just being happy to be in the room and having direct line to the clubs lack of comms director. 

 

Edited Wednesday at 11:47 by Tommy G