Foxes Trust Reform - the final step

[Sol thewall Bamba]

16 hours ago, GLC said:

Ian Bateson on Blue Tinted Galsses tonight at 7pm

Anthony Herihly would have been happy with that performance.

 

Hopefully both of their times are up soon.

[KFS]

Looking at this ‘FEF’ model that I’m sure some consultant has earned a pretty penny building… it seems that herein lies a huge problem. This is a football club, not a government. Why would you force views and feedback through a bureaucratic hierarchy like this? Working at a large tech company, we’re trying to flatten our structures like that purely for speed, action and the right voices heard regardless of level. Seems like this structure could learn something from that.   
 

Less talking heads proudly talking proudly about what it is, and more specialists in fan concern and the current terrible direction of travel. 

[LiliansLeftPeg]

On 24/11/2025 at 10:23, Foxes Trust Reform said:

Simon from our campaign appeared on the latest edition of the Big Strong Leicester Boys podcast (from 47:00 onwards) to talk about our campaign and the upcoming elections.

 

The Trust have today also published details on the upcoming elections here.

 

As expected, Ian Bason, Matt Davis and Sarah Hubbard are up for re-election. We support none of them in continuing and will put forward 4 candidates to replace them and take the other open space on the board.

 

 

 

 

 

Got my eVoting link through this morning. Any word on which candidates you're endorsing? 

[ramboacdc]

39 minutes ago, LiliansLeftPeg said:

Got my eVoting link through this morning. Any word on which candidates you're endorsing? 

I asked the same and was told to expect a statement from @Foxes Trust Reform later on today. 

[The other Ollie]

I only joined on 30/11, and I thought I would be ineligible, but voting invite arrived today with the codes. 

[Paninistickers]

@Foxes Trust Reform

 

Echoing/ bumping earlier comments 

 

So who are your lot on the ballot?

[Loxm]

17 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

@Foxes Trust Reform

 

Echoing/ bumping earlier comments 

 

So who are your lot on the ballot?

I believe Chris, Jack, Steve & Andrew are FTR! I'm sure they'll confirm soon.

[Foxes Trust Reform]

Thanks to everyone for both their patience and their support.

 

We want to see further reform of the Foxes Trust.

 

Of the candidates up for election, and based on their election statements, we believe the following people will help to achieve this:

• Jack Munton
• Steve Potter
• Chris Rice
• Andrew Smith

Hopefully we see a great turnout in the election! 

Edited 15 December 2025 by Foxes Trust Reform

[Foxes Trust Reform]

We've been verifying the veracity of some of the existing board member election statements today. The re-election of whom would simply be a continuation of a Trust that is too cosy, too timid and too tired.

 

Matt Davis' statement claims he has "the ability to bring together reform minded members with established Board colleagues, enabling collaboration and continuity but still driving positive change". He was involved as part of the End of Season Survey leaflet distribution team (to his credit the only legacy board member to be so) but we believe his apparent openness to the Foxes Trust Reform campaign in his statement to be highly questionable, and the involvement claimed with initiatives launched by the newer board members to be relatively exaggerated in the interests of self-preservation.

 

We feel its important that the election statements by each candidate is a true reflection of their prospective value to the Trust.

 

[Zear0]

1 hour ago, Foxes Trust Reform said:

Thanks to everyone for both their patience and their support.

 

We want to see further reform of the Foxes Trust.

 

Of the candidates up for election, and based on their election statements, we believe the following people will help to achieve this:

• Jack Munton
• Steve Potter
• Chris Rice
• Andrew Smith

Hopefully we see a great turnout in the election! 

Done. Might be worth a new thread so this isn't missed. 

[ramboacdc]

Deleting and reposting

Edited 16 December 2025 by ramboacdc

[ramboacdc]

On 15/12/2025 at 12:42, LiliansLeftPeg said:

Got my eVoting link through this morning. Any word on which candidates you're endorsing? 

 

23 hours ago, The other Ollie said:

I only joined on 30/11, and I thought I would be ineligible, but voting invite arrived today with the codes. 

 

17 hours ago, Paninistickers said:

@Foxes Trust Reform

 

Echoing/ bumping earlier comments 

 

So who are your lot on the ballot?

 

17 hours ago, Loxm said:

I believe Chris, Jack, Steve & Andrew are FTR! I'm sure they'll confirm soon.

 

Confirmed candidates below. Quoting you to nudge and bump just in case. 

 

 

16 hours ago, Foxes Trust Reform said:

Thanks to everyone for both their patience and their support.

 

We want to see further reform of the Foxes Trust.

 

Of the candidates up for election, and based on their election statements, we believe the following people will help to achieve this:

• Jack Munton
• Steve Potter
• Chris Rice
• Andrew Smith

Hopefully we see a great turnout in the election! 

Me and my wife have voted. Hoping to hear good news at AGM. 

[Paninistickers]

Vite cast for the recommended candidates 

[The other Ollie]

Likewise

[Zear0]

Shocked to see Bason top of the list... Was almost giving them the benefit of the doubt and say it was alphabetical, but it isn't. 

[PAULCFC]

Voted for the 4

[Grebfromgrebland]

21 hours ago, Foxes Trust Reform said:

Thanks to everyone for both their patience and their support.

 

We want to see further reform of the Foxes Trust.

 

Of the candidates up for election, and based on their election statements, we believe the following people will help to achieve this:

• Jack Munton
• Steve Potter
• Chris Rice
• Andrew Smith

Hopefully we see a great turnout in the election! 

Every time I see your logo and name of org I puke a little bit and I think it's something to do with Reform and fascists.  Maybe that's what you're going for but yuk! 

[foxinsocks]

3 hours ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

Every time I see your logo and name of org I puke a little bit and I think it's something to do with Reform and fascists.  Maybe that's what you're going for but yuk! 

Yes it is unfortunate - they weren't so significant when we dreamt of reforming the foxes trust...  but it would be confusing to change now! 

 

However, after this election we can just focus on moving forward as the foxes trust as a whole.  In the long term we want a healthy trust with a range of contributors of different views and a reasonable churn.

Ian bason keeps saying we want to walk away from engaging with the club but this is untrue - we want to work with the club so that they engage with the fan base much much better.... offering democratic access   and responding to the concerns of the fans...  (The FAB is a joke in this respect-- and "the 5 levels of engagement" are there to allow the club to be distant from difficult issues!)  

 Similarly we want the trust to be professional, open and clear in articulating where the clubm ust do better.   

 

I see this as a journey.... that both radical and non radical fans can see as a good thing.  Soon we can stop talking about "the old guard" v "reformers" and instead talk about a trust focusing on working to improve the club's performance and its relationship will ALL fans.

So the R word may not be with us for much longer if that helps....

[Foxes Trust Reform]

To ensure that the elections are fair, there are clear rules around campaigning (which can be found here). Foxes Trust board members in particular are held to a standard that ensures they do not use their position to influence their own likelihood of re-election or to provide voting advice.

 

On Thursday 11th December (after the election period had started), Ian Bason (a current board member standing for re-election) appeared on fan channel Blue Tinted Glasses:

 

 

We believe Ian Bason broke election rules in numerous ways during this appearance and have submitted a case to the Independent Election Manager Jim Wheeler. If you are a Trust member and believe Ian Bason via this appearance has used his position (by appearing and speaking as a Trust board member) to gain an advantage in the election or to influence the voting on candidates, you can register your own feedback to Jim by emailing [email protected].

 

Here is what we have said in our email to Jim:

 

Hello Jim,

I hope you are well.   Please confirm receipt of this email.

I'm emailing to report what I believe to be a breach of the Foxes Trust rules on campaigning by candidate Ian Bason.

On Thursday 11th December, Ian appeared on a Leicester City fan channel that was broadcast publicly on both Twitter/X and also YouTube (replay available here). Prior to his appearance this was very clearly promoted  as the "Foxes Trust Interview" with Ian Bason from the Foxes Trust, including the use of the Foxes Trust logo in advance of, and on, the stream, and it was publicised that he would discuss the upcoming election:

 

On the stream itself, Ian is introduced as from the Foxes Trust and talks throughout as a Trust representative - sharing a behind the curtain view of what's happening at the Trust and the Fan Advisory Board. He is clearly speaking as a Trust board member throughout and at no point clarifies that he is present as an individual or explicitly state that he does not represent the views of the Foxes Trust board.

Where I believe he breaks election rules around campaigning is from 52:00 onwards in particular where he starts to talk about a campaign group that has run for the last couple of years to reform the Foxes Trust (Foxes Trust Reform) and who are putting forward candidates for the upcoming election. In the period 55:00 onwards I believe there are numerous instances of campaigning/electioneering:

• 57:27 he provides an opinion on the suitability of some of the other candidates "The challenge for this next election is that if all Foxes Trust Reform candidates were elected, they would actually take control of the Trust and if that happens you could be talking about walking away from the Fans Engagement Framework"
• 57:44 he makes insinuations that Foxes Trust Reform candidates potentially have unscrupulous intentions with Trust funds  "they've raised issues about money that's in the bank account, maybe using it, you're thinking well, what for?"
• 58:58 he claims Foxes Trust Reform candidates on the board would make the Trust into a protest group and that it "just doesn't make sense"
• 59:30 he is asked about the difference between the legacy board approach and potential new joiners to the board "it's in the room versus out of the room, that's the main, fundamental one. Constructive dialogue versus not sitting in front of the club at various levels" before again referencing use of Trust money
• 01:06 he is asked a direct question on how he will do things if re-elected and doesn't state that he cannot answer the question because he is not allowed to campaign - he goes on to talk about how the current board works and what has been learned and will be taken forward

I believe that in numerous ways, Ian Bason breaks rules these two rules in particular in relation to campaigning:

 

  6.1. Campaigning under the auspices of the Society will be restricted to the statements submitted by the candidates and to any hustings organised by the Society.  

  6.6. During the election neither the IEM, EMG nor the Society Board may provide advice to voting members as to the suitability of any candidate nor issue any voting advice to members collectively. Individual Society Board members who indicate a preference in public must make it clear that they do not speak on behalf of the Society Board and express a purely personal opinion. 

As a result of his appearance on this channel and the way he approached the discussion, I believe Ian Bason to be at a clear advantage in comparison to other election candidates. He will have dissuaded members that have seen his appearance against voting for some of the other candidates in the election and he has made numerous baseless accusations about what will happen if the legacy board members are not re-elected.

Under the auspices of a society communication, and as a board member, he is warning members against voting for candidates wishing to reform the trust; and worse, he as a candidate, is using this platform to make disparaging comments about his opponents and their alleged (by him) intentions and thereby effectively campaigning in his own favour.  This cannot be right.

I request you to please review and disqualify Ian Bason from the forthcoming election.

Thanks,

 

[CockneyFox]

Bason’s steady decline in competence has been so painful to witness in recent years - “we are where we are”, the FAB and now this.

 

The importance of this election cannot be understated - change will happen if enough of us vote for it

 

 

[Ricey]

An important bit of context to this as well, it's normal practise to share within the Trust's comms working group any upcoming interviews or media engagements. This gives the group the chance to speak up on what topics and lines to communicate or discuss. Ian didn't inform anybody that he was doing this interview.

Edited 17 December 2025 by Ricey

[LC1884FC]

6 minutes ago, Ricey said:

An important bit of context to this as well, I am a member of the Trust's comms working group and it's normal practise to share within the group any upcoming interviews or media engagements. This gives the group the chance to speak up on what topics and lines we might want to communicate or discuss. Ian didn't inform anybody that he was doing this interview.

Also didn't consult the Comms working group about the joint statement after Norwich which the club then piggy backed off I believe?

 

He is obviously too close to Anthony Herihly in particular to ever hold the club to account.

Edited 17 December 2025 by LC1884FC

[moore_94]

I have noticed the Blue Tinted Glasses account seems to be trying to defend what Bason said and did coming onto their show

[Loxm]

2 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

I have noticed the Blue Tinted Glasses account seems to be trying to defend what Bason said and did coming onto their show

Hey! Hope you're well!

 

I'm not trying to defend anyone really.. just giving my own personal opinion on the situation. Personally I dont think what Bason said needs defending, if the election manager thinks differently then that's nothing to do with me!

 

We invited Bason on the channel, just like we had previously invited FTR on in the past! We also invited another candidate on to discuss the election this week. We also had Jamie from the Trust on a few months back! I've been getting notifications from FTR on X hence my replies to them! I even voted for one of the FTR candidates yesterday.

 

 

[ramboacdc]

1 hour ago, moore_94 said:

I have noticed the Blue Tinted Glasses account seems to be trying to defend what Bason said and did coming onto their show

 

1 hour ago, Loxm said:

Hey! Hope you're well!

 

I'm not trying to defend anyone really.. just giving my own personal opinion on the situation. Personally I dont think what Bason said needs defending, if the election manager thinks differently then that's nothing to do with me!

 

We invited Bason on the channel, just like we had previously invited FTR on in the past! We also invited another candidate on to discuss the election this week. We also had Jamie from the Trust on a few months back! I've been getting notifications from FTR on X hence my replies to them! I even voted for one of the FTR candidates yesterday.

 

 

Wouldn't call it defending. With the best of intentions I think the show wanted both sides of the coin, with one side knowing what they can and cannot say, and allegedly sticking to those guidelines, and one has not. Not like they invited him on the show to use it as a soapbox to besmirch candidates. BTG have done nothing wrong in this situation for sure and wouldn't be fully versed on clause 6.1 and 6.6 mentioned by FTR, as I doubt anyone would. I don't spend my evenings or day job reading terms, conditions and rule sets for the board elections of a supporter group. 


Will see if anything comes from the email FTR has sent, and any other emails that have been sent about it to the election manager, but I don't think the hosts/channel etc are in any way to blame here and seem happy to say that they aren't on anyones "side".