Welcome to the Silkmen Supporters' Trust.

6th December 2018

The SST Annual General Meeting

The SST Annual General Meeting followed by an Open Board Meeting was held in the McIIroy suite at Macclesfield Football Club on Monday 18th November 2018.

The minutes of both meetings  together with other relevant information has been made available for downloading below:-

3rd December 2018

Following on from the recent SST AGM and subsequent board meeting, the SST board have been working on a number of initiatives. I am therefore writing on behalf of my fabulous colleagues on the SST board to provide you with an update; most notably that which is in response to the open letter sent to the club last week.

Open Letter to Kevin Green; the Chief Executive of MTFC

A letter (see below) documenting the concerns raised by SST members and fans was sent to chief executive Kevin Green on the 24th November. We requested Kevin formally respond by Monday 3rd December.

Since this time majority shareholder Amar Alkadhi has contacted the SST and requested that he (rather than Kevin) provides a response. The fact that Amar has personally intervened demonstrates evidence of positivity with regard to the possibility of more open communication channels between the hierarchy of the club and the fans. In view of this, it has been agreed that the deadline be extended until the end of this week by the very latest to allow Amar the time to give a detailed response to us. This will of course be highlighted on the SST website in addition to Wraggs to Riches & The Star Lane End sites.

SST Website

The SST website is currently undergoing a revamp, so please feel free to browse through and see if you can spot anything new!

Home Page:  https://www.sstrust.uk

SST Membership

It is now so much easier to join the SST, as we have updated the registration forms to include account details & pay-pal details.

Join Us: https://www.sstrust.uk/join-us/

Fundraising 

Throughout the 2017/18 season and during the summer of 2018, the SST (in collaboration with the Super Silk Lotto on a number of initiatives) have provided funding towards the following:

• A  new lawn mower for the groundsman.
• John Askey’s home kit and Mitch Hancox's away kit.
• Trophies for the Player of the Year Awards evening.
• New hand dryers in the Star Lane Ladies' and Gents' toilets.
• Insulation of The Mcllroy Suite.
• A thank you event for the fabulous Silkmen volunteers.
• Two vital new computers for the administration staff at MTFC.
• New radio equipment for the stewards.
• A new glass washer in The McIlroy Suite.
• Copper piping for the main stand.

A huge vote of thanks to YOU in supporting these fundraising initiatives.

Easyfundraising 

Easyfundraising is the completely FREE way in which you can help raise funds for the SST which of course helps the Silkmen cause, and it can be done so easily whilst you shop online.

By using easyfundraising to buy goods from such well-known retailers as Booking.com and Amazon, a percentage of your spends goes to the SST at NO additional cost to you.

It's easy to register and use, so find out how using our '3 step guide' at https://www.sstrust.uk/fundraising/easyfundraising/

Santa, the SST and in turn your club all benefit. ?

2019

As 2018 draws to a close and with the input of new board members with new ideas, the SST are looking to re-launch in 2019 with contemporary aims and objectives. The more members we have, the stronger the influence we can have in support of our beloved  club. Of course the more we can do to help improve the fan experience. Whether this is about the need for a new Butch's Bar; a new scoreboard or new bins around the ground, we would like the fans that we represent to have more of a say. This is not only with regards to how any funds raised are spent, but as to how the voices of the Silkmen faithful are heard in helping influence positive change at our beloved club.

Andy Worth

SST Chairman

25th November 2018

Letter to the Chief Executive

24th November 2018

Mr. Kevin Green

Chief Executive

Macclesfield Town Football Club

Moss Rose Stadium

London Road

Macclesfield

SK11 7SP

Dear Kevin.

First of all as the recently appointed Chairman of the Silkmen Supporters Trust (SST) I would like to welcome you to this fantastic club of ours, and look forward to a positive and effective working relationship with you in the weeks and months to come. I would now like to take this opportunity to raise a number of issues of concern that have been raised to us by our fiercely loyal fan-base, and for which we request that you provide a formal response to us. I would like to make it clear to you that this is an open letter and the contents of which will be available to be seen on the SST website and the unofficial websites of Wraggs to Riches and The Star Lane End. The board members of the SST are fundamentally committed to openness and transparency and as such the decision to make this letter an open one speaks for itself.  We wish to make it clear that any response that you provide to us will be communicated within the forums which have been previously highlighted.

I have taken the opportunity to highlight a number of key concerns and would be most grateful for your responses to the questions raised by Monday 3rd December 2018.

1. There is a strong feeling amongst Silkmen supporters that there is a significant disconnect between them and the majority shareholder Amar Alkadhi and Chairman Mark Blower. Could you please advise on how you intend to positively address this perception amongst the Silkmen faithful?
2. There is a perception that the Silkmen hierarchy is not trusted by a number of influential local businessmen; some of which have previously been involved but  sadly no longer seem to be. Could you please advise on how well you are doing at attracting the interest of local businesses, and reinvigorating relationships with previous influential local businesses who have proactively supported the football club in the past?
3. There are concerns that as majority shareholder, Amar holds such an influential shareholding that it significantly inhibits the possibility for an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of shareholders, to discuss important issues around the future of our beloved club,  Could you please advise if there are any plans for an AGM in the foreseeable future which we feel sure would help to facilitate  a feeling of transparency and openness from the club?
4. There are significant concerns about a perceived lack of investment in the playing staff at the club which has contributed to the poor start to our season. Could you please advise as to how the club intends to provide resources that would ensure our survival in the EFL, and provide clarity as to the current managerial situation because of the perceived ambiguity in official communications thus far?
5. A number of supporters have expressed concern as to the apparent lack of sponsorship for games since our return to the EFL which has inevitably attracted increased crowds. Could you please advise as to why this appears to be the case and what the club is doing to address this matter?
6. The SST have been made aware of a number of concerns relating to fan experience (particularly on London Road) that has created a perception of 'them and us' between the London Road and Moss Lane areas of the ground.  Dean Holmes and Robert Stirling do a fantastic job at attempting to provide a positive experience for fans in Butch's Bar, but it is patently clear that the condition of Butch's Bar is extremely poor /not fit for purpose, and several of our members have even indicated their concern about having witnessed rainwater seeping through light fittings. Could you please advise as to how the club intends to improve the fan experience in London Road as for example via such initiatives as a new version of Butch's Bar?
7. There is evidence that previous investment from the SST has been rewarded with share provision but there is no evidence that this has been the case recently. Is the club willing to consider the possibility that for every pound that they invest into the club (which also includes the Super Silk Lotto investment) that they will receive a share?
8. A number of our members are aware that 500 pounds a month from the money accrued via the Super Silk Lotto is paid into the club coffers. Could you please provide an outline of how that money is utilised? It is considered that an awareness of how the money raised is supporting the club may encourage further membership.
9. On a positive note to finish, I would be most grateful if you could make media manager Bob Trafford aware of the excellent feedback from many of our members with regards to quality of the official website content, quality of programme and willingness to provide speedy responses to efforts within his role of fans liaison officer on behalf of the club.

Macclesfield Town Football Club consistently punches above it's weight and our current position within the elite of 92 Football League clubs bears testimony to this fact.  In a recent address you yourself Kevin spoke of the importance of unity in engendering a spirit of unity  that could ensure our survival that facilitates such a belief.  As a consequence the SST board politely requests that you 'put your money where your mouth is' and offer a honest and valued response to what is asked of you within the time-frame provided above.

Yours sincerely

Andy Worth

SST Chairman