BOD Blues

With Gordon Grace looking to depart the Board of Directors and no one willingly stepping forward to take over the reigns, you have to ask the question why? Is a club that has seen good times in recent years on the brink of a crisis?

Whilst Grace always maintained the fact that he wasn't in it for the long haul, he does seem particularly keen, along with Mike Graham, to step aside now. Some may say that he has done his job and it's time to move on. However some also believe that there could be more to it than that.

Very few people actually knew the exact state of the financials when the current BOD took over, but we were all lead to believe we were on the brink of administration. Are we really in a much stronger situation now though than we were 10 months ago? Many would say that is debatable. Despite a superb end to the season on the field, rumours are still strong that the club still hasn't secured it's financial status.

Grace recently commented in the press that he has spoken to sponsors, council representatives, previous board members from several former boards in regards to takeover talks. However so far nothing worth mentioning has resulted from the discussions. Des Byrne, and the majority of the members from the previous BOD, who guided us through the most successful period in the clubs history, were invited for talks to take control over the club, however it seems that no agreement was reached. Is it a case of Grace and Graham asking the previous BOD as a polite gesture with no real intention of releasing control? Or could the previous BOD see something more worrying off the field, dare I say even financially, which confirmed the decision to not get involved?

It is no secret on the various Haven forums that a minority of people seem to know more than others when it comes to the financials. Some even saying that we wont last until Christmas! Whilst I am of the opinion that Grace and Graham do want the best for the club, I can't help but wonder if the situation is starting to get a little tricky, hence why they feel new direction, and even investment, is needed sooner rather than later.

New direction and investment is something which might be hard to find in the depths of West Cumbria. However the recent suggestion of a supporters trust becoming involved with the runnings of the club has been a hot talking point over the past few days. The idea of fans becoming involved with the decision making and the greater transparency that results from a supporters trust run club is very appealing.

Take Ebbsfleet Utd for example. A lower league football club run and owned by 30,000 individuals paying £35 per annum to the website myfootballclub.co.uk. Each member of the site has a share in the club for their £35 and can be involved in major decisions that effect the club. Whilst this can be considered as the purest form of supporters trust control, there are many clubs that operate along side a supporters trust.

Could a similar initiative be what a club like Whitehaven needs in order to progress off the field? The main questions surrounding such a scheme is whether there is the supporter base and enough interest to sustain such an idea, however it is something that key individuals at the club are taking notice of.

Whilst on the field we seem to have things under an element of control with Ged Stokes at the helm, off the field events are proving to be problematic and maybe the only way out is a radical restructuring through a supporters trust driven initiative.