Supporters Trust Hall of Fame Dinner

[maimie]

Tickets are now on sale for the above event to be held in the Drumossie Hotel on Friday 7 September 2007.

This will be a fantastic night where the fans can get the opportunity to honour (and meet) some of the legends of our club.  Also there on the night will be the new SFA Chief Executive, Gordon Smith who has lots to say about football past, present and future. 

Champagne reception, 4 course meal and awards to be presented!  In the run-up to the event you will all have the opportunity to vote for who you think should be the first members inducted into the Hall of Fame and details will be announced as soon as possible on how you can do this.  The cost will be £55 per person.

The Trust have worked really hard to keep this as affordable for the fans as possible and it's hoped that as many of you that can attend will do.  The tickets are selling well so please get in touch to book your seats.  If you want more details of the event please don't hesitate to contact any Trust Board members either here or on the Trust website at

http://ictsupporterstrust.co.uk/

Details of how to book are on this clicky linky thingy....

http://www.caleythistleonline.com/index.ph...&Itemid=175

[FortressICT]

think you can guess the names that will be on the shortlists for it:

charlie christie

bobby mann

barry wilson

denzil

iain stewart

ross tokely

jim calder

steve paterson

duncan shearer??

juanjo surely just for being a fans favourite :023:

there will be more.......

[DJS]

Just want to echo what Maimie has already said.  A huge amount of effort is going into this evening and it will be spectacular with some great guests from ICT's past invited along.

Email the trust at info@ictsupporterstrust.co.uk if you have any questions or send me a PM.

Voting should start next week.

[L_G]

Corporate table sales are going well so far and efforts will be stepped up this week to sell this event out sooner rather than later.  We still have quite a lot of work to do to get this show on the road so getting all the tables sold would allow us to move on to other things.

We are hoping to have a good show of fans as we see this as a supporter's night, we have already booked 4 supporters tables but would like to make it more.  My concern is that you leave it til the last minute and then there won't be any seats available and the event will end up mainly corporate. (Many of these corporate tables are booked by fans and ex players, who have their own businesses)

We did our best to keep the individual cost down as much as possible for the fans, but the other side of that coin is that it is really cheap now for the corporate market so very easy to sell.

Even if there is only 1 or 2 of you want to go, let us know as soon as possible and we'll allocate a space at a supporter's table for you.

Please don't leave it til it's too late.

[CaleyD]

£55 isn't expensive for this type of event, but I think the Trust are kidding themselves if they think it will be considered in any way "affordable" to most fans.  It's not the fault of the trust, but in the economic climate that currently surrounds football everything is expensive in the eyes of the fans and many have to budget for the season.  You just have to look at the recent thread about how much people spend supporting the team to see that many are already spending in excess of £100 to £150 a month following ICT, so regardless of the price of these events they will still struggle to justify/afford shelling out £55 (plus bar costs , travel etc) on top of that.

Pound for Pound these events will always raise more funds than a bowling night, and for that reason they are extremely worthwhile, but it still troubles me that the Supporters Trust seem to be puting more effort into events aimed at the corporate market than the average fan.

[L_G]

A bit unfair CaleyD.  One of our purposes is to raise money and like it or not these events do exactly that and we could have still sold it out at £60 or £70 or even £80, but we did our best to keep the cost down as much as possible, so that at least some 'ordinary' fans could make it. 

We have had 2 successful bowling nights and a pampering and tampering with race night in the process of being organised.  Other things in the pipeline too.  We have to strike a balance, but we're never going to make a fortune with these events.  What we have tried to do is make as much of a compromise as possible. As you acknowledge £55 for this event is quite reasonable. 

[CaleyD]

Could you elaborate on what you think is "unfair" in what I have said?

What follows your opening remark seems to be some kind of defense against allegations which I have not made.  I was already aware of the Trusts efforts in getting the price down, even if I do believe the club should have no say in the pricing of a Trust Event.

I then went on to say that events such as this were extremely worthwhile, yet you seem to have felt the need to go on and justify it anyway!!!

The one point you seem to have ignored is the one about you being a Supporters Trust, which, to date, seems to have done more to cater for the corporates than it has for the supporters.

You seem to be seeking an argument where none exists and ignoring the points where you can offer no defense.

[HighlanderICT]

The one point you seem to have ignored is the one about you being a Supporters Trust, which, to date, seems to have done more to cater for the corporates than it has for the supporters.

This does appear to be catering to the corporates and this is strange when the club are not even willing to include events like this in their mailings to corporate sponsors for fear it will interfere with club events around the same date.

In general, the trust seems to try and cater for all, but this looks like a case of not being able to please everyone all the time. Bowling nights, Boxing nights, Race nights, Dinners, even the singing section all appear to cater to different groups. £55 is a little pricey, but better than being higher.

[Tug]

i am quite keen to go to this,

never been to a do like this before but still not sure what to expect. (scuse me for being a little slow  :029:)

anybody give me an idea of whats gonna happen on the night please

i.e dress code etc etc

[Scotty]

I am sure LG, Maimie or DJS can enlighten you and all of them are regulars on this site so likely to respond if I get this wrong .... but  according to the letter I received asking me to put information on the site .... "The evening, which is a black tie event, will be hosted by Moray Firth Radio’s morning show presenter Ginno Conti" so its a dinner suit and dickie bow job !!!

[L_G]

Spot on Scotty black tie it is.  :003:

Just PM one of us and we'll send you a booking form.

Should be a good night

[Mrs Pauliebee]

I'm really looking forward to it - Mr PB's credit card is trembling at the thought of the new outfit I'll need! :015:

These types of events don't happen every week, and it's a chance to show some real support to The Legends that

have contributed so much and given us the club we have today!  In order to do them and the club justice, the production values

are high and the price really had to be £55.  Could have been alot higher if others had their way!

[Charles Bannerman]

I'm really struggling with this one. It's not just a case of me not following Caley D's point of view... I can't even be sure if he's trying to make a point in the first place!

The best I can make of it is that he perhaps thinks the Trust should have borrowed a marquee from the Elton John gig, stuck it in thge car park and sent out for a takeaway of Big Macs and done the Legends that way for a couple of quid?

Caley D... look at it this way. The Supporters' Trust has come a very long way in its short existence and has managed to be a lot of things to a lot of people. At one end, it has organised high turnover events which have grossed large amounts of money for the ultimate benefit of ICT. At the other end it has been very active indeed in creating "people's" events such as the Bowling Night and the Football Forums in addition to the initiative it took not only in setting up the singing section but also the manner in which the Trust fought the fans' corner in the unfortunate aftermath of the Singing Section's debut.

I would suggest to you that any philosophy which only wants to concentrate on the latter type of activity is one which is backward looking to the days of the Highland League.

I could write at great length about Caley D's suggestion that "in the economic climate that currently surrounds football everything is expensive in the eyes of the fans " but will desist. All I will do is to return to the theme that football by its nature has to be an expensive activity for those who want to watch it. When you have a body of 20 plus full time professionals at a club who, by the nature of their employment, can only work productively for an hour and a half a fortnight, the cost of providing what they do is bound to be high. This is the fundamental nature of modern football and if that is what fans want, that is what they are going to need to pay for. But at least the involvement of the corporate sector does manages to relieve the burden on fans to a commendable extent.

[CaleyD]

Charles, where abouts did I knock the event or suggest it should be anything other than what it is?

Despite the great price it is still outwith the scope of the majority of fans, especially given the total expense of following your team these days.  As I said, that is not the fault of the trust, but they are kidding themselves if they think (despite their efforts to keep the cost down) it is affordable to your average fan.

How far the Supporters Trust has come is a matter of perception.  So they've got a few quid in the bank, that's great, but what exactly are they doing with it other than funding the ground keeping costs at the club by purchasing sprayer attachments for the tractor?  How does that fulfil the objectives of the Trust?  Where are the aims, what are the objectives?

One of the biggest gripes the fans have had since our promotion is the extent to which the club has pushed aside the wants/needs of the fans in favour of pandering to the desires of the corporate market....you may argue, and I doubt I would disagree, that it is a necessary evil, but it doesn't make it right and it certainly doesn't mean that the Supporters Trust should follow them down the same path.  IMO, the Supporters Trust should be there to assist in closing that gap.

The Trust have gone on about all the work they have done to keep the cost down for this event....what they haven't said is that it is the club who have been pulling the strings behind the scenes and dicatating the cost.  This is suppose to be a Trust Event so why do the club have any say in such matters?  Could it be that the proceeds are to be split again on the basis of a "joint venture" which is nothing more than a way of hiving off half the proceeds to the club without the need to go through the Trust Members to seek guidance on how the money is spent?

I speak it as I see it, some agree and some don't, que sera - but unless I get proper answers to the questions I ask then I will just keep on asking.

I finish with four words which are paraded as the strengths of Supporters Trusts...

Accountable, Transparent, Open and Democratic

[L_G]

The Trust have gone on about all the work they have done to keep the cost down for this event....what they haven't said is that it is the club who have been pulling the strings behind the scenes and dicatating the cost.  This is suppose to be a Trust Event so why do the club have any say in such matters?  Could it be that the proceeds are to be split again on the basis of a "joint venture" which is nothing more than a way of hiving off half the proceeds to the club without the need to go through the Trust Members to seek guidance on how the money is spent?

The 'Trust' have worked hard to keep the cost down. The club are not dictating the cost of this event.  The event is being run solely by the Trust in partnership with our media sponsors and professional event management team who both have vast experience in this sort of event. The proceeds from this event will go directly to the Trust.

What is important about this event is that we are recognising the achievements of the people who have taken the club to where we are now in the SPL.  The evening is about celebrating the club's short history and therefore it is hoped that as many fans can attend as possible.

Tables for this event are selling fast, so we would urge anyone wanting to attend to contact the Trust ASAP. Mobile number: 07879221569

[CaleyD]

The club are not dictating the cost of this event.

Someone's been telling porkies then!!!  :023:

[Mrs Pauliebee]

Don - you are fast becoming the Victor Meldrew of this site!  :blah01:

I think your basic argument is flawed "Despite the great price it is still outwith the scope of the majority of fans" - that's certainly not the reaction we are getting, and certainly, based on current replies to this thread, not the opinon of many people on this board!

[maimie]

The club are not dictating the cost of this event.

Someone's been telling porkies then!!!  :023:

if you care to elaborate either here or by PM i'm sure we can clear the matter up....

[Charles Bannerman]

Don - "Despite the great price it is still outwith the scope of the majority of fans"

Is that not a bit of an apology of a statement for a rebel to be making?! Come on... you would never hear Che, Lenin, Mao, Rod the Mod or even Wolfie Smith apologetically dip their toe in the water of criticism like that. It looks from here as if you want to have a moan about this but at the same time be very polite about it and not offend anyone.

In terms of the product on offer, £55 is a pretty rock bottom price. But the Supporters' Trust not only runs events like this, it also has the likes of the bowling night which, I seem to recollect, cost a fiver plus a small contribution to the Johndo MacKenzie Shoe Fund.

Similarly, in terms of football, you can go to the Caley Stadium or even Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge or the Bernebeu. But for those who don't want to spend that kind of money, there are several alternatives, including the Welfare at the Bught.

You get what you pay for and there is a range of options on offer. Fortunately the Trust seems to have managed in its various activities to cater for all price ranges in addition to the part it has had to play in the promotion of the interests of fans of ICT, which I expect to grow.

[CaleyD]

Yeah - from that one line you've quoted you have me pegged good and proper - I surrender  :029:

[Scotty]

Ok, at the risk of stepping into a hornet's nest, let me give my tuppenceworth .....

Don - I think I see what you are saying, but its not coming across that way and I think you may even be slightly blinkered on this particular event. I too heard that initially it was meant to be a joint venture but from what I hear it is now totally a trust event but as I am not involved in organising it, I can only take others at their word on this.

From my own point of view, this event does appear to be catering to the more well-heeled supporters of the club and that applies whether they are corporate sponsors (some of whom ARE huge fans of the club as well) or just those individuals with a little more of a disposable income. At 55 per head it is quite expensive for those supporters for whom money is tight (quite a few I would assume) but given the actual event itself and the costs of getting things like speakers and presumably other invited guests to attend then I would say its fair or even cheap [average price for this kind of thing is about 100 i think is it not ?]. It is certainly less expensive than booking yourself in for hospitality at a match which might be a more accurate comparison than to compare it with the bowling night. [note: a recent 'meet the players' event (drinks/buffet) for Toronto FC had a pricetag of $250 (120 pounds approx) which was beyond a lot of supporters too but those of us who couldnt go smiled and were happy because the club does other things we can take advantage of ...]

The Trust is trying to cater to all levels and pockets .... a bowling night that costs a nominal sum, and where the players come along, the boxing night, and the proposed race night ... these all appeal to different demographics and like anything else in life, they will never be able to please all of the people all of the time, but at least they are trying to put on a range of events that appeal to different sets of people ....

[L_G]

The club are not dictating the cost of this event.

Someone's been telling porkies then!!!  :023:

I can assure you that the cost would be substantially more if it was a Football Club event, or even the joint venture you mentioned. 

[L_G]

The one point you seem to have ignored is the one about you being a Supporters Trust, which, to date, seems to have done more to cater for the corporates than it has for the supporters.

This does appear to be catering to the corporates and this is strange when the club are not even willing to include events like this in their mailings to corporate sponsors for fear it will interfere with club events around the same date.

If you wish to advise us of your source of info, we can ensure the corporate sponsor you refer to receives all the relevant information.  It's not so much the Club not willing to include this event, it' just that it's not a 'Club' event, but a trust event, so the publicity is down to the Trust Board.  If you don't want to make this information public you can PM me.  Cheers

[Charles Bannerman]

Yeah - from that one line you've quoted you have me pegged good and proper - I surrender  :029:

:025:

Donald... I applaud you for holding up your hands like that. Look man... just enjoy the whole thing. Your team is in the SPL and doing well. It has an ever strengthening core of support and at the centre of that a Supporters' Trust which is looking after the interests of all ICT fans and the club itself in many different ways. Why not roll up your sleeves, get stuck in positively and constructively and focus your enthusiasm for the benefit of the club and the Trust?

[CaleyD]

Ok, that's a deal, but only if you buy me a large dram on 7th September  :001: