Open Letter to the Bees United Board, 29th December 2006
This letter is an open letter to the BU board in response to their letter of 28th December (pdf file opens in new window).. Please voice your approval or otherwise, either by commenting in my Guest Book or by email to myself and/or the Bees United board at board@beesunited.org.uk
Dear Brian,
Thank you for your letter of 28 December. I am once again writing this as an open letter and as such it will be displayed on my website.
I appreciate that you have outlined the strategy to members but how does this help members relate to what is actually going on at the Club?
When I wrote to you the team had just “slipped” into the bottom four. Now we are bottom six points from safety, discontent toward Bees United is growing and we are now witnessing anti-Bees United graffiti at Griffin Park!
I know the worst winless run in the Club’s history is not directly the Trust’s fault, but many supporters perceive the main cause of the problem as a lack of funds for a decent playing budget which is a result of the Trust denying the Club access to more cash. I believe that this is not the case and this message needs to be communicated.
When I talked of a decline in the Trust I did not mean the numbers of members and standing orders. What I did mean is its credibility both in terms of its standing with members, non-members and the rest of the football world. People look at Brentford and see that within the space of twelve months of the Trust taking ownership of the Club it has gone from promotion to relegation favourites.
The Trust needs to explain what it is doing to address both the immediate and the long-term financial woes at the Club and how this will impact on what happens on the pitch. If you don’t the Club will lose support not only from members but also non-members. How will you get more volunteers if no one understands what the Trust is doing?
Regrettably the newsletter and your letter fail to address how the Trust is going to respond to the problems at the Club and the role the Trust is going to play in this. In addition, from the short paragraph on communication in your letter, I can see no plan to do so.
Something really does need to happen! Let’s discuss this further on Saturday at the Bees United Board Meeting although as I have my monthly surgery at 1.45 pm I will have to leave shortly before this.
Yours sincerely,
Jon Gosling
Supporter Director
Comments can either be sent to me on or directly via comments page.
29th December 2006