Following a recent discussion on internet message boards, the Trust Board wishes to clarify its rules and policy concerning co-opting people onto the Trust Board.
At its inception, the Cardiff City Supporters Trust (CCST) was obliged by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to adopt a set of rules based on those developed by the Supporters Direct organisation to govern Supporters Trusts. These rules included making provision for co-opting non-elected people onto the Trust Board. Despite objections from the founders of the Trust, Supporters Direct was adamant this rule was included.
The current rules of the CCST then do allow for people to be co-opted onto the Board. However, the rules also clearly state that elected Board members must always be in a majority over non-elected Board members so that the democratic principles of the Trust are maintained.
The rules about co-opting people allow the Board to bring specific expertise to bear on specific issues. They give examples of people who may be co-opted such as a Local Authority representative, a disabled supporters’ representative, a local businessperson or a representative of a community scheme. Many other clubs have successfully co-opted such members to their Boards and have found their input very valuable. Any decision to co-opt a non-elected Board member would have to be discussed by the Board as a group before any such invitation were issued.
Up to now, the CCST Board has not co-opted anyone onto the Board so all the current Board members have been elected by the membership. The Trust Board wishes to make it clear to members that it has no plans at present to depart from this approach.