OUSP News

Scrongo said:
Having 2 supporters groups is distracting, can't they merge & become as one. All singing off the same page as one group. The ox vox supporters pannel 🧟🧟
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The club is way ahead of you. These notes, taken from the latest OUSP Minutes show what the club (or at least Adam Benson - Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer) have planned and are proposing.
AB has reviewed current Fan Engagement processes and is developing a formalised strategy for engagement to meet and exceed recommendations set out in the government white paper and fan-led review. The strategy will establish a Club Advisory Board (CAB). The CAB will have 6 members including one each from OxVox and OUSP, plus four others. The CAB will consider strategic and governance issues as well as matchday issues. It will be important that CAB members have appropriate skills. Appointments process will follow FSA recommendations and be by nomination and selection board. Meetings would always have SLO + CCMO attending, plus relevant senior staff e.g. CEO/Chair. OUSP will continue in its remit for matchday issues and supporter experience. This structure will give OxVox a defined route of engagement with the club, which they do not currently have.

Note that these volunteers will have to demonstrate appropriate skills and pass a selection board. (Much like applying for a job) Whilst I would applaud the setting up of such a group as being what the FSA have advocated, we do indeed already have OxVox and OUSP, both of which do fantastic work. It has to be said that both struggle to find sufficient numbers willing to step up and participate (hence no voting required @Essexyellows ) The last line of the quote is odd. "a defined route of engagement". How have they managed up to now?

To then expect qualified people to put their hands up to participate in another supporter grouping is, I fancy, more than a little optimistic of the club.
The more cynical might suggest that this latest group would give the club far more control over input and output even to the extent of censoring any dissent. Coupled with the down grading of the Fans Forums, my impression is that the club are very much looking to taking control of supporter interaction.
 
Manorlounger said:
The change in format for the Fans Forum is being lead (by the club) with a reference to yet another format in supporter liaison with the following mentioned in the minutes:
The strategy will establish a Club Advisory Board (CAB). The CAB will have 6 members including one each from OxVox and OUSP, plus four others. The CAB will consider strategic and governance issues as well as matchday issues. It will be important that CAB members have appropriate skills. Appointments process will follow FSA recommendations and be by nomination and selection board. Meetings would always have SLO + CCMO attending, plus relevant senior staff e.g. CEO/Chair.

This appears to be a further step by the club to dilute contact with supporters and, more worryingly, the already existing supporter groups. This is not acceptable.
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CAB = ‘Customers‘ Are Bothersome.
 
Trevor L said:
Nominations were invited in August 2022 and results announced at the trust AGM in October 2022. Next annual election is now due and we'll be inviting nominations shortly, AGM date will be in early 2024. Two or three months later than we would have liked but we've been a bit busy with 📐 related stuff.
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Thank you, and this isn't a dig at OxVox. But for context, nominations were invited in May 2023 for OUSP with results announced in June.

As @Manorlounger has said, there are few supporters able or willing to join these organisations and consequently there wasn't the need for elections. However, both OxVox and OUSP are democratically elected bodies with dedicated individuals who are all trying to make things better for the club and the wider fanbase.

We can see from the strength of opinion on here at times, that people can have hugely opposing views on the same subject. It is not always easy to find outcomes that meet everyone's expectations. However, all views are shared with club representatives regardless of our own individual thoughts or experiences.

Across OUSP and OxVox there are good people doing good things to help our club survive and become a better place for all. It's a shame that a few are so dismissive of those who give up their time for others, but you can't please everyone!
 
I didn't read it as a dig @Scotchegg. I just thought it was worth clarifying.

Like you, I think both groups do sterling work. The primary focus of OUSP on matchday aspects, and that of OxVox with a remit on wider issues, with joint work on, for example, some stuff around the new stadium, is working quite well in my judgement. I don't think either group is exclusive and help from anyone is always welcome!

It's totally understandable, however, that folk are busy with their lives and commitments, and there are not many willing or able to spend their time regularly in this way. We've had contested elections in the past at OxVox, but it's fair to say they are the exception rather than the rule. 10 people coming forward and a similar number for OUSP can be a tall order.

Regardless of the structure and perceived purpose of another group, and I don't intend to comment on that on here, it wouldn't be appropriate until our chair and committee have given it careful consideration, a practical worry I'd have is that this third grouping would drain the pool of willing folk even further.
 
A someone who is a life member of OxVox, but isn't totally au fait with the ins and outs of all this, I'd like to say that the proliferation of supporters groups apparently representing our views to the club is simply confusing - it is to me and I know a bit about what each body does: for people who know less it must be bewildering.

Given that two of these bodies have been set up by the club, I can't help thinking that there is an element of 'divide and conquer' about it. That does not mean I have anything less than the utmost admiration for those who give up their precious time to help with these organisations.
 
Just to add some context here. OUSP aims to minute and share summaries of all our discussions. There will be times, such as this, when something is rightly discussed as part of its development rather than as a fully finished item. We noted in the minutes the next steps include discussion with OxVox and further discussion with the FSA.
At the point when, and if, the strategy is finalised, specific details including the positioning of a CAB with existing fan groups will need to be made clear.
 
Scotchegg said:
Across OUSP and OxVox there are good people doing good things to help our club survive and become a better place for all. It's a shame that a few are so dismissive of those who give up their time for others, but you can't please everyone!
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It doesn't matter how wonderful people are if what they're giving up their time for is wrong-headed.

I'm offended by your lazy slurs and I'm pointing out that I have NEVER disparaged the individuals' effort, only the foolishness of their support the puppet fans organisation.
 
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Let's see.if OxVox has anything to say about this. I pay for their support and I'm fed up at their lack of resistance to the club's ongoing campaign to de-fang supporters representatives.
 
OK, you know I like a bit of hyperbole.

But, these good souls have been duped, by the club and by those who would thrust themselves forward, have they not?
 
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Paul Cannell said:
OK, you know I like a bit of hyperbole.

But, these good souls have been duped, by the club and by those who would thrust themselves forward, have they not?
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Honestly I don’t know, Oxvox seem a bit too important to get involved with toilets and the like. I’m not really a joiner or someone who turns out to meetings on cold nights so I’m not going to criticise anyone. @RyanioBirdio posted a lovely video of the Notts County manager at a fans forum, we don’t have that level of connection- sometimes our club seems to have a stick up its ass.
 
werthersoriginal said:
Honestly I don’t know, Oxvox seem a bit too important to get involved with toilets and the like. I’m not really a joiner or someone who turns out to meetings on cold nights so I’m not going to criticise anyone. @RyanioBirdio posted a lovely video of the Notts County manager at a fans forum, we don’t have that level of connection- sometimes our club seems to have a stick up its ass.
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We had it in the Eales era ( the togetherness, not the stick !)
 
LowerSouth said:
We had it in the Eales era ( the togetherness, not the stick !)
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We did the supporters the club the players all together I think it was one of the reasons we got promoted everyone pulling together felt really good at the time we was united as one.
 
mickbrownsconscience said:
As a Life Member of Oxvox since the Sennett days I think that they have always done a superb job as custodians of my club's history and soul. I was then happy to support OUSP because I believed that they would address the 'little ticket' stuff like the state of the loos and the pigeon s**t. Sadly they never did, so I think their time has passed.
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I thought the pigeon stuff got sorted.
 
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