I am delighted to be writing to you for the first time in my official capacity as Supporter Director. I feel very privileged to have been elected to this position and would firstly like to thank Sian Davies and Ceri Stone for the dedicated and professional manner in which they have represented the Trust before stepping down this season from their respective roles as Supporter Director and Associate Director.
Over the coming 12 months I will work closely with Adam Lewis, who has taken up the position of Associate Director and we will both be representing you, the supporters, at Swansea City AFC board meetings for the remainder of the season. Together we have a clear vision and plan, building on the work of our predecessors to create a modern, inclusive, and professional Supporters’ Trust while never forgetting why we exist in the first place.
As an organisation, our influence within the club has arguably never been greater. I promise you we will use that influence to ensure your voices are heard in the right places, and that the club operates effectively and sustainability.
Our commitment to you
We have set out five objectives for the year ahead that we want you to measure us against and we will explain more about these in future statements:
- Improved methods of communication and greater transparency
- Making ourselves available to discuss issues with you
- Being evidence based through capturing supporter views
- Focussed on solutions to feedback received
- Rigorous in our oversight of the club
Ultimately, everyone wants a winning football club on the pitch with strong leadership and management off it. We believe that with Andy Coleman now at the helm as a local owner and decision-maker, we have a great opportunity to achieve this. The season may not have got off to the start any of us had hoped for, but results will improve – hopefully starting this weekend. The owners are hurting like we all are at the moment, but I can assure you they are fully committed to seeing the club return to the Premier League at the earliest opportunity.
We want to be seen as partners going forward, with you and with the club. Partnership doesn’t mean that we are always going to agree on matters, nor that we will simply roll over to club or social media demands. A strong partnership is built on mutual respect and understanding of each other’s position and that will allow us to disagree on issues but retain a good working relationship. We therefore ask you to continuously engage with us in a constructive manner that will help us to fulfil our duties to you and the club, bearing in mind please that we have no influence over what happens on the pitch on matchday.
What we need from you
To be successful in our roles, we need to hear from you. With this in mind we have set up a virtual supporter office to engage with you all on any matter you think is relevant. If you wish to get in touch to raise an issue, please contact: supporters@swanstrust.co.uk
What is coming up
We will shortly be publishing a new strategy setting out the Trust’s vision and plans in more detail, which you, as Trust members, will have the chance to influence. This will establish a clear direction for the Trust over the next 3-5 years and will dictate our priorities over that period. We are also working with the club on a series of fans forums, Q&A sessions, and regular podcasts with members of the club’s ownership and management team.
Appointment of Todd Marcelle to Swansea City’s Board of Directors
At the same time as it was formally announced on Companies House of my appointment as new Supporter Director, another Director, Todd Marcelle, was formally brought onto the club’s board. Todd is the Chief Investment Officer at Legacy Automotive Capital, an automotive industry financial firm.
We understand from having met with Todd earlier this season that his background is in building, leading, and scaling high-growth organisations around the world in finance, real estate, and software. He has more than 20 years’ experience in helping businesses increase revenue and profits, and we look forward to seeing the benefits of this experience in supporting Swansea City to improve their financial performance and commercial opportunities.
We’re looking forward to further conversations with Todd as the season progresses, but in the meantime, I’d like to take this opportunity to formally welcome him to Swansea City Football Club.
Finally, I would also like to encourage you all to join the Trust if you have yet to do so this season. Membership is available for as little as £2.50 this year and there are many benefits to being a member, the most important being the ability to have a say in the way your club is run. It takes just a couple of minutes to join online HERE (https://www.swanstrust.co.uk/join-the-trust/)
That’s all for now. We look forward to engaging with you in the coming months as we work to deliver our objectives on behalf of supporters, the Trust and the club itself.
Paul Meller
Supporter Director
Swansea City Supporters’ Trust
22nd September 2023
