FA response to STAR letter

[M4 Junction 11]

... a neat and tidy finish to the whole Mourinho affair

[Hoop Blah]

STAR, Is this still ongoing?

Do we ever get to know the jist of the FA's response?

[Forbury Lion]

Personally I suspect the only reason the FA want to keep it quiet is because they, as usual, did sweet FA.

Or they're going to give a points deduction but want to wait until the end of the season to be sure they make it big enough to get them relegated.

[Northern Git]

Just seen this thread for the first time and reading through it must admit I am a little concerned about how its events are panning out.

If I have got it right STAR has received numerous complaints, from its members and others, following the Chelsea game on 14/10/2006. The broad gist of these complaints regard the behaviour and comments made at the time and since by the Chelsea Manager.

STAR has sent a letter outlining these complaints to the governing body of English football, the FA.

The FA has responded, but has made the response ‘not for publication’. Star has then decided that the contents of the letter will not be made ‘public’ because of this.

Few things. The FA cannot, at a whim, make a letter in response to a complaint from a correctly registered supporters trust secret. The not for publication stamp is worthless, unless it has some bearing on an outstanding or imminent legal case.

STAR, being registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1965 – 78, is legally bound to publish the letter to its members. The secretary has an obligation to, under rule 29i publishing to members in an appropriate form information which they should have about the affairs of the Society;
And under rule 39 covering General Meetings: - It is the responsibility of the Society Board, the Chair of the meeting and the Secretary to ensure that at any
general meeting:
a) the issues to be decided are clearly explained;
b) Sufficient information is provided to members to enable rational discussion to take place;

With these rules in mind I suggest that the proper response to the FA letter would have been to send it back, informing them that, as an Industrial and Provident Society, STAR is legally obliged to publish the documents contents, in full, to its members. Also it should have been made clear that until correspondence is received from the FA without a request not to publish that STAR would regard their complaint as unanswered.

It is too easy to fall into the murky waters of FA politics.

[M4 Junction 11]

The secretary has an obligation to, under rule 29i publishing to members in an appropriate form information which they should have about the affairs of the Society;.

I know the Rules are on the STAR website but does anyone really care if the legal requirements are followed.

[SpaceCruiser]

I am a STAR member and I am one of probably many members who don't know the contents of the FA response. This is wrong, isn't it.

[Northern Git]

The secretary has an obligation to, under rule 29i publishing to members in an appropriate form information which they should have about the affairs of the Society;.

I know the Rules are on the STAR website but does anyone really care if the legal requirements are followed.

Its not if you or I do or do not care, the officers of STAR are legally bound to follow those requirements set out in the Act. Its not a take it or leave it option.

[M4 Junction 11]

The secretary has an obligation to, under rule 29i publishing to members in an appropriate form information which they should have about the affairs of the Society;.

I know the Rules are on the STAR website but does anyone really care if the legal requirements are followed.

Its not if you or I do or do not care, the officers of STAR are legally bound to follow those requirements set out in the Act. Its not a take it or leave it option.

Dare I ask what the penalty is for non-compliance

[Forbury Lion]

STAR members are STAR, those who run it are STAR members elected to represent the rest.

A response to the STAR board is a letter to STAR as a whole and as such the whole of STAR have a right to read it.

[weybridgewanderer]

I am a STAR member and I am one of probably many members who don't know the contents of the FA response. This is wrong, isn't it.

Have you asked a star board member if you can read the letter? I believe there is an obligation to allow you to know the contents. I don't believe there is an obligation for them to publish the letter on their website.

[Northern Git]

I know the Rules are on the STAR website but does anyone really care if the legal requirements are followed.

Its not if you or I do or do not care, the officers of STAR are legally bound to follow those requirements set out in the Act. Its not a take it or leave it option.

Dare I ask what the penalty is for non-compliance

That made me chuckle

[SpaceCruiser]

I am a STAR member and I am one of probably many members who don't know the contents of the FA response. This is wrong, isn't it.

Have you asked a star board member if you can read the letter? I believe there is an obligation to allow you to know the contents. I don't believe there is an obligation for them to publish the letter on their website.

I don't know any star board members.

[Northern Git]

I am a STAR member and I am one of probably many members who don't know the contents of the FA response. This is wrong, isn't it.

Have you asked a star board member if you can read the letter? I believe there is an obligation to allow you to know the contents. I don't believe there is an obligation for them to publish the letter on their website.

Correct - their obligation is to make it available to members in an appropriate form. Does not have to be on the web as this would prob make it public to non members.

[SpaceCruiser]

I am a STAR member and I am one of probably many members who don't know the contents of the FA response. This is wrong, isn't it.

Have you asked a star board member if you can read the letter? I believe there is an obligation to allow you to know the contents. I don't believe there is an obligation for them to publish the letter on their website.

Correct - their obligation is to make it available to members in an appropriate form. Does not have to be on the web as this would prob make it public to non members.

I believe that they read it out at a STAR forum. This is ridiculous because it does not make provision for (a) those who are unable to attend and (b) those who can't understand the person who reads out the letter.

[M4 Junction 11]

They usually post information to members. I'd be happy for a summary one pager to collect from STAR HQ on presentation of my member card.

---------------------------------------------------------------
GIVE US THE F*CKING RESPONSE YOU WAN*ERS!!
VOTE Huntley for STAR

[TFF]

I am a STAR member and I am one of probably many members who don't know the contents of the FA response. This is wrong, isn't it.

Have you asked a star board member if you can read the letter? I believe there is an obligation to allow you to know the contents. I don't believe there is an obligation for them to publish the letter on their website.

I did:

Can members read the letter in STAR's HQ?

No response though...

[STAR Liaison]

All I can say at the moment is that while STAR is still pursuing the matter we felt the appropriate from for discussion to take place was at the Fans Forum. Once there is nothing more we can do that may well change.

[cheeryoleary]

Is it possible to force STAR (by non-violent means) to issue this information to members?

[M4 Junction 11]

Is it possible to force STAR (by non-violent means) to issue this information to members?

If you believe Northern Git they're willing to risk personal legal action to avoid sharing this with members so the answer is probably no.

[STAR Voice]

There's never been any great secret about this - as pointed out, the letter from the FA was read out at the STAR fans' forum last month. Other priorities have bumped this down the list a bit, though.

And although this letter was marked "not for publication" I'd personally have no qualms in publishing it if I thought that would help resolve matters, but I think that would be counter-productive as dialogue is still on-going with the FA & FAPL over this and other issues, so there's little point in antagonising them without actually gaining anything.

But, in summary, the letter confirms what most people expected - that the FA will not (as of 1st week of December) be taking any official action against Chelsea and Messrs Mourinho & Drogba (the parties named in our evidence).

However, I'm pretty certain that various things have gone on behind the scenes - I'm not going to publish my thoughts on a public forum as I have no proof and so there are, esentially, just speculation, but I'd be happy to answer any queries, from STAR members, by e-mail or by PM, on the undertstanding that these are my own thoughts and impressions and are not "official" opinions or policy.