PeeG

It is not about not giving the owners a chance here. Supporter investment could play a part as means to a way of part funding the stadium solution for example. Not sure on the exact figure pledged, but it was over 50,000 members / registrants between the two organisations. There is the SOS division of Partners Credit Union now which you can save in towards a share, although currently that has primarily been advertised with regards to the Season Ticket Loan with this. As the release says though now is the time to get everything in place to be able to act if needed.

Spirit Of Shankly AGM 2011 Voting now open to members at -http://www.spiritofshankly.com/news/AGM-2011-_-Voting-now-open.html Videos of the AGM should be up online later today.

We stayed out of it. Wanting to see the club do well, but seeing the club do well is what we as supporters want. Bring on yer Manchester United line was put in essentially to finish on a positive note to it and not to try and dampen any feelings from today which being without it might have done in some people's eyes.

It's trying to remain consistent throughout. Next manager comes in and it will be you offered support to Kenny but not to XXXX and so on. I know Dalglish is a different level to anyone else, but important to remain as consistent as we can with these things.

As you said it is not in our remit.

Click here http://www.spiritofshankly.com/news/Direct-Action-_-Blackpool-Sunday-3rd-October.html Scroll down to bottom and if on Twitter click the retweet button, if on facebook click the facebook share button. Quick and easy way to start to spread the word.

Cheers Tony.

8 minute highlights video now up on site. Hard to squeeze it down that much, but shows a great taste of the day. Will be more videos to come. http://www.spiritofshankly.com/news/Independence-Day-Rally-Videos.html

It was filmed and photographed by the lads that usually do it for SOS. Will be up as soon as possible. Will be up in parts as obviously a lot of footage to get through.

As has been covered, we are all volunteers and doing what we can. You can e-mail me if you have any concerns at community@spiritofshankly.com and I will answer them. Have to remember there is a lot of e-mails we get sometimes, particularly to the admin address and it is impossible for us to put a massive reply to each and every one sometimes. We do look at all ideas, but they also have to be judged on what is achievable and feasible as well. There are some ideas which will make a massive impact if they worked, but that the chance of working is unlikely and could set us back further so you have to build on what you can step by step. And yes, a press release was sent to US based media contacts. http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/06/in_liverpool_on_july_4_reds_su.php

Its also about highlighting the responsibility the Premier League have and how they should be regulating the game better and to ensure that they look at any future investors more in depth than they have previously.

Fair enough. You kept on going about the e-mail issue so I was offering you the chance. Its always there.

Didn't even say that. They can have their own income from other forms. Its early though and it can be worked on and adapted. As the post above says though, if members want something then we will try and make it happen on any issue. Still haven't had an e-mail from you.

And we passed a resolution at the AGM which allows internet voting as well. So we didn't have that option there prior to the AGM. That is part of work all the time is to keep on improving. We have set the branch structure out and obviously there will be some things that will be found that need to be altered when branches are in operation and then can be altered as required. The main thing that a branch representative would need to come over for would be the AGM. There could possibly be ways of sorting that by even something like the local branch income funding this, but obviously that would be down to the local branch committee to look at. As a local branch there will be more dialogue with the management committee on issues then as well about the issues that affect them. So, hopefully people can see we are always working on ways to improve the Union structure. At the AGM as well members had the chance to submit their own resolutions or could contact the secretary to discuss ideas for changes in the consitution if they feel there is some changes that would benefit the running of the union. That is another thing were these local branches can help because as a smaller group they can discuss together areas where they feel the Union as a whole can change things to improve. The main thing throughout all this is its the members' Union. If they want something changed or have an idea for something then they can get in touch, talk to us, meet with us and we can look into how these ideas and suggestions can work to help us improve. Details of local branches is on page 7 of this document and the following pages - http://www.spiritofshankly.com/documents/100217_agm_pack.pdf

Anyway, I would love to stay and chat, but i've got a podcast to do with a local journalist about the Football Quarter in 15 minutes. Just so you know that we aren't forgetting the overseas fans as well, I will be doing a interview before the game later with Greek TV as well. I await your e-mail anyway and will answer it as soon as I can. community@spiritofshankly.com

He wasn't actually voted onto the board to be the Overseas officer. Last year we had elections to choose the 15 for the committee and then we allocated positions afterwards. We changed it this year. So obviously he wanted that role, but he might not have got that role if voted on. Depends your definition of a Scouser. If you take Kirkby as outside of Liverpool then there is 2 there straight away. Some in wirral as well. As I said though you need to be able to attend committee meetings and organise on the ground on the location of the football club. Members outside of the city can run for the committee, nothing stopping them. But there are rules in there that they must attend the majority of the meetings for obvious reasons. Would be no point having a direct action officer who wasn't in the city to co-ordinate protests. Doesn't mean we are against Out of Town supporters it is just that there are logistical reasons for those that are running certain areas to be able to come to the city when needed. I have met with supporters from all over the country and the world as well at matches and other times who have e-mailed me to talk to me and then I have met them when they are over to talk to them about issues as well. So you can always do that as well. They will not be glorified supporters clubs. They will abide by our constitution and will be set up in a similar way to undertake campaigns at their location. They will be able to arrange all things with their local branch members then. They can then represent their members at any meetings we hold over here that they are able to attend and will be in regular contact with the committee so they can have a bigger say on things from the views of the local branch. We have all our mass meetings on matchdays as well so there is more chance of people to attend when they are over for a match anyway so they can choose a representative from that local branch to represent them at the meetings.

HE WAS VOTED ON. So if you were a member then you could run for the committee and get involved. The reason why most of the committee are from Liverpool is because we have regular committee meeetings that the committee must attend, so you can live outside the city, as long as you still attend meetings, and be on the committee. The key part is though that he didn't have to be German to be the overseas officer. He was voted onto the committee by our members. If he wasn't voted on then someone else would have taken that role. Look, can understand people's concerns etc and we are all passionate and want what is best for the club, but calling us inept gets us all nowhere. Why don't you at least try it. Give it a go and talk to us. My e-mail address is community@spiritofshankly.com so go ahead e-mail me and I will try and answer your questions or forward it on to the relevant officer as soon as I can.

Building momentum is exactly what we have been doing. Meeting with Christian Purslow, Keeping Hicks in the ground for nearly two hours after Bolton, stopping him from coming the Everton game. Parts of everything we are doing. If you are a member, then raise the point to the committee that we should be a one issue group. Others have said though they want a bit of positivity in the group as well so things like travel and events are good for others as well. Certainly doesn't stop us from doing anything against the owners anyway. Things like the Football Quarter as well will help turn up the pressure as well by showing what can be done and hopefully if it will go ahead will put more pressure on them to put their money where there mouth is. Things like events help contribute money to billboards and things as well. There will be some e-mails that will be missed as well unfortunately, but we try our best to answer everything we can. There is about 40 e-mails round the committee loop discussing things that are getting worked on, on a good day. I must put at least 40-50 hours a week into this, all on top of trying to get a PhD and all as a volunteer. We aren't perfect, but we do what we can and we are trying. The more that come in and offer their help then the more we will improve. On comparisons to MUST, they have been around since 1998, we have been around since 2008, so we are very young compared to them. They are ex shareholders in the main and so had a bit more money behind them. Essentially if you want to make comparisons then MUST should be compared to Share Liverpool and we should be compared to IMUSA (who were set up in 1995). Before the accounts came out in January there hadn't been much from United fans in terms of press since 2005 whilst SOS were racking up the column inches. United fans were against the takeover from the start, whereas SOS have to inform first before we can get the numbers. United also sold Ronaldo in the Summer which helps generate that anger. We sell Torres in the Summer and things would escalate more for ourselves. Then look at those who can actually participate in making decisions for both organisations. From all accounts MUST have less than 1,000 paid up members who can vote and had about 30 people turn up at their last AGM. All our 4,000+ members can take part in elections and we had over 200 people at our last AGM. There are definitely things we can learn from them, but that could be said of any 2 year old organisation looking at a 12 year old one, but there are also things they can learn from us as well. I would ask people to contact us via e-mail and we will try and get back to you, look at our site, come to our meetings if you can and look at everything you do and you can see how professional we are. I believe the professionalism in the last year has increased dramatically. There would always be teething problems at having to set up an organisation that was FSA regulated with annual elections and so on all at the same time as trying to work towards our aims. Think we aren't doing something right, then talk to us, think you can do it better, then get involved and offer your services to help us improve. Still don't want to join then there is nothing stopping you from trying to implement some ideas yourselves. Obviously we have things in place which can help get press attention and support from members, but we do not have a monopoly over direct action. Even if we are not directly working together we should still all be pulling in the right direction, because otherwise all we are doing is helping Hicks and Gillett by remaining divided. Did you e-mail the admin address? More likely to get missed there. If its a protest idea then e-mail directaction@spiritofshankly.com. If its a community idea then e-mail community@spiritofshankly.com All e-mail addresses are here http://www.spiritofshankly.com/union-roles.html If you want you can e-mail me at community@spiritofshankly.com and I can try and forward it on to the relevant person if you want. The coach travel isn't the main thing on our news section. On our current first page of news, 5 items to do with owners or action, 1 on our AGM, 1 on Football Quarter, 1 on a offer for members (even members outside Liverpool), 2 on coaches. The coach news stories aren't e-mailed out usually either whereas most other stories particularly ones against the owners are. On the e-mail front, we should try and answer e-mails, but with trying to balance it around everything else then it is something that will happen unfortunately. If it goes to the admin address then it might be missed more because that is the general address that most people send stuff to and if its a particular request it would need to go to the relevant officer anyway.

There has been increased numbers joining the Union since we put the billboards up. Don't have to be a scouser to have any sort of standing within it. Our overseas officer is German for example. We represent our members, so if you were to join then you would have a say in policies, consitution, elections and other decisions. Token Gesture? He was voted on by the membership in the elections. Every person is valued, that is why we have an overseas officer to liaise with those out of the country. We passed a resolution at the AGM last month to allow the setup of local SOS branches so then overseas members can then set up a Oslo SOS branch and do their own things to get more involved in things and have more of a say in SOS as a whole. We are always willing to listen. Don't get a chance to come on here as much, but I post on about 8 different forums to talk to people about SOS and there are many more of the committee who post on forums to get more ideas. If you have the expertise then contact us and offer to help out and get involved. That is how we improve by more and more people becoming members and offering their services.

It wasn't brought up solely as renovation at the AGM though. It was brought up to show possibilities as part of a Football Quarter presentation which has been reported in the Echo as well and can be seen briefly in minutes here as well http://www.spiritofshankly.com/documents/100228_agm_minutes.pdf There will be more out about this later to this week to members and to the wider public.

I understand that completely. His choice with it. It had been costed as well for it, but obviously its his job and its his designs with it. As things move along further with it he may want to release more details with it then.

Architect doesn't want the design out there other than showing it in the meeting. The main point of focus is the Football Quarter at the moment and showing that the redeveloped Anfield is a possibility and it doesn't require knocking down a stand to rebuild it again.

The top table didn't have a clue basically. It was on for an extra half hour on 5live. We got asked to ask a question in this. Aroun 1hr22 into this http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00r35t4/5_live_Sport_Business_of_Sport/

Purslow already said in the meeting with SOS that they need the £100m investment otherwise RBS wont refinance the loan.

Grand National is 10th. Fulham game is 11th.