A joint statement has been issued by a combined group of Watford fans, as concern continues to be voiced over the club's supporter committee.
News of the committee made headlines last week with a number of fans divided over the issue, due largely in part to the club's stance on confidentiality and also because participants had been hand-picked.
A brief summary of the meeting was released via the club website on Tuesday evening, while attendees were given more thorough notes and permission to expand upon some of the condensed minutes, should they be asked about them, provided they were not "commercially sensitive or otherwise confidential".
Fans have also been invited to apply to join the committee should they wish to be involved in further meetings, although it remains up to the club to choose whether or not they are accepted.
The statement, released on behalf of Enjooooythegame!!!, The Hornet’s Nest – The Watford FC Fans Forum, Taylor Made Army, Watford FC – Gossip Page and Watford FC – Ticket Swap claims to represent a group of "over 17,000 fans" and said that the committee has left fans feeling excluded from an "elite group" as well as "disillusionment and detachment".
It is not the first statement to be released by a supporter group in relation to the committee, with others raising their concerns last week.
The new statement, published over the weekend, reads: "We are writing as representatives of a collective of over 17,000 fans and season ticket holders. We would firstly like to put on record our thanks to the Pozzo Family for their energy, passion and commitment both on and off the pitch since taking over the club.
This statement is purely to highlight our concerns regarding the club’s recent introduction of a Supporters Committee which has, in our opinion, only resulted in a large amount of fans feeling as though they have no voice and those invited to be a part of the Committee are part of an elite, selective group.
In addition to the general feeling of disillusionment and detachment as a result of the club’s recent actions, we are keen to understand this perceived lack of transparency in allowing only certain sectors of the fan base to know their thoughts and actions regarding the club.
We believe that to issue redacted notes is both pointless and insulting to a lot of loyal season ticket holders and fans of the club who see this as censorship.
We believe the full minutes of the meetings we should all be a party to should be made public record.
Whilst we are pleased to hear of the improved dialogue since, we would encourage the club to continue with forums both at Vicarage Road and around the country to show its openness and transparency to all.
We wish to stress that we are not petitioning or boycotting any aspects of the club and are not encouraging any of the fan-base to do so, but we seek to ensure that Graham Taylor’s principles of “One Family” are upheld.
Surely, this includes fans not feeling like they have been side-lined. We believe these principles have been put in danger by seeking to elevate some of the club’s social media platforms, who do not speak for all of the fans.
We believe these groups may have been tempted with an offer of official recognition from the club. We believe this has now has split our fan base further.
We would like to again thank the Pozzo Family for their continued investment and hope to see further initiatives to bridge the gap between the fans and club, so our family identity can be maintained and developed further."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel