I wrote this blog in December 2022, pretty much foreseeing the current debacle.
Please when reading consider in your thoughts, seven months later, 5 days ago, Lewes FC have announced they want new investors to pump money into the club, with scant explanation and to date refusing to offer a vote to the owners.
There is no greater damnation of the governance of Lewes FC than the Tracey Crouch Fan Led Review.
It is galling how so many points of poor governance are relevant to the Lewes FC Board of Directors apparent mishandling and negligence of proper governance and unaccountability.
People close to the club are all aware of the plethora of excuses and the occasional ‘we know we make mistakes.’ But the Crouch Review sums up the poor governance far more than the odd ‘mistake.’
What the club cannot argue against is the absolute clarity and authority of the Crouch Review. The most in depth look at poor governance in British football ever.
Approved by the Lewes FC Board of Directors has been a huge private investment in chasing glory for the Lewes FC Women. Our tiny club was bankrolled last season by £600,000. Nearly 50% of it’s turnover.
Crouch Review-
‘The Review concluded that English football’s fragility is the result of three main factors-
1)— misaligned incentives to ‘chase success’’
Yes, that is investing vast sums of money you do not have chasing success. We do that textbook. Tick
2) Slating- ‘Club corporate structures that lack governance’ Yes that is us, a Board sanctioning this unsustainable investment, approving private endowment fund contributions in contravention of the stated core aim of our constitution to become self-sustained. As a community club carrying this out without consulting supporters and explaining costs is disgraceful.
3) Not taking ‘sufficient account of supporters failing to scrutinise decision making’ When did the supporters and 2700 owners say it was okay to put the club in possible financial peril?
Crouch Review-
‘tick box’ approach to supporter engagement from many clubs, often leading to a significant gap between club and supporter perception of the provision of fan engagement’
Make no mistake over this. This is damning stuff of the Lewes Football Club Board of Directors who have sanctioned a dramatic sustainably funded quest for glory in breach of our constitution hiding behind the utterly farcical ‘democratic’ set-up that approves it which is basically irrelevant as it is not fit for purpose. Owner engagement in the recent AGM and Director hustings was about 5%.
I will go into depth in my next string of blogs the club shortcomings. 12 blogs in I am bored and unenthused so need a recharge!
The Crouch Review would suggest Lewes FC has an immediate remedy.
- We need an immediate addition to our constitution to rid us of some of these dreadful board members by establishing Director’s Tests
Crouch report
‘Directors tests
- demonstrate that they have the necessary professional qualifications, and/or transferable skills, and/or relevant experience to run the club.
- pass an integrity test in the same manner as prospective owners.’
This would weed out the weak individuals simply ‘going with the flow’ in decision making chasing the quest for glory within the board. For a community club to have at least three board members who had hardly even been to the town let alone a game is an unmitigated disgrace. But the Board seem to be happy proudly displaying the new members who should not be anywhere near a board of a community club. I mean it is so bloody basic.
- To hold the board PROPERLY to account the Crouch Review suggests establishing a second fan Shadow Board, a de facto House of Lords. This would contain proper fans set up properly, not the current poor selection of board members with no history with the town or club. It would be like the Lewes FC Supporters Trust that pre-dated the Community Club, a group of long-term proper fans, smart and very protective of the club and representative of the supporters with no personal agenda.
It is just such a joke that a Community Club Board needs an advisory board to stop it possibly bankrupting the club.
Crouch Review-
‘Supporter advisory/Shadow Board
This is a ‘board’ of a number of diverse supporter representatives which would discuss the business and strategy of the club in more detail than other forms of engagement.
- consist of 5 – 12 members appointed according to a democratic process
- have a Chair appointed from among its members on an seasonal basis
- have reserved seats for representatives from key supporter groups including: representatives of the body holding the Golden Share, equality, diversity and inclusion representatives, youth supporters and international supporters (if relevant)
- members should be subject to retirement by rotation, ensuring both that there is a regular turnover of members but also that at any one time there will be a number of experienced members on the Shadow Board
- hold at least quarterly meetings with club executives, with guaranteed attendance from the club CEO or equivalent twice per year’
Cambridge United have already started one.
Here is my opinion. The Lewes FC Board of Directors would not dream to sanction anything like the recommendations above because it is too basically incompetent and I think Tracey Crouch would agree with that great football classic, ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’
The review delights me as it agrees with much of my general gist and criticisms of the club.
I will from the New Year start looking further into the ramifications of the Crouch Report.
The Rights of Fans. 