Aug 28 2008

Commitee Meeting

Next meeting 24.7.2008 at the Borough Bailiff, High Street, Knaresborough 8:00 pm

Membership

anyone who has not received a membership form, or would like one sending, please email dianetoffeegirl@btinternet.com

July Newsletter

Dear Member,

Welcome back!

First of all, let me update you on this year’s AGM. As expected, it was, in the main, the committee who attended so Alan and Neil McF deserve a special mention for turning up! The Officers and members of the committee who were present were re-elected with Graham taking over as Social Secretary and Alan joining the committee. Bern reported that finances are pretty healthy and, after buying 2 season tickets for purchase by club members on a match-by-match basis, we start the season with £1,746.00 in the bank and £416.00 in the Social account. Bern reported an operating profit of £1,063.00 and this would have been more, however £138.00 was lost when 3 Liverpoo tickets went missing in the post. In view of this, extra postage costs were incurred sending tickets for our remaining home games back to the ticket office by Special Delivery to ensure they were received. With this in mind, Bern is reluctant to order extra tickets on the off chance that members decide at the last minute to attend games, so please look ahead at the fixture list and ensure you order well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Bern has also asked that members who are not travelling with us or who order tickets for away games where there is no coach, send a stamped addressed envelope with the payment to ensure that the tickets are sent to the correct address.

Membership fees for the coming season remain unchanged and it was decided that coach prices would stay at £12.00 return. However since the AGM, I have been advised that the cost of the coach will increase by £50.00 in view of the rise in fuel costs. There is a Committee meeting scheduled for 24.7.08 and it is likely that a discussion will take place on whether we absorb some or all of this or increase the fare accordingly. At the time of writing, I do not know numbers travelling and this will of course have some bearing on the price. The more there are, the less we all pay! It would help the Committee to reach a decision if I could have confirmation from those members who have renewed their season tickets and who intend to travel on the coach by the 24.7.08. In addition, Hutchinson’s no longer have a 42-seat coach and the largest coach we can run next season will only have 33 seats. It is therefore important that you ensure your place on the coach by letting me know your travel plans in good time.

When you complete your membership form, please can I draw your attention to changes to the rules, in particular rule 13. After a lengthy debate at the AGM, a majority of those present voted in favour of amending the priority given for the allocation of away tickets to ensure that support for the transport provided by the club is taken into consideration.

On to more lighter news now!

We had two sweeps for the Premiership placings last season; Bern Bridson and Matthew Frazer won £10.00 with Man U. Sue Hughes and Johnny Sykes won £5.00 for Chelsea: Neil Gabriel and James Hunter won £3.00 for Arsenal and Mark Johnson and Dave Holroyd won £2.00 each for finishing bottom! Bern will pay out the lucky winners at the Blackburn game.
There will be no tuck shop on the coach next season so please make sure you bring your own supplies of drinks and eats but of course no alcohol!

I intend to place an order for branch Polo Shirts in the next few weeks so we have them for the start of the season. I have 10 orders all ready so please let me know colour (blue or white) and your size, if you would like to be added to the list.

Fourteen of us and baby Toby (and not forgetting two dogs!) finished the season with a 3 mile walk to the Railway Inn at Spofforth, despite the pouring rain! Some of our number (and one dog) chose not to walk the 3 miles back however the hardy ones amongst us made our way, with soggy feet, to the New Inn for food and drinks (lots of the latter of course!). Graham will keep you updated on any social events planned for this season however we already need to start thinking about the Christmas ‘do’ as they tend to get booked up very quickly.

Toby is no longer our youngest member as Matthew’s wife Lucy gave birth to Joshua on 30.04.2008, brother for Luke. Three prospective true blues for the future! Toby is now almost 16 weeks old and he loves it when we sing ‘grand old team’; he smiles and tries to sing along! Nothing like starting young!

I don’t know if any of you have read ‘The little book of Everton’ but if not I thought it would be good to share a couple of quotes with you:

‘The Everton Football Club has had a fine career, and is now firmly entrenched in the minds and hearts of a large following’ Margaret Beaven, Lord Mayor of Liverpool, 1928

‘Visiting teams must survive matches at this ground in the certain knowledge that, if Everton don’t get them, the crowd will’. Bob Ferrier, Observer journalist, 1963

‘I made my debut at Goodison against Stoke and was standing in the tunnel waiting to go on the pitch. Z- Cars started playing on the PA and I heard the crowd roar. If I could bottle a moment and save it forever, then that would be it’. Alan Harper 1983

Food for thought with the proposed ground move me thinks!!???

You should find attached a membership form, coach pick up details and contact numbers. Membership forms need to be completed and returned as soon as possible so that I can update my records. As usual, I will keep your details on my group email until the end of September, after that I will be deleting the addresses of anyone who has not paid their membership. I have already had some enquiries from Evertonians based in the Yorkshire area, and hopefully we will be able to welcome some new faces on the coach in August.

Please make a note of the attached forthcoming fixtures and let Bern know any ticket and or coach requirements, giving as much notice as possible (at least 2 weeks and don’t forget the SAE if not on the coach!). I have not been able to find details of any changes for the TV yet but I will email details as soon as I have them.

If anyone is planning to go to any of the pre-season friendly matches, let me know and I will try and put members in touch, if they are interested in sharing cars.

The next committee meeting will be held on 24.07.2008 at the Borough Bailiff,
High Street, Knaresborough. Everyone is welcome to come and join us