Well said John, totally agree. > Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 12:06:14 +0100 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected]; [email protected] > Subject: Re: [LU] Fwd: Leeds United Supporters Trust - Statement from the > Chairman > > I don't know Gary at all, but you can only admire people who are prepared to > put in the hard graft associated with such a role, especially given the > undoubted hassle that comes with it. > > Well done that man, and good luck to whoever takes it on - life will be very > interesting for that person :-) > > > On Friday, 20 June 2014, 22:24, John Boocock <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Sent in great haste from a mobile phone > > -------- Original message -------- > From: Leeds United Supporters Trust <[email protected]> > Date: 20/06/2014 20:15 (GMT+00:00) > To: John <[email protected]> > Subject: Leeds United Supporters Trust - Statement from the Chairman > > Leeds United Supporters Trust Statement - Friday 20th June 2014 > Is this email not displaying correctly? > View it in your browser. > > Statement from the Chairman > Dear Trust Shareholder, > > Since October 2009 it has been my privilege to serve as Chairman of the Leeds > United Supporters Trust, working with some of the most honest and genuine > people I have ever met. It has been a tremendous journey, and in more ways > than I could have ever imagined the experience has mirrored the ups and downs > that as Leeds fans we understand better than most. I have always done my best > to voice the opinions of our members to the club, to the media and to anyone > who has had an interest in Leeds United, and I have done so with purpose and > conviction. I hope that the members of LUST appreciate that. > > Back in 2009 the Trust had 224 members, was disregarded and discredited by > the club’s owner Ken Bates, and while it had good people on its board it > didn’t feel like it was realising its potential. It was with that in mind > that I joined and became Chairman, with a refreshed board and a determination > to rebuild the Trust into a strong, credible organisation fit for the purpose > of tackling the circumstances that the club and its supporters found > themselves in. I am very proud to have been part of the team that built the > Trust into what it is today: an organisation with a membership of over 9,000 > and the ears of the local authority, local MPs, central government and the > media, but most importantly with the ear of the club. > > We have achieved everything we set out to achieve and more. As a board our > members could have asked little more of us, and as Chairman I couldn’t have > hoped for more than we have achieved. In this respect I feel that my journey > has come full circle and that now is as good a time as any to stand down, > take a rest and hand the stewardship of one of the largest and most respected > supporters’ trusts, not only in the UK but across Europe and the world, to > someone who can continue to raise its profile, serve the best interests of > its members and work with a new owner. The Trust faces new challenges, and > having represented our members under two former owners to the very best of my > ability I feel I can stand tall and proud of my efforts, and hand over the > job to someone else. > > To my fellow board members I would like to express my sincere thanks for all > of the time, the effort, the hard work and the dedication you have shown and > given freely. It has not always been easy - we have tested each other’s > patience at times, and the differences in opinion have often been as great as > the results we have achieved. But quite simply I could not have wished for > better people to support me and serve our members than all of you who have > served on the board with me for the last near-on five years. My thanks to you > all. > > To our members, who in their thousands have given us support, it has been an > honour to serve you. I have not always agreed with the mandate you have asked > us to follow, and I have had strong reservations about some of the opinions > you have asked us to voice on your behalf, but the purpose of the Trust is to > give you a voice - one voice, your voice - and I have always tried to make > sure my personal opinions have not deterred me from making your opinions the > priority and making sure they are heard. For giving me the opportunity to do > that, and for giving me the kind of support that has been a source of great > strength to me, I will always be so very grateful. You truly are the best > supporters in the world. > > In many respects I got a lot more than I bargained for when I came to the > chair. I knew it would be difficult, I knew that with my head above the > parapet I would get shot at, and I expected to be the subject of a fair > amount of personal attention, but I had no idea how much my family would be > affected by it all. Had I realised the extent of the suffering I would be > putting them through I probably would not have taken on the role at all. To > my soul-mate, Kirsty, who has suffered more than most and paid a price for my > ambition and for the ambitions of thousands of Leeds fans, I can only say > thank you for supporting me all the way through this. Nothing can ever repay > the debt of gratitude you are owed. To my kids, who have lost out on my time, > my attention and often my patience while I struggled to serve our larger > Leeds United family, I am forever grateful to you and love you all dearly. > > To those who have sniped, snarled, lied and judged from afar, and who will > probably take a great deal of pleasure from my decision to stand down, I hope > one day you have the pleasure of realising what ‘Marching On Together’ > actually means. The Trust will go from strength to strength long after Gary > Cooper is gone and will continue to represent its members - Leeds fans - > which is a source of great comfort to me. > > Thank you to all who have supported me. I will always be proud to be a LUST > member, and will continue to fulfil the duties of Chairman and to support the > board in any way I can, but will stand down at this year’s AGM satisfied that > I have achieved all I set out to do, knowing that LUST is in great shape and > ready to face new challenges. > > > It really has been emotional. > > Gary Cooper > > Proud ‘moron’ and ‘dissident’ > > MOT > > Supporters can also join more than 9,000 other Leeds fans and have their > voice heard as members of the Leeds United Supporters’ Trust by filling in > the form at www.lufctrust.org. Membership is free. Keep checking for updates > on www.lufctrust.org, and our Facebook and Twitter pages. > > follow on Twitter | L.U.S.T on Facebook | forward to a friend > Copyright © 2014 Leeds United Supporters Trust, All rights reserved. > > You are receiving this message because you are a registered Leeds United > Supporters' Trust shareholder > > Our mailing address is: > Leeds United Supporters Trust > 35 Copley Hall Terrace > Copley, West Yorkshire HX3 0TS > United Kingdom > > Add us to your address book > > unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences > > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > John 'Grampa' Sykes > Rest In Peace old lad > 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 > MARCHING ON TOGETHER > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > John 'Grampa' Sykes > Rest In Peace old lad > 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 > MARCHING ON TOGETHER _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected]
John 'Grampa' Sykes Rest In Peace old lad 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 MARCHING ON TOGETHER
