With you 100% Michael On 23 Jun 2014 14:06, "John Lee" <[email protected]> wrote:
> 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
