Cliff Hughes

1              Who am I?

• I've supported Millwall all my life, as did my Dad and his Dad. Next season will be my 50th.
• Born in Greenwich, I grew up in Plumstead, Catford, New Cross and Grove Park
• Educated at Kender Street Primary and Haberdashers Askes’ in New Cross, I hold degrees in chemical engineering from UMIST, Manchester.

• I’m a veteran of the run of 59 undefeated home games in the 1960’s and a season ticket holder who attends virtually all games, home and away, travelling around 12,000 miles per season.

• I have been to over 80 grounds with Millwall. I saw the entire 2004 cup run, from Walsall at home to Budapest away. This season, I was one of the Wolves 99 and the Cardiff 93.

• I was on the board of a £100m international chemical company gaining skills in operations management and culture change in UK, USA and India. I have managed complex operations in a wide range of cultures, giving me experience of situations similar to those the new fan director will face.
• I am able to work with groups of people from vastly different backgrounds. I know how to network
• I joined the committee of the Lions Trust for the very reason that I believe that fans should play a role in the running of our club. I offer unrivalled boardroom experience and 50 years on the CBL.

2              I believe…

• I believe in the values that make Millwall fans special - mutual support, humour, family, friendship, shared memories – and that the club we know and love ceases to exist without these. I believe that the interests of Millwall Holdings PLC are compatible with these values.
• I believe that MFC Board does not realise the damage done to its business interests by its loss of respect for the fans. Many fans are not attending for this very reason
• I believe in the power of clear leadership, shared strategy and good management based on clear thinking and understanding
• I believe that is in the interest of the fans and the business interests of Millwall Football Club to quickly resolve the current mutual mistrust
• I believe that there is a good business case for true teamwork and communication that these can be achieved and will make a difference.

3              For me, these are the big issues:

Communication.

The FOTB must create communication between the club and its supporters. This means each must listen to the other, talk openly and honestly, and create a new future. It means MFC taking a hard look at the club’s management, people and policies, and being brave enough to making changes and improvements.

Respect.

Respect between fans and MFC has been lost, our opinions and concerns are not heard or acted on. Time after time both MSC and individual fans are ignored or treated in a fashion that frequently defies belief. Is this just very poor management or is it deliberate policy? Incompetence or failure to see the adverse business consequences? Acts of negligence of one or more individuals, or board policy? – I intend to find out.

The proposed regeneration project, ticketing and prices, stewarding and bans, catering, concourse painting, the logo/badge issue … I will ensure that the voice of a revamped MSC is heard and that the fans and their views are respected.

Trust

As your representative on the board my views must reflect yours, and you must trust me.  Although I would try whenever possible, I will not be able to consult you on every decision. You can trust my judgement. This is a PLC board role; MFC must be able to trust the fan director to honour his confidentiality responsibilities.

Read all of the candidate manifestos; attend the Open Forum at The Den 7pm Monday 20th March. Take into account the match of each candidate’s views to your own and take a hard look at their experience, personal qualities and ability to work and deliver in challenging circumstances

I offer you boardroom experience, understanding, commitment and a lifetime of supporting Millwall.

My Objectives

I want to make sure that Millwall FC exists into the foreseeable future in a way that maintains Millwall values - mutual support, humour, family, friendship, shared memories.

In the short term, I want the MFC board to understand that fans deserve to have their ideas and concerns responded to with respect and in reasonable time. MFC has apparent contempt for the fans and their failure to work effectively with MSC or individual fans to resolve any concerns is a factor in declining gates – many of the absent fans will not return, whatever our fate in the league, until this is recognised and shortcomings are addressed. There is a long list, some more important than others. A few examples include the area regeneration project, a written stewarding policy, agreed with MSC, a written crowd behaviour and sanctions (banning) policy, agreed with MSC, policing standards, ticket prices, ticketing sales and allocation practices, creative marketing, the logo/badge issue, match day catering, painting of concourses and lots more.

I want the MFC board to recognise and acknowledge that communication with the fans has been poor for many years before and since the most recent change of chairmanship. Since the decision to appoint a fan to the MFC board was announced in early December, there has been virtually no dialogue with MSC and little or no sign of commitment to make the FOTB role a success. I will seek positive and visible commitment to the role from MFC board.

One good measure of progress would be an energetic and positive engagement with MSC, to help reshape MSC into an organisation that provides real, substantive benefits to members and is much more independent of MFC. This reshaping would allow the ‘new’ MSC to become attractive to more fans and to more effectively represent the fans collective and individual interests. Such a ‘new’ MSC will then be able to provide FOTB with a major communication link to the fans.

I will be seeking the earliest possible evidence that Millwall Football Club would benefit financially from the area redevelopment project. This financial benefit must secure the football clubs future and should be consistent with the commitment to make MFC one of the top15 clubs in the country within 5 years. As yet, it is understandable that such evidence has not been forthcoming – the project is at too early a stage. However it should be recognised that lack of communication generally, lack of obvious support for FOTB and lack of any initiative to address fans many current concerns have created real fears that MFC may not benefit financially as promised.

Given that evidence, I will work with and encourage other fans to assist the redevelopment project in all relevant ways.

Similarly, recent words and actions have not agreed in the matter of team management and playing staff. Evidence is sorely needed that the new chairman is serious about the football club, not just the development investment potential.

In the medium term, I want to encourage the board to take a long hard, dispassionate look at the quality of management in all areas of the clubs operation. Then to take those steps consistent with the aspiration to be a top 15 club and a club in close touch with its fan base.

I will continue to encourage the best possible communication with the fans concerning the progress of the area development project.

I want to encourage the board to develop some real marketing expertise, to exploit the advantages that our history provides and to reach out to the many, many lost souls who no longer attend

There are many skilled, experienced, clever and highly committed fans that would willingly give their time or special skills to the club. I want to seek ways to use this resource not only for the value such special projects would bring but for the benefits to trust and respect.

Over the next five years, I want to encourage the board to develop a realistic team development strategy, to budget realistically and be keep the promises to invest in the club – the target being top 15 in 5 years.

5              Removing The Barriers To Success

I see four key critical barriers to success for the FOTB role.

• Does MFC Board recognise that the clubs apparent contempt for the fans and failure to work effectively with MSC or individual fans is a factor in declining gates? Is there a recognition that many of the absent fans will not return, whatever our fate in the league, until this is recognised and shortcomings are addressed? Attempts by the fan director to quickly improve two-way communication will inevitably fail unless there is rapid improvement in MFC’s working relationship with MSC.
• A reshaped ‘new’ MSC is the best way for fans, individually and collectively, to get an active and considered response to their ideas and concerns. For this to happen MSC must become a real supporters club, rather than a membership scheme, and become much more independent of MFC. It must confer benefits to its members that offer good value for money. MSC must also control its own membership lists, to make regular consultation viable and representation much more effective. All of this change requires co-operation from MFC.
• Evidence is needed that MFC will benefit financially from the area development project. Is that benefit enough to ensure survival in the future? Is it consistent with the promise to become a top 15 club in 5 years?
• Is there real commitment to the FOTB role at Holdings PLC and MFC board level? Since the decision to appoint a fan to the MFC board was announced in early December, there has been virtually no dialogue with MSC and little or no sign of commitment to make the FOTB role a success. I will seek positive and visible commitment to the role from MFC board.