Minutes of the Board of the Huddersfield Town Supporters' Association (HTSA) - 22.01.2025

Present:

Alasdair Bell (AB); Alice Broome (ABr); Bini Joshi Barr (BJB); Tristan Wooler (TW); Ian Kilroy (IK); Stan Fronztnak (SF),Nutan Joshi (NJ),

Apologies:

None recorded

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ATT Meeting Review

The board discussed the ATT meeting held on 20^th  January 2025. Key discussion points at that meeting included:

• Season card pricing and wider ticket pricing issues

• Updates provided by HTAFC on stadium shares, catering, and retail, which had been submitted to the ATT in advance

The board noted the importance of continued scrutiny of ticket pricing and maintaining constructive dialogue with the club through the ATT process.

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Season Card Survey and Fan Engagement

The board agreed that:

• A refreshed season card survey should be developed to gather up-to-date data from the fanbase

• Survey findings would be used to support HTSA representations to the club regarding ticket pricing decisions

HTSA had also submitted questions to a live online fan forum hosted by the We Are Terriers podcast, focusing on season card prices and the need for the club to use supporter survey data when making pricing decisions.

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Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The board agreed that:

• An AGM would be required in early April 2025

• A further board meeting would be needed prior to April to:

• Finalise AGM arrangements

• Approve the annual accounts

It was confirmed that Wednesday 9^th  April 2025 would be the date of the HTSA AGM.

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Board Capacity and Recruitment

The board placed on record it’s thanks to Paul Cooney who had resigned on 24^th November 2024.

AB highlighted the need for all current board members to actively recruit new members to:

• Better manage existing workloads

• Enable HTSA to expand its activity and supporter engagement

The board agreed this was a priority and members would do this straight away.

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Membership Processes

IK outlined work underway to streamline the HTSA membership process, with the aim of:

• Reducing administrative burden

• Speeding up the end-to-end process for new members to become confirmed HTSA members

The board supported this approach.

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Governance and Elections

With regards to the aforementioned AGM. The board confirmed that:

• HTSA would publicise the availability of board positions

• An ‘Election Management Committee’ would be appointed to act as independent overseers of the election process, in line with the HTSA Constitution.

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ATT Minutes and Fan Engagement Plan

The board approved the ATT minutes from 19th October 2024 for those board members who had attended.

It was agreed that:

• The process for agreeing and publishing ATT minutes should be reviewed

• Minutes should be released closer to the meeting date where possible

The board also noted that the club’s Fan Engagement Plan, published on 28 October 2024, included HTSA’s contribution.

““After an unfortunate end to the 2023/24 season on the pitch, it was encouraging to see the Club strengthen its commitment to structured dialogue and improving the match day experience away from the field.

The ‘All Together Town’ (ATT) panel met regularly, giving supporters’ representatives an opportunity to discuss key strategic issues with executive-level decision-makers. The introduction of supporter drop-in sessions, meanwhile, provided a new and effective way for supporters to raise and resolve a wide range of issues.

The club also went above and beyond its basic supporter engagement responsibilities, co-hosting public question and answer sessions with several supporter groups including the Huddersfield Town Disabled Supporters’ Club. In addition, HTSA and the club worked together to preserve and promote Town’s rich heritage. While club and fans may not always see eye to eye on every subject, we are confident that the club will continue to consult with and listen to supporters in a structured and transparent manner.

This new Fan Engagement Plan stands as a case in point, representing a sensible evolution of the club’s previous supporter engagement policies and practices. We welcome the plan and look forward to working with Supporter Services and the club to make sure it succeeds”

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Financial Matters

The board noted that:

• HTSA had made a payment of £94 to Wheawill and Sudworth for a confirmation statement for AFC Huddersfield, paid on 8th November 2024

The board recorded that AFC Huddersfield had been established as a contingency entity by the Survival Trust, ensuring that, should HTAFC ever cease operating, a fan-owned entity would already exist to support the continuation of the club under a new structure if required.

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Next Meeting

The board agreed that a further board meeting would be required before April 2025 to:

• Finalise AGM arrangements

• Approve the annual accounts

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Meeting adjourned