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Following a lengthy consultation programme the club have announced the re-branding of and changes to the conditions of the club's ID scheme. Whilst I acknowledge and applaud the valuable time and effort spent by all parties from both sides of the divide and indeed some of the improvements made...I'll address each point specifically later....the overall feeling is a sense of remaining disappointment and missed opportunity , but not surprise at the degree of change in key areas. The card was initially thrust on Stoke City Supporters by the then Chief Executive Jonathon Fuller , as he bowed to the pressure brought by Staffordshire Police, and a minority of Football League Clubs. The fans fate being sealed by members of the Fans Forum who gave the scheme approval in secrets talks with the club, without making the subject or outcome of those talks public until AFTER the clubs Official Press release on the matter , meaning that opposition to the scheme and representation of differing views where a non starter. In short many fans felt the supporters had been sold short by the Football Club that they'd given lifelong support and financial committement too and had been stabbed in the back by the very people who were suppose to be representing their views, namely the Fans Forum. The contract to provide the cards was given over to Synchro Systems ltd ...it's perhaps interesting to read a quote or two from their web site "The recent Nationwide First Division fixture between Grimsby Town and Stoke City set a precedent in football crowd control" The "True Supporters Membership Scheme", which was officially launched in November, is being administered by Synchro Systems' Services Dept. Bearing similarity to the Millwall Supporters' Card Scheme - another club with an established reputation for football hooliganism - "True Supporters" has been implemented to restrict the movements of Stoke City's travelling support" That was yesterday ,what of today? Re-naming The scheme is to be renamed, 'Stoke City Away card', voted for by a poll on the Oatcake website. Those that didn't have access to a computer or even those that did ,but didn't use that particular web site which must account for 60-70% of Stoke-on-Trent's population don't , had no such opportunity .... As no provision has been set aside to re-issue the cards, my card and many people's like me , will continue to have in their possession a 'True Supporters Membership Scheme card'....until I receive a new card I can only assume as will anyone I show the card to that I belong to that scheme... The cards scheme if rebranded, should mean existing cards should be replaced, failure to do this shows the real contempt and lack of understanding the club have towards supporters feeling in this regard...this is a fundamental prerequisite of any change Guest Tickets The club have announced they've bowed to requests to make it easier for guests of card holders to attend away games. This is probably the most important change to the scheme and I applaud this change the decision makers for their bravery, and for those that made representation to the club and the authorities...lets not kid ourselves it's a brave decision and despite everything something of a gamble. It's therefore vital that ALL Stoke supporters respond in the correct manner to this slight thawing and sign of faith. My only voice of criticsm comes in the wording of the announcement by the club and the fine detail which I feel still left room for improvement. The club say they've made it easier for guests to attend matches...'easier' Being a guest previously wasn't difficult, it was impossible. The detail unfortunately whilst permitting card holders to take two guests to each game allows the same person to attend as a guest only twice per season....it's a start , but I feel that could have been expanded....just one example to illustrate the point , supporters living in the London area may well have liked to take a friend, relative etc to any one of the games in their catchment area , West Ham , QPR , Millwall, Watford, Brighton, Gillingham and Arsenal in the cup that's seven games, as I say it's just one example. Tickets by phone Matchday tickets are to made available for order via the telephone and collected from the away club's ticket office. Whilst I'd have preferred the additional facility and much more user friendly method of the option to pay at the turnstiles for card holders, which by the way would require the stewards actually doing their job and looking at the picture on the card rather than waving people through at the first site of anything remotely looking like a card coming out of a wallet / purse etc....but it makes sense and is to be applauded, many many supporters especially for away involving minimal travel make their mind up late to go to a game. Free Membership for Juniors The age for free membership is to be raised from 11 to 17,with youngsters applying for a season ticket for the 2005/6 automatically being processed if they wish. Without doubt this was a contentious issue, judging at what age a juvenile is likely to stray isn't easy, and was complicated by two distinct groups ,those who's juniors travelled with responsible parents / adults and those that travelled on their own or with similar aged groups. For many parents taking their off spring to the game it was seen as an insult of their children and therefore an insult of their parenting skills and them...not to say the principle point of having to pay for a child who if anything would be more likely to become the victim or witness bad behaviour from others rather than be the cause. Equally the number of our younger supporters travelling to away games has visibly dropped since the cards were introduced. There are of course a number of reasons for this, not least cost, however, undoubtedly for many of the younger element it carried more kudos and street cred to tell your mates you didn't have a card , the inference being you were either a rebel or else 'barred' from having a card ,when often the truth was totally different. This had the very real danger of in time threatening to effect our supporter base for future generations. Anything that helps protect, nurture and encourage our future generations of support whilst not penalising existing supporters is to be welcomed. My only real issue with this element is again one of principle, whereby those that supported the scheme or at least signed up to it through lack of choice and who remain under 17 should have their fee refunded either in cash or second best via a voucher for the Official Shop. Disabled Supporters The club have agreed that cards issued to wheelchair bound supporters may now be used to allow their helpers access into the ground, without the need for the helper to have a card themselves. Many wheelchair bound supporters need to use a variety of helpers throughout the season ,often at short notice, many of those helpers are very special people indeed and WILL NOT be Stoke City supporters or indeed on occasions even Football supporters. I certainly therefore have no objection to this common sense measure, other than questioning the need for our disabled supporters to carry a card. NB I would however bow to the views and opinions of our disabled supporters and SCWIM if they'd prefer not to be singled out as a 'special case' in this regard other than the measure introduced. Recruitment Drive The club have identified the need to make it easier to join the scheme. To this end a recruitment day will be held Upstairs in Delilah's from noon on the day of the Sheffield United home game ( March 12 ). If you read the publicity and listen to those that support the scheme unreservedly I'll only comment that it speaks volumes of the true popularity of the such a scheme that the club feel such a drive is still needed , particularly given the recent Arsenal FA Cup game which brought the scheme to the attention of the vast majority of Stoke's travelling support. Conclussion As someone who remains totally opposed to the idea and principle of the cards I welcome the changes, but a reduction in the draconian conditions are but a half-way house and the bottom line remains that a half-way house should be seen as progress to one day totally abolishing the cards and not a means to making them more acceptable and sustainable in the long run. I remain a 'true supporter' I've no choice it says that on my card and to go to every Stoke game I realistically have little choice ...for me nothing has changed
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