By Jr
February 7 2005

The natives are getting restless it seems at the Den. Matters off-the-pitch are taking centre stage at Millwall, as the Millwall Supporters Club committee have announced they're set to stand down at the end of the season. The booing that followed Millwall’s 0-0 draw with QPR at the Den on Saturday was another indication of how relations between the club and its fans have deteriorated.

Though it was a poor performance on the field, the home support may have been more forgiving had they been in a different mood.

The news that the committee of the Millwall Supporters Club (MSC) is to stand down at the end of the season must have dismayed many who must be wondering when the club will take their views into account.

A statement on the MSC website read: "The MSC are still currently open to nominations to join the committee for next season however, following a recent meeting, not one single member of the current committee will be seeking re-election.

"Although we have all enjoyed our time, finding it rewarding in many ways, current relations with the club has destroyed our enthusiasm to continue.

“Despite previously building what we felt were good bridges and lines of communication which we retain with some club officials, with others, they have disintegrated to the point where the miniscule feedback we receive, does not justify the significant amount of personal time we each commit.

"Obviously we all intend to honour our remaining commitments for this season and our thanks go out to the many members who have supported us over our time.

“We, of course, hope that a new MSC committee can be formed although feel in our hearts that, with the lack of goodwill coming from the club at present, any future participation would be futile."

The chairman of the Lions Trust, Bob Asprey, believes it's time for the fans to have proper representation, especially as the club has been reluctant at best to listen to the MSC.

Asprey said: "The current committee of the MSC has issued a statement indicating that they are all standing down when their term of office is complete.

"Even they - individuals who have invested massive amounts of time, energy and effort to try to improve things for the fans - have finally thrown in the towel.

"This must surely bring the club to reconsider its policy on supporter representation?

"Plus, of course, there is the prospect of a new chairman, potential for changes to the way the club is operated and how it communicates with its longest-term stakeholders: the fans.

"Who knows what the future holds? But whatever it does, the Lions Trust is prepared.

"Don’t forget, the players come and go, the managers come and go, the directors come and go, and when they’ve all been and gone, we, the fans, will still be here."

Asprey went on to reveal the reasons for the creation of the MSC and the Lions Trust: "The ‘new’ Millwall which emerged from administration realised that it needed a vehicle for some sort of supporter consultation.

"So the club created their own ‘supporters organisation’, the MSC, although it is really a club membership scheme rather than any kind of democratic supporter organisation.

"We join the MSC because we have to.

"The club doesn’t wish to deal with more than one supporters’ organisation, so not surprisingly they only deal with their own.

"And they only deal with them when they choose to. They don’t even meet with them regularly. Or give the committee access to the membership database. Or the membership fees.

"This is no way to treat the club’s longest-term stakeholders, the fans.

"So although the club doesn’t want to know us, we launched the Lions Trust in April 2003 with support of Lewisham and Southwark Councils, our local MPs, and even the Minister of Sport.

"We are a democratically operated not-for-profit organisation, with a clear constitution.

"Our members join us because they believe in our principles and buy into our aims and objectives.

“Since our launch, the number of Millwall supporters and indeed shareholders joining the Trust has grown steadily, and we have also collected the voting rights of 14 million Millwall PLC shares.

"This makes us the fourth largest block vote after Lonestar Partners, Theo and Peter Mead.

"Our membership increased by more than 20% in 2004. Anyone who agrees with our aims and objectives can join The Lions Trust, and I urge you to do so.

“You can join the Trust by visiting our website at www.thelionstrust.co.uk or by writing to us at PO Box 24767, London SE13 6GY.

"We regularly canvass the views of our members, both online and offline, as we are obliged to represent their wishes.

"And we invest half of our subscriptions in Millwall shares.

"Despite not being officially recognised by the club, we have had irregular meetings with Ken Brown (much like the MSC!).

"There’s nothing like a crisis to galvanise the supporters, to get them interested in supporter organisations, and to get them to part with their hard-earned.

"Since the Trust was launched we’ve had nothing like a crisis!

"We’ve had an emotional and historic day at Old Trafford, we’ve had a day at the FA Cup final 'circus', and we’ve tasted the harsh realities of European football.

"Unprecedented stuff that we never dreamed of in April 2003.

"And we’ve had a great time on the way.

"But despite these being happy days for Lions fans, our membership has continued to grow, as the club’s treatment of its fans has failed to improve.”

Meanwhile, the club need to improve their on-the-field performance if they hope to get their play-off hopes back on track.

This Saturday’s away “derby” match against Millwall’s Kent cousins Gillingham (kick off 3pm) may not be the ideal fixture, given that Millwall have not won at the Preistfield since November 1997.