Whether you are aware or not, I am the Vice Chairman of the Supporters Association and feel it necessary to reply on behalf of the committee.
In reference to all of the above, the HGSA is run by a committee of volunteers. Over the last couple of years we have forged a strong alliance with the club and strengthened our efforts in supporting the academy. If you have seen todays League Express there is an interview with Andy Kelly who states how important the club value the academy. The HGSA run the gate for the academy games and have, via promotional activity increased that gate by 400% with the academy players, Andy Kelly and Robbo all praising the work of the HGSA.
In reference to points raised by Durham Giant and jools around the dissemination of meeting information , we are aware that the meetings may feel like a closed shop at present. We are working on this and are trying our best with the resources we have. The committee members are already stretched doing the activities we are doing and with the existing role being unfilled we are doing what we can.
A lot has changed over the last two years in the HGSA, the membership has increased massively, we have added additional events into the calendar, we have pulled in some of the biggest names in the sport to talk to us, we have tried to expand meetings into different days, into different venues in a bid to appeal to all members. The recent success of the Cricket Day was down to the HGSA taking over the organisation in a bid to make it into a 'family fun day.
We are a committee that regularly asks for (and receives) feedback via questionnaires. We take this feedback on board and use it as I have detailed above.
I am confident in saying that one persons opinion of it being a closed shop is an opinion and in my eyes not one that is shared across our membership, across the wider Giants community.
By all means contact me directly if you wish to discuss this further.