On Wednesday, March 9, the 107IST board met with the PTFC Front Office. Both parties came to the meeting to openly share and actively listen. The meeting was a hybrid of in-person and virtual.
The Front Office shared initiatives and action items they’ve started to implement over the last six months, since The Athletic article was published. While the 107IST board cannot share what the FO presented, we can say that the FO will be making these items public in the coming weeks.
They also shared their Supporter Engagement Plans for hearing from more folks throughout the season. They are planning to host more events to engage a wider range of fans. These events will be set up to increase the accessibility of the club’s leadership as well as more opportunities for season ticket holders to ask questions of the club.
The 107IST board shared a sample of the member feedback we’ve received over the last six months, as well as the results of surveys we have conducted. Our goal has been to represent members, and to emphasize that the reports of sexual assault and domestic voilence associated with our club has had a very significant negative effect on our community and the relationship with the club.
The 107IST board strongly urged that the FO communicate their plans to supporters and season ticket holders as soon as possible.
Overall, the meeting was a productive way for both parties to re-engage and be able to communicate face to face. While we have disagreements about past actions or inactions, we were able to have a civil discourse about the past and offer up suggestions on both sides for how to move forward. We are unsure what the cadence of meetings will be moving forward. That is something for both groups to continue to discuss, but the board will keep membership apprised of upcoming meetings, topics discussed, and anything else we can share.
The 107IST board remains committed to calling for transparency from the club and holding them accountable. We are engaged and are working to influence the systemic change we think will benefit the club.
