My Election Statement

Below is my MyFC Society Board election statement. I have not changed it in any way from what I submitted. I believe it is 499 words, so it's just under the limit. Hopefully, my posts here and on the MyFC forum will flesh out specifics, but the statement below shows, in a thematic way, what I hope to accomplish on the Society Board and what my hopes for MyFC are.

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The MyFootballClub Society has no analogue in the history of professional English football, and so being a Society Board Member will be a step into the unknown. But it is a step that I want and am qualified to make.

I don't want to do this to get an initialized warm-up jacket. Instead, I want this job to help ensure MyFC meets its potential to democratize football and take the Fleet to new heights. To do this, we need to change the way the football insiders have run the game for their own benefit and with little regard for the fans.

I believe that MyFC must be exceedingly responsive to our members -- the club owners -- by remembering that members are also customers and fans. We must:

- Ensure that member votes encompass all areas of club operation, both on and off the pitch
- Ensure that member votes present multiple options
- Ensure that members are notified of votes as soon as possible
- Ensure that there is no veil of secrecy around decisionmaking
- Ensure that Board Members are readily available to address members' questions
- Ensure that the Board always speaks for the members, and not outside interests

For any that fear that this process will tear out the heart of the club and be a cult of the new, know that I will respect tradition. Ebbsfleet United has its roots in the Gravesend and Northfleet since 1890, and we would be fools to shun this rich history and alienate the very community that has nurtured the club. There must be a continuity with the club's past that informs any changes. Yet we cannot be afraid to do what is necessary to make Ebbsfleet United and MyFC a success. Our club must be stable, but must not stand still.

I'm a 34 year old attorney from Boston, Massachusetts. I hold season tickets for the baseball champions and have stormed the field after big wins in American football. I have been an active member of the Forum Team, and I'm not afraid to speak my mind, but my mind is open. I've been to England three times to support the Fleet, and saw them whup Stafford at Stonebridge Road. I have been a guardian of MyFC's Wikipedia page, and am an administrator on FleetWiki. With a dozen likeminded North Americans, I helped found the MyFootballClub North America Supporters' Trust (which you will hear more about no matter if I am elected or not). I have even created a blog -- http://friejose.blogspot.com/ -- so I can answer your questions about me and my goals more directly. I have the passion and devotion for the job.

Yes, I am an American. I do not have the same history with football as most of you do. This is not a drawback, but an opportunity to look at things with fresh eyes and to not be beholden to the sacred cows of the past. Let's unleash MyFC's potential together.