In the second of a new monthly series, Fans Director Brian Attmore answers questions from supporters in Q&A format. Over 50 questions were received by CFU last month for Brian and his second instalment of answers is published here.

If you have a question for Brian's next Q&A at the end of this month, please e-mail it to cfuinbox@btinternet.com

Why do you the club keep the loyal fans in the dark all the time? Why do you always tell us what you think we want to hear, not the whole truth?

The Fans Director is part of a chain of communication but necessarily not THE only line of communication. My role includes acting as a catalyst within the Club to ensure that fans have access to relevant information at the appropriate time. Sometimes this will involve me taking the lead and being the spokesperson. Other times it will be to ensure that others take on that role.

Each of the Directors has their own areas of responsibility and it is entirely right that they act as spokesperson on the issues that they are dealing with and are probably more expert on. Hence, for example I do not see it as the Fans Directors role to make a comment on every signing, player movement or commercial deal that happens in the Club. This does not preclude me from commenting if there is anything that I can add but it should not be expected.

Football Clubs are businesses but having said that they are a business in many ways unlike any others. Part of the roots of the Club and what plays an extraordinarily large part in nurturing the success or otherwise is the passionate following of supporters and their huge appetite for news. Nowadays this is, as they say, 24/7, and can include every detail and can be ignited by rumour or fact - both big and small. As a Club we have to acknowledge this and are grateful for the concern and support of everyone. That does not mean that we have to or should spend our time feeding it.

We are a business in a competitive environment. This is not just on the field of play but also commercially and financially. Experience has shown that it is not always in the Club's best interest to make it public knowledge; for example, every player that we are looking to sign. In this case it can alert other Club's and result in a less satisfactory outcome.

Taking this to other fields, we cannot make public all our commercial discussions or publicly state our intentions on every subject. Many times we enter into negotiations with third parties with no obligation on behalf of either party and it would be wrong to make it public unless a deal has been struck. Confidentiality can sometimes prove vital to achieving the best outcome.

The Club is owned by its shareholders and it is entirely correct that certain things are released to them before others. This is what happened in January, when the Board launched its 3-year Business Plan. Again it is not something that should be just kept within the shareholders and once released can be discussed at Fans Forums etc as has happened this year.

It is good that you have now agreed to communicate better with the supporters. Why has this taken you so long and was it due to pressure from the message board?

It may not be widely acknowledged but there is more communication from Cambridge United than ever before. We live in an age of high speed communication and there has been a rapid increase in the amount and methods of getting news out over the past few seasons.

The club website is the first outlet for news and the speed at which articles disappear off the front page - plus the continual heavy workload experienced by our Webmaster Andrea Thrussell - would suggest that plenty of information is being given out.

I acknowledge that this may still not satisfy the full desire for information. We are always back page news in the local newspaper, the Cambridge Evening News, and they will give whatever further coverage they feel an item deserves. In addition BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's coverage of the U's includes some excellent commentary on games, both home and away. They have played a large part in keeping interest in the Club alive during our recent less successful seasons. This has in my opinion played a big part in whetting the appetite back in Cambridge United by lapsed supporters.

They also usually give the Club first spot on their Sports Bulletins, as do Q103 and Star Radio. The recent emergence of the Non-League Paper, Non-League Today and the TV coverage by Setanta has widened the field and added to the interest in Cambridge United and the Conference League.

You may think that I am stating the obvious but these are all assisted or instigated by Club statements and press releases, interviews with the Manager, Chairman, Directors and players. It is all part of the Club's communication with supporters.

When I joined the Board of Directors in 2004 it was rare for there to be an interview with a Director unless it was a statement from the Chairman or occasionally the Vice Chairman. Direct access to any of the Board was much more limited that it is now.

I know that many fans have discussed issues personally with Philip Law, George Rolls, Norman Gautrey and others as well as myself over the past season. We are all fans and are willing at the right time to listen and talk.

Directors Paul Barry and Adrian Hanauer may be based in the USA but that has not stopped them from contributing via website articles and statements. The rest of the Board are Cambridge-based. Whilst as Directors of the Football Club we do not need to be at the ground every day, there is a presence and it is much easier to meet up and to discuss issues with fans face to face or on the phone if it is needed.

How exactly are you planning to improve communication with CFU membership and when are these likely to be put in place?

I acknowledge that fans and CFU members in particular have expressed a need for communication to be improved further. The Trust Board have been carefully looking at this with me, following feedback received over the past year.

There is now in place plans for a regular CFU Newsletter and we are going to have Open Meetings. At present I attend the monthly CFU Meetings which include a Fans Director Report. It is felt that a number of these should be opened up each year for members to feel free to come along - as happened a few years ago and had recently lapsed.

We will have at least two Fans Forums planned in for the season. These will be in addition to the AGMs of both Cambridge Fans United and Cambridge United Ltd. Whilst these Fans Forums can be planned with a certain amount of notice, it should be understood that dates are subject to change due to football commitments etc. However I would like to be able to keep up my record of being in attendance and taking part in everyone since taking on the role of Fans Director.

The first article in the matchday programme is usually from the Chairman. This season it is envisaged that I will share this column with Philip Law on an occasional basis.

Previously I have written the Community page. At first it was more of a Comment article on relevant issues by me until 2006 when we entered Administration. The following season it became more of a news page as the Club's Community programme expanded. To keep it up to date, it required me submitting it to the Editor as close to the deadline as I dare make it. This often involved me getting up extra early before work on the day and finishing it off. At the time it was with a touch of relief that I was able to hand this over to another volunteer.

I continue to be accessible by e-mail on fansdirector@cambridgefansunited.org Letters addressed to me c/o Cambridge United FC, The Trade Recruitment Stadium, Newmarket Road, Cambridge CB5 8LN are always welcome. In addition I am prepared to make arrangements to meet up at suitable times on matchdays. If these sound too formal, then come over talk to me at the CFU caravan, around the ground, on the Away Travel coach or in the bar at Cambridge United or at an away ground.

Message boards are not my favoured means of communication. My viewing of them is only on an occasional basis. There is a tendency for them to add fuel to rumours and I believe possibly 95% of rumours are untrue so the less people get embroiled in them the better.

What do you really think of our current board?

We are fortunate to have a very able and progressive Board of Directors. The financial commitment shown by Paul Barry, Adrian Hanauer, Terry Baker and George Rolls is, as far as I am aware, unprecedented in the Club's history. That is not to say that it will or should continue.

The whole Board, along with Chief Executive Norman Gautrey, has a wide range of business experience and are committed to doing what is best for Cambridge United. It does include some strong personalities and we do have healthy discussions on issues. Whilst we may not always agree, there is always respect for the opinion of others and decisions are taken democratically.

Who is currently in charge of PR at the club?

Norman Gautrey in his role of Chief Executive Officer currently takes charge of Cambridge United's PR.

What does your role entail and how does it benefit the club?

The definition of the Fans Director role is a Director of Cambridge United Football Club who is elected by the paid-up members of Cambridge Fans United; whilst the other members of the Board of Directors are elected by the Club's shareholders. The corporate responsibilities involved, including those of acting in the best interests of the Football Club, are the same in all instances.

Is it to be some sort of ombudsman? Is it to communicate? Is it to be a voice of the fans on the Board? Is it to be the voice of the Board to the fans? Is it a combination of some or all of those? Or is it something else entirely?

The answer is probably 'yes' to all of the above and I am sure everyone has their own definition of the role.
I have heard the role described as similar to that of an MP. In many ways, this is understandable. MPs act as a representative of all of their constituents and not just of those who voted for them. Similarly, a Fans Elected Director also represents all of the fan base, including all the various supporters' organisations (and I would go so far as to say even broader including the local community of Cambridge, some of whom may attend matches or could attend in the future). Where this analogy falls down is that due to our Parliamentary system an MP often ends up voting as decreed by the Party Whip.

A much more valid analogy is between a Fans Elected Director and the Parent Elected Governor at a school. Parents often have vastly differing opinions on how children should be brought up and what should happen in the school environment. For example, some parents think children shouldn't be given homework whereas others consider that they should; some believe strongly in a strict school uniform policy whilst others would prefer a more relaxed policy.

What should the parent elected governor say and do in such a situation? If you are a representative and not a delegate (how could you be a delegate when opinion is so divided within a school and within the Cambridge United support) you canvass as broadly as you can, make a value judgement based on all the information available, with - in the case of a Fans Director - reference to the Objectives of CFU* (see below) and act accordingly.

As long as the process is carried out with integrity and fully communication about the reasons for reaching the conclusion, then reasonable people can ask no more, even if they disagree with the eventual viewpoint.

The Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities, as I see them, are:-
- formulating the direction and strategy of the Club
-developing policy
-managing information and communication
-duty of care for employees and customers and corporate responsibility including health and safety plus fiduciary care
-managing the Club to carry out the decisions from the points above.

The scope and limit of the job has certain basic functions that include:-
-attending and participating in Board Meetings, discussions and decision-making
-delegation and management of the day to day management functions
-liaising with supporters, Supporters' organisations and other Clubs etc
-hosting visiting officials, being an Ambassador for the Club
-liaising with media, local officials, council officials, sponsors etc

*Objectives of CFU are:-

1. to strengthen the bonds between Cambridge United Football Club and the local community in and around Cambridge, and to represent the interests of the community in the running of Cambridge United Football Club.
2. to benefit present and future members of the community in and around Cambridge by promoting, encouraging and furthering the game of football as a recreational activity, sporting activity and focus for community involvement.
3. to provide and maintain facilities for the enjoyment of professional football
4. to promote coaching schemes to develop the football skills of young people and to widen interest in football regardless of the sex or ethnic origin of those involved
5. to further the development of the game of football nationally and internationally and the upholding of its rules.

What other non-football income initiatives are being actively looked at?

The Club are looking to appoint a Functions/Bar Manager. They would have responsibility for all the Bar areas of the ground, except the Supporters Club which is under separate ownership. The brief would be to look to maximise income from our off field facilities in those areas.

Following the renting out of the undercroft of the South Stand to The Football Store and a Portakabin behind the Main Stand to removal company Easy Movers, we are looking at other areas of the ground to see if there are opportunities for rental to assist financing the Club.

Will yellow pages be allowed in the ground bearing in mind it is encouraged at away games, which appears hypocritical?

It is identified as a fire risk, following a previous experience at the ground. As much as we may not like it, we cannot ignore it and the Club's responsibility is for the Health and Safety of everyone in the ground.

Which BSP club's directors' facilities do you enjoy visiting the most? And the least?

There is a wide variation in quality of the grounds and directors' facilities that we visit. I firmly believe and experience has shown that it is the people and not the directors' facilities that really matter.

Now that we have been in the Conference for three seasons, there are a number of Clubs that we have made repeat visits to and some including York and Kidderminster that we have continued to visit after our Football League days. You do share knowledge; build up a greater understanding of how Clubs work and in many cases strike up friendships.

There is definitely something special about Northern Hospitality (although I admit that I could be influenced by the lower price they charge for a pint of bitter).

If the question was 'What was the best view from a visiting Directors' Box last season?', the answer is without doubt the view of 4,000 Cambridge United fans bouncing at Molineux in our FA Cup 3rd Round game.

What was the REAL reason for the original cancellation of the Cambridge City friendly?

The game had not been ratified by the Board, as is the usual procedure, before it was advertised. At the time discussions about that game and others were still taking place.

What is your best 11 U's 1990-2008?

Here is my personal XI of U's players from 1990-2008. I have deliberately not included any of the current squad (they may think that they have made it but there is still a lot for them to play for).

John Vaughan - The 'Legend', a great shot-stopper with a good record at saving penalties
Adam Tann - 'professional' through and through
Jody Craddock - first seen as a pony-tailed trialist and rightly made a career at the top level
Danny O'Shea - converted by John Beck into a 'ball playing' defender
Alan Kimble - secures the left back slot and would take the penalties
Alex Russell - great dead ball specialist and always had time to play
Micah Hyde - one of the most exciting products of our Youth team
Richard Wilkins - class midfielder
Tom Youngs - team always seemed to play well when he played
Dave Kitson - goalscoring striker who could also pass and tackle well
Dion Dublin - oozing with talent even as a teenager

Thanks to Brian Attmore for his time in answering the questions and CFU for organising the new monthly Q&As with Brian. To send your questions for the next one at the end of this month, please e-mail cfuinbox@btinternet.com

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