Unita Fortior Fans Group

Hi all,

Jon Colman’s first piece from tonight’s CUOSC members meeting is now out.

UNITA FORTIOR

Thanks to @CUOSC for allowing me to watch tonight's members' meeting via Zoom. Lots of exchanges on a range of topics.

Here's a first piece on what Billy Atkinson said on the debt/Purepay/EWM/Holdsworth situation... #cufc @newsandstar https://t.co/GptBVZuGkx

— Jon Colman (@joncolman) May 12, 2025

As I keep saying, PD has nowhere to go here either so all he can do is make sure the BOD don’t screw up and jeopardise his loan which would be toast in insolvency( in the practical sense)

Meanwhile, it’s a block to change of ownership

Quoted from Laffy on Thursday, 12 May 2025

As I keep saying, PD has nowhere to go here either so all he can do is make sure the BOD don’t screw up and jeopardise his loan which would be toast in insolvency( in the practical sense)

Meanwhile, it’s a block to change of ownership

Do you still think there’ll be regime change soon?

I attended the meeting tonight and I’m convinced nothing is happening in that respect, I think it’ll be as you were.

Yes I do

What is the point in pureplay/ PD in not responding to requests for a meeting to find a way to pay back the debt. It’s neither helpful to the club or pureplay to not find a way of settling up.
Probably a good thing that PD didn’t take over his lack of communication is the worst thing you can have in any business dealings. He’s totally unsuitable as a club owner or business owner come to that not a likeable guy at all.

Unless I’m mistaken - we know how much the debt is and where to pay it…

What it seems from the outside is us trying to meet him about it is us trying to renegotiate terms….

Hi all,

Jon Colman’s second piece from yesterday’s CUOSC members meeting is now out.

UNITA FORTIOR

There were debates and exchanges on a number of topics at last night's CUOSC members' meeting #cufc @newsandstarhttps://t.co/3oukKN9sCN

— Jon Colman (@joncolman) May 13, 2025

Quoted from CUFC52 on Friday, 13 May 2025

Unless I’m mistaken - we know how much the debt is and where to pay it…

What it seems from the outside is us trying to meet him about it is us trying to renegotiate terms….

Absolutely - he has security including PGs - imo he knows he's going to get paid. Why should he agree to anything different to the terms on which loan was presumably made.... naive in extreme to expect so. If I was him I'd be getting pissed off by these types of comments.

Well that has killed off any thought of CUOSC being a fund-raising organisation. Any extra funds raised from additional members just goes to pay off Norman Steel's loan.

It's a shame that UF's membership drive lost all its momentum when Simmo came back as something needs to be done to sort CUOSC out.

It’s a loan-needs repaying

Quoted from carwash on Friday, 13 May 2025

Well that has killed off any thought of CUOSC being a fund-raising organisation. Any extra funds raised from additional members just goes to pay off Norman Steel's loan.

It's a shame that UF's membership drive lost all its momentum when Simmo came back as something needs to be done to sort CUOSC out.

Rome wasn’t built in a day though Carwash?

CUOSC last night suggested the Club see CUSG as the best way to raise funds for the Club, with CUOSC being more of a body to ‘hold the Club to account’ - several of us present disagreed strongly and suggested it more than possible to do both.

The CUOSC ‘Manifesto’ was debuted, prior to final adjustments and release, and some of us spoke of the disappointment there was no ‘targets’ as such. CUOSC indicated they hoped the release of the ‘Manifesto’ would see Feedback from Members to make adjustments as/how they thought things should happen in future…

Did Norman Steel set up "UNITA FORTIA" so he could get his loan paid back faster?



All the numpties who wasted their money joining the trust before Simpson rocked up must be really proud of themselves.

Anyway, why did the trust need a loan? Did someone on the committee go on holiday? Or did they need to stock up on crispy-cake ingredients?

Quoted from carwash on Friday, 13 May 2025

Well that has killed off any thought of CUOSC being a fund-raising organisation. Any extra funds raised from additional members just goes to pay off Norman Steel's loan.

It's a shame that UF's membership drive lost all its momentum when Simmo came back as something needs to be done to sort CUOSC out.

I agree on the Club's stance. The CUSG should be the main fundraising body, and I would add to that the group in which community based ideas and projects should be driven through.
The Trust - CUOSC should be an elected board with primarily the sole aim is to hold the Football club and fellow Directors to account on both boards.
The CUOSC BoD could then be held more accountable with regards to their involvement and direction they go in by the members and wider fan base. Letting go of charitable projects to CUSG would give them more time and focus on the football club.

Quoted from Lakelandterrier on Saturday, 14 May 2025

I agree on the Club's stance. The CUSG should be the main fundraising body, and I would add to that the group in which community based ideas and projects should be driven through.
The Trust - CUOSC should be an elected board with primarily the sole aim is to hold the Football club and fellow Directors to account on both boards.
The CUOSC BoD could then be held more accountable with regards to their involvement and direction they go in by the members and wider fan base. Letting go of charitable projects to CUSG would give them more time and focus on the football club.

On the flip side though, CUOSC are also a part-Owner, surely they should look to raise funds so they too can dip their hands in their pockets as/when needed/required?

It’s one of the biggest grumbles you see from fans - “Why do they comment, they don’t put anything in?”

It’s certainly a debate for the Membership to have in the coming weeks IMO…

CUOSC in its present form cannot be just a body to hold the club to account. How can that possibly work?

At the moment I have this picture in my head of two old blokes sitting on a park bench with a packet of Worthys Originals. Most of the sweets are being enjoyed by the blokes who chat away to each other happily enough. Occasionally when some of the kids in the park get too noisy, or nosy, they are thrown a sweet by one or other to calm them down and make the kids think they aren't too bad. I see our fans are the kids, the two blokes CUOSC and the Club.

There are, and always will be reasons why things discussed in the boardroom cannot be discussed in public, but the present state of affairs cannot work. We are being told that CUOSC holds the club to account, but whose account? Is it what the fans they represent want? There has to be trust built up before fans can happily give their collective power to such a secretive group.

At the moment there is little being done by the club or CUOSC to break down the them and us feeling. Worse there is little going on to break down the feeling that fans are just seen as an inconvenience and are regularly treated as such.

Someone asked the question they they joined the trust again and haven’t been asked an opinion on anything - that’s the point I’ve been making for years.

Billy mentioned he represents suppprters but how does he truly know if they never ask the members.

I think he gets the general feeling, but on other matters it’s pure guess work.

CUOSC in its present form can only hold the club to account. But that is the point of Unita Fortior, CUOSC could potentially be a lot more. I guess the ultimate aim is to replicate what the Trust at Exeter City have done but I agree with CCU it won't be quick or easy to achieve.

Unitary Frontier is a crap name, sorry but it is.

Quoted from carwash on Saturday, 14 May 2025

I guess the ultimate aim is to replicate what the Trust at Exeter City have done but I agree with CCU it won't be quick or easy to achieve.

Certainly their membership size and activity levels!

Overnight it certainly won’t be, but it won’t be for want of trying from some of us…

Before you can hold anyone to account, you need to be able to hold yourself to account.

In addition, if you are a "Critical Friend" you also need to know what you're talking about.

The Trust don't qualify on either count.

Since conception, their total contribution to the well-being and prosperity of CUFC has been zilch, and their selfish actions and attitude killed off the best chance we had of moving forward in a generation.

Until they take a close look in the mirror and accept how toxic they are, and make drastic changes, people will always take a wide berth.

They've been around for decades, and still don't know what role they play, that says it all.

Quoted from carwash on Saturday, 14 May 2025

CUOSC in its present form can only hold the club to account. But that is the point of Unita Fortior, CUOSC could potentially be a lot more. I guess the ultimate aim is to replicate what the Trust at Exeter City have done but I agree with CCU it won't be quick or easy to achieve.

That's the thing though. Hold it to account for what? Whose account? Until they have the trust of the fans they can't. The first and totally essential job is to win the trust of the fans without that it's one secret society speaking to another secret society. In fact, I would say the club is actually the more open of the two.

Regarding UF, it's certainly the best chance for change and moving forward. I agree with a lot of the things they are trying to do but something needs to happen over the summer, the years have dragged by and nothing changes.

If we are hoping for Cuosc etc to fund the club, it will be game over in 6 months.Crazy idea.

Quoted from Laffy on Saturday, 14 May 2025

If we are hoping for Cuosc etc to fund the club, it will be game over in 6 months.Crazy idea.

TBF, nobody has suggested that?

But surely nothing wrong with having a far more pro-active organisation with much increased numbers able to provide financial support - as any part owner should?

Have you joined up yet Laffy?

I will be joining but I don’t hold out much hope of the supporters raising £500k pa-the evidence isn’t great.I’m all for fan power but not with a suicidal funding model

TBF nobody has suggested even attempting to raise £500k per year!

But no reason why £50/100k shouldn’t be possible down the line? Ok, it’s not earth shattering, but every little helps and would show CUOSC to be much more useful and proactive than currently…