11th August 2020

CUSP statement

Following a recent internal meeting we are pleased to release the following statement from new Chairman James Mills as we enter our second year of operation.

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CUSP is a fan-elected panel of ten Cambridge United supporters that represents the views and interests of all fans of the Football Club. As we are now entering our second year, we wanted to clarify how we see our role in the coming year.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge effect on society and sport at all levels, and it has led to a 12 months for CUSP and the Football Club that has been very different to the one we expected. Nevertheless, during our first year we have built a strong relationship with the Football Club board and we have had a significant impact in a number of areas, including mental health, the use of ballboys and ballgirls, and the communication to fans. It is time, now, to look forward.

In line with our constitution, we recently held an internal vote to elect a Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary. The vote resulted in James Mills being elected as Chair and Ben Payne being elected as Vice-Chair, with Philip Saich continuing as Secretary.

Looking to the next 12 months, new Chair James Mills is committed to seeing CUSP continue to work with the Football Club on a number of issues affecting fans of all ages. “I am pleased to have been voted as the new Chair of CUSP by our other panel members, and I am glad that Ben Payne will be my Vice-Chair. I would like to thank Nigel Browne for his hard work in steering CUSP through a first year that has seen us build a brilliant relationship with the Club, and one that allows honest and open conversations between both parties.

“I am passionate about continuing to improve the communication between the fans and the Club, something that I think we have started this last year. I am keen for us to continue to ensure that the fans’ voices are heard and to help the Club to make decisions that the fans welcome and support. We are going to work on ensuring that the fans receive communication from the Club that is both timely and relevant. Part of this will be the introduction of a Covid-19 Q&A – starting next week – which will cover how the Club is responding to EFL and government requirements regarding the start of next season, the admission of fans and the new normal for the players. The landscape for professional football is changing almost daily, so we are planning to help the Club communicate these changes and canvas opinions and feedback on how the fans feel about attending matches in person and watching on iFollow.

“We are determined not to lose sight of the fact that we were elected by the fans to represent them, and to act as a conduit for the Club to communicate and canvas opinion. Our meetings with the Club are wide-ranging and we are occasionally provided with information that is confidential and cannot be communicated immediately. This is a delicate balance, and we understand that some fans may feel frustrated that their questions may not have been answered by us directly. What I can assure all fans, however, is that we are diligent in raising all questions with the Club and either providing answers or gaining a commitment that the relevant answers will be announced by the Club in the short term. We appreciate that our minutes have in some cases seemed a little vague in this area, and we are determined to improve our communication going forward.”

The situation regarding Covid-19 and the start of the new season – initially behind closed doors and then with a limited number of spectators – is very fluid, and we are planning regular catch-ups with the Club in order to share the latest updates. This also means that we are open to receiving questions and queries from fans on an ongoing basis, as we are now better placed to raise these between meetings if required.

Ian Mather, the Club’s CEO, confirmed his commitment to CUSP and the value that we can bring to both the fans and the Club in the next 12 months.

“Improving fan engagement wherever we can is a key objective for the club. It is great for the Club that we have an elected group of fans as CUSP and I and the board have appreciated the constructive approach adopted by them over the last year. Our thanks go to Nigel Browne for all his hard work in leading CUSP during its first year and establishing it for the future. We look forward to working with the new leadership team in what will, inevitably, be a disrupted season from a fan perspective. Working through the challenges ahead with CUSP will be a huge help.”

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