12.12.2008 10:47

New and fruitful meeting with supporters clubs

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Supporters clubs from Bages, Berguedà, la Cerdanya, Lleida Sud and Ponent Nord had the opportunity to attend the third of the series of meetings being organised by FC Barcelona for its Catalan supporters clubs.

Joan Laporta presided over the meeting, at which there was a noticeably optimistic mood. Both he and vice president Alfons Godall, directors Xavier Bagués and Patrick Auset and Social Commission directors Pere Jané and Josep Ignasi Macià received a huge ovation at the start of the meeting.

The president gave a prudent speech ahead of Saturday’s game with Real Madrid and commented that the most important thing is jut to make sure Barça win the game.

Where we are and where we are going

Like at the previous meetings, vice president Alfons Godall told the people in attendance about some of the successful projects that have been set up from 2003 until the present. Godall also took the opportunity to mention two new club projects, namely the new MÉS charity campaign in association with Nike and ACNUR, and the new system for purchasing tickets via the club website.

The vice president also made an analysis of the current state of the club. In general he is delighted with the way the team is working under new manager Josep Guardiola; financially Barça is one of the clubs generating the most income; it has 167,000 members; it has energetic partners of the likes of Nike; and it is able to show its commitments to charity through deals with the likes of UNICEF, ACNUR and UNESCO.

Supporters clubs get their say

Once Alfons Godall had said his bit, the supporters themselves got their chance to ask questions to the FC Barcelona representatives. Many of them showed how happy they were with this initiative by which the club is seeking to generate more direct contact between the board of directors and the supporters clubs.

Godall took good note of the ideas suggested by the people that had travelled from Bages, Berguedà, la Cerdanya, Lleida Sud and Ponent Nord. Among the most commented matters were the forthcoming elections to the Supporters Clubs Advisory Council in a few months time, the times of games being shown on television and a study of new formulas for the World Supporters Clubs Meeting.

Later, in a more informal context, the directors of the different supporters clubs got their chance to chat to the FC Barcelona board over a supper organised in the New Boxes in the stadium. So, following yet another day of Barça fellowship, everybody was able to go home satisfied.