Developing MCT/GMFC Board Situation

[dunning1874]

Personally going to wait until after new director elections have been held before increasing my contribution, but making it much easier to do than the previous 'create a new entirely separate direct debit' is a great step that the board deserve credit for.

[TONofmemories]

9SBC steps down from his role with MCT (again). I give it 3-6 months he'll be back. 

[Mr.Blue]

Just now, TONofmemories said:

9SBC steps down from his role with MCT (again). I give it 3-6 months he'll be back. 

Don't let the door hit your arse on the way out Stuart.

[irnbru]

30 minutes ago, Mr.Blue said:

Don't let the door hit your arse on the way out Stuart.

Don't agree with everything he says or does but at least he's put himself forward and in the spotlight over the years. Volunteering for something that people feel so passionate about is a thankless task. 

[vikingTON]

"My primary motivation for returning was to help ensure the club's financial viability in the Championship. I believe we've achieved that goal."

Ah yes, surely the bronze statue awaits on Sinclair Street for our selfless hero upon stepping down.

Except that it is, as usual, self-serving bollocks of course.

Acting with the primary aim stated (leaving aside the 'viability' of a model now dependent to a larger annual benefactor that Douglas Rae, so what is meant is 'fullll-time futba') would be a potentially valid excuse for MCT directors who were also on the GMFC board. We could reject that claim on their part too, but the conflict of serving two masters at once os clear.

But last time I checked, Stuart Duncan was not sitting on the GMFC board in any capacity. There was no competing source of authority - the only role that Duncan had was as a member of the MCT board. Which raises some rather unfortunate questions for our erstwhile hero:

1) With what legitimate mandate did you act against the interests of the MCT membership you were elected to represent? When did you publicly state your prioritisation of 'fullll time futba' over the interests of the majority stakeholders in GMFC for full transparency and accountability, and when did you win sufficient support for that agenda? I don't recall that being on any candidate biography.

2) With what legitimacy at all did you act after both i) resigning from the MCT board in a tantrum and ii) canvassing support for an EGM against the remainimg board membership - an EGM that was conveniently discarded 0.4 seconds after you were 'co-opted' onto the interim MCT board?

So no, I don't think there'll be a bronze statue forthcoming at all. If there is one lesson that new candidates should be embracing from this farcical last 6 months, it is that MCT board members must uphold a duty of fair representation and accountability towards the membership.

If we continue to have MCT directors who get elected by default and then just run their own agenda, then MCT as an organisation will join GMST (see also Duncan, Stuart) in being a failed rump entity within 10 years.

[TopCat]

Anyone had much luck getting email responses from MCT recently? I sent a request for a couple of questions to be raised by MCT on the chairman's role and club governance at the beginning of June. I also sent a chaser a couple of weeks ago - no response.

[DaftTon74]

19 minutes ago, TopCat said:

Anyone had much luck getting email responses from MCT recently? I sent a request for a couple of questions to be raised by MCT on the chairman's role and club governance at the beginning of June. I also sent a chaser a couple of weeks ago - no response.

I am also in the same boat.

[BishopBrennan]

Quote

Dear Shareholder,

Greenock Morton Football Club Ltd - General Meeting Monday 21st July, 7pm

Following the vote of members of the majority shareholder regarding the Dalrada deal for season 2025/26, we are writing to give notice of a General Meeting of shareholders in Greenock Morton. The General Meeting will have the purpose of updating two sections of the articles based on changes required following the agreement of the Dalrada deal. The meeting will take place in the Douglas Rae lounge at Cappielow Park, supported by Dalrada Technology, on Monday 21st July at 7pm.

The agenda for the AGM is short and noted below:
1. Welcome
2. Proposed Article Amendments

Attendance at the AGM
Shareholders can either attend the AGM in person, or by requesting an online link to view and watch the AGM. To register to attend the AGM we are asking Shareholders to use the following link:

Greenock Morton - General Meeting - 21st July 2025 - Registration

Changes to Articles
As a result of the acceptance of the Dalrada deal for 2025/26, there are two changes required to the Greenock Morton articles which are proposed below:
Replace 21.1 and 21.2 with:
“The make-up of the GMFC Board shall comprise two members appointed by the majority shareholder, two members appointed by the principal club sponsor, and three members mutually agreed between the majority shareholder and the principal club sponsor. The Board shall continue to operate notwithstanding any temporary vacancy in these appointments; however, any party responsible for a vacant position shall use reasonable endeavours to fill it as promptly as possible.”

Reason – As part of the deal, the above make-up of the Greenock Morton Board was agreed and as such the change is required from the previously stated make up.

Replace the full section 29 with:
“The Directors of the club do not have the power to issue new shares in the company. This power remains under the control of the majority shareholder, Morton Club Together, so long as the shareholding remains above 50%. Should the Morton Club Together shareholding drop below 50%, an EGM must be called to alter the articles accordingly.”

Reason – This was a significant concern raised by MCT members throughout the voting process with the Greenock Morton Board composition changing. The above edit prevents the Greenock Morton Board issuing new shares in the company.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the club.

Yours sincerely,
Greenock Morton Board of Directors

 

The club AGM has been announced for later in the month. 

[TRVMP]

12 hours ago, TopCat said:

Anyone had much luck getting email responses from MCT recently? I sent a request for a couple of questions to be raised by MCT on the chairman's role and club governance at the beginning of June. I also sent a chaser a couple of weeks ago - no response.

I did get a response to my last mail shortly after the MCT meeting but the guy answering it was so smug (despite his failings to organize a recording properly) that it left a sour taste. I don't think dealing with their membership is a high priority for the current board.

[BishopBrennan]

11 minutes ago, TRVMP said:

I did get a response to my last mail shortly after the MCT meeting but the guy answering it was so smug (despite his failings to organize a recording properly) that it left a sour taste. I don't think dealing with their membership is a high priority for the current board.

Who was it that replied to you?

[TRVMP]

27 minutes ago, BishopBrennan said:

Who was it that replied to you?

"Chris on behalf of the interim MCT Board"

[irnbru]

4 hours ago, TRVMP said:

"Chris on behalf of the interim MCT Board"

Not surprised at that. 

Assuming it's the same Chris who's a "comms expert" that was on the board before when there was no contact with members or responses to people getting in touch but was first to moan about others down the same when he stepped down. 

[Rossco1874]

Dalrada accounts overdue on companies house. They were due by 30th June.

 

Not sure if already mentioned 

[vikingTON]

25 minutes ago, Rossco1874 said:

Dalrada accounts overdue on companies house. They were due by 30th June.

 

Not sure if already mentioned 

Not quite true AFAIK - 'Dalrada Corporation/Dalrada Financial Corporation' (search the name) seems like the main business arm, which being based in California would not need to file anything with Companies House. 

There is a Scottish-registered 'Dalrada Technology' run by the exact same folk, which I presume is the one now overdue on filing after a fair bit of to and fro in their records:

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC523533/filing-history

Not saying that everything's fine (or not), but the organisation structure is just not straightforward to assess. 

Edited July 15, 2025 by vikingTON

[Toby]

I’m a bit confused about this General Meeting tomorrow. The club are describing it as exactly that, while MCT say it’s the club’s AGM.

We’ve had no accounts sent to us, and notice of the meeting was posted on 8th July, less than what I believe is the statutory 14 days they have to give for an AGM or an EGM.

Can we assume someone’s got their wires crossed and this is a fairly minor meeting, just to dot some l’s and cross some T’s?

[TRVMP]

55 minutes ago, Toby said:

I’m a bit confused about this General Meeting tomorrow. The club are describing it as exactly that, while MCT say it’s the club’s AGM.

We’ve had no accounts sent to us, and notice of the meeting was posted on 8th July, less than what I believe is the statutory 14 days they have to give for an AGM or an EGM.

Can we assume someone’s got their wires crossed and this is a fairly minor meeting, just to dot some l’s and cross some T’s?

That's my take on it too, someone at MCT thinks "AGM" and General Meeting are synonymous, when they're not.

You are also correct that 14 clear days is the statutory minimum and that hasn't occurred.

I assume somebody at GMFC has figured this out and rather than rocking the boat they're going to have the meeting anyway, have the motions pass (albeit in an invalid meeting), then re-pass them at a future meeting. This is sloppy but not unknown.

[The Bewilderedbeast]

MCT have put out a corrective email confirming the meeting is a General Meeting,  not an ATM 

 

 

Members,

 

Apologies, a quick email to correct ourselves. We’ve been asked to clarify, and tomorrow evening’s meeting is not the GMFC AGM. 

 

It’s solely a General Meeting to vote on the proposed amendments outlined in the previous email to change the club Articles of Association in line with the MCT member vote on the Dalrada deal.

 

Thanks,

 

Interim MCT Board

[TRVMP]

Gordon Ritchie has raised the fact that the notice period for the meeting is insufficient and the GMFC board, quite frankly, totally flubbed the response. They said they had the approval of 90% of the shareholders to have an insufficient notice period, Gordon challenged them on that, and they walked it back. Gordon saying there will be "consequences" for this.

I have abstained from the vote (both articles) because the meeting is not properly called. I'd happily vote for if the meeting was convened correctly, but I think it's very bad form to be sloppy about this stuff. These rules matter. If someone's dedicated enough to cause issues for the Board - and you can read between the lines here - this stuff can end up in lawyers' hands. It's not worth taking shortcuts with corporate governance.

The people in the room overwhelmingly have voted for the first amendment so I'm in the minority.

Edited July 21, 2025 by TRVMP

[TRVMP]

Think the odds of a recording of this meeting being released are about 0%.

[TRVMP]

Sound's been cutting in and out for the past several minutes, not sure what's being discussed. Disappointing - this happened with the last MCT meeting and now with GMFC as well.

edit: to their credit they somehow fixed it

Edited July 21, 2025 by TRVMP