 Welcome to toffy TV. We are joined by Jamie Yates the newest one of the newest members of Everton's fan forum Congratulations. Thank you very much. Yeah. Cheers. What was one of the main reasons why you wanted to be on the fans forum? Um, well, I'm sort of that a bit of a time in my life, or I've got I've got a bit of time on my hands as you know, I only moved back to Liverpool in August and and Sort of a big big part of coming back to my where I was born Was to be able to sort of fill a lot of my spare time with with everton stuff really I've done it from a distance as a Dedicated row blue nerd my whole life and Being an ambassador and all of that but to actually get involved in something where Maybe I maybe you know, I could help make some things happen. You know really care very deeply about the club I do a volunteer for everything in the community involved in all of that and It just seemed like another interesting thing. I just I mean to be honest with you I enjoyed filling out the application form and thought if they read this and aren't interested There's something wrong ever really and so, you know, I just went for it And I was so you know very fortunate that you know a few people voted for me And I got in there. Yeah, what do you think? What things sold you then what you think got you on to the application, right? Well, um, I'm a Very very enthusiastic. I've got kind of we've got quite a good sort of story in terms of my life in recent recent months You know being through some big changes in my life and Had some real big kind of mental health battles to face over the last 12 months and you know and things and Evan in the community about she's in since I moved down and have Have really kind of stepped in and helped So I was able to sort of tell that story. I don't you know, I'm not doing that for sympathy, but Everton is just it's a massive part of my life. I don't know if you know Becky talent. I had the One of the esteemed everton writers She she's a good friend of mine and she she read something I'd written about sort of me and my my Evertonian evertonianism I suppose and she sort of said it's like ever and runs through your life like a rule-blower ribbon You know, it's intertwined in so many ways and I was able to sort of get that across And just the fact that I'm I'm an enthusiastic person. I'm a good person I think bringing the best out on other people. I enjoy being part of a team and stuff and I felt like You know, I got that across. That's what will have sold me What would you all what be your perspective? Well, not perspective. Just yeah, I've everything can be everton's fans for him before you joined up What what what did you see from the outside? Okay? Just as a fan. Yeah, and I mean I said this at my interview that the process of issue for that form if selected you then have an interview in front of a panel of Existing members then it goes to the vote if you if you're shortlisted. It's all of it X factor or something, but I didn't have to sing You know, I said I want to find out more about this Yeah, I've been aware of it, but you know in preparing, you know and in Preparing my application. I'd had another look on the website and notice the stuff on the website was all a bit You know this would have been back in the last year of This was happening Everything was a bit seemed a bit not out of date, but nothing new had been put up for a few months Not particularly active on social media as a fan with there's always all my life had something to say I was as a kid. I was the bane of everton's life I would say this must be some little late little retired lady sitting in a house It used to work in the the mail room at everton back in the late 80s early 90s So I was writing in with ideas or writing to the players and say, you know To be a good goalie and can I do this and you know, I've drawn a picture there Oh, you know, it's just been a lifelong obsession and living so far away. I think that was how I have felt I could engage, you know, so it would seem to me like it should always be a thing that some someone like me should have been involved in but already maybe but Maybe they were they weren't that visible, you know Yeah, yeah, and and and while I was aware they've done some good little bits and bobs, I wasn't exactly sure how It's not I didn't see a phone number, you know that you could bring up Oh, yeah, you know, and I wondered if it was maybe a bit of a select kind of thing And I said that was one of my concerns and and were there plans, you know With the stadium move with all the consultation that's going on whether maybe plans to Open it up and make it more visible and make it a thing that 39,000 people Who are there, you know, regularly go can can think I wonder if the fans for them could help with that Or I wanted, you know, you know, what that's a really good point that because I think one of the problems I've had with the fans forum is the fact that he for me You don't don't make enough decisions or are not Giving the opportunity to make enough decision. I think that's more. I think that's a better way of saying it To affect really important things And I know people who are on the fence when we've been on the fence Someone will probably come at me and say well, we help do this and we help do that and they we help do this But as a fan, I don't I don't generally know that I don't know the rich what their achievements are because they don't Very very very rarely does anyone say well This was because of the fans for it does a change in the ticket and or whatever It's not the club always seem to take the credit for it Where is the fans for them should be allowed to come out and say we did that we helped do that We helped this thing we helped do that thing I think that very doesn't happen enough. Yes Where is he probably have been responsible and for some good things that probably being responsible for some Bad things maybe as well for at least they're taking an active role, and I think I think what happens It is like you've just said I think if I've got a problem with someone at Evan or something ever and I should be able to approach ever and The fans for them and know that it's gonna at least be brought up in a in a conversation with Evan so anything so whether it's the price of a cup of tea to the Availability of kits. Yeah, I Should be able to approach the fans for them And it should be be able to get dealt with And I don't think that's visible enough Yeah, I don't think it's ever been visible enough the fans for me is a is obviously it's I think it's required by UEFA now But I think for too long for me anyway I'm just talking about myself here. It felt like it was a little secret group that yeah congregated in a room Yeah, and I think there has to be a lot more visibility about it, and I think I Think possibly but getting your body You want to bring it out into the light Yeah, I can see that by talking to you Yeah, and I think that's should be more of that because I just think it just seems like this and I I do this I've got loads of You know capacity to get my ideas across whether anyone's listening that's a different thing Yeah, but I think I think the fans for them has a lot of capacity to change things And we've seen that you know the main side Derby we see me We seen the introduction of the sirens before Say cars and I know I know the fans for I've had something to do with that I was you know It was definitely discussed and it is proof that you know a young glad I think it was Young glad done if even in his 20s, you know He'd suggested it and the suggestion went through and this is how this how things happen this democracy, isn't it? You know it and we pride ourselves in the fact that you know the whole people's club Whatever way you want to put it, you know long before the people's club Kind of quote came out. We were a club I think that we've took pride in his supporters and And people from other clubs would look in and say it's a family club It's a club that's got something, you know everything the community in the Mason where they've done for 30 years They go that little step further and you know the club Trades makes money on the the facts, you know on those tags, you know people's club stuff and And it should be it should be brought out a little bit more I hope you know I've made it very clear in sort of in my application and and getting through and I'm on there now You know and I said in the little the little video follow-up video that they did after the first meeting I went to in the week You know I said up all through the meeting in the back of my mind It was like, you know, this isn't a little club that I've joined here You know my 11th club. I'm here representing Everybody, you know, I think because of for me And people might might disagree with me on this I think someone from the fans forum whether it be the chair the fans forum or whatever should be should sit in on Maybe a board meeting month to month. All right, not all the board meetings, but a board meeting that is maybe For them so they can go in and get a cut their points across to the people at the club Yeah, you know a board meeting that is about the fans forum. I don't know whether something similar happens I honestly don't know but again, I don't know should I know should I as a fan know anything I'm you know, it's you know, whether there's minutes of a meeting or something. I Don't know but I think things like that should happen because I think fan representation is so important now when fans feel like They probably don't have a voice, but they've never had we've never had a bigger platform in the world Or which is ahead all the time now. Yeah, but it doesn't feel like it permanates into the club at times And I think listen there's 30 36 and a half ever Tony and I go to some park most weeks 36,000 36 and a half thousand ever Tony's a lot of them will have good ideas a lot of them get a lot of money Yeah, yeah, I'm going to match. Yeah, a lot of people have good ideas and want to be able to Get their ideas across and I've seen this we have people listen we have people all the time Yeah asking us can you help with this and you help without and a lot of the time We'll our answer be the same if you've got something you want to talk about come and talk about it on the show we can't we can't Always do the thing for you because that's your thing. Yeah, but We will help you we will we can we can give you the couch and you can go And I think the fans for them is a similar thing. It should be a place where someone's got an idea They should be able to Get in touch with yourselves and set and rock up and say we've got this idea And I know that's been getting done. I know it's behind the scenes It's been getting done with the same with them in terms of the atmosphere It's been done a few times, but this time it's hopefully it'll be Something that moves on because that was atmosphere for fans is the big thing, isn't it? Mm-hmm, you know get an atmosphere how to create an atmosphere out of sustain atmosphere how to generate an atmosphere, you know things like you know prices of Mm-hmm beer in the ground. Yeah, you know getting people into the ground To have a few beers to generate atmosphere All starts with things like well what's going on in the ground, you know, how much of the beers well the beers are Listen if the beers outside there Three-pound fifty and the four-pound ten in the ground. Why would you go in the ground? Do you know what I mean? What's the selection base? Well, they've got Karl and Cause light and something else. Well, they got Guinness. No, they haven't got Guinness Well, I'm not going the ground and yeah, I need to think Guinness. Yeah, you know me like these are the things that yeah Actually do matter whether you like the one up. These are the things that matter on the max day No, I'm not saying me. I drink Guinness. So why would they go in there? I can't get a pint I only drink Guinness. I don't like beer. So why would you go in the garage? You know what I mean? These are the things that will all play a part in Getting people in the car Getting money into the club get in the atmosphere Team wins a game Fans go into the club shop because they're happy. Yeah by loads of stuff. Yeah, we're wins. Yeah club wins Yeah, I don't think we see enough for this and ever football. Yeah. Yeah. It's simple, isn't it? I mean it is it is as simple as that I think no agree with you completely Yeah, and I think And it's it's just about opening all these lines of communication given given a platform and For people and and you know again as you said, you know The the fans for my I felt as a as a fan and now even more so now I'm involved in it It's not about taking credit for that. We've done this. Yeah, but by showing Demonstrating what's been done. You're then building confidence in supporters that wow so that happened that happened great Well, I've all my life been thinking about this And it might be one just one little thing that would make a difference for loads of people and you know Move into the new stadium all of these things can be Trial runs for how yeah, you know can feed into the whole design process of the new stadium So that when they get there and they go great We've got all this up, but we didn't think about putting that in there We're gonna have to rebuild that bit already, you know, these things can all feed in it's all vital because we are the customers No, I think I think you're right because I think one of the problems is that fans go the game and you feel like they feel like Things are gonna change overnight Yeah, but they're not gonna change overnight so they're therefore watch the point and start it You know what I mean like we can't we can't change it to watch the point. Yeah, you can you can change anything you want. Yeah, like We go the game where the ones who can generate an atmosphere or can do the club has to play its part Yeah, but it's all it can all be done and what you're saying there is perfectly, right? I Think one of the big topics at the moment obviously, you know, we we've talked about a lot is obviously safe standing rail standing Atmosphere now fans will say to you will Can I've had a good reason? Well, we can't we cut if we wanted to because we could have the seats in there but It's having that conversation now We're a bunch of lads, you know, whether it be the group are helping at the moment or or whoever Or could go to the club and say we want Next cup game we want 50 seats together and the club say No, we'll give you 25 bite and they go, okay, we'll take the 25 25 going Make a make loads of noise get everyone up around them. They have a great time Next game give you 30 next game give you 40 next game give you 50 Yeah, so that by the time we do move into the ground. Yeah They'll stay working with that group. Yeah, and that group feel like they can actually affect change now Yeah, yeah with yourselves. Yeah, and I've got a voice within the club Yeah, because that's what essentially what happens with alters. Yeah in you know other other countries is that they build up a Relationship a relationship a trust trust. I'm telling you right now Live and proof Club the club will be very skeptical of everything anything you do you have to build trust. Yeah, and every time They offer you something you've got to take it Yeah, and do the best with it. Yeah, and then the next time they'll give you a little bit more and give you a little bit It's exactly the same for us exactly the same for us But when we move sort of to the point with being that when we get to a new guy Where we it's a blind canvas. Yeah, they'll go there you go lads. Yeah, there's 250 Seats there rail standing. Yeah, which ones you owe which block do you want? Yeah, that'll be your block Yeah, you've proved that you're good lads. You've proved you don't you know, you know, we give you an inch You don't take a mile. Yeah, which block do you want to be the yeah to be your block? Yeah, I know that we'll have that one right down there at the front That's the best place. Yeah, and everyone's happy But that's what it'll take it takes time You have to work with the club because I think there's too much of an idea that It's plastic plastic atmosphere if it's organized it's got to be organized. Yeah No, it has to and and and to Bring other people on board with it. And that you know, it doesn't that doesn't mean you have to then be labeled You're a member of the the singing section, but Yeah, again, just go back to like I defy anyone it was a estate to say they didn't enjoy that didn't enjoy being a part of that, you know, it was it was brilliant and it's It's yeah, you're exactly right You have to be you have to be proactive and it's very easy for all of us. We all do it I do it every day. You're mucking about on Twitter and you'll say, you know, come out with some opinion if you really believe in that opinion you have to Be proactive you have to write that opinion down and show it to someone who might be able to show it to someone Who then might be able to say well, okay We'll have a chat about that and then that chat becomes a meeting the ten people and that you know, it's a It's a simple process. It's exactly the same with the the team on the pitch You know these things you build trust you take responsibility You say all right. Well, I'll I'll be there and I'll do that and I'll show you that I can do it I think and you know you're right relationships. I think what's happened in the past is People have come forward and said they're gonna do things and maybe they've been done in the wrong way Or the club haven't listened and haven't taken people seriously or People haven't people have asked for things from the club and haven't backed it up You know, they'll want a section of tickets and then nothing's happened Or whatever it is, you know, it's got to be a two-way street the club. I do think now the club listen a lot more. Yeah but it's just being about being open isn't it yeah and about Tackling things that because too many people go to match grumble about things. Yeah, and nothing ever changes because People don't work together and this is not just ever and this is football. Yeah, we're all you know You look at look at like the the 20s plenty thing and that obviously 30 pound for a way tickets now Yeah, that's up. I think that's like eight nine years. Yeah get done. Yeah, because it for too long It was I'm sick of this. I'm sick of this. I'm sick of this and then Then fans why don't we get together and sort it out and then it was like well, then it was Clubs, but then then all the clubs were separate and then all the clubs came together Yeah, and they got they got something done in the end because the power of fans together will get something done it's like when It's like when fans say we're gonna have a You know walk out or we're gonna walk late and then no one does it Yeah, yeah, who are you harming you're only harming yourself by not sticking together Yeah, you know a little bit of sacrifice now and again go can go along way and I think That's all we've got to do is fans the big one for me I always it always makes life every year the FA cup when people another final So whoever gets the file of every year always moans about the allocation. Yeah always. Yeah, but then it's always their problem Yeah, so You know, you'll get to the final new moan that you've only got 27,000 But you've got 30,000 season to close and you're moan and you have a little grumble But never goes anywhere and it's like why our fans of these clubs getting together and going for the greater good Like we got a way to get down. Mm-hmm. We want a bigger allocation. Yeah, and portion and making it publicly known because Too much is kept quiet now and so all these big organizations get away with far too much And the only way anyone's gonna put pressure on me. Is it the fans? I think Spain? I've just they're getting rid of Friday and Monday night football and generally getting rid of Monday night football because fans have just said we're not going Yeah, we're making a stance and we're not going so there's no atmosphere in the grounds So the TV looks terrible on TV. Yeah, so they're all their organizations before years and years as fans were just like It's on a Tuesday and it's on a Wednesday and it's on a Friday And it's on a Thursday and it's a half one kickoff And they'll keep doing it because no one yeah, and it's like why are we playing this game? It's like well Because no one's moaning about it. I think no one's having a moan So I think you know as I say They're the big things I suppose but it's a little I think if you get on top of the little things And I know people will accuse other people of being moaners and all the rest of it Just moan, honestly, you don't get anywhere in life without moaning Oh, yeah, and if someone's listening is backing up backing up with actual action, you know, that's that's how you really change things You know, and you know, I hope as I say I've been to one meeting. I don't know how everything works But I was very encouraged by what the representatives of the club said there about how they are actively working on and change in processes within the club in the way that through the the fan engagement department how How fan interaction is managed and how cases are logged and passed on to make sure nothing through the cracks, you know, that's that was pretty much verbatim and What they said, you know, and and that's really really encouraging and and you know, I'm there for my my term and I'll I'll do my best, you know, and I Seriously, dude, you know get in touch. I'm visible on Twitter I won't You should be and all the members of the fans for them should be a Like a local MP. Yeah. Yeah, you should be that's the way I see I'm the only member of the forum, which is I think it's 16 people and the only member who lives in L4 as well Okay, so I'm you know, I'm a big lump. You can't miss me round about all of the fans for as far as I'm concerned Should be visible on Twitter Everyone should know that we come to you we come to you. Yeah, and you will pass it on Yeah, we know that because it's visible. Yeah, and you will come back with an answer because that is your responsibility That's your job. Yeah has been part of the fans forum. I know you will take that stage. I don't have one else to take that seriously If someone wants something done it's something to do something if they feel I'm gonna drop a couple of ideas for you know, right? Yeah, there's a couple of ideas so yeah, I know the blue base is gonna be open after games I believe so if you want to but I think somewhere in in goodness and should be open after the game where fans can go afterwards and go and have a pint and just like Literally sit out where you know because there's traffic and there's a lot of people trying to get out the stadium So I think it should be somewhere out in the ground. Yeah, right Whether it be there where they sit or can go mm-hmm Now the perfect one would be the parking and his mother idea, right? Take this one. Yeah So I think if the fans some fans could congregate in the parking after the game, right? Yeah, leave a bar open So knowing the players go out the people there the fan plan Play a parade or whatever it's called Make them go out the lax last exit of the parking. Yeah, so they have to go up the stairs Yeah down the stairs yeah through the parking into their car park, right? Put a little barrier. Yeah, so all the fans can get stuff signed. Yeah by the players Yeah, but there's a bar open so they can get a drink and that out of the rain. Yeah, and out of the cold Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's not done by next week Oh, yeah, exactly. That's my idea Get it done. It's two bears one stone. Yeah All right, the idea space was the space Bombard you know because my brain do it, but this is it I've you know, we've just been chatting about our you know, our Evertonian lives, you know, and I have been a massive nerd my whole life about it all and had ideas and thoughts and You know one of my big things is you have my sherry's famous comment about we're not a museum Well, no, we're not. However, I'd like him we could we if we made A state of the art top-class museum facility on the new ground site We can fill it with what is proven the greatest football collection in the world We are a museum as a football team, but we have the great I think all that I think all that stuff we get taking care of I just think that at the moment. Yeah Where we are is actually We're sort of in limbo for all this stuff. Yeah, because it feels like If it feels like if you ask for anything it'll be like we'll get that in the new ground Yeah, yeah, we'll get that in the new ground. We'll get that in the new ground Yeah, that could be three four years away Yeah, yeah, the research in the gathering of information and ideas and trials of them it within the Goodison Sort of campus and everything in the community as well the blue base Is is a place that I know the ambition for that is for it basically to become somewhere an alternative to you know Maybe some you know the pubs or whatever somewhere where people people just local residents Not just ever Tony it's you know on any night that we can think are you going down the club because there'll be stuff on there They want it to be a going concern that don't want it to be viewed as a place that when the gate shuttle You know, nobody ever goes in nobody ever comes out. It's an official everton venue. It's not like Willy Wonka shot Exactly. Exactly. Well, that's you know, that's it exactly You know, and that's that's the whole thing. I mean it's Physically with a building like that and metaphorically with the club that the doors need to be open, you know and Open to ideas and open to people feeling like this. So, you know, you know, yeah, so I'll do my best So you got Jimmy's fight enough for a minute He's fighting the corner for us all fighting for us all so I believe I believe you've got any ideas Get in touch with the fans for let's get all those positive ideas out there You've got some you've got something to be banging in the back here Yeah, that you want to see ever do yeah, get into the fans for you never never know It might might might end up, you know, you might mean like I want it. Yeah, the side ends for itself. Yeah, I got an idea like that that you want to see exactly Get it get it get it to them because it could happen. Yeah, the club thing is a good idea And they'll help you the atmosphere of it. Yeah You know, it's it's you know, I have the idea write down how you think it will work articulate it You know, if it's gonna make a difference a positive difference. It's gonna make money, you know, these are these are these are things That you know why wouldn't why wouldn't they consider having a go? So so yeah, big thanks to Jamie coming in good luck with the fans for it. Thank you Thanks for watching get those questions and we'll see you later. See you