Has it really been a month since the last meeting? Wow, time really flies when you're moaning about pie flavours. Chairman Paul Duffen, Commercial honcho Andy Dawson and FLO Danny Pratt met with the rag tag bunch collectively known as the Fans Liaison Committee at the KC Stadium on Thursday 18th September.

Briefly recapping from last month's meeting, Danny Pratt outlined what had been followed up on. The main issue of note was the Stadium PA System. A full audit was undertaken on the PA system after supporters noted that the sound was too loud in some areas and inaudible in others. The survey found no problems with the equipment already installed, however more speakers are needed in the South/West corner so the volume can be reduced to avoid over amplification and improve clarity. The club are taking quotes for the cost of the purchase and installation of new speakers.

Last month the issue of the club's visual presence throughout the city was raised and supporters were asked to generate ideas as to how the club could improve it's profile. The marketing team have also been discussing this in detail, they agree that a greater visual presence is needed and they are looking to put together a coordinated campaign so the attempts to raise the profile do not appear 'scattergun'.

Onto this month's queries...

"Why aren't Hull City represented in the Masters football tournaments?" asked one supporter, miffed that South Yorkshire jikes such as Barnsley and Rotherham have teams in the Sky Sports broadcast 6 a side competition and the Tigers do not. It was a question that bemused all three men from the club, they weren’t even sure who organised the tournament, but they'll find out.

There has been much talk in the media of late about allowing supporters to stand in 'controlled terrace areas' in Premiership and Championship stadia, a practice outlawed by the Taylor Report in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster. “What are the chairman's thoughts on this matter?” queried one shaven headed fan. The DuffMan expressed scepticism of the idea, questioning whether the addition of a terraced area at the KC Stadium would be worth capital investment needed to create it. That said, he would be receptive to the idea if, should legislation be altered, it was overwhelmingly popular with fans and the increased capacity from terracing would pay for itself. So, it's feasible, but far away, and not high on the club's list of priorities to investigate.

One Nectarine had witnessed spectators wearing headsets and listening to commentary of the snooker at The Crucible and wondered if something similar could be done at the KC. "Already done" beamed the FLO. A limited amount of headsets, mostly used by visually impaired supporters, are available each game and feature the Hull Hospital Radio 'Tigerfusion' commentary. Headsets can be requested for games, just get in touch with the FLO (01482 304 835 or daniel.pratt@hulltigers.com). Intrigued, and envisaging selling headsets that play the KCFM commentary, commercial type Andy Dawson said he'd explore possibilities of rolling out the service further.

Why are there no urinals placed at a height suitable for children (or Verne Troyer) in the gents toilets? Blank looks from the club-men to that question. It will be looked into, especially for the toilets near family areas.

The pikey/chav culture road show that is Hull Fair recently left town, and one fan felt compelled to ask if the club considered asking the Football League for two away games on the bounce during the period of the fair's visit, to minimise the impact on crowds and of the loss of the Walton Street car park. No. Three Saturdays without a home game would not be good on club finances says the chairman, mindful of the October international break.

Some supporters had experienced difficulty getting into the ground when arriving after kick off. There is a set policy in place for late arrivals but perhaps the stewards need it reiterating to them and it evidently isn't clear to supporters. A turnstile remains open on each of the four corners of the ground for some time after kick off, and even if you arrive after their closure, a steward on the gate can take your ticket and admit you. The club will arrange for some signs with late arrival procedures on them to be posted on or around the turnstile gates.

You'll be pleased to know that DuffMan is as opposed to music after goals as Adam Pearson was. Despite consistent and overwhelming opposition to the practice from the club, FLC and fans in general, this topic keeps getting raised. Every time, eyes are rolled, teeth are gnashed, and the despicable idea is giving little shrift, some would say the shrift given is short. Just who suggests this? If it's someone under 10 years of age then fine, they'll learn, but if this person (and I reckon it's the same person every time) is of an age that allows them to vote, drink ale and have sexual relations, then they ought to be repeatedly kicked in the cock/minge. A Hull City Online user I'd wager.

I also suspect the next question came from some HCO meff, such was its smug piousness. "Why is it that we are sponsored by the local telephone company, the stadium is named after them and yet the only way to telephone the main office or the ticket office is to use a non KC number? Can we please have a local number for our local club?"

Deadpan, DuffMan answered that the ticket office IS a KC number, allocated by them. You could hear the sound of chips being pissed on at this point, and the questioner fell silent. Really, what has a sponsors name got to do with anything anyway? Because Arsenal's stadium is sponsored by Emirates are they compelled to fly fans to away games, Middlesbrough via Dubai? Because Huddersfield play at the Galpharm Stadium should they offer fans buying tickets Ibuprofen if they have a headache and some Entrocalm if they have the shits? Utter nonsense. The point about using a premium rate number is valid regardless of which company pays to have their names associated with our home, and there are already plans to change to an 01482 number, that should happen in January, but the decision to do this is the chairman's and is in no way connected to the KC sponsorship agreement. Adam Pearson said during his tenure as chairman that the club made no money from the 0870 number so there was no value in keeping it.

Was there much uptake of the travel cost compensation package offered for fans that were affected by the decision to bring forward the Ipswich game? The club received 20 written complaints, mostly from Ipswich fans, and those were referred to the RFL who had agreed to shoulder the burden of compensation. Few City fans complained, the Southern Supporters (HCSS) rep mentioned difficulties faced by those fans travelling on train from London and it was noted that they too are eligible for travel cost refunds if they had to rearrange their train for the Ipswich game.

Would the new ownership review the need for the security fence that separates home and away fans in the North-East corner of the stadium? The chairman simply replied that it hadn't been brought up in his tenure so has not been reviewed so far. By implication it will not be reviewed unless there is a groundswell of opinion against the fence, most people it seems have just learned to live with it.

Members of the Sports Bar are having some sort of existential crisis and are wondering what the advantages of having membership are. The chairman, not joking in the slightest, said that bellowing PA hoon Steve Jordan added value. Blimey. He also added that he's enjoyed popping in the Sports Bar a few times and his appearances have been appreciated by supporters. Commercial Director Andy Dawson commented that membership gave people an exclusive area to be in and in turn a sense of inclusion, and there were guest speakers too. Someone had asked if a covered smoking booth could be added outside the bar, however the smoking ban extends to an 8 metre exclusion zone outside the stadium so this isn't possible. The exclusion zone also rules out Smoking Pens which had previously been proposed. Some fans continue to smoke in their seats, the club seem reticent to be too heavy handed about this and don't want to provoke violent confrontations in the stands (and let's face it, when stewards chide supporters in the seating areas for whatever, mutually supportive mob mentality kicks in). The chairman thinks that since the ban on smoking in public places is now national law, such instances will gradually fall in number and the matter will be peer policed.

"Does the club get value for money from Humberside Police?" asked one supporter. DuffMan replied that since paying for policing is not optional and that Humberside Police have the monopoly, he couldn't opine on whether the club gets value for money or not. However he did state that Hull City pay less than most Championship clubs. It has been some time since any notable policing issues were raised at an FLC meeting, which implies there has been an improvement in the service given since the committee met with Divisional Commander Sean White to present supporter issues. Certainly the issue of riot gear clad officers gathering menacingly in South-West corner has been resolved and the chairman said no policing problems have been brought up with him so far.

The value of the SMS news service was questioned when KCFM often announce big stories before the club send these texts out. The club feel that mostly the SMS service gives news first but occasionally an intrepid journo from KCFM will get a story from the manager on the training ground before the club are ready to officially announce the news. Also, KCFM only broadcast locally, whereas the texts from the club are a global service.

And briefly...Stadium manager John Cooper continues to harangue the Council about the lighting on the approach to the stadium but the club has no ability to enforce change. There is nothing to report as yet in the search for the original Hull City railway plaque. There was no hot water in the gent’s toilets at the Chelsea and Ipswich games, John Cooper has been informed. Some meff keeps turning of the TVs in the concourses which …zzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZ. Sorry, that subject triggered a narcoleptic response.

That was pretty much that. Next month, Stadium Manager John Cooper will join us to discuss operational matters in detail. If you have a query, you can contact Les or Andy directly by email or leave a note in the FLC thread on the forums. (LM)