New Era from Supporters Trust Viola: Participation and Projects on the Agenda

Supporters Trust Viola, the fan association of the Viola Basket team based in Reggio Calabria, Italy, held an important general assembly meeting on 8 July at the Sporting Stelle del Sud facilities in the Pentimele area. Numerous members attended the meeting both in person at the venue and through online platforms. This intense interest was considered a clear indication of how strong the deep devotion to the club's black-orange colors and the sense of belonging among the fans are. During the meeting, a highly productive and open dialogue environment was established between the current management and the members of the association. This general assembly, where the past season was evaluated and projections for the next period were drawn, was welcomed with great satisfaction by the attendees.

Maurizio Marino, the Association President who delivered the opening speech, also chaired the meeting by carrying the proxies of some directors. This proxy system, where various members represented different names, emphasized the importance of participation in decision-making mechanisms within the framework of the rules. In addition to those who physically attended the meeting, names such as Armando Attinà, Daniele Nicolò, and Bruno Stella connected remotely and actively contributed to the discussions. Many directors and members present at the venue, such as Mario Dito, Alberta Dito, Domenico Paino, and Vincenza Gangeri, expressed their opinions on the agenda items. This diversity revealed the functioning of democracy within the association and the necessity of every member having a say in both on-field and off-field decisions.

The financial dimension of the general assembly was also addressed in great detail; lawyer Lo Cicero shared transparent information about the association's income and expense items by presenting the final account for the 2025-2026 period. Treasurer Vincenzo Germoleo, who took the floor afterwards, submitted the draft budget envisaged for the 2026-2027 period to the approval of the members and detailed the financial aspect of the activities planned for the upcoming season. Both financial statements were approved unanimously by the members, reinforcing the trust in the financial management of the association. However, following this presentation, Germoleo submitted his resignation, citing the risk of conflict of interest between his role on the board of directors of the Viola Basket club and his position as the association's treasurer. While members stated their respect for this decision, the issue of how the vacant position and board memberships would be redistributed came to the agenda.

In line with these changes in the management staff, Lucia Morgante and Mario Dito were included in the association's board of directors as new members, thus completing the organization's staff. In addition, the joining of Melania Borzumati to the association as a new member was welcomed with excitement as a concrete proof that the fan base and the supporter network are growing. In the statements made by President Marino, the glad tidings were given that the accumulation in the association's treasury would be used to produce new and officially licensed products (merchandising). In this context, it is planned to design and produce special scarves for the association before the new season. Furthermore, creative ideas were brought up, such as everyone wearing the same orange t-shirt or organizing simultaneous choreographies in black-orange colors in order to ensure the visual integrity of the fans during away and home matches.

During the discussions, the issue of organizing new philanthropic events within the framework of the association's vision of providing social benefit was also laid on the table. In addition, some recent tensions and disagreements with the Viola Basket club management were tried to be smoothed over by discussing them openly and constructively with the members. Association members showed their determination to act with collective wisdom, emphasizing that the main goal in overcoming such problems is always the interests of the club. Along with status updates and annual activity plans, the general assembly once again proved how vital it is to preserve the supporter culture and local sports. These sector assemblies aim to carry out more projects and bring fans together in the future to continue supporting basketball in Reggio Calabria.