A busy month for Supporters Trusts around the country...

January, the month of penny pinching for most, but the time of year that traditionally Premier League clubs continue to plunder further into the red with the next raft of marquee signings. Not this year. This year under £30 million was spent; according to Deloitte the lowest since the system was introduced in 2003. Instead it is the supporters who have been making the headlines….

Manchester United Supporters Trust

With MUST revealing that the Glazers could take up to £130 million out of Manchester United in the first year, they have gone on the offensive, aiming to build greater support for their plans, raise awareness across the board and help to develop an alternative to the current ownership.

Membership is now well over 40,000, crucial not just in order to persuade the Glazers to go but also to form a significant group to participate in any future ownership structure.

MUST are also working with a number of wealthy and influential United supporters interested in exploring the options for a change of ownership on the understanding that the whole of the Manchester United family needs to come together from the ordinary fan with less money to the wealthy group now being labeled the ‘Red Knights’.

Read more about the campaign
For tips on building membership at your trust go to the SD wiki

Newcastle United Supporters Trust

NUST continue in their goal to acquire 100% ownership of Newcastle United Football Club and they have the backing of the fans, with a survey of over 5,000 Newcastle fans finding a paltry 5% against supporters leading a buyout.

They’ve also been making waves in political circles; a rare show of cross party unity saw Newcastle City Council leader John Shipley proposing the following motion, seconded by opposition leader Nick Forbes;

“This council notes continuing uncertainty over the long-term ownership and future of Newcastle United Football Club. The council recognises the special place of Newcastle United in our local community and the feeling of supporters for the name St James’ Park. The council believes it is important that a stable future for the club is established as soon as possible. The council resolves to support the principle of supporter involvement in the ownership of football clubs and the aims of the newly-formed Newcastle United Supporters Trust”

The financial experts continue to work in the background to provide a platform the finance necessary, and the trust remains as active as ever with its road shows and more recently Fans voice video

You can find more about NUST on their website
For a guide on how to lobby local Government go to the SD website for a pdf leaflet For guidance on setting up a video campaign pay a visit to the Wiki

Cardiff City Supporters Trust

Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust is to press ahead with its efforts to force a special meeting of shareholders to demand answers on the football club’s financial position.

The Trust has written to all shareholders to give the board of directors an opportunity to outline their future plans for Cardiff City and detail the club’s viability in the short, medium and long term.

This action comes off the back of thousands of fans buying season tickets for next season in the belief that their money would be used on strengthening the squad, and the emergence of a winding up order from the HMRC.

You can read more on their website

With a bit of research the trust has also realised that the football club had not called a general meeting in the past 12 months, meaning it’s easier to call an EGM: because of the new Companies Act it reduces the percentage of shareholders required to call an EGM to 5%. 

You can find more on this important change to company law, plus more on meetings and resolutions on the wiki
Remember Supporters Direct offers member trusts access to a free legal helpline operated by Cobbetts solicitors, you can find more details on the website or by contacting a member of staff

Pompey Supporters Trust

With a winding up orders from HMRC and more owners than league wins this season the situation at Portsmouth shows few signs of abating.

But there is hope in the form of the supporters’ trust, which sent a letter only a week ago and as a result, alongside campaign group SOS Pompey, met with Premier League (PL) CEO Richard Scudamore.

As a result the PL has promised that the latest ‘owner’ Balram Chainrai will face a detailed investigation into his ownership of Portsmouth FC, including a face to face interview with the PL Business Intelligence Specialists. 

Read more.

St Albans City Supporters Trust

You don’t need us to tell you that a familiar position that Trusts find themselves in is under pressure from owners and Directors to top up the bank account; it’s a situation too many, particularly in non-league, have found themselves in.

So when the Saints City Trust were roundly criticised in an open letter from the Board of Directors of St Albans City FC, and asked/demanded that money ‘be repatriated back into St Albans City FC’ how did they respond? They issued their own quite stunning response, which we’d urge you all to read.

And it seems that it’s beginning to re-educate both the fanbase and directors, with an excellent response from supporters and an increasing retreat from the Board, which you can read on the St Albans City FC website.

City Fans United

Chester City Football Club has received another stay of execution from the high court on the 27th of January, but it has done little to change the mood of the supporters’ trust, who issued this statement:
“No-one wanted to see Chester City Football Club die today. But the stay of execution given to the Club in the High Court is little comfort to Chester supporters. The way our club has been run is indefensible and has led to a catastrophic loss of confidence by supporters, businesses, the football authorities and the wider community. The only way forward is a swift and decisive change of ownership.
“We will continue to work tirelessly for a resolution to the disgraceful position that our Club is in. And we would like to reassure our members and supporters that we remain resolute in our ambition for our City to not only have a football club, but one that is community led that we can all be proud of.” 

You can read the full statement on their website
You can also find lots more information about what to do if your club is in crisis, including an insolvency guide and details of forming and reforming a club on the SD Wiki

Crystal Palace Supporters Trust

The Trust has seen the clock turn back 11 years, with the Club having entered into administration two weeks ago. But on this occasion it’s proving more difficult to find a role, given that even now they’ve still not met administrator Brendan Guilfoyle (who undertook Luton Town’s most recent administration in 2008) – even though he has pledged to do so on many occasions recently.

So they have been pressing publicly and privately, to get a response from Guilfoyle, and have already had a meeting with the Football League to express their concerns.

It seems supporters have taken to the Trust’s persistence, and are now organising demonstrations to alert Guilfoyle to the need to engage with the biggest supporters’ group at Palace, and with a track record to match – both in campaigning and raising finance; they raised an estimated £1m in 1999 when the Club was last administration. 

Read more on their website here