Thetownend.com

Give this a read fella

http://www.supporters-direct.org/englandwales/about.htm

Plenty of links to other Trusts as well

Great suff, Cheers Fred.

I remember a guy form supporters direct came to speak at a very early trust meeting when it all got formed.  For me the dream scenario is to follow the mould of Charlton who are still set up in the 'conventional' football club fashion, but IIRC have had fan involvement at board level for some years.  My only concern with the four league clubs listed as 'trust owned' (which if I've read things correctly, ours wouldn't be?) is that they are all 'small' if we harbour realistic ambitions of being a upper league one/champinoship side within 5 years I guess I just worry about the scale of the task.

That said it's assuring to know a recognised body are there to regulate and advise trusts, and indded offer the sort of advice and support which becomes pretty necessary when one intends to take a football club over.

I know but from little acorns etc

Look what was acheived at Brentford and Lincoln, neither would possibly have a club left.

Look at Southampton, who had a membership of 720 (with their fan base), and it gives you a reality check on the strides that we are making.

Food for thought like  :)

Correct

It will be consortium owned, but fan led - ie at least 1 fans representative on the board to reprsent the majority of the fans' (not just Trust members) wishes when it came to decisions that influenced the viability of the club.

Shares will be made available for the fans in order for them to have a "true" input into the club and this can be used to reinforce the fans feelings for the stability of the club

brentford are coping marvellously arent they

not to say we cant though of course, mattboyslim makes some very good obs though, i guess the road ahead is rocky, better that though than no club at all eh?

The point is they still have a club. At this rate we wont because the current board keep playing greek roulette with CVA payments! :evil:

Off topic but talking of Brentford - I notice that's where Alan Reeves is these days as Assistant Manager.

Brentford was a fully fans funded initiative with a large dose of borrowing to buy the club.  It will take them a few years to stabilise but they were on the edge of a financial meltdown already.  their first effort will be to get the club financially self sufficient, like Lincoln have managed, and that then leads to stability and in the end growth.

Ron Noades done them a favorable deal from what I can remember, I think it was an interest free loan on the purchase of the ground subject to it being paid by x year.

As has been sugested though there are clubs that are supporter owned that are doing well.