Tuesday, June 21, 2005

 
Supporters Trusts have been in the news recently: mainly good, some bad.

Starting with the bad, up in Carlisle relations have turned sour between club owner Fred Story and United Trust leaders Kate Rowley and Alan Steel. It stems from an agreement between the Trust and Carlisle's previous owner John Courtenay, who promised the Trust the right to buy a 40% share in the club for £800,000. Thanks to a £600,000 loan from Gretna chairman, Carlisle fan, and Trust-friendly Brooks Mileson, that money has now been raised, but Story has refused to rule out the option of another share issue, which will of course dilute the Trust's shareholding. Apparently Story has offered to guarantee that the Trust will always have a minimum stake of 25.1%, but the Trust has rejected the offer. A somewhat one-sided press statement has been published on the Carlisle official web site, but the alternative view is also available, on the United Trust's web site.


Now for the good news. Two clubs, Rushden and Stockport County, have become (or are about to become) Trust owned. As of 1 July the not-so-niftily named Stockport County Supporters Trust will be taking over the running of the Edgeley Park outfit, after the head of current owners Cheshire Sport, Brian Kennedy, agreed to transfer his shareholding to the Trust, along with a rent-free 25 year lease to the ground.


Meanwhile, back to Irthlingborough, where former Rushden & Diamonds owner, and the manufacturer of Doctor Marten's boots, Max Griggs, has already given the Diamonds over to the also-not-so-niftily named Rushden & Diamonds Supporters Trust. The Trust has inherited a debt-free club with £20m in assets and more than 20 acres of land. The Griggs family, former owners of the club, have also agreed to fund Rushden up to £750,000 over the next two seasons. Both Stockport and Rushden seem to have benefited from incredibly magnanimous gestures from previous owners, although a cynic might wonder what the catches are. It seems to us that there are none, and that supporters of both clubs are in an extremely enviable situation, with the opportunity to put into practice what most supporters can only dream about. It's a shame that such magnanimity has somehow got lost between Greater Manchester and Cumbria.


The final Trust-related item shows that it's not just a one-way street, as Notts County have been given the lifeline of a £50,000 loan by the Notts County Supporters Trust, which actually owns the club. The interest-free loan is to help the club survive the close season, during which no income is received, but the club still has bills to pay.


As well as the Trust angle, all these stories have another common thread - they all relate to teams playing in the fourth division. Let's hope that one day OxVox will be playing a pivotal role in the Oxford United decision-making structure!

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