SUPPORTERS TRUST WORKSHOP
On Sunday the 17th of November a supporters workshop was arranged for all established or to be established supporters trust at the Golden Lion Hotel in Stirling.
The Stirling Albion supporter's trust was represented by Chair Dick King and Vice Chair Graham Hamilton and Secretary Jim Thomson. The clubs represented were Aberdeen, Celtic, Motherwell, Inverness, Dumbarton, Falkirk, Raith Rovers, Montrose, Hibs, Dundee United, Morton, St Mirren and Clydebank with apologies from Partick and Hearts. Clydebank supporters have continued their trust as they plan to establish a junior club in the town next year and they own the Clydebank name. Supporters Direct was represented by Brian Lomax Managing Director of supporters direct and James Proctor the development officer for supporters direct Scotland. The day got off with an introduction by all the clubs present. Their was presentations from some of the established clubs on how to get a trust started and why they felt they had to start a trust, this was followed a presentation by Falkirk on some of the schemes they used to fundraise. The representative of Morton described on how the supporters were told by that if they still wanted a club they better start to raise funds or the club would close. Fortunately they had saw this coming and they had went about bringing together all the Morton supporters. The Save the Ton section raised money to pay the players wages and help out on matchdays while the supporters trust raised money in order to buy shares in the club. This partnership proved successful and the supporters trust was part of the consortium which bought the club and the supporters trust has now a 4 ½ % share in the club and have a member on the clubs board so the supporters have a say in the running of the club. They continue to raise money to by more shares and to aid the local community. They have bought rain jackets for local youth football teams which is one example of how they are aiding the local community.
The development of supporters trusts are not new to England and there are over 50 trusts ranging from Manchester United and Tottenham to Nuneaton Borough. The trust at Chesterfield now own 83% of the club and the ground at Lincoln they own the ground and 53% of the club. This shows that if supporters get together and work with the clubs the partnerships can be successful.
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