Press Release - Proposed Walsall Supporters Trust
A successful meeting of the proposed Walsall Supporters' Trust was held at the Liberal Club, Birchills on Thursday 27 April 2000. The participants, who were supported by Labour and Conservative councillors, backed the notion that the Trust should seek to work constructively and positively with the club and that a democratically elected supporter's representative on the Board of Directors was a key long-term aim. The participants unanimously supported the formation of a working party to oversee the launch of a democratic trust for all Walsall supporters.
This working party has now been formed and will seek to launch the trust within the next month.
The following press release was issued last Friday following a meeting of the proposed Walsall Supporters' Trust. The trust is supported by the government-backed 'Supporters Direct' unit. Supporters Direct has the following aims and objectives:
AIMS
It will:
1. offer support, advice and info. to groups of supporters who wish to play a responsible part in the life of the clubs they support; and
2. provide models for action and those used/recommended by the unit will be based on democratic, mutual and not-for-profit principles.
OBJECTIVES
Legitimate objectives are:
1. the formation and running of representative bodies for supporters;
2. the acquisition of shares in the football club to pool the voting power of individual supporters to further the aims and objectives of the supporters' trust; and
3. securing the democratic election of supporters' representatives to club
boards.
I believe that the Trust initiative will help to democratise the running of Walsall FC in a constructive manner and will allow the club to be tied more closely to the town, thus more adequately ensuring its future.
The issue needs cross party support and it is important that it is seen to appeal to all sections of the community.
Richard Hall.