To: Sports Desk

Press Release

The Walsall Supporters' Trust will be holding its inaugural annual general meeting at Walsall Town Hall Council Chambers in Lichfield Street on Wednesday 25 October at 7pm. The main focus of this meeting will be to elect six officers to formally run the business of the Trust. All members are encouraged to attend the AGM and the public meeting that will follow. Each member will have a right to vote for officers either directly or via a proxy.

Any non-members who are interested in the work of the Trust or unsure about what it intends to achieve are welcome to attend the short public meeting which will start at 8pm in the same location.

The Trust has doubled its membership since the start of the season and now has 80 members. Richard Hall of the Trust working party stated that "it is vital that the Trust builds on its promising foundations. The election of officers is a key moment in the Trust's development and it will be a real opportunity to show the community of Walsall that this is a serious and committed organisation."

Once officers are elected the Trust will be able to begin its negotiations with the Board of Directors and the shareholders of Walsall FC about the fans' direct involvement in the club's future. Luton Town FC's Yvonne Fletcher, Britain's first democratically-elected female director, believes that local initiatives like that at Walsall, in tandem with national services like Supporters' Direct are "the logical next step in a journey that began with fanzines and the Football Supporters Association." She added that the backing of the Government for local democratic organisations through Supporters' Direct gives "supporter groups more credibility".

The Trust is attempting to forge a community of fans of all ages, which can work to promote an inclusive approach at Walsall FC. The working party are creating the foundations for elected officers to move the Trust and the community of Walsall forward in their relationship with the football club.