A group of fans who feel a supporters trust would be of benefit to both the club and fans will hold an open meeting in the executive area of Glanford Park from 7pm that evening, in which they will explain the concept of a trust and ask for a vote to start the hard work of creating a trust.
At its core, a supporters trust is a democratic not-for-profit organisation which is dedicated o building a shareholding in its name and using this block of shares to ensure that decisions made have always had supporter input.
Steve Wharton, the club's chairman, has encouraged the formation of the trust and is happy to issue shares to the group
Trusts have several clear benefits:
- Fans have their clearest and strongest stake in the club. Supporters are the lifeblood of the club, but at the moment there is no substantial way to channel that into a tangible asset. A shareholding, in our name, would do exactly that.
- There would be clear accountability. Right now shareholders can address the club's board at the AGM once a year, but no one who attends the meeting can claim a genuine mandate from fans. A trust would, and can ensure questions from their membership are put to the board. The trust's shares would be used to vote as directed by the membership.
- Many clubs have a representative of their trust on the board, and some are even run by their trust. A trust at SUFC would be in a position to hold regular meetings with the club's board to ensure supporters are listened to in the decision-making process. An elected trust representative as director on the board is a long-term target.
- Extra money going into the club through share purchases. Exeter City's supporters trust contribute and average of £110,000 a year to their club, and have put in more than £1.2million since 2003.
The trust model works. Clubs run entirely by trusts include AFC Wimbledon, who are the poster boys of the movement as they picked up the pieces from scratch when their club was taken away from them and moved to Milton Keynes.
It is not just small lower-league clubs where trusts have had a positive influence. Swansea City are one-fifth owned by their supporters club, and they have played a key role off the pitch in steering their rise up the divisions.
Barcelona and Real Madrid have two of the most famous fan membership schemes in the world. We may not be able to match their numbers, but can follow their example.
A trust is not intending to compete against or compete with the Official Supporters Club. We believe there is a core difference in our central philosophy: that our main aim is to build a stakeholding in the club for supporters. Everything else, the legal framework and backing from Supporters Direct, is intended to clearly work towards this.
The same goes for the excellent work done by the guys at Irish Iron, SULSESC and Winterton Iron. Anyone who gives up their time to volunteer to help the club and fellow supporters deserves our help.
At the meeting we are looking for a mandate, in the form of a show of hands, to create the trust. We hope to sign up interested people to become the first members of the trust, but more importantly we will need help. Could you help us run a website? Could you help us organise the membership? Could you help us incorporate as an Industrial & Provident Society? Do you have big ideas that could help the club? Could you be the person who represents fans to the club?
Ultimately, a trust gives fans a chance to shape the club but first we need you to shape the trust.
If you are free please come to our meeting in the executive area at Glanford Park, from 7pm on Thursday December 15. You can also contact us via theirontrust@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/theirontrustand www.twitter.com/IronTrust.
This article first appeared in the Scunthorpe United matchday programme for the League One game against Carilsle on Saturday.