Supporters Direct
PRESS RELEASE: For immediate release
21 May 2010
Football needs to change. The politicians agree. Now let's make it happen...
A national conference is to be held (12-13 June 2010) to allow football
fans from across the country to offer their views on the Government's
commitment to giving supporters a greater say in the running of their
clubs.
The conference is being organised on the back of a growing political
consensus about the potential for football fans to buy out their clubs
by setting up co-operatives, similar to those that already own and run
clubs like FC Barcelona and Hamburg SV. Both the Conservative Party and
Labour Party pledged to support this form of community ownership in
their manifestos.
Hosted by Supporters Direct, which represents more than 160 supporters'
trusts in the UK, Saturday is themed A Better Vision for Football and
will give football fans the chance find out more about the proposals
under consideration. It will also allow fans to speak directly with
politicians, club chairmen, bloggers and writers, as well as
representatives of football clubs already owned by supporters' trusts.
In addition, the keynote speaker on Saturday will be made by the award
winning film director Ken Loach, responsible for the modern cult classic
Looking for Eric, also responsible for a recent documentary about the
response of football fans to their sense of alienation from the game.
Co-operatives UK chief executive Ed Mayo will be addressing delegates on
Sunday.
Dave Boyle, chief executive of Supporters Direct, said: "We know all
about the problems faced by fans and clubs, but now its time for a big
push to bring some solutions. This conference is a rally for change in
football - change in the way fans influence their clubs and change in
the way the game is regulated. "
He added: "In the last season, the efforts of a fans at Manchester
United, Liverpool and Newcastle built on the work done up and down the
country by supporters trusts, and as a result politicians of all parties
said they were concerned about the issues of fan involvement. The
process of turning that concern into action starts now, and this
conference is the first step."
Oliver Houston, deputy chief executive of MUST, who will be speaking at
the conference, said: "Regardless of the level of football, clubs are in
financial turmoil and fans are being bypassed in decisions that have a
life-or-death effect on their clubs. The Manchester United Supporters'
Trust, like all supporters trusts, offers us all a way of making sure
that we can be heard, and ultimately determine the future of our clubs."
Starting on the day of England's opening World Cup match against the USA
(12 June 2010, K.O. 8.30pm), the match will be shown live on a big screen.
Notes to editors
* For further information about this release or to arrange interviews,
please call Kevin Rye on 07852 998542, Henry Palmer or Anna Hollis on
020 8533 8892.
* Bookings for A Better Vision for Football can be made online at
www.supporters-direct.org/betterfootball
<http://www.supporters-direct.org/betterfootball> or by calling 020
7273 1576. Ticket prices start from £10. The conference will be held at
IET, Savoy Place in Central London. The conference starts at 11.30am.
* A limited number of tickets are available for journalists. For media
accreditation, please contact communications manager Kevin Rye on 07852
998542.
* On the first day of the conference, Supporters Direct will unveil the
key findings of a two year research programme examining the social and
community value of football. Advance copies of the executive summary of
The Social and Community Value of Football are available to the media on
request (embargoed for 11 June 2010).
* The Conservative Party's 2010 manifesto includes the following pledge:
"Reform the governance arrangements in football to enable co-operative
ownership models to be established by supporters."
About Supporters Direct
* Supporters Direct campaigns to create the conditions in which
supporters can secure ownership of sports clubs that are both better run
and financially sustainable
* Supporters Direct provides guidance and support to more than 160
supporters' trusts throughout Europe
* Supporters Direct promotes the value of supporter ownership to sports
fans, empowering them to set up trusts or become shareholders in
existing trusts
* Supporters Direct campaigns for policies that recognise the intrinsic
social value of sports clubs that prevent them from being put at risk by
short-term, vested interests
Regards
Kevin Rye
Communications Manager
Supporters Direct
For details & registration for the SD Annual Conference, featuring
Looking for Eric <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1242545> filmmaker Ken
Loach (12th & 13th June) head to our website
<http://www.supporters-direct.org/events/item.asp?e=1831>
Find SD on Twitter <http://twitter.com/SuppDirect> , Facebook
<http://bit.ly/DDvkY> , delicious and the SD Website
<http://www.supporters-direct.org/>
Tel: +44(0)20 7273 1595
Mobile: +44(0)7852 998 542
MSN: Kev Rye
Fax: +44(0)20 7383 5740 (NB: New Number)
Switchboard: +44(0)20 7273 1592
Address and directions
<http://www.supporters-direct.org/contact_england.asp>
(England/Wales/Head Office): 3rd Floor, Victoria House, Bloomsbury
Square, London, WC1B 4SE
Address and directions
<http://www.supporters-direct.org/contact_scotland.asp> (Scotland):
Robert Owen House, 87 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 2EE
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