Stockport County Supporters' Co-operative

Stockport County
Supporters' Co - operative
Formation 2005
Type Supporters' co-operative
Legal status Industrial and provident society
Purpose Football fans' advocacy
Membership
 £12 a year
Main organ
 Board of directors
Affiliations Supporters Direct
Website stockportcountytrust.com

The Stockport County Supporters' Co-operative, formerly known as the Stockport County Supporters' Trust is an official supporters' trust, as recognised by Supporters Direct.

The supporters' trust owned a 98% stake of Stockport County Association Football Club Limited (Stockport County) until April 2009, when the club was placed into administration due to near-bankruptcy. The club was eventually saved by The 2015 Group, which now owns a 100% stake in the club. This means that not only do the trust no longer own any stake in Stockport County, but the club is also now privately owned. The trust changed its name to the Supporters' Co-operative after the trust came under heavy criticism from Stockport County fans following their failure to keep the club afloat.

The Supporters Trust has since under the Supporter's Co-op banner tried numerous times to do various things to help the football club which have never come off. As of August 2013 the Co-op are trying to secure a sale of Edgeley Park from Brian Kennedy and own the ground as well as have it as an asset of community value (AVC) to the town of Stockport. Once this sale happens they ultimately want to buy the football club again.

Formation

The formation of a supporters' trust with a view to take control of Stockport County began in early 2005 by former Trust chairman David Hoyle when then owner Brian Kennedy revealed he wished to sell the club. The Trust made a formal offer to take control of the club in early March 2005[1] and after three months of negotiations and some last minute hindrances,[2] the trust took control of Stockport County on 8 July 2005.[3] The club started with few assets, Kennedy having repossessed Edgeley Park, previously County's main asset, for his Rugby Union club Sale Sharks.

The club had little assets and very little finances, and the trust signed a contract with Brian Kennedy to remain at Edgeley Park, which left the club with very little revenue streams. Therefore, a loan was taken out in July 2008 which eventually led to the club entering administration and the downfall of the trust.

Aims

Finances aside, the trust's main aims had revolved around ensuring its own future, and enhancing and expanding the relationship between the club and the community, with the specifics of these objectives being laid out in detail in the trust's registered rules.[4]

However, these aims have been somewhat scuppered by the trust's failure to properly control the club and failure to deal with spiralling debt; as the trust now has no ownership of the club, or any say in how it is run, the Co - operative now simply aims to rebuild its own reputation with the fans, who have become somewhat alienated by the Trust's actions in recent years.

Actions

After a disappointing start to their first season after purchasing the club, the Trust installed Jim Gannon as manager to the first team who, despite previously having had little managerial experience, has emerged as one of the most highly rated managers in the lower leagues.[5] Already a fans favorite having been with County for 10 years as a player, Gannon is fast approaching the club's most successful manager in recent history.[6]

The Trust maintain a Rainy Day Fund, whereby people may purchase £50 bonds to grant the club a small pool of working capital. In return, the bond owners are rewarded a small percentage of any profits the club makes by surpassing the first round of cup competitions.[7] Due to average performances in cup competitions, this windfall payment has amounted to around 75p per bond annually over the last three years, however the Trust has found the £72,000 in the Rainy Day Fund to be valuable.[8]

Shortly before the start of the 2008-09 season, the trust revealed that the club's training facilities at Manor Farm were in dire need of repair before the end of the calendar year, or the landlords, previous County chairman Brendan Elwood and Trafford BC would exercise a break clause in the lease and evict the club.[8] The Trust, having not budgeted for the additional expense sent out a plea for fans and local businesses to donate time and money to help repair the facilities.[9] The work done prior to the original deadline lead to a three-month extension.[10]

The club was placed into administration in May 2009.[11] The Trust now has no involvement in the running of the club.

In the newly reformed Stockport County Supporters Co-operative gave back to the history of the club by creating the SCAN (Stockport County Appearance Number) Scheme. The SCAN Scheme gives each new debuting player a unique number this shows fans that players place in the list of players that have made senior professional appearances for the club.[12] However once Stockport County had dropped into the Conference North Scan number will still being given to players who had made their debut, going against the "senior professional appearances for the club" rule that was created when the Scheme started in 2010.

Edgeley Park

Stockport County have played at Edgeley Park since 1902, but since 2005 have been sharing the ground with Sale Sharks as tenants of Brian Kennedy. Kennedy retained ownership of the ground as the Trust took control of County in a deal where he agreed to also take on the club's debts. Losing control of the stadium was considered a huge blow by the club's fans and the Trust has set the acquisition of the ground as one of its main responsibilities.[13]

The Trust agreed a 10-year option to regain ownership of the ground by repaying £4,500,000 in debt taken on by Kennedy.[14] Part of this deal requires that 30% of any transfer fees or annual profit are paid toward this deficit, and while contributions through these clauses mean that the Trust now require only £3,600,000 more to reacquire the ground, it does mean that the club do find it difficult to bring in funds for themselves.[14]

In February 2008 the Trust secured a loan offer that would grant them the funds required to purchase back Edgeley Park if they could find a deposit of £1,000,000.[15] From this, spawned the Ground for a Pound initiative, where one million pixels were up for a sale at a pound a piece, with football fans and businesses worldwide asked to collaborate to help the club achieve its goal.[16] Unfortunately, due to technical problems caused by the influx of visitors the launch fell flat, and a relaunch is planned.

At the Trust AGM on 3 November 2008, a document was promised detailing the club's options for owning their own ground in the future.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Fans make offer to buy Stockport". BBC Sport. 9 March 2005.
  2. ↑ Nelson, Guy (30 June 2005). "County Trust deal is held up". Manchester Evening News (M.E.N. Media).
  3. ↑ Fans Acquire Stockport County
  4. ↑ Trust Aims
  5. ↑ Burnton, Simon (28 December 2005). "Stockport go for Gannon after Turner departs". The Guardian (London).
  6. ↑ Leach, Conrad (27 May 2008). "Rochdale 2 Stockport County 3: Dickinson strike sends Stockport into raptures". The Independent (London).
  7. ↑ Bonds FAQ
  8. 1 2 3 2008 Supporters Trust AGM Minutes
  9. ↑ Your County Needs You!
  10. ↑ Latest Updates at Manor Farm
  11. ↑ http://www.insolvencynews.com/article/12318/industry/stockport-county-fc-enter-administration
  12. ↑ SCAN Scheme.
  13. ↑ Roles and Responsibilities of Board Members
  14. 1 2 July 2008: Open Forum & Social Meeting Minutes
  15. ↑ Whalley, Mike (22 August 2007). "County eye ground deal". Manchester Evening News (M.E.N. Media).
  16. ↑ Wilson, Jeremy (6 March 2008). "Stockport's 'Ground for a Pound' is web hit". The Telegraph (London: Telegraph Media Group).

External links

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