Stand up for the City

7:00am Thursday 4th September 2008

CARDIFF City Supporters Trust is ready for take-off promising to be a powerful voice for fans of the Bluebirds.

The official launch of the trust marks the culmination of many months of work by a dedicated band of loyal supporters of Cardiff City Football Club.

A steering group was set up last November in a bid to get the trust off the ground and in March more than 100 supporters gave their unanimous backing to its formation Acting Vice Chairman Mark Hooper, who lives in Barry, said: "We believe that there is need to strengthen the voice of Cardiff City supporters with a democratically elected body.

"We consider there should be a far more regular and productive dialogue between club officials and supporters, and we also feel there is a need to strengthen the links between Cardiff City and the community it serves. The trust aims to achieve these goals and is not being formed in opposition to the club¹s board."

"There are many issues which the trust will need to raise with the club, for example, we are hoping that the prices of tickets at the new stadium will be affordable to all fans in today¹s difficult economic climate.

"That's something we hope to work on with the club's officials. In addition, the trust will aim to discuss arrangements that will allow fans to obtain souvenirs of Ninian Park at the end of the 2008-09 season. The trust will be run by the fans for the fans."

Acting Chairman Paul Corkrey added: "We believe that the trust will bring fans together to provide an independent and powerful voice.

"In the long-term, the trust will aim to raise enough money to buy a significant shareholding in the club and to get an elected director on the board, representing the interests of supporters, as happens at Swansea City and many other Football League clubs.

"We're hoping that the club¹s numerous smaller shareholders will join up and mandate their voting rights to the trust in order to give the supporters a more powerful voice at the club's AGMs. More than £30,000 worth of proxy votes has already been pledged to the trust."

Full elections for a supporters' trust board will be on the basis of one member, one vote and will take place within six months.

Acting Secretary Paul Russell urged City fans to sign up for the trust.

"The more members we sign up the greater the voice the fans of Cardiff City will have and the bigger the strides we can make," he said.

"There is tremendous strength in numbers."

Geraint Jones Development Officer of the Wales Co-operative Centre, added that his organisation¹s backing to the setting up of the trust.

He said: "The Wales Co-operative Centre supports the development of any enterprise that is owned and controlled by its employees/members. We hope that sports clubs can be major contributors to the social and economic regeneration of Wales."

Three types of membership will be available and each member will be entitled to one vote. Full details will be revealed at a fans¹ launch event to be staged at the Electricity Club in Pontcanna, Cardiff, today (Thursday, September 4, 7.30pm).

There, supporters will be able to sign up and a football question and answer session, chaired by Rob Phillips of BBC Wales, will take place.

Former Cardiff City players including Andy Legg, Jason Perry and Phil Dwyer, former Premiership referee Keith Cooper, Media Wales soccer writer Steve Tucker and broadcaster Jonathan Owen have agreed to sit on the panel or attend the event.

The FA Cup will also be present on the night with supporters able to take photographs alongside the famous trophy between 6pm and 7pm.

There may also be other opportunities during the evening to take photographs.

The popular film on Cardiff City by Jonathan Owen, first broadcast before the FA Cup Final, will be screened again on the night. Jonathan will introduce his film.

The trust's formation was helped with advice and financial support by government-backed Supporters Direct, the organisation that has established and advises over 150 supporters¹ trusts across Wales, England and Scotland.

Further Information on the Cardiff City Supporters Trust can be obtained by logging on to www.ccfctrust.org or Supporters Direct at www.supporters-direct.org

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