Post by ThrobsBlackHat on Feb 10, 2005 10:33:20 GMT 1
It was the 8th of December, 1984, when as a five year old boy I sat in the family stand and cried, yes cried as Leeds United Football Club defeated Shrewsbury Town 3-2 at Gay Meadow.
In that moment of defeat something very real and very important stirred. They were my club, and it hurt.
They are still my Club, twenty years on, and times have changed, for the football club and for me
My own experience of four relegations and two promotions means I have not seen the good old days, I never saw Rowley Play, I never saw the Turner team, or the quarter finals. But I did see our club did finish 8th in what is now the Championship.
We have seen the horrible situations unwinding at first Chester, then Telford now Wrexham. We are glad for Roland and our Board. Our club is reasonably solvent and we are still here, despite being a small club and the ITV money drying up we are still here.
Even the body blow of being relegated from the Football League was turned into a glorious day in Stoke in May when everyone's lottery numbers we had ever chosen came up and we find ourselves here, now, today, in this room, the proud supporters of a proud league club that represents our county town and draws fans from many miles in every direction.
Our fans are superb. We increased our home attendance on losing our league status, an incredible show of solidarity and support. The many supporters groups raise money for the club and look after the interests of their members well. We have a well developed away travel club and away supporters football team, we have multiple fanzines, a thriving internet community and a brilliant organisation for junior members.
We are about to move into a new Football Stadium with all the benefits, and indeed challenges that this brings.
Rather than bankrupting the Football Club in debt to develop the ground like at Exeter, or Bury or Oxford, what we have here is a genuine opportunity to progress.
We have appointed an ambitious manager who says it how he sees it and wants to build something long lasting at our football club here in Shrewsbury.
Think about it, we have safe hands in the board room, loyal hearts on the terraces, a brand new stadium on the way and someone who deserves respect on the bench. Opportunities like this just don¡¦t happen to clubs like ours. So far it has almost happened by chance, a series of seperate events that come together and leave us with the best potential for progress that we have seen for twenty years.
Potential to attract fans and to attract better players, potential to improve training facilities and increase hospitality to fans, an opportunity to develop a greater community aspect of the club and genuinely build something for the future.
This is our chance.
In two years time it will be too late, the ground is going to be built now, the manager is here now, the record breaking season ticket sales are here now and we must act.
So why a Supporters Trust?
As you have heard a Supporters trust will be
„» Open and democratic, representative of fans
„» Able to raise money with a high level of financial accountability
„» Be inclusive of new people, new ides, new initiatives
„» Could help the club to truly become more of a ¡§community club¡¨
„» Could work closely with the club to attract new fans
„» Help to co-ordinate and support the current fans groups
„» Build on the success of the Umbrella Group
„» Make the voice of fans louder within the club
„» Access community funding not yet available to the Football club
„» Use a national network of similar groups to get the best ideas and the best practice in how we run
„» We can build meaningful relationships with the local media and help the club with it¡¦s PR and public face
„» Work with local decision makers, the MP, the councillors, to improve the influence and involvement of fans
The question ceases to be "Why should we start a supporters trust" and becomes "How can we not have some of these for our club"
We have so much to fight for, so much is up for grabs, and we need to fight for it. We need to fight opposition against our football club that exists within the town.
Getting the message across to influential members of our community that Shrewsbury Town is not just another business, but a focal point of our community that can provide so much more for the people of Shrewsbury
We need to fight competition from premiership clubs by getting in the schools and getting in the newspaper. We have a fight on with the world around us that does not want our football club to succeed. When they choose what shirt they want for Christmas we need it to be Blue and Amber.
When Gary joined the club he challenged us fans directly by saying he needs us to rally to the cause of our football club, and I genuinely believe a Supporters trust will add greatly to what we can achieve for the benefit of our club.
We have regained our league status. We have people in the boardroom and people on the bench we have faith in. We have a new ground on the way and countless opportunities to develop new ideas.
Opportunities like this don¡¦t happen to people like us in clubs like us. We have got a chance, a real chance, to take our responsibility seriously and work for the benefit of the Club.
So many clubs have had to start Supporters trusts in adversity. That is not the case for us. We can work with a Board of Directors we trust, we can work with a Manager we trust, we have the chance now.
8 weeks ago there was no shrewsTRUST, there was no open meeting, there was no website, no leaflets, no post cards, no agenda, no presentation, no logo, no DVD of Gary Peters, no press releases, no raffle prizes, there was nothing, except a dream in the hearts of a few town fans as they sat around in the Crown in Abbey Foregate to see something get off the ground.
A team of about 10 people worked together, chatted over the issues, sounded out Supporter's Direct and put a bit of spade work in. Look around you now, look up and down your row. This is not a small group of people. this is not a small team, this is tens of people, hundreds of people represented, many fans groups, many families, many people throughout the fanbase and throughout the town.
We don¡¦t have a little group here, this is a small army, and one we need to get into action for the benefit of the Football Club.
But why should we bother? I mean, really, what a lot of work and hassle, why should we bother?
I wasn't around when we beat Chelsea at the Bridge so I don't remember that moment. I wasn't around when Rowley broke the record or we beat Newcastle at St James Park. I never saw Dolby play, or King, or Mulhearn, or any of them. I wasn't there, I only know the stories, the legends of our proud football club.
I support the Shrewsbury Town Supporters Trust as a concept and will work towards it, and I am doing it for moments like 20th February 1988 when Vic Kasule cut in from wing against Swindon and buried it from 25 yards.
I am doing it for moments like 10th December 1994 at the Racecourse when Paul Evans shot low from the edge of the box with ten minutes to go for a 1-0 away win and the town fans behind the goal went absolutely mad
Moments like Mickey Brown at Exeter on 6th May 2000 when St Michael bundled the Keeper, the ball and anyone else who dared stand in his way into the goal to save our league status.
The 4th January 2003, and after an inoccuous looking tackle on Jagielka Woan crosses for Jemson to nod home and send Shrewsbury Town onto the front pages of national newspapers from London to Australia.
I am doing it for moments like the 16th May 2004, Trevor rolls it left, the keeper has gone right and over 13,000 Shrewsbury fans go absolutely beserk knowing we were back in the league.
and moments like Tuesday 28th December 2004, when Dave Edwards, rescued by our new manager, having played a blinding game cuts inside and belts one in to make it 4-0.
The young lad looks up and runs towards the riverside, to where he used to stand with his mates, and for the one moment, that second it took, there was something special taking place, one of our own, a lad from our county, playing in our colours, someone who truly knows what it like to wear the blue and amber and be proud to do so ran over the Riverside and he knew what it meant to us, and we knew what it meant to him, that our club, Shrewsbury Town, is our club, and we want do everything within our power to see it succeed at every possible level it operates.
That is why i will be voting Yes for shrewsTRUST, and I urge you to do the same
www.shrewstrust.com
In that moment of defeat something very real and very important stirred. They were my club, and it hurt.
They are still my Club, twenty years on, and times have changed, for the football club and for me
My own experience of four relegations and two promotions means I have not seen the good old days, I never saw Rowley Play, I never saw the Turner team, or the quarter finals. But I did see our club did finish 8th in what is now the Championship.
We have seen the horrible situations unwinding at first Chester, then Telford now Wrexham. We are glad for Roland and our Board. Our club is reasonably solvent and we are still here, despite being a small club and the ITV money drying up we are still here.
Even the body blow of being relegated from the Football League was turned into a glorious day in Stoke in May when everyone's lottery numbers we had ever chosen came up and we find ourselves here, now, today, in this room, the proud supporters of a proud league club that represents our county town and draws fans from many miles in every direction.
Our fans are superb. We increased our home attendance on losing our league status, an incredible show of solidarity and support. The many supporters groups raise money for the club and look after the interests of their members well. We have a well developed away travel club and away supporters football team, we have multiple fanzines, a thriving internet community and a brilliant organisation for junior members.
We are about to move into a new Football Stadium with all the benefits, and indeed challenges that this brings.
Rather than bankrupting the Football Club in debt to develop the ground like at Exeter, or Bury or Oxford, what we have here is a genuine opportunity to progress.
We have appointed an ambitious manager who says it how he sees it and wants to build something long lasting at our football club here in Shrewsbury.
Think about it, we have safe hands in the board room, loyal hearts on the terraces, a brand new stadium on the way and someone who deserves respect on the bench. Opportunities like this just don¡¦t happen to clubs like ours. So far it has almost happened by chance, a series of seperate events that come together and leave us with the best potential for progress that we have seen for twenty years.
Potential to attract fans and to attract better players, potential to improve training facilities and increase hospitality to fans, an opportunity to develop a greater community aspect of the club and genuinely build something for the future.
This is our chance.
In two years time it will be too late, the ground is going to be built now, the manager is here now, the record breaking season ticket sales are here now and we must act.
So why a Supporters Trust?
As you have heard a Supporters trust will be
„» Open and democratic, representative of fans
„» Able to raise money with a high level of financial accountability
„» Be inclusive of new people, new ides, new initiatives
„» Could help the club to truly become more of a ¡§community club¡¨
„» Could work closely with the club to attract new fans
„» Help to co-ordinate and support the current fans groups
„» Build on the success of the Umbrella Group
„» Make the voice of fans louder within the club
„» Access community funding not yet available to the Football club
„» Use a national network of similar groups to get the best ideas and the best practice in how we run
„» We can build meaningful relationships with the local media and help the club with it¡¦s PR and public face
„» Work with local decision makers, the MP, the councillors, to improve the influence and involvement of fans
The question ceases to be "Why should we start a supporters trust" and becomes "How can we not have some of these for our club"
We have so much to fight for, so much is up for grabs, and we need to fight for it. We need to fight opposition against our football club that exists within the town.
Getting the message across to influential members of our community that Shrewsbury Town is not just another business, but a focal point of our community that can provide so much more for the people of Shrewsbury
We need to fight competition from premiership clubs by getting in the schools and getting in the newspaper. We have a fight on with the world around us that does not want our football club to succeed. When they choose what shirt they want for Christmas we need it to be Blue and Amber.
When Gary joined the club he challenged us fans directly by saying he needs us to rally to the cause of our football club, and I genuinely believe a Supporters trust will add greatly to what we can achieve for the benefit of our club.
We have regained our league status. We have people in the boardroom and people on the bench we have faith in. We have a new ground on the way and countless opportunities to develop new ideas.
Opportunities like this don¡¦t happen to people like us in clubs like us. We have got a chance, a real chance, to take our responsibility seriously and work for the benefit of the Club.
So many clubs have had to start Supporters trusts in adversity. That is not the case for us. We can work with a Board of Directors we trust, we can work with a Manager we trust, we have the chance now.
8 weeks ago there was no shrewsTRUST, there was no open meeting, there was no website, no leaflets, no post cards, no agenda, no presentation, no logo, no DVD of Gary Peters, no press releases, no raffle prizes, there was nothing, except a dream in the hearts of a few town fans as they sat around in the Crown in Abbey Foregate to see something get off the ground.
A team of about 10 people worked together, chatted over the issues, sounded out Supporter's Direct and put a bit of spade work in. Look around you now, look up and down your row. This is not a small group of people. this is not a small team, this is tens of people, hundreds of people represented, many fans groups, many families, many people throughout the fanbase and throughout the town.
We don¡¦t have a little group here, this is a small army, and one we need to get into action for the benefit of the Football Club.
But why should we bother? I mean, really, what a lot of work and hassle, why should we bother?
I wasn't around when we beat Chelsea at the Bridge so I don't remember that moment. I wasn't around when Rowley broke the record or we beat Newcastle at St James Park. I never saw Dolby play, or King, or Mulhearn, or any of them. I wasn't there, I only know the stories, the legends of our proud football club.
I support the Shrewsbury Town Supporters Trust as a concept and will work towards it, and I am doing it for moments like 20th February 1988 when Vic Kasule cut in from wing against Swindon and buried it from 25 yards.
I am doing it for moments like 10th December 1994 at the Racecourse when Paul Evans shot low from the edge of the box with ten minutes to go for a 1-0 away win and the town fans behind the goal went absolutely mad
Moments like Mickey Brown at Exeter on 6th May 2000 when St Michael bundled the Keeper, the ball and anyone else who dared stand in his way into the goal to save our league status.
The 4th January 2003, and after an inoccuous looking tackle on Jagielka Woan crosses for Jemson to nod home and send Shrewsbury Town onto the front pages of national newspapers from London to Australia.
I am doing it for moments like the 16th May 2004, Trevor rolls it left, the keeper has gone right and over 13,000 Shrewsbury fans go absolutely beserk knowing we were back in the league.
and moments like Tuesday 28th December 2004, when Dave Edwards, rescued by our new manager, having played a blinding game cuts inside and belts one in to make it 4-0.
The young lad looks up and runs towards the riverside, to where he used to stand with his mates, and for the one moment, that second it took, there was something special taking place, one of our own, a lad from our county, playing in our colours, someone who truly knows what it like to wear the blue and amber and be proud to do so ran over the Riverside and he knew what it meant to us, and we knew what it meant to him, that our club, Shrewsbury Town, is our club, and we want do everything within our power to see it succeed at every possible level it operates.
That is why i will be voting Yes for shrewsTRUST, and I urge you to do the same
www.shrewstrust.com