Supporters Direct

View an Adobe Acrobat (pdf) of the Latest Supporters Direct 'Rules for a Supporters Community Mutual' - For Rushden and Diamonds (warning 1.1Mb file!)

On 1st October 1999, the then Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, the Rt. Hon. Chris Smith MP, announced a new Government scheme to help give supporters a say in the running of their football club. The aim is to offer support, advice and information to groups of supporters who wish to play a responsible part in the clubs they support.

Legitimate objectives of the Supporters Trust include:

•	Influence - the formation and running of representative bodies for supporters.
•	Ownership - the acquisition of shares in the football club to pool the voting power of individual supporters to further the aims and objectives of the Supporters Trust.
•	Representation - securing the democratic election of supporters' representatives to the Board of Directors of individual football clubs.

Established supporters' trusts with the help of Supporters Direct so far include: Aberdeen, Aston Villa, Brentford, Bromsgrove Rovers, Cambridge United, Carlisle United, Celtic, Chester City, Chesterfield, Leyton Orient, Manchester United, Mansfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Southend United, Tottenham Hotspur, Walsall and many more.

For more information about Supporters Direct, visit their web site at www.supporters-direct.org.

"We are not looking for take-overs, we are looking for supporters to join together in mutual organisations to play as much of a role in their club as they can. There is tremendous expertise out there among supporters and we are encouraging supporters and we are encouraging a proper partnership between them and the club."
Brian Lomax, Chairman of Supporters Direct