Written evidence submitted by Cambridge
City Supporters Trust
0. PREFACE
0.1 This submission aims to report the experience
of Cambridge City Football trust, specifically to inform the committee
in its deliberations on the following questions:
— Are
football governance rules in England and Wales, and the governing
bodies which set and apply them, fit for purpose?
— What
are the pros and cons of the Supporter Trust share-holding model?
— Is
Government intervention justified and, if so, what form should
it take?
1. SUMMARY
1.1 Without the Supporters Trust model, Cambridge
City Football Club would likely have ceased to exist.
1.2 The existence of the Supporters Trust model
continues to have a positive effect on Cambridge City Football
Club, and on the local community.
1.3 An asset lock on the football stadium would
have been beneficial to the long term interests of the club.
2. BACKGROUND
2.1 Cambridge City Football Club (CCFC) is a
non-league community football club currently in the Southern League
Premier Division. Average attendance for the season 2009-10 was
309. CCFC is the second largest football club in the City of Cambridge,
with ex-league Cambridge United FC having a considerably larger
supporter base and profile. CCFC currently operate a first team,
a reserve team (almost all of whom are under 18), a boys U14 side
and six girls sides.
2.2 Supporters of CCFC are represented by Cambridge
City Supporters Trust (CCST) which is an industrial and provident
society run by a board of democratically elected volunteer directors.
We raise money through membership subscriptions and donations,
and expend money on fulfilling our aims, which are attached as
an appendix. Currently the largest item of expenditure consists
of increasing our shareholding in CCFC. For the season 2009-10
our membership was 163.
3. CRISIS
3.1 The Supporters Trust model has been extremely
important for the survival of Cambridge CCFC. In 2006 the board
of directors of the club announced plans for CCFC to be subsumed
into our neighbours Cambridge United Football Club. Such is the
disparity in size of the two clubs, this could not have been seen
as a merger of equals—more a transfer of what assets were
then held by Cambridge City. The ground had been sold, which has
necessitated City remaining at their Milton Road home only through
a number of short leases with the ground owner.
3.2 A grass roots campaign by concerned supporters
made some impact, but it was the decision to form Cambridge City
Supporters Trust (CCST) that made the difference. By this point,
the majority of shareholders had little connection with the club,
and were a very inactive set of owners. The fear was that this
situation left the club open to asset stripping from a third party.
A CCFC AGM gave CCST the power to appoint directors in the club,
and it is the combination of these trust directors with our club
chairman that has ensured the continuing existence of CCFC. The
democratically accountable legal entity that is a supporters trust
was vital to represent and engage our supporter base. Supporters
Direct provided key support for both CCFC and CCST throughout
this process and cannot be praised too highly.
3.3 It is the trust's opinion that an asset lock
on the stadium prior to the crisis period would have been extremely
beneficial to the long-term interests of CCFC. There would have
been a sharper focus on sustainable running of the club, without
the temptation of the capital release that occurred on the sale
of the ground.
3.4 Similarly, it is exceedingly unlikely that
the negative events would have transpired with supporters trust
representation on the club board, ensuring alignment between the
interests of the club directors and the long-term interests of
the club.
4. REBUILDING
4.1 From 2006 to 2010 CCST was in the unusual
position of having a number of powers and duties (such as the
appointment of directors) with regard to CCFC, despite having
no shareholding in the club. A CCFC AGM in 2010 allowed for a
mix of shareholder and trust representation on the board, and
a share issue ensued under which CCST gained a significant shareholding.
4.2 CCST now has one representative on the board
of CCFC, and seeks to grow its shareholding through further share
issues were possible. This way we simultaneously increase our
sustainable shareholding in CCFC and raise funds for the club
as they search for a new home.
4.3 CCST also partakes in various community projects,
including free tickets for schools and local residents and support
for a mental health awareness football day. We have plans for
a community art project to take place when we finally vacate our
Milton Road ground.
5. THE FUTURE
5.1 In the medium term, the trust wishes to continue
fundraising from its members in order to continue increasing our
shareholding in CCFC. Members who donate considerable sums in
this way transfer funds from their private reserves to CCST for
the benefit of the community. This transfer is to be applauded,
and we would appreciate mechanisms for the government to encourage
such generosity.
5.2 Although we have a very good relationship
with the current board of directors, we are acutely aware of how
quickly private ownership of football clubs can change. We seek
to increase our shareholding in order to provide a bulwark against
a future move by a new set of owners to run the club against the
supporters interests.
5.3 In the very long term we (as CCST) are interested
in the fully trust-run model of running CCFC. Such a move would
necessitate a majority shareholding and engagement with all other
stakeholders, and a feasibility study to ensure the sustainability
of this course of action.
6. APPENDIX—OBJECTS
OF CCST
The Society's objects are, either itself or through
a subsidiary company or society trading for the benefit of the
community and acting under its control:
(i) to strengthen the bonds between the Club
and the community which it serves and to represent the interests
of the community in the running of the Club;
(ii) to benefit present and future members of
the community served by the Club by promoting encouraging and
furthering the game of football as a recreational facility, sporting
activity and focus for community involvement;
(iii) to further the development of the game
of football nationally and internationally and the upholding of
the rules;
(iv) to encourage the Club to take proper account
of the interests of its supporters and of the community it serves
in its decisions;
(v) to encourage and promote the principle of
supporter representation on the board of any company owning or
controlling the Club and ultimately to be the vehicle for democratic
elections to the board;
(vi) to promote, develop and respect the rights
of members of the community served by the Club and people dealing
with the Society as set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights
of the European Union, having regard in particular to the need
to provide information to members and conduct the affairs of the
Society in accessible and appropriate ways;
(vii) to secure a long term future for the Club
in or close to the City of Cambridge; and
(viii) to take over the running of Cambridge
City Football Club.
January 2011
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