Written evidence submitted by Supporters
Direct
Supporters Direct (SD) was set up in 2000 following
a recommendation in the Football Task Force report "Investing
in the Community" published in 1999.
Funding arrangements for SD activities in England
& Wales since 2007 are summarised below and in the attached
table.
Activities in Scotland, Europe and rugby league in
England have been funded separately by Sport Scotland (until April
2011), UEFA and in the case of rugby league by the RFL and the
Coop movement. Summary tables for these activities are also attached.
FUNDING IN
ENGLAND & WALES
In 2006 a 3 year deal was agreed from April 2007
to 31 March 2010 for funding from the Football Stadia Improvement
Fund (FSIF).
Agreed funding from FSIF for SD was £574k in
2007-08, £591k in 2008-09 and £610k in 2009-10.
From April 2010 the funding arrangements for the
Football Foundation were reorganised and the intention was for
the FSIF to be re-constituted and to consider applications for
funding for supporters groups including SD from cash to be provided
from the Premier League. In the interim the Premier League agreed
to fund SD's core running costs until such time as the new long
term arrangements were in place.
Under this interim arrangement the Premier League
provided quarterly funding which totalled £610k in the 12
months to March 2011. ie SD was funded at the same level as the
previous year.
SD is awaiting confirmation from the Premier League
of the level of interim funding available for the period from
April to June 2011.
The FSIF has now set up the Fans Fund to manage funding
for supporters groups including SD. The intention is to award
Fans Fund grants on the basis of applications for projects and
to reduce the funding of core costs to 50% within 3 years. The
Premier League has told SD that it wants Premier League funding
to be used for SD to focus on delivery of support to trusts and
clubs and it does not want to fund SD's policy work.
SD has submitted applications for projects and core
costs with a total level of funding that reduces each year from
£562k in 2011-12, £512k in 2012-13 to £382k in
2013-14, reflecting funding of only 50% of core costs in 2013-14.
On this basis, if all applications are approved by
the Fans Fund Panel, SD will have to find funding from other sources
of £50k (8% of overall costs) in 2011-12, £139k (21%)
in 2012-13 and £276k (42%) in 2013-14 to maintain activities
and staffing in England and Wales at the current level.
Any shortfall in the level of grants approved by
the Fans Fund Panel will of course create a larger gap for SD
to fund from other sources.
The table overleaf summarises the level of actual
and projected core funding and the size of the gap to be filled
by SD if all current applications to the Fans Fund are approved.
SUPPORTERS DIRECT (SD) FUNDING FOR ENGLAND
& WALES- £K
| Year (April-March)
| 2007-08 | 2008-09
| 2009-10 | 2010-11
| 2011-12 | 2012-13
| 2013-14 |
| Actual |
Actual | Actual
| Actual | Projection
| Projection | Projection
|
| FSIF | 574 |
591 | 610 |
| | | |
| Premier League | |
| | 610 |
| | |
| FSIF/Fans Fund applications |
| | | | 562
| 512 | 382 |
| SD fundraising | 37
| 128 * | 21 |
15 | 50 | 139
| 276 |
| Total | 611 |
711 | 631 | 625
| 612 | 651 |
658 |
| % SD fundraising | 6%
| 18% | 3% | 2.5%
| 8% | 21% | 42%
|
* includes Virgin Media sponsorship allocated to reserves and
used for football and rugby league.
SUPPORTERS DIRECT (SD) FUNDING FOR SCOTLAND - £K
| Year (April-March) | 2007-08
| 2008-09 | 2009-10
| 2010-11 | 2011-12
| 2012-13 | 2013-14
|
| Actual |
Actual | Actual
| Actual | Target
| Target | Target
|
| Sport Scotland | 95
| 90 | 65 | 45
| | | |
| SD fundraising | 3
| 10 | 3 | 1
| 164 | 167 |
170 |
| Total | 98 |
100 | 68 # | 46 #
| | | |
| % SD fundraising | 3%
| 10% | 4% | 2%
| 100% | 100% |
100% |
# additional expenditure was funded from SD Scotland reserves
SUPPORTERS DIRECT (SD) FUNDING FOR EUROPE - £K
| Year (July-June) | 2007-08
| 2008-09 | 2009-10
| 2010-11 | 2011-12
| 2012-13 | 2013-14
|
| Actual |
Actual | Actual
| Actual | Projection
| Projection | Projection
|
| UEFA | 65 |
65 | 65 | 168
| 168 | 168 |
|
| SD fundraising | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 |
|
| Total | 65 |
65 | 65 | 168
| 168 | 168 |
|
| % SD fundraising | 0
| 0 | 0 | 0
| 0 | 0 |
|
SUPPORTERS DIRECT (SD) FUNDING FOR RUGBY LEAGUE - £K
| Year (April-March) | 2007-08
| 2008-09 | 2009-10
| 2010-11 | 2011-12
| 2012-13 | 2013-14
|
| Actual |
Actual | Actual
| Actual | Projection
| Projection | Projection
|
| RFL | |
| 15 | 15 | 15
| | |
| Coop | |
| 12.5 | 12.5 |
12.5 | | |
| SD fundraising (from sponsorship reserves)
| | | 17
| 17 | 18 |
| |
| Total (rounded) | |
| 45 | 45
| 45 | |
|
| % SD fundraising | |
| 38% | 38%
| 39% | |
|
June 2011
| 
