News Archive

10/07/07 Share Save Scheme

The Trust is delighted to be able to confirm that the Share Save Scheme will go ahead, commencing this summer. The Trust has agreed with the club to administer the scheme on behalf of Aldershot Town Supporters. The launch date of the scheme is July 15th. The Trust will be present on this date at the recreation ground as part of a joint event encompassing the launches of both the new team shirt and the Share Save Scheme. This will be the first opportunity for supporters to join the scheme.

The basis of the scheme is that any supporter (aged 18 or over) will be able to contribute regular monthly amounts for the purpose of buying shares in Aldershot Town Football club.

To join the scheme, you need to be a member of either the Trust or the Supporters club (or indeed both). There will be three options for payment. You can either setup a standing order, pay monthly via a cheque in the post (no cash in the post, please) or in person at home games, where you can provide either a cheque or cash.

The full rules and regulations and application form will be available from the 15th.

The Trust believes this is a fantastic opportunity for all fans to own their own slice of ATFC. The scheme is specifically designed for all supporters, so if you wish to save just £10 a month or £100 a month the scheme will cater for your needs.

10/07/07 Trust Membership 2007/08

All members are reminded that membership of the trust is on a per-season basis. Therefore all current membership expired on 30th June. Renewals or first time members need to follow the same process, just fill in the form attached to this site or come and see us at any home game.

13/03/07 A Statement On The Clubs Current Situation

Following the recent shareholders AGM and a meeting of the Shots Trust on Wednesday, we thought it would be prudent to release to all supporters a considered view by the Trust on the present situation at Aldershot Town Football Club.

The Debt

The recent spiraling of debt for a business of this Clubs size without it being checked and redressed is we feel one of gross financial neglect. Notwithstanding the shortfall in attendances, an ongoing debt consolidation should have started much earlier last season particularly as by October 2005 our season was all but over. The Trust accepts that the Board took the decisions as they felt fit as directors of this our club, this we feel therefore brings into question the depth of business acumen that was available on the board as a whole at this time.

The Trust recognises the appointment of Doug Wilson to the Board as Chief Executive and the financial constraints and procedures he is implementing. At the AGM Doug acknowledged the need for succession planning, a necessity if the Club is going to rationally develop further in the future.

The debt is historical but should not be forgotten. The directors as elected custodians should now prioritise the reduction of debt and implement the necessary increase in shares to aid the financial well being of the club.

We would also suggest that once the immediate critical financial situation is resolved, that a policy of transparent financial reporting is developed on an ongoing basis by the directors, in order to confirm to the shareholders their continued safe handling of the clubs finances.

At £500k the debt is manageable with the impending share issue, however we hope that all directors understand there duty not just to the shareholders but to all supporters in managing the club in a cautious and professional manner.

The Proposed Share Issue

The Trust would like to put on record that it fully supports the retention of the 20% maximum shareholding rule and believes that the Club can prosper with the wealth of talent that is already at hand and with the Board of directors structuring a more prudent business plan.

The two main share schemes suggested by Doug Wilson on the night were:

1. A rights issue of 9 new shares to every 1 held

With 56,350 in circulation if only 65% of the shares were taken up by the present shareholders at say 80p this would immediately raise circa £263k not an impossibility bearing in mind the present high shareholding of the Board of directors.

The benefit of this share issue would be the prompt repayment of the outstanding £150k interest bearing loan and an instant £100k into the current account for day to day operations including payment of the players salaries over the summer months. This initial share issue will only stabilise the financial health of the Club and is not a panacea for all the clubs ills.

2. Supporters Share save Scheme

The Trust firmly believes in the ability of all supporters to own shares without discrimination. The proposal of a scheme whereby all fans can purchase shares and have the fundamental right in effecting how there club is run, is central to the original ideology, and as Terry Owens said at the Club’s inception, “This is your club”.

The “Supporters Share Save Scheme”, is a way of improving the player budget over and above what is set at the beginning of the season approved in the Clubs financial profit and loss forecast.

The proposed idea is that the Trust as authorised under the FSA runs and financially accounts for the scheme.

The scheme shall be fully inclusive with a minimum share allocation of 100 @ £1. This will truly make it available to all and will equate to all supporters if they so wished being able to pay £10 per month over 10 months if they decided to take up the minimum amount. The share certificate will be issued once all payments are made.

Supporters will be able to set up a standing order, pay in one lump sum or pay monthly in cash to the Trust.

It is quite possible that with only 300 of our average 2300 gate being shareholders this scheme could generate a minimum of £50,000 towards the wage bill next season.

The Trust also feels that the directors should convene a “Share Issue” executive committee following the EGM to oversee the share issue. This should be made up of the Chief Executive, one other director and two shareholders with appropriate experience to carry out the administration. This focus group would be able to set a quick time table for the deliverability of the scheme.

At present there are approximately 300 shareholders, 15 years after the foundation of the new Club we see no reason why this should not double.

It is proposed that suitable “supporters bodies” accommodation is set up at minimal cost and positioned at the ground not just for this scheme but as a more apt and acceptable location for all supporters initiatives on match days.

Having spoken to Nick Fryer who helped instigated the setting up of the Player Fund, it has been agreed that this fund shall transfer to the Trust to carry out its administration.

Season Tickets and General Admission

With the impending share issue the board have to tread carefully on the ability of the fans to pay an increase on admission next season and the need for the share issue to be a success.

Ticket prices will inevitably go up next season but the Trust feels the supporters should not unduly suffer at the expense of previous mismanagement; and any increase should be kept to the minimum.

Club Charter and Supporters Charter

The Trust feel the absence of both Club and Supporters Charters is not acceptable for a professional football club and could be construed as a neglect of the supporter’s rights and well being.

The Trust hereby offers to draw up both documents to be approved by the Board once supporters have had time to comment on its content. Both charters should be in place within 6 weeks.

The Future

Nobody connected with the Club is fooled that the running of it is a breeze. The success of the finances has always been attributed to how well the team has done on the pitch. We have to break this cycle as the truth is at the level we are now we are likely to have far more worse years than good under the present Club structure.

The ability of the Club to prosper has many deciding factors. The performance of the team on the pitch is a critical one, the economy effects us individually as to the amount we are willing to spend at the club and, equally importantly, all supporters will generally spend more money if they have a goodwill feeling towards the Club. Customer care along with supporter’s charters should never be underestimated.

In order to safeguard the future of our Club we all appreciate that commercial activity has to increase. Although at Aldershot an increase in turnover can be generally guaranteed with success on the pitch there is a limit to potential income due to the infrastructure of the Club.

Aldershot lies within a growing conurbation which has 800,000 residents on its doorstep. So apart from a winning team what is it that really keeps the paying public from our matches?

It is never easy to come up with the ultimate answer but one that should come up high on our list is the match day experience. Now we don’t mean the excitement of the day that all true Shots fans relish but more the quality of the infrastructure that could retain floating supporter’s involvement following their match day experience.

We still have inadequate toilet facilities, the catering outlets are in dire need of upgrading, the quality of the seating at the ground is not the best, and apart from the general entrance to the ground the place looks very tired even with the money the directors are forced to spend each year on general maintenance. In addition we all know about the lack of an appropriate Club shop and the facilities for Corporate hospitality is still woeful not withstanding the recent redecoration.

The board of directors are at present negotiating a new lease which if fully repairable and this could become overly expensive bearing in mind the grounds present condition.

It is imperative that within the 5 year plan that the Chief Executive mentioned at the AGM a feasibility study on the rationality of staying at The Recreation Ground is included. We all have an emotional tie to The Rec, but in order for the Club to progress we have to decide in the long term whether to remain is viable or we should move to a modern stadium funded in conjunction with business partners.

Bearing in mind the workload of the directors the Trust are more than happy to carry out an independent review and feasibility study at no cost and with the authority of the Board.

Conclusion

The Club is now 15 years old and is at or about the level the finances dictate. This is in conjunction of having a purpose built stadium at the Clubs formation. The progress of the club has been commensurate with the ability and drive of its directors and we should all note their involvement and commitment over the years.

The task ahead is not an easy one, the costs have to be addressed, shareholders old and new will need to help stabilise the Clubs finances and disenfranchised supporters will need to be won back.

The directors have a crucial duty to see the successful restructuring of the Club. The fans demand accountability, team work and unity from its elected custodians; get that right and the fans will more than do their bit.

The mix of skills on the Board of directors is strategic to a successfully run club, the Trust along with the Supporters Club will endeavour to compliment those skills and help the Club move through these difficult times in order to safeguard its future.

The Trust is confident that with the recent air of openness, the appointment of Doug Wilson to the Board; and under the chairmanship of John McGinty, the Club can with confidence face the challenges ahead.

24/01/07 Shots Trust membership Breaks 100

The membership of the fledgling Shots Trust continues to grow at a good pace. Currently the count stands at 129 comprising 9 juniors and 120 adult members.

•If you too would like to join there are many ways of doing so. You can download the membership form from this website or you can email us and with your postal address to shots_trust@hotmail.co.uk and we will send you a membership form. Alternatively come and see us on Home match days. We are located at the front of the ground just inside the gates behind the season ticket holder's turnstile.

-2006-

Shots Trust Launch

At a packed Phoenix Social Club, over 60 fans celebrated the launch of Shots Trust. They were joined by Aldershot Town FC Chairman, John McGinty and playing legends Mark Butler and Jason Chewins.

The launch on Wednesday 29th November of Shots Trust, means the Supporters of Aldershot Town Football Club, are now one of 147 Supporters Trusts within the government backed Supporters Direct initiative.

The evening’s agenda commenced with Brian Bloomfield, Chairman of the Supporters Trust. During his opening address Brian explained that it was probably easier to start a trust when a Club is in crisis; which is not the case at Aldershot. Despite this, the backing for the idea had been strong and many ordinary fans had given their time and dedication to make sure the Trust was born. Brian went on to explain how, by being part of Supporters Direct regulations, the Trust would be eligible for funding and grants not available to other supporters bodies.

Brian continued “The Trust will be able to do a lot of good for both the football club and the community it serves through the completion of projects that will benefit both. The Trust will always remain an independent body that will represent the views of all fans to the football club”.

Shots Trust Treasurer Roger Jones then detailed some of the hard work that had gone into setting up the Trust as an Industrial and Provident Society governed by the Financial Services Authority and overseen by Supporters Direct. It is the setting up of the Trust as a fully accountable regulated body that gives people and organisations confidence in Supporters’ Trusts being a fully inclusive not for profit democratic body. As with any new organisation, it had been difficult to explain to potential members why they should join. Supporters were now beginning to see results and membership was around 100. The Trust would fund agreed projects in full or in part or contribute in kind. Shots Trust has already made representations on behalf of supporters, whether members or not, and would continue to do so. Shots Trust also looked forward to working with all of the various groups associated with Aldershot Town FC in improving the facilities of the Club for the benefit of the fans and community. There were 13 other supporters’ trusts within the Conference and Shots Trust would work with them to bring opposing fans together.

Newly elected Supporters Direct Director Kris Stewart was in attendance. Kris had been heavily involved in the setting up of a trust at Wimbledon and had gone on to become Chairman of AFC Wimbledon. He explained that Shots Trust would benefit from “the huge amount of shared experience available from the numerous Supporters’ Trusts around the country. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.”

Mr Stewart continued, “The Trust movement is going from strength to strength with Government funding secured for the next 3 ½ years. UEFA are impressed with the Supporters Trust movement and are funding an investigation to see if the Trust model can be rolled out across the rest of Europe.”

John McGinty was then invited to give a response. Addressing the largest group of supporters since he’d become Chairman, Mr McGinty said he “welcomes the Trust and looks forward to working with the Trust.” Doug Wilson, Chief Executive at ATFC was also in attendance, sending a strong message of support from the Football Club.

After a break for refreshment came what for many was the highlight of the evening. Shots legends Mark Butler and Jason Chewins were interviewed by Graham Brookland, past ATFC Secretary and now Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice fund raising executive. Graham very professionally asked Mark and Jason questions on some of their experiences of football and especially of their time with Aldershot Town FC. Their responses gave a humorous and insightful look into what it had been like to play for Aldershot Town as a part time player. Their continued affection for the club was obvious to all present.

Fund raising by Trust members had already occurred and as part of the evening events Shots Trust presented a cheque for £1000 to the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice. This was a result of sponsorship raised for a bike ride performed by Trust chairman Brian Bloomfield from the Recreation Ground to Oxford’s Kassam Stadium on the day of the recent league fixture between the two clubs. Monies from the sponsorship have also been set aside to help Junior Shots in the future.

The Trust plans to move into 2007 with a programme of further fund raising events which will be advertised widely on their and other web-sites and message boards. The types of events are designed to compliment and not duplicate the activities of the Club and the Supporters Club. The Trust Steering Committee are determined to have an inclusive trust, all supporters and fans are welcome to provide an input in whatever form. Shots Trust also provide a monthly newsletter which is mailed to all Trust Members and distributed free to fans at one home game per month. The newsletter also raises money for the Trust via advertising.