This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Funding for football supporters
12/02/2002
Football supporters across Scotland will be given the chance to play a responsible part in the club they support thanks to a funding package announced today.
Fans' groups of Scottish Premier League (SPL) and Football League (SFL) clubs will now have the same opportunities as their English counterparts to create 'Supporters' Trusts' with advice and financial assistance from the Supporters Direct organisation.
Sports Minister Mike Watson announced that £75,000 would be made available to Supporters Direct this year, with a similar amount available next year subject to an end-of-year review. The money will be used to employ a Scottish-based worker who will have a small grants budget.
The Sports Minister said:
"It is important for football that the voice of the ordinary supporter is heard. I am delighted that Supporters Direct have accepted my invitation to extend their service to Scotland. I am aware of the success they have achieved in England and look to them to replicate that in Scotland.
"They will undoubtedly provide an invaluable source of advice and financial assistance to responsible groups of supporters who would like to become more involved with their football club.
"The creation of supporters' trusts gives fans a stronger more unified voice. I believe that the football clubs in the SPL and SFL together with the football authorities will be willing to work with the trusts that are established. Supporters are, after all, the lifeblood of the game."
Brian Lomax from Supporters Direct added:
"We are delighted that Mike Watson has been able to provide the funds necessary for us to begin our work in Scotland. We know that there is a need in Scotland for the service we provide and we look forward to working with responsible groups of supporters in support of their aims to set up supporters trusts."
Supporters Direct, based at Birkbeck College in London, has been providing an advice and information service to supporters' groups in England since 2000. Its aim is to help people who wish to play a responsible part in the life of the club they support, and they offer support, advice and information to groups of football supporters.
All models used and recommended will be based on democratic, mutual and 'not-for-profit' principles. Legitimate objectives 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 objects of the Supporters' Trust
Representation - securing the democratic election of supporters' representatives to the Boards of Directors of individual football clubs
Criteria for eligibility - To qualify for the assistance of Supporters Direct, supporters' groups must be:
Democratic in their structures and in the way they run their affairs
Open to all fans to join, at an affordable cost
Broadly representative of supporters
Supporters Direct can help by: Introducing supporters to representatives from supporter and supporter-shareholder groups who can share their experiences; Provide support for media campaigns and contacts; Help find suitable speakers for launch meetings; Attend meetings of supporters where requested; Provide legal and financial advice; Assist with meeting the costs of mailings, public meetings and the formation of Supporters' Trusts; Assist with the use of the Web, email discussion groups etc; Regular briefings and workshops; Conferences and training courses for group leaders, club board members and trustees
The funding has been secured from the Scottish share of the Reduction in Pools Betting Duty (RPBD) funding, the donations from pools companies. This is in line with the funding arrangements in England.