What is the difference between a supporters trust and a supporters club?

This differs from club to club but the main difference is in the reasons these organisations are formed and how they are constituted. Trusts’ usually exist to give the supporters a formal say in the running of their clubs and sometimes to raise funds on their behalf. Like many other trusts we have decided the best way to meet these twin objectives is through building up a share-holding in the Club.

This will eventually give us some voting clout at AGM’s and possibly lead to boardroom representation. It also puts money into the Club. Most trusts also get involved in football at the grassroots of their local communities. There are also significant differences between the legal frameworks of trusts and supporters clubs. We, like many other trusts, are registered with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) as an Industrial and Provident Society (IPS).

This ensures financial accountability and puts trusts on a much more solid footing when it comes to owning shares and other corporate assets. Most supporters’ clubs are formed as social and travel clubs, areas that trusts are less often involved in. Inevitably there will be some overlap of purpose between trusts and supporters clubs. For instance, at Montrose the Supporters Club also puts money into the Club through purchasing shares although this is not a constituted objective as it is with the Trust.

We acknowledge the history and ongoing contribution of the Supporters Club to senior football in Montrose and are committed to working in partnership with them and the Club to ensure its long-term survival.

Aren’t trusts usually formed when clubs are in crisis or administration and, if this is the case, why does Montrose need one?

It’s true that many trusts have arisen at times of crises in their clubs and often they have begun life as campaign groups such as “Save the Bairns” at Falkirk and “Dee4Life” at Dundee. However, we believe that no clubs are safe in the current economic climate in Scottish football and that includes Montrose. We feel it is better to get the community involved now than to wait until our Club is under threat. As trusts also exist to give the supporters, the moral owners of their clubs, a greater say in how they are run, it is never too soon to have a trust. Over two-thirds of senior clubs in Scotland now have supporters’ trusts including both Rangers and Celtic.

What are the aims and objectives of the Trust?

We are committed to giving the supporters a voice in the decision-making process at Montrose FC. We feel this will be best achieved by pulling our resources through subscription and using this to build up a share-holding in the Club. This will give the supporters a stronger voice at AGM’s etc and will hopefully eventually be recognised through boardroom representation. We are also committed to strengthening links between the Club and the local community it serves.

Do I have to be a shareholder to join the Trust?

No. Some of the founder members of the Trust are small shareholders but this is not a requirement of membership. When you join the Trust you will own one share in the IPS (the Trust) and you will own an equal part of any share-holding the Trust has in Montrose FC Ltd. Members who are shareholders can proxy control of their shares in Montrose FC Ltd to the Trust – many already have. All members of the Trust have an equal say and one vote regardless of their contribution to the Trust or personal share holding in the Club.

I’ve thought about joining the Trust but some people say it’s just a clique – what do you say to this?

Like most trust’s we are affiliated to Supporters Direct, a government-backed body, who insist on certain standards for their member trusts. A key requirement is that trusts are fully democratic organisations and are constituted to be open and transparent organisations run along one-member-one-vote principles. That makes it impossible for the Trust to be a clique because if the members aren’t happy with the Society Board (committee) who administer the trust they can simply vote them off and stand for election themselves. In essence the Trust is its members not just it’s board.

I’ve heard it costs £40 to join the Trust – isn’t that too much for ordinary fans?

Maybe! The £40 subscription rate includes entry into a prize draw and works out at about £1 per week for each week of the football season. There are 5 cash prize draws per season with 3 cash prizes per draw. The amount of prize money depends on the membership roll but is currently paid out in £60, £30 and £15 increments. In addition to this there is one prize per season of a hospitality package for two to a Montrose home match.

Some supporters feel £40 is too much so from this year those who do not want to take part in the prize draw can join the Trust for an annual payment of only £5.

What is the Trust position on concessions?

Because many OAP’s are quite well-off these days and there are a lot of mature students around we have decided not to set traditional concession rates for membership. However, the Society Board will use its discretion in cases of individual hardship to make concessions on an individual basis. Discussions are currently underway regarding a junior section.

If I join the Trust how will my subscription money be used?

Net proceeds from the prize draw subscription rate of £40/year will go into the Trust’s share-purchase fund. This will be offered to Montrose FC Ltd on an annual basis in exchange for ordinary shares in the Club. This will be augmented from £5 non-prize draw subscriptions and via the Trust’s corporate sponsors. Modest sponsorship of grassroots football in the community, such as the annual primary schools tournament, will also be made from the Trust’s income. Various registration fees and licences have to be paid but these and administration costs will be kept to a minimum. Full accounts will be returned to the FSA on an annual basis and these will be made available at Trust AGM’s.

The Trust has been around for a few years now what has it actually done for the Club and the supporters?

Quite a lot really! The Trust was launched at an open meeting in November 2002 when the first steering group was elected. This group guided the Trust through affiliation with Supporters Direct in Scotland and with their help drew up a draft constitution that was ratified at the inaugural AGM in 2003.

The next task was to register as an IPS with the FSA and this was completed in 2004. Upon this registration the steering group or trust committee was re-elected as the Society Board at the AGM in November 2004. Establishing these constitutional, financial and legal foundations is done quietly behind the scenes but is labour intensive and crucial to the democratic and financial probity of the Trust and enabling it to meet the objectives outlined previously.

Without these building blocks in place the Trust would be unable to serve our members, our community or our club – unsexy but essential! The Society Board meets monthly and attends regional and national meetings of Supporters Direct.

Other work to date includes:

• Preparing and presenting a consultation document to advise Montrose FC of its future development as a genuine community football club.

• Printing and mailing out a promotional leaflet to all Montrose FC shareholders and those who registered an interest in joining the Trust at the open meeting.

• Entering into a dialogue with the Board of Montrose FC to represent our members and other supporter’s interests.

• Speaking out on behalf of our members, through local media, when they have brought concerns to the Society Board e.g. on John Sheran’s position and on the late cancellation of the Scottish Cup tie with Raith Rovers etc.

• Securing corporate sponsorship of the Trust.

• Playing a full and active part in the Montrose FC 125th Anniversary Committee especially with regards to the 125 Dinner and Gala Day celebrations.

• Playing a full and active part in the Montrose FC 1879 Committee – helping the Club to raise funds to meet this season’s financial deficits.

• Taking the lead role in attempts to bring all-weather, floodlit training facilities to Montrose through initial talks with Montrose FC, Montrose Roselea JFC, Angus Council, the Scottish Executive and SportScotland - on-going.

• Organising and sponsorship of an annual 7-a-side primary schools competition for the Gable Endies Supporters’ Trust Shield, to be re-named the “Gordon Smith Shield,” in memory of the town’s greatest footballing son.

• Sponsorship and support of Montrose JFC’s annual gala day.

• Construction of this website!