The organisation which provided funding and advice to help Cardiff City fans set up its own trust three years ago, is in crisis after the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, administrators of the Premier League Fans’ Fund, were reported as withdrawing £1.5m of funding over three years. This follow concerns following a number of tweets posted by SD chief executive Dave Boyle – who has now resigned – on his personal account on Twitter last month. SD issued a statement yesterday deploring the comments and disassociating itself from them.
Our neighbours down the M4 at Swansea are 20% owned by their
Supporters’ Trust, which also has an elected representative on the club’s board, something this Trust aspires to achieve.
Tim Hartley, chair of Cardiff City Supporters’ Trust, said: “Supporters Direct is a vital campaign and support group for all those interested in promoting the voice of supporters in football. When we decided to set up the Cardiff City Supporters Trust two years ago it was SD which gave us the confidence and practical advice we needed.
“Football clubs are part of the community and are not like any other business. That’s why we must ensure the fans’ voice is heard at every level of the clubs we support. Here in Wales clubs like Swansea, Merthyr and Newport owe a real debt of gratitude to the supporters’ trusts which have stood by them through thick and thin.
“ Supporters Direct has proved its worth over the years and we hope theFootball Stadia Improvement Fund change their mind and restore its grant to SD so that it can continue to help build the supporters movement across the UK.”