Over thirty different supporters’ groups are listed on BCFC.com. Why so many and what are they all for?

Most groups are based on location and it’s easy to understand the reason for these. The nearby groups can come to games together; those in far off countries can get together to talk about their club. But what’s the point of Blues Trust?

Blues Trust is an organisation for all fans who want to strengthen the influence of supporters in the running of the club.  We are incorporated as a Community Benefit Society and belong to Supporters Direct.

Being incorporated gives us some extra powers such as owning shares of the club collectively. It also makes us accountable; we are required to submit our accounts to the Financial Conduct Authority.

Being part of a wider organisation of fans from different clubs means that we can help to exert more pressure for change in the game. Supporters Direct is supporting the Fans not numbers campaign. This calls for changes in the regulation of football clubs to help prevent the kind of nightmare situations that have occurred when unsuitable people have been allowed to become owners of football clubs. If you are not sure that regulation is needed, please look at the video about the Worst Football Owners Ever [edit 20/10/2018-no longer available] for an account of what has happened at Manchester United, Blackpool, Blackburn, Birmingham City, Liverpool, Leeds and Portsmouth.  The part about Carson Yeung starts at 12.05 into the video.

The inadequacy of the fit and proper persons test for owners and directors was highlighted yesterday when a high court judge ruled that Owen and Karl Oyston, the owners of Blackpool football club, illegitimately stripped the club of £26.77m.  Because Owen Oyston’s criminal conviction for rape came before the introduction of the test in 2004, it did not disqualify him from being an owner.  Click here to read more about this.

If you are not a member of Blues Trust but would like to find out more about us, you are welcome to attend our Annual General Meeting.  It is before the next home game on November 18th, at 11 am in the Deritend Training Room at St Martin in the Bull Ring. It would be a help if you could let us know if you’ll be coming; click here to register.