Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?

In Alistair Mackintosh's final part of his recent interview he sets out the criteria he expects to be met if the right people are to invest in Manchester City Plc. This guy knows what he is doing and has the best interests of the Club at heart, bearing in mind that the Club have been looking for investment for three years I was intrigued to know more.

Alistair Mackintosh says "We are always open to the idea of new, appropriate investment. We continue to look for appropriate parties that might contribute to this football club. Money is money, as long as it is from an appropriate individual who continues to be a custodian of this club, and who keeps in mind our links with the community and in particular our fan base."

He then goes on to say "If someone was just looking at a football club as a property play, I don’t think they would look at Manchester City as closely as other clubs. I don’t want someone who wants to look at this football club as a property play, I want them looking at this as a football club. This is our home, I want it to be owned by Manchester City Football Club, not an external investor who wants to sell it on."

Hang on a minute! Are you thinking what I'm thinking? I'll take us back through the statements and think it through before I jump to conclusions.

Any new investor has to be a "custodian of this club, and who keeps in mind our links with the community and in particular our fan base". Well who better than the actual supporters via a legally constituted democratic Supporters Trust? They are the fans, they are the community surely they would be the best custodian for their own club?

And, any new investor has to be "looking at this (the Club) as a football club" and "not an external investor who wants to sell it on". Errr, who better than the actual supporters via a legally constituted democratic Supporters Trust? They look at the Club as a football club and they would never ever contemplate selling.

On 15 August 2006 I was informed that Alistair Mackintosh said that there were no plans for a Supporters Trust. Could he have changed his mind or are there no investors willing to take a gamble?

There is one investor who as a group would invest in the club irrespective of risk and without wanting a return who would never desert the Club and who would love, cherish and nurture it as if it was their own flesh and blood...the Supporters.

The Supporters Trust will be formed next year of that I am certain, at the moment we continue to plan for that moment. We will publish here what progress has been made and our future plans shortly, in the meantime we hope to hear that the Club wishes to engage in positive dialogue so that we can work together towards a positive future and most importantly see the club, shareholders, supporters and community pull together as one.