Your Trust, Your Voice, Your Opportunity

City are a club with a great history and a great tradition. That sums it all up for me. Glory, glory days that evoke images filled with pride and passion. Wistful visions of Neil Young spanking the ball in the back of the net at Wembley in ’69. Goalkeepers diving out of the way of one of Franny’s penalties. Buzzer charging down the wing. Dennis Tueart’s overhead kick, Peter Barnes causing mayhem amongst opposition defences and Big Dave Watson having stitches put into a gash above his eye whilst giving an interview to Brian Moore at the same time!

Ultimately, what leaps out here is just like the words history and tradition, all this is firmly in the past.

Reading the message boards, talking to fans at the game and in the various pubs around the ground, the vox populi is the club is clearly in some difficulty. Off the field we have very well publicised debts along with the club being hawked around at every available opportunity in order to secure investment or a takeover. On the field the team have yet to realise their full potential. I’ll spare you some of the language I’ve been treated to when discussing City – this is a family show after all!

So what can we do about all this?

Well, it’s clear that change has not always been the catalyst for success at City – you’ve only got to look back at how many managers we went through in the 90’s to see that. Even changes at chairman level have not always born fruit.

What we are proposing is definitely change; however the Trust is all about EVOLUTION not revolution.

Forming a Supporters Trust at City will be, in my opinion, the single biggest change in the history of the club as it will put you back at the heart of Manchester City where you rightfully belong. For once it will actually be a change for the better.

How often have you had a fellow Blue claim the club just doesn’t care about the fans anymore or that the supporters are being ignored? Wouldn’t it have been nice for the club to have really heard what you thought about the season ticket renewals, fair ticket pricing, lack of activity in the transfer windows, concerns about the size and scale of the debt, the stadium itself, consultation on a singing section amongst many, many other things.

Wouldn’t it have been even better if the club had heard you and done something about it?

The Trust by its nature will be democratic, transparent, audited and accountable to its members. By coming together en bloc as shareholders and fans alike, we will be able to exert the necessary influence to ensure your concerns are heard and more importantly appropriate action is taken.

I am absolutely devastated when I speak to fans considering turning their back on the club they love after years of loyalty and unconditional support. Action must be taken to halt this.

No one is foolish enough to make promises like a Trust will ensure the double for City, or we will win the Champions League by 2010. What it will do though is give YOU the opportunity to have YOUR voice heard.

The Trust is here to ensure you are not forgotten or taken for granted.

Mickey