Nottingham Forest Supporters Trust ?

I had the following message on my Facebook account from someone trying to set up a supporters trust at Nottingham Forest

Do you care about the future of Nottm Forest?

Would you like to:
- Encourage the club to take proper account of the interests of its supporters and the community it serves?
- Develop a formalised and structured relationship with the club?
- Strengthen bonds between club and communities?
- Give supporters collectively the opportunity to acquire and have a stake in the club?

If you answered yes to any of th eabove, please join us at the public meeting and vote for the establishment of a SUPPORTERS TRUST for Nottingham Forest at:

THE VILLAGE HOTEL, NOTTM.
Brailsford Way, Chillwell, NG9 6DL

Monday 21st April at 7.30PM

For further information visit www.forest-st.org.uk

There is also a good write up about it at 'Through the Seasons Before Us...'.

In my own humble opinion, there wouldn't be a clammer for this kind of involvement if the club was in a period of success. During the glory days under Clough, how many supporters knew, or cared, what the managerial set-up was behind the scenes. Only when the on-field aspects have faltered has there been a desire to change the fundamental ownership of the club.

I personally don't believe the club fails its supporters or the general community. Sure there are issues around ticketing, catering, over-zealous stewarding, but I'm sure they're not any more than at other clubs, and as a supporter of over 35 years, I've seen the 'supporters as cattle' state we were in in the mid to late eighties which led to the rise in fanzines, supporters organisations and trusts of this nature. Certainly those dark days don't exist any more.

There simply isn't a sugar daddy to bail out the club. While Nigel Doughty has his knockers, it cannot be argued that without him, we may not have a club to support at all. You can argue that some of his managerial decisions have been a bit dodgy, but all of them in clear 20:20 hindsight. He might not have invested the money at the right times, again in hindsight, but he always stated that he wasn't prepared to gamble the future of the club again. Eric Barnes & David Pratt any one ?

Anyone who remembers the share floatation will remember what people got for their £700. A nice piece of paper worth precisely bugger all to hang on their wall. A days wages to the modern footballer, but a big wodge for your average fan, all for no return.

To me this is simply a knee-jerk reaction to the sudden & quite recent realisation that next season we'll be playing at the same level as Peterborough, MK Dons & Darlington.

A sudden Calderwood inspired run could see us at Fulham, Sunderland & Derby next season, although that would be as likely as me staying sober in Belfast next weekend.

Or as likely as the Supporters Trust getting past the "shouting in a hotel room off the M1" stage next month.