Dan Levy gives us an updte from the Trust

Can I on behalf of the owners of Stockport County welcome the fans, directors and playing staff of Brentford to Edgeley Park. 

Brentford, like us, are owned by their trust. Like us, they are learning to live within their means, to develop a better and wider relationship with the community they are part of, and like us have ambitious plans to develop their property portfolio, although in their case it will involve building a new stadium just down the road, and in ours it involves working on projects with our local authority and, sooner rather than later, repurchasing Edgeley Park.

The last “regular” game of the season is a good point at which to take stock of where we have got to.

It has been a year for the supporters trust movement in which the trust owned clubs have all proved their strength on the field.  Notts County came good and didn’t panic, while the teams that have left the league, all traditionally owned by local business people,  have both struggled with off-field issues which have weakened them on the pitch (and I write this while Mansfield and Chester can both join Wrexham). Brentford recovered from a shaky mid season to finish in a  creditable mid-table position.  And we of course can look forward to the play-offs – and automatic promotion was a pretty close run thing.  Let’s not forget that we too had a pretty difficult early part of the season, but the club’s directors refused to panic and showed a wise commitment to Jim Gannon’s ability to sort out any problems.  Off the field, the club has got stronger and stronger, with the finances of the club being rebuilt after the cash issues which appeared largely due to the demands of former directors.

I hope that trusts are slowly winning the battle to convince fans that long-term stability is more important than finding a sugar-daddy to build up a club’s debt while trying to buy success on the field.  In our division, Peterborough and MK Dons have both chosen to use their benefactors’ apparent financial strength to build power on the pitch; that is their choice.  I think we, Hereford and Brentford among others, can be more proud that we have achieved success while also showing a commitment to financial prudence.  And I think we (and Brentford too)  can also be very proud of the way we have calmly handled the crises that come along from time to time, have always been open to listening to and talking to fans, and the way we have now created a foundation for the future prosperity of our clubs. 

Finally, can I thank two special sets of fans.  Firstly, all of County’s fans, whether members of the Trust or not,  who have gained plaudits for their passionate and noisy support home and away – I very much hope that we will have something to sing about over the next few weeks.

And can I welcome the Brentford Four who have walked here from west London.  I dashed round the North Circular to Brentford (in so far as I could – it was more of a crawl) after the Barnet game, to wish them luck in their ambitious walk and to promise them they would be warmly greeted here today.  Please give them huge applause and  contribute to their charitable collection.