Some people have the idea that because Stockport County is owned by its fans, therefore it is in some way less professional than clubs owned in the traditional way. 
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Firstly there is no reason why someone who might have made his money from, let’s say, construction contracts , should be any better at running a club than a board comprising people who have responsible jobs outside football but who aren’t motivated solely by greed!
County’s board is made up of people who do the job because they love the club, but they are all professional people. And we’ve made sure that the full time employees of the club, led by Keith Agar, are committed to the club, good at their jobs, and can drive County upwards.
And that’s the other key benefit of Trust ownership. It isn’t just County either. Trusts bring professional management to the running of football clubs. You can see it at clubs like Lincoln City and Chesterfield, which make a profit.
The reason we have to be professional? The need to balance the books, and the recognition that football must not be run for the aggrandisement of a chairman or the attempt to use property owned by a club to enrich the directors. And above all the recognition of two key obligations:
- Every one, from Chairman and Chief Executive to a student at the Centre of Excellence has to act professionally.
- Everyone has responsibilities to the club.
It sounds simple and obvious. But that isn’t the way County was run before the Trust acquired it.
Jim in his programme notes last weekend wrote a hard-hitting piece in which he said that he took full responsibility for the performance of the team. The same thing goes for everyone else. Everyone must take responsibility for their part in the performance of the club on and off the field.
And that includes the fans of the club. Apart from watching County, hopefully enjoying visiting Edgeley Park, and being the best set of fans in our division, what other responsibilities do fans have to the club?
Get behind the team.
Get involved! This can be via joining the Trust, using the various ways of communicating to let us have your comments and complaints, becoming sponsors or encouraging your employer to become a sponsor, buying a County bond, and encouraging other people (and especially young people) to come to a match.
We’ve been getting an increasing number of communications via fans@stockportcounty.com. It really does help if fans let us know what they think, whether it be comments on stewarding, on beer prices, or praise for the club.
There really isn’t a 'them and us' at Stockport County. I hope the speedy reintroduction of Gareth Eccleston and his drum after the Derby County match shows that everyone is on the same side!
Let’s get behind Jim and the team this afternoon.