Giving Orient fans a voice
Leyton Orient Fans' Trust
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LOFT calls for Supporters Direct funding rethink
6/13/2011

Supporters Direct, the umbrella group for Supporters' Trusts in the UK, has had its major source of funding withdrawn at short notice following reports of a series of comments posted on Twitter by its Chief Executive, Dave Boyle, in his personal capacity following the understandably-emotional promotion of AFC Wimbledon to the Football League. Despite Boyle resigning from his post as a result, Supporters Direct faces an uncertain future unless the funding is restored.

LOFT wishes to reiterate its support for the organisation and aims of Supporters Direct, and calls for the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, administrators of the Premier League Fans' Fund, to reconsider its funding withdrawal decision.

Supporters Direct has provided an increasingly successful and noticeable lobbying voice for supporters' interests, and has given valuable assistance to hundreds of Trusts over the past 11 years. Trusts have saved a number of clubs that faced extinction and ensured clubs consider and value their fans and local communities as much more than just paying customers.

To LOFT and many other supporters it appears that the FSIF, and its ultimate paymasters, have simply taken this opportunity to neutralise what has become an increasingly persistent thorn in the side of the rich investors and others with massive financial interests in football. Not only does Supporters Direct promote a model for running clubs differently to that of nearly all the Premier League teams, but it has shown that fan-run clubs can be successful.

Part of its remit means inevitable lobbying against controlling interests promoting narrow ownership models that too often display scant regard for supporters' opinions, and LOFT feels that Supporters Direct is now paying a disproportionate price simply because of its increasing success in challenging the status quo.

A statement from Supporters Direct on the issue can be found here.

LOFT chair Doug Harper said: "It seems incredible that the FSIF has stopped funding, simply because they felt that Supporters Direct had not handled an internal staffing matter properly. The fact that in the past year a Premier League footballer was only suspended for shouting swear words directly to a TV camera broadcasting live to the nation, while another shot an apprentice at a training ground, makes the FSIF's reaction all the more incredulous.

"Dave Boyle was LOFT's original case worker and proved invaluable to us as we were one of the first Trusts to be formed, and I am not sure that LOFT would have come into existence were it not for Dave. He is professional and down-to-earth, he speaks how he finds, and it is atrocious that he has (in my opinion) been hounded out of his job seemingly due to the 'powers that be' feeling threatened by the progress made in increasing supporter representation.

"Maybe the Premier League feels threatened that Swansea City, recently promoted to the top-flight, is 20% owned by its fans?"

LOFT calls on the Football Stadia Improvement Fund to reverse its decision, and urges MPs and other football bodies to do all they can to ensure Supporters Direct continues in its valuable work.





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