Supporters Direct (SD) is delighted to confirm that Brian Burgess has been elected by the SD Board as the new Chair of the organisation, replacing Dame Pauline Green who stood down at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday 7th July at the end of her term of office. 
 
Brian joined the SD Board in October 2009. He stood down as a Board member over the past 12 months, during which period he worked as Acting Chief Executive from June 2011.

Following the appointment of David Lampitt as Chief Executive, Brian returned to his role as a non-executive director on 7 July and was elected as Chair.

He is also a Director of Brentford FC (Lionel Road) Ltd with responsibility for developing a new community stadium in Brentford, a trustee of the charity Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, and a member of the FA Compliance Monitoring Group.

A lifelong Brentford fan, Brian was Chair of Bees United, the Brentford Supporters Trust, from 2003 to 2007, during which time he led the acquisition by the trust of the majority shareholding in Brentford FC. From January 2006 to December 2007 he was a member of the Brentford Football Club board.

Commenting on his new role, Brian said: 

"It is a real privilege to be asked to serve as Chair of SD. I would like to thank my colleagues on the board for their confidence and the great staff team who have worked so hard to drive the supporters' trust movement forward in spectator sports in England and Wales, Scotland and over 20 counties in Europe. My thanks also go to my predecessor, Dame Pauline Green, for her commitment and support over the past three years.

"We are in a critical period of change for professional sport as clubs and governing bodies face up to the need for financial responsibility and long term sustainability. Supporters' trusts can be a key part of the solution and I look forward to working with all parts of the wider trust movement to help fans find their voice."

About Supporters Direct

Supporters Direct represents over 300,000 members of Supporters' Trusts in the UK and over 80,000 in Europe across Football, Rugby League and Ice Hockey. It aims to create the conditions in which supporters can secure influence and ownership of their clubs, and is the UK's leading body working to ensure that clubs are run responsibly and are financially sustainable.

It has helped to establish over 170 supporters' trusts in the UK, over twenty of which currently own or operate their football or rugby league clubs.

Supporters Direct is a Community Benefit Society regulated by the Financial Services Authority, and owned by its member trusts, of which LOFT was one of the earliest.