Fans’ Forum on Thursday 4 December at 7pm

[Spiv]

https://www.kltown.co.uk/2025/11/28/news-fans-forum-details-announced/

Thought I'd post something here about this. I'll be attending, but I'm sure there will be some that can't make it.

So if anyone has a question or questions they'd like asked please post them here and I'm sure some of the people attending can then ask them for you.

[Windy Linnet]

Thanks spiv.I thought the Trust would have posted something on here about it now that they are part of the leadership team.Relying on othersnow they have arrived.

[Veratis]

That's a great post Spiv a perfect example of a football community in action. I'm sure all fans welcome the opportunity to ask questions on thursday and hopefully it becomes a regular event.

[Mallard]

Vera is it being streamed and will Jo be tuning in ?

[TonyM]

Just seen this in respect of our opponents on Saturday https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7400181390803378176/

Whilst I appreciate there are many differences between us and Chester, it is good to see a fan owned club holding their own at our level and being prepared to share how things are going off the pitch.  Understand we all look for different things from owners but for me this level of transparency is worth far more than the (often secretive) benefactor model.



🔵 Chester FC made a profit of £53k for the 2024/25 season, it was announced at the Annual General Meeting of City Fans United (CFU) on Thursday evening.

CFU members received a detailed report on the club's finances for the year ending 31 May 2025, during which Treasurer Neil Berry outlined the major achievements across the season, including:

- Turnover was £1,629,000 - an increase of £200k on the previous 12 months
- Expenditure was £1,585,000
- Pre-tax profit recorded was £52,667
- Matchday revenue up £154k to £811k - includes £274k from season tickets
- Commercial income was £258k - £23k above budget
- Fundraising income was £182k - includes £104k Boost the Budget and 50% increase in CFU membership fees
- Club shop profit was £57k - 9% increase
- Transfer income from player sales and loans was £78k
- Club reserves have increased to £268k

While the club's participation in the National League North play-offs contributed to the increased gate income, it had also resulted in additional match and playing budget costs due to the requirement for extended contracts.

During the meeting, CFU board members also provided reports on their respective portfolios before answering questions from the floor and online.

The AGM also includes the CFU board elections, however as there was only one candidate and four available places, an affirmative ballot was held instead, with Kieron Shiel, who had completed his three-year term, successfully re-elected.

The full AGM minutes, financial statements and reports will be published on www.cityfansunited.com (http://www.cityfansunited.com/?trk=public_post-text) shortly

[Blue_and_Gold]

That's impressive, both for the openness to supporters and the financial performance.

Certainly something to aspire to!

Football Community in action!

  

[Mallard]

I take it they never had a Sports England loan to pay back. Have we started making inroads into that I wonder 🤷�♂️

[TonyM]

I take it they never had a Sports England loan to pay back. Have we started making inroads into that I wonder 🤷�♂️

Chester were vocal in the fact that they were unable to take out a Sports England loan due to their fan owned status so, like many others in NLN (and appreciate we were NL at the time) don't have a DCMS loan.

[Spiv]

Back on topic. From an email.

For those who are unable to make it in person we are looking to stream the event live on our Mixlr commentary channel subject to any technical issues - we will keep you updated on this.

https://kltfc.mixlr.com/?mc_cid=73d9c1847a&mc_eid=5fe9b49f42

[Blue_and_Gold]

I take it they never had a Sports England loan to pay back. Have we started making inroads into that I wonder 🤷�♂️

Chester were vocal in the fact that they were unable to take out a Sports England loan due to their fan owned status so, like many others in NLN (and appreciate we were NL at the time) don't have a DCMS loan.

Do we know if our DCMS loan was "successfully" renegotiated or not?

Maybe we'll hear tonight.

I take it they never had a Sports England loan to pay back. Have we started making inroads into that I wonder 🤷�♂️

Chester were vocal in the fact that they were unable to take out a Sports England loan due to their fan owned status so, like many others in NLN (and appreciate we were NL at the time) don't have a DCMS loan.

Its lucky for us that we had someone at the Helm that fully understood "Football Finances".

[Blue_and_Gold]

Something from the past, which could be useful for tonight. It demonstrates the reason for Trust involvement, openness and honesty:




You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Committee Publications > All Select Committee Publications > Commons Select Committees > Culture, Media and Sport > Culture, Media and Sport
Session 2010-11

Football Governance
Written evidence submitted by the Blue and Gold Trust (King's Lynn FC Supporters Trust (FG 49)

Football Governance

This is a submission to the committee from the Blue & Gold Trust (King's Lynn FC Supporters Trust)

It contains details of the recent history of the club, how a greater level of governance in the game could have saved the club from liquidation and how it could influence the newly formed club in the future.

A Brief History

1. King's Lynn football club over the last thirty years has gone from one period of financial mismanagement to the next. There have been a couple of periods of administration, several bailouts by local business people and then finally in November 2009 the liquidation of the club in the High court by the official receiver on behalf of HMRC. The final debt that sunk the club was for just under £80,000 owed to HMRC. This debt was the tip of the iceberg with the club having soft debts of over £200,000 in director loans as well as many other debts to local companies.

2. The only people that knew about these financial issues until it was too late to help were the Directors in charge of the club. The common supporter and the newly formed Supporters Trust asked on numerous occasions about the situation at the club but were always denied any knowledge of the financial mess. The supporters were finally told some of the story a few days before the club was in court to be wound up. The Supporters did offer to try and raise the money that was needed to stave off the winding up order but the underlying soft debts that the directors would not write off made any such action ultimately implausible.

The question is how would better governance within the game of helped the Supporters of King's Lynn FC to safeguard their club.

3. Much stricter financial controls, bi monthly accounts to the league that the club is in, illustrating that amongst other financials that all tax affairs are in order and up to date, with these being checked by impartial committees. Late or non submission, proven untrue accounts or accounts that show issues should face substantial punishments that may act as a deterrent to clubs that are financially mismanaged. The issues at King's Lynn FC were ongoing for more that a year, so the practice above would have at the very least alerted the supporters to what was going on. An extension of the quarterly HMRC reporting that now exists within the Conference would be welcome.

4. Banning of soft debt from the game. Monies given to the club should either be for shares (have a realistic monetary value), in the form of a financially viable structured loans or non repayable gifts. This would have meant that the saving of King's Lyn FC in financial terms could have been a realistic prospect. Clubs should only legally, be able to take on proven viable levels of debt.

5. Supporter involvement at all levels within clubs. This would lead to greater transparency within clubs. Football clubs are at the heart of communities and should be used to bring communities together. They should never be allowed to become a business person's plaything. Rules should be put in place that mean that supporters have to legally have a meaningful role within the club with penalties against clubs that do not follow this rule. This would mean that the supporters always play a role in safeguarding their clubs.

6. A much stronger and rigid fit and proper person test on directors at all levels of football. One of the directors at the insolvent King's Lyn FC club had previously caused major financial issues at a previous club he had been involved at. The FA were very much aware of this but unable to deal with the appointment.

7. Any one of the above points of governance had the potential to prevent the winding up of King's Lynn FC.

Where King's Lynn FC is now.

8. A new King's Lynn FC, this time with an added "Town" to the name was formed in January 2010. The club was formed after a bidding process with the local council (who own the ground). The winning local business (the newly formed Supporters' Trust submitted an unsuccessful bid) were verbally encouraged to work with the supporters by the local authority. A legally standing arrangement would have meant that the supporters would have had to been involved.

9. Given that the club, run as a private company failed again, and our view that the football club is a community asset it would have helped us if we had been given a period of exclusivity to buy the club if voted for by the community as a whole.. The Supporters Trust model and the aims that are listed by all Supporters Trusts fit the public interest ideal and are an ideal model of football club ownership because by their nature they have to be run sustainably, are open and inclusive, have community objects written into their articles and the Board are accountable to their members. In summary the ideal framework to ensure that the club was secure for the future. We were disadvantaged because we didn't have enough time to raise money that the winning bid could lay their hands on in the short time we had, despite the current owners professing publically that they would look to get their money back out of the club in the future. In contrast whilst we had less money to begin with our ethos and rules are markedly different stating that were the community to own the club all the money we made would have had to be reinvested into the football club or in pursuit of community objectives. 'Right to buy' would have helped, and resulted in our club being in much safer hands.

10. At the current time the new owners have given little cause for concern but the same issues of lack of supporter involvement, transparency and how financial investment within the club has been structured are still as prevalent now as with the previous owners. The risk of what the future holds could have been minimised with better levels of governance.

The Broader picture

11. Football clubs should be engaged in real terms with the communities that they represent and should have supporters actively involved. This should be enforced at a national level with communities given the power to become owners within their clubs if possible. The best interests of all parties involved in clubs should be of paramount importance to ensure that football clubs remain as the heart of the communities that they lie within.

12. Community ownership should be encouraged by government, the relevant local authorities and the football associations

[Colin Fuller]

Message to Spiv: Mallard's point about the Sport England loan needs airing tonight. I hope someone will ask the question about what sort of timeframe is envisaged before TSI withdraw their commitment.  I would appreciate some feedback from the meeting on the forum. Sorry I can't attend.

[Spiv]

Message to Spiv: Mallard's point about the Sport England loan needs airing tonight. I hope someone will ask the question about what sort of timeframe is envisaged before TSI withdraw their commitment.  I would appreciate some feedback from the meeting on the forum. Sorry I can't attend.

If no one else asks about it or they don't say anything about it first then I shall ask the question.

[Colin Fuller]

Thanks. Let's hope for clear answers to all questions and a positive evening for fans sidelined for far too long.

[Blue_and_Gold]

Message to Spiv: Mallard's point about the Sport England loan needs airing tonight. I hope someone will ask the question about what sort of timeframe is envisaged before TSI withdraw their commitment.  I would appreciate some feedback from the meeting on the forum. Sorry I can't attend.

If no one else asks about it or they don't say anything about it first then I shall ask the question.

Top man.   

Lets hope there are no "technical issues" tonight.