Trust in Luton Statement
Public Meeting
Following the lead of scores of other crisis-stricken clubs, the fans of Luton Town are establishing a Supporters' Trust to secure the future of their club. They are taking this action because they believe that a football club belongs to its fans.
WHY?
The club seems to have been purchased by anonymous new owners, who dismissed the management team, Joe Kinnear and Mick Harford, leading to hundreds of fans demonstrating outside Kenilworth Road last Tuesday (27th May). The new owners' chosen figureheads, Roger Terrell and Lee Power, are now rethinking their positions. Since then, concerned supporters have joined forces with Supporters Direct, a government-funded body whose aim is "to offer support, advice and information to groups of supporters who wish to play a responsible part in the life of the clubs they support."
FLAG
When the club was in receivership four years ago, a supporters' organisation called FLAG (Fans of Luton Action Group) was set up, and although their bid to buy the club was ultimately unsuccessful, it did lead to the supporters having a representative on the board and proved that the fans could be part of a financial bid worth some £2.1 million. Trust in Luton is not the same as FLAG, but FLAG do have useful experience in this area and have kindly donated their remaining funds to kickstart the Trust's finances.
PUBLIC MEETING DETAILS
As time is of the essence here, a working party has been put together in order to coordinate fans' efforts. To this effect, a Public Meeting, free to enter and open to all Luton fans, will be held on SATURDAY 7TH JUNE, at Kenilworth Road (Kenilworth Road, press entrance), starting at 3pm.
The purpose of this meeting is to provide information on the Trust's aims and ambitions and will include speakers from the initial working group and Supporters Direct as well as other guests who will be confirmed later in the week.
WHAT HAPPENS THEN?
On Saturday, interested fans will be able to pick up membership forms, explaining how to join the Trust and thus secure the future of Luton Town FC. The working party has proposed that our aims should be to involve the Trust in the decision-making process before any takeover deal is finalised, and failing that, to engage with the new owners to play a part in the running of the club. Once the Trust is up and running, elections will be held, according to Supporters' Trust guidelines, to form a committee.