Support floods in from other clubs

That was the upbeat message delivered to City supporters by representatives from Chesterfield Football Club, who last year were taken over by their fans, and Brian Lomax of Supporters' Direct.

Lomax, who ten years ago this week played a major role in forming Britain's first Supporters' Trust at Northampton Town, implored City fans to make a play for the ownership of their club.

Reliving his experiences, Lomax said: "Ten years ago this week I was in a similar meeting at Northampton where a sense of panic had overtaken the town and everyone thought the club was going to fold.

"A meeting was called by the supporters and a resolution was passed to form a Supporters' Trust, the first in British football."

Lomax said the aim was to save the club by raising money and to give fans a say in the running of their club.

"The vast majority of football clubs then and some now are secretive, private limited companies," he said.

"There is very little information or disclosure.

"Our intention was to speak for supporters."

He admitted, ten years on and Northampton Town was facing fresh financial worries.

"A Supporters' Trust is not a panacea or a cure for all the ills of professional football," he reasoned.

"However, that club would have died ten years ago if it was not for the formation of a Supporters' Trust.

"It is still there, in Division Two just, still fighting and the supporters are part of the debate as to what will happen.

"We are not simply on the outside looking in, we are one of the players in the game."

Lomax revealed how during his seven years as an elected fans' representative on the board debts of £1.6million were cleared despite the club receiving just £30,000 in transfer income during that period - ironically, through the sale of former City striker Neil Grayson to Cheltenham Town.

Lomax explained following the Supporters' Trust being set up, gates rocketed from 2,000 to 6,000.

A new stadium was also built by the local council, who felt able to spend council taxpayers money on the project because of the club's new-found democratic structure.

"They sensed the football club was not only representing fans but also the whole community," he said.

Espousing the virtues of supporters' trust, Lomax pointed out the supporters club at Northampton Town had paid for the installation of floodlights at the Cobblers' old ground.

"What did we get in return? A few blazer badges and the right from the chairman to drink in a bar at the ground and nothing else.

"We had no influence in the running of the club and no shares."

Chesterfield chairman Ian Yeowart, who lives at Earswick, near York, is also a stalwart devotee of Supporters' Trusts with Chesterfield boasting the biggest trust in the country following its take-over last year.

He said: "As a business opportunity, you wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

"We had exactly the same situation at Chesterfield but, of course, football takes over."

Yeowart revealed when Chesterfield made their move to take control of the Spireites the club was riven by financial troubles and dishonesty.

"We were in £1.6m of debt and yet had started the season with £500,00 in the bank.

"Bills hadn't been paid and we were on the brink of extinction."

As supporters delved into the books, it emerged the ground had been sold and a groundshare scheme with Mansfield had been arranged.

"Our aim was to raise £50,000 in six months but within five days we owned the club.

"Since that time we have had great difficulty in getting stabilised.

"But over the past seven months we have consolidated our position, we have the debt under control and we have managed to move the club forward."

Issuing a rallying call to City supporters, Yeowart said: "There is no one at Chesterfield who can do things better than anybody in York.

"You may not be the biggest club in the world but at the end of the day whether your club survives is really down to yourselves.

"This club will only survive with the support of its supporters, whether that is through a trust or not.

"Once new owners know the strength of feeling they will be prepared to work with you."

Phil Tooley, commercial director at Chesterfield and another leading light in the Supporters' Trust there, said: "A trust will help galvanise community spirit.

"The only thing that is needed is heart, that is what people have got to show.

"The Evening Press said this was the most important 90 minutes in the history of the club.

"They are right and in years to come you will look back at this night as a piece of history."

Updated: 09:26 Tuesday, January 08, 2002