This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Funding for Supporters Direct
22/02/2004
Supporters Direct in Scotland will get £180,000 funding
over the next two years, it was announced today.
Speaking at the annual Supporters Direct conference at
Hampden Park, Sports Minister Frank McAveety said that
Supporters' Trusts provides an excellent opportunity for
responsible fans to become more involved with their clubs.
The funding agreed by the Scottish Executive increases from
£75,000 to £90,000 per year.
Mr McAveety said:
"Supporters Direct has come a long way and achieved a
great deal in its short existence in Scotland. The
organisers have exceeded their key target of establishing
20 trusts. While more are in the pipeline, the focus now
moves on to helping Trusts cement their place in Scottish
football.
"We believe that responsible groups of supporters should
have a closer involvement with their clubs. It is in clubs'
own interest to harness the emotional and financial
investment that supporters make in their clubs.
"The Executive has secured the funding for the next two
years. During this period Supporters Direct in Scotland
will seek funding from other sources to support its
activities in Scotland after 2006."
The money will be used to continue the employment of a
Scottish case worker to provide advice and assistance to
Supporters' Trusts already established and to groups of
supporters who want to establish Trusts. This funding comes
from the Scottish share of reduction in pools betting duty
money.
Supporters Direct, a London based organisation, received
£75,000 for 2002/3 and 2003/4 to extend its operations to
Scotland. It has helped to set up 21 Trusts so far, with
another two in the process of being established.
The conference aims to bring together representatives
from all existing trusts to share ideas and influence the
development of the supporters' trust movement in Scotland;
provide a forum for supporters from clubs who do not yet
have a trust to find out the benefits of establishing a
trust and the practicalities of going about doing so; and
provide a forum for representatives from the main football
authorities to share with supporters' groups their views on
the key policy issues facing the Scottish game.