Neil
2nd March 2008, 09:36 AM
How sad to see trouble between the Football Club and their Supporters Trust (Martyrs to the Cause). I hope these guys have our support, after all we've forged good links with them over the past few years.MERTHYR Tydfil FC supporters’ trust claims to have been banned from Penydarren Park, after donating thousands of pounds to the club.
Members of the Martyrs to the Cause Trust received letters from club directors this week saying they were no longer welcome to carry out fund-raising activities at the ground. But the club say they have not been banned, only stopped from raising money on the club’s premises.
Mike Donovan, vice-chairman of the Trust, said: “We received a letter on Wednesday, threatening the Trust with expulsion from the club unless we made our funds available to the club’s directors. They seem to want the money we can raise, yet want us excluded from making decisions at our club.”
The Trust has donated in excess of £40,000 to the club in the last year, as well as solely funding Merthyr’s successful youth team.
But relations between the two factions became strained last October when Trust chairman Dave Webb was banned from the ground after allegations of gross misconduct. Mr Webb, who has financially supported Merthyr’s youth sides for a number of years, refutes the allegations and has been backed by Trust members.
Now, despite the Trust paying the players’ wages on three occasions this season, directors have told members they were not welcome on the premises as of midnight last night.
Mr Donovan said: “The club has also threatened to withdraw the Trust’s directorship and shares.
“The club claim to want to include us in their plans, yet we have been shareholders at the club for 10 months and have only been invited to two board meetings in that time, both of which was to discuss the Trust handing over more money. We know we have the backing of the vast majority of our members and supporters.”
In response, Perry Johnson, a director at Merthyr Tydfil FC, said: “We have not banned them – we are stopping them raising money on the club’s premises and trying to dictate what we spend it on. We have asked the Trust to come on board and take over the running of the club, but they are not interested. The Trust has more than £30,000 set aside and are threatening to take that and set up another football club elsewhere as they think Merthyr Tydfil FC is heading towards administration.
“Yes, they paid the players’ wages three times this season. But if they were any sort of supporters, they would have helped pay the wages more than they did. And they have chosen to support Dave Webb instead of this club.”
Members of the Martyrs to the Cause Trust received letters from club directors this week saying they were no longer welcome to carry out fund-raising activities at the ground. But the club say they have not been banned, only stopped from raising money on the club’s premises.
Mike Donovan, vice-chairman of the Trust, said: “We received a letter on Wednesday, threatening the Trust with expulsion from the club unless we made our funds available to the club’s directors. They seem to want the money we can raise, yet want us excluded from making decisions at our club.”
The Trust has donated in excess of £40,000 to the club in the last year, as well as solely funding Merthyr’s successful youth team.
But relations between the two factions became strained last October when Trust chairman Dave Webb was banned from the ground after allegations of gross misconduct. Mr Webb, who has financially supported Merthyr’s youth sides for a number of years, refutes the allegations and has been backed by Trust members.
Now, despite the Trust paying the players’ wages on three occasions this season, directors have told members they were not welcome on the premises as of midnight last night.
Mr Donovan said: “The club has also threatened to withdraw the Trust’s directorship and shares.
“The club claim to want to include us in their plans, yet we have been shareholders at the club for 10 months and have only been invited to two board meetings in that time, both of which was to discuss the Trust handing over more money. We know we have the backing of the vast majority of our members and supporters.”
In response, Perry Johnson, a director at Merthyr Tydfil FC, said: “We have not banned them – we are stopping them raising money on the club’s premises and trying to dictate what we spend it on. We have asked the Trust to come on board and take over the running of the club, but they are not interested. The Trust has more than £30,000 set aside and are threatening to take that and set up another football club elsewhere as they think Merthyr Tydfil FC is heading towards administration.
“Yes, they paid the players’ wages three times this season. But if they were any sort of supporters, they would have helped pay the wages more than they did. And they have chosen to support Dave Webb instead of this club.”