An Account of Tonight`s Supporters Cooperative Meeting ( Not Minutes)

Stockport County Supporters Cooperative Chairman Pete Towey, opened  tonight`s members meeting  at the Bungalow by outlining details of a recent meeting with Steve Bellis.

The following points came out of the meeting with SB;-

1. Some 125000 shares in the Club had been made available to buy, by recent changes. Also, any moneys raised by the sale of shares will NOT be put towards  the playing budget.

2. The playing budget was slightly down on last season.

3. Like `yer actual police....County stewards will be numbered next season, allowing after the event identification.

4. The Supporters Coop will be allowed to run a stall on match days for promotion purposes.

Arising from the above , concern was expressed as to the level of the playing budget, which was viewed as hardly in line with an avowed aim of getting promotion.

Regarding shares, the meeting noted the 125k had been sold to the Club for £1, or thereabouts, a job lot, but were being sold now at £1 each ( minimum quantity 12000).No proposal was forthcoming  to purchase shares.

A view of some of the members present......

Membership of the Supporters Cooperative , in a 5 months period, had grown from 63 to 571, but there was a need for  more members to increase our profile and clout! In addition the  Chairman confirmed a pressing need for us to raise funds quickly. The supporters already contribute hugely, to the Club, financially every season and are still doing it in Division 6, but the Club is slow to acknowledge this fact.

Money talks, so in  order to get in on the conversation, the Supporters Cooperative Board are proposing to set up a Development Fund , aimed at gaining a stake in the Club for the supporters.

A group of 4 or 5 Coop members are working on producing a prospectus to circulate in fairly rapid order to members, fleshing out details of the proposed scheme, and to start the fund off £10000 will be moved to the Development Fund from the general account, by the Supporters Cooperative. Once in existence ,decisions on significant Development Fund expenditure will be run post the membership- a safeguard all present felt necessary!

There was no descent on the question of the adoption of a Development Fund, so await material hitting your email  in tray soon!

Various other matters were aired late on.....

The Coop are auctioning off memorabilia, some of which was on show, so if anyone out there has any County memorabilia from our rich history which the Supporters Coop can include, please get in touch.

Some of the memorabilia !

Tickets for the Comedy Night are still available and supporters are urged to buy these from Coop Board members.

Finally an appeal went out for people with skills to volunteer to help the Supporters Cooperative, training will be given.Any one with secretarial   skills would be particularly well received should they want to lend them to the Coop cause.

Oh......and the raffle raised on the night £130  !

Ian Brown