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Supporters' trusts are often seen as the way forward for clubs in the lower leagues. They enable supporters to run their own clubs in a prudent fashion, safeguarding them for the community from developers or businessmen with a dubious past. However, once the dream of securing control of a club for a supporters' trust has been achieved, actually coping with the day-to-day realities of running a football club is more of a challenge, even if members with professional expertise in areas such as the law, accountancy and marketing make their expertise available free of charge. When Max Griggs could no longer to afford to run Rushden and Diamonds, the football club he effectively created, he handed it over free of charge to a supporters' trust with a substantial endowment for the first two years. However, it has not been an easy time. The club has been relegated to the Conference. This may save on running costs, but it doesn't help with attracting crowds, not easy anyway when you are located in Northamptonshire among a mix of declining industrial villages or small towns originally based on the boot and shoe industry (as featured in the film Kinky Boots and up market rural villages. Irthlingborough, where the club's Nene Park ground is situated has a population of around 5,000.
Real progress has been made. When the Trust started out in June 2005, the club had lost £1.3m in the previous season and was technically insolvent. They had just been relegated to League 2. Underlying losses were reduced to around £350k by reducing costs and increasing income. A target average gate of 3,300 was achieved and the local District Council has got involved. But, says chairman Paul Hadjuk, like a marathon runner, the club is hitting a wall. 'There are obvious signs that people believe the job is done and they can put their feet up, just like in the old days when everything was provided on a plate. Volunteer numbers are dropping. The financial position is very tight. We have to at least break even this year.' Noting the resignation of a key board member for business reasons, it is noted 'What this does highlight is that we are very vulnerable to key people who are giving their services voluntarily suddenly finding that they have to withdraw as their situation changes.' In order to create some stability, some volunteer positions may have to become paid ones and the Trust Board has started with the position of managing director.
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