ArabTRUST has been awarded third place in the
Out of some 120 Trusts across the
ArabTRUST’s award was announced at the fourth annual Supporters Direct Conference in
The message from the Chancellor signifies the growing profile of Supporters Trusts across the
Indeed, the Notts County Supporters Trust, second prize winners, have been instrumental in the survival of the Meadow Lane club, co-ordinating the raising of £250,000 to stave off closure of the world’s oldest league club, with the club saved only one week before potential expulsion from the English Football League.
Cambridge Fans United - winners of the top prize - have helped their club invest in new stands at the Abbey Stadium, and assisted in meeting running costs through investment of approximately £80,000 since their inception, in return for shares in the club, as well as making contributions to local good causes.
Whilst ArabTRUST was not set up as a “crisis” trust, it has still received tremendous support from United fans, and as a result it has been able to make great strides in assisting the club and its supporters, to the point of being the only Scottish trust recognised in the Supporters Direct awards.
A Supporters Direct spokesman said “The launch of the Supporters trust at Dundee United was the culmination of many years of work by a dedicated group of supporters. Initially they had sought to open up the share structure to allow the ordinary fan to truly own a part of their football club. With this objective finally achieved when Eddie Thompson became the majority shareholder they have turned their attention to establishing the trust's place as a bridgehead between the Club and the Community. The Trust have also gained an Associate Directorship as well as seeing founder members appointed to the Board in their own right. The Trust fully deserves to be honoured.”
Over the last year, ArabTRUST has:
- Purchased an additional 723 shares in Dundee United FC Ltd, an increase of over 7000% in one year;
- Progressed to become the sixth largest shareholder in the club;
- Gained a representative Associate Directorship in the Club, the first time a representative Dundee United Supporter has ever had a voice in the Club’s Boardroom;
- Invested a total of some £30,000 directly into Dundee United FC;
- Invested almost £5000 to Youth & Community projects:
- Supplied custom-designed kits to six youth teams at the club;
- Supplied training kits for coaches in the club’s summer coaching school programme;
- Joint-sponsored local Primary School leagues;
- Organised anti racism initiatives on behalf of the Club.
The trust’s current Chairman, Scott Simpson, commented: “This is a great boost for ArabTRUST and its members. The Society Board have put a lot of effort into the running of the Trust, and without the financial and moral support of the members, all of these achievements in the Club and the Community would not have been possible.”
He continued, “Although we have not been in a crisis position, our members have responded well to the Trust’s events and merchandise in particular, which has given us the opportunity to invest in the local community, and give United supporters a strong voice in the running of the Club.”
The Society Board of ArabTRUST wish to dedicate the award to the memory of the Trust’s former Chairman, Neil Glen, who died earlier this year. Neil was a driving force in the growth of the Trust, and is sadly missed by all who were fortunate enough to have worked with him.