THE Mariners Trust needs you – and so does Grimsby Town!
Club director John Fenty this week confirmed his commitment to having a fans' presence on the Town board, not just once, but twice.
Speaking at the Fans Forum on Tuesday and again at the AGM just two days later, he "welcomed the day when we have the opportunity to make this happen."
Fenty expects the board to convene in the next 4-6 weeks to rubber-stamp a place for a designated member of the Trust. However, there are two conditions that have to be met first.
In order to prove its credibility, the Trust needs to have a minimum of 750 members and provide an annual income of £30,000.
The second part of this criteria should be simple enough thanks to the organisation's regular fundraisers and control of the bars around Blundell Park (not including McMenemy's).
But it's the first requirement that the Trust needs your assistance with.
Currently boasting around 550 members, the supporters' group requires more Mariners fans to join up over the coming weeks to ensure that Town's followers have their say.
The chance to have an input into your local football club is a rare one, and an opportunity that shouldn't be ignored.
The Trust already has a 13 per cent shareholding in Grimsby Town and could have a voice where it matters, on the board, influencing how the club is run in the future.
Dozens of other clubs across the country have supporters' involvement, while some – admittedly not an aim of the Trust's – are entirely under fans' control.
Barcelona are one club managed under a fan-ownership model and it doesn't seem to have done them any harm!
But on a more serious note, the example that Pompey Supporters' Trust has set in its quest to assume control of Portsmouth FC shows just what can be achieved when fans work together.
Supporters of today's opponents Ebbsfleet United even have the opportunity to vote on issues including transfers, budgets and ticket prices.
So instead of having a moan about the way 'your' club is run – like we all do as football fans – why not shell out a quid a month to help do something about it?
It's just £12 a year to join up (£5 for OAPs), and as the Trust's flyer says "the greater the members, the greater the influence."
Visit www.marinerstrust.co.uk or pick up one of the Trust's forms around Blundell Park to get involved.
