Dear Fans,

I write to you in support of Supporters Trusts.

As football fans you will undoubtedly be aware that the club I manage, Wrexham AFC, is currently in administration. Throughout this time I have seen the assistance that a Supporters Trust can give a club. It is assistance that would be invaluable to any club, no matter what their situation is.

A Supporters Trust provides a link, not just between a club and its fans, but also with the local community at large. At Wrexham the Supporters Trust has created links between the club and local businesses. However, not only has the Trust provided finance to the club, it has also recently taken over the operation of the Club shop, increasing its income for the benefit of the club.

At Wrexham, the membership of the Trust is broad church, with members freely giving of their time and their expertise, using professional or employment skills gained in the workplace. Through their time spent together, some members have even discovered other talents, in areas such as marketing and fund-raising, which they had never used before in their private lives.

The Wrexham Supporters Trust has shown that it is perfectly possible for these new entities to work happily together with long-established Official Supporters Clubs and other fans groups for the benefit of the club they support; all groups can bring different skills to bear.

I have no hesitation in saying to the fans of any other football club that a Supporters Trust is nothing but a positive step for supporters to take.

I wish you well.

Denis Smith

Manager

Wrexham AFC