Source:
• The Fulham Chronicle

FULHAM Supporters Trust spokesman Dan Crawford says he is convinced Mohamed Al Fayed’s move to secure a debt-free future for the football club is not a step towards bailing out.

The Craven Cottage club recently announced that owner Al Fayed has converted his previous loans into equity – a move which appears to put the club on a sounder financial footing.

But the intention is not to attract potential buyers, Crawford believes.

"Every indication is that while he has scaled back, or even sold off, many of his other investments, like Harrods, the football club is the one he has kept on," Crawford told the Chronicle.

"I don’t think Fulham fans doubt his commitment.

"He’s a visible presence and his son Karim is on the board, working closely with [chief executive] Alistair Mackintosh, which points to a continued desire to retain his interest in the club.

"I hope I’m not just swallowing the PR, but the loans gesture gives Fulham long-term security and removes any lingering doubts over long-term plans.

"When you consider some of the uncertainty at QPR, by comparison, that has to be a good thing. I’m all for a pragmatic approach."

Fulham’s 0-0 draw at Norwich City on Saturday hardly set the pulses racing and a season that began full of promise with a 5-0 win over the Canaries has faded.

But at least the Whites went into a two-week break with a handy cushion above the drop zone, and Crawford senses that Al Fayed’s equity plan, along with the recent planning permission to redevelop the Riverside Stand, should give fans confidence in the club’s direction.

"We’ve been financially prudent since the initial splurge to get us promoted a decade ago and we are starting to look more at bringing on younger players," Crawford said. "These are all sensible steps."

Over the years, Fulham FC has a very good track record in ensuring that its disabled supporters and visitors have as much access as reasonably possible to all goods, services and facilities provided or offered to the public by the Club. These efforts have been recognised by LPF, who issued the following statement this week:

Craven Cottage is one of the oldest stadiums in English football, and includes two Grade II listed buildings. Despite this, the club have recently had an LPF Access Audit carried out and have identified areas of improvement.

The club have been able to make inventive modifications to improve accessibility and provide a better service for disabled supporters. The club have released a short video that demonstrates the facilities and services available to disabled supporters at Craven Cottage. The four minute clip details how two fans in particular arrive at and get around the stadium, and can be viewed here.

We feel that this is a great example that improving accessibility at stadiums does not have to be a long and costly exercise, and that even the oldest stadiums can easily be modified. The club has reacted positively to the LPF Access Audit that was carried outand has started to take positive steps towards making Craven Cottage more accessible and providing an inclusive matchday experience for all supporters.

Well done Fulham!

The Fulham Supporters’ Trust recognises the considerable endeavours of the Club in providing access to and assistance within Craven Cottage and looks forward to further development of facilities for less able-bodied fans within the reconstructed Riverside Stand when complete.

A delegation from the Fulham Supporters' Trust will join supporters of several clubs at Kingsmeadow to watch the televised Cup fixture with Dons' fans and colleagues from the Football Supporters' Federation and Supporters Direct. The Trust's special relationship with the Dons' Trust dates back more than ten years when Wimbledon supporters gave such sterling support to our campaign to take Fulham to Back to the Cottage whilst simultaneously battling against the scandalous uprooting of their own club.

Dan Crawford, the Fulham Supporters' Trust's communications and media officer, said: 'Members of the Fulham Supporters' Trust are looking forward to supporting AFC Wimbledon's Blue and Yellow Day at Kingsmeadow on Sunday. Fulham fans will never forget the countless hours of support, advice and co-operation Wimbledon supporters gave us during our fight to return to Craven Cottage and AFC Wimbledon's success - both on the field and in their community - since their formation has inspired everyone in the supporters' movement. As a successful supported-owned club, AFC Wimbledon are the example so many supporters' trusts up and down the country are striving to emulate in the future.'

To read more about the FSF's safe standing campaign, and how MPs are making the latest push in getting trials of safe standing technology into our football grounds, please click here.

Pompey Trust named preferred bidder

Great news for Portsmouth fans and the wider supporter ownership movement last week, as the Pompey Supporters’ Trust were confirmed as the preferred bidders for the club by administrators PKF. There is plenty of work left to do, but this is undoubtedly a deserved reward for the Trust’s tireless efforts.

Wycombe Wanderers journey back to future 

After a spell under private ownership, Wycombe Wanderers became a supporter owned club once again over the summer. This piece from David Conn really highlights the extent to which supporter involvement is rooted in the club, and what a significant moment the takeover was.

Sports Finance

BBC Sport Price of Football Survey 2012 – BBC Sport

MPs attack Newcastle’s Wonga deal, dubbing company ‘legal loan shark’ – The Guardian

Swansea City reveal £14.6 million profit – BBC Sport

Sports Governance

Scottish Football Fans gain new voice with launch of Fans’ Parliament – Supporters Direct

FA starts search for new Chairman as David Bernstein forced out – The Guardian

Hillsborough disaster: courts to be asked to quash inquest verdicts – The Guardian

RFL launch 2012 grassroots season review – Rochdale Hornets

Kick It Out launch supporter survey – Supporters Direct

Trust News

Working together for the good of Newcastle United – Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust

FC Minithon: October 21st – FC United of Manchester

Trust now a shareholder in SUFC – Iron Trust

Friday’s guests: Food Train Dundee – Dee4Life

Supporters Direct

Green Bay Packers: supporter ownership in the world’s most competitive league – Supporters Direct

Celebrating Co-operatives and Football reception – Supporters Direct

Secretary’s Development: Manchester – Supporters Direct

North West Regional Meeting – Supporters Direct

News from Europe

SD Europe to launch position paper at the European Parliament – Supporters Direct

A la nantaise: prendre (des) part(s) à la vie du club – SoFoot

Fondazione Taras Election Day – Supporters Direct

FARE Action Weeks launch – FARE

Fan Power in Soccer – Sport and Business

Comments and Blogs

The Lights go out at Nene Park – Twohundredpercent

Move to quash Hillsborough verdicts brings relief after 23 years – The Guardian

The Fulham Supporters' Trust welcomes the approval of Fulham Football Club's plans to increase Craven Cottage's capacity to 30,000 seats by Hammersmith & Fulham Council's Planning Applications Committee last night.

The Committee voted unaminously to approve the plans to renovate the Riverside Stand at their meeting at Hammersmith Town Hall last night. The plans will not only allow Fulham Football Club to appropriately expand their historic home but also deliver clear community benefits, such as the extension of the River Thames walk to run alongside the ground and link Hammersmith and Putney.

The Fulham Supporters' Trust looks forward to working closely with Fulham Football Club, Hammersmith & Fulham Council and local residents to help these exciting plans into the reality of a 30,000 capacity stadium befitting Fulham's status as London's oldest professional football club.

Craven Cottage has been Fulham Football Club's historic home since 1898 and the club returned home in 2003 after a two-year exile at Loftus Road. Since then, the Council has approved two applications to increase the capacity of the stadium, including one for 30,000 seats, which is necessary since attendances at the Cottage have steadily risen during Fulham's ascent up the leagues. The Council have also previously stated that they would work with all three local Premier League clubs to ensure that they remained in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

The returning chair of the Fulham Supporters' Trust, Tom Greatrex MP, said: 'We welcome Fulham Football Club's clear commitment to a permanent stay at Craven Cottage. During Fulham's unprecedented run of success in both domestic and European football over the past three years, the Cottage has been full to capacity. The new stand will be bring tangible benefits for local residents, including a new Riverside walk linking the ground with Bishop's Park and will help with crowd management on matchdays. Given that these proposals have the strong support of local residents and having Fulham Football Club in Hammersmith and Fulham contributes £35m to the local economy every year, we believe both residential and sporting interests would be best served by approving the application.'

The Council's Planning Applications Committee meets on Thursday 26 July (tomorrow, at 7pm) at Hammersmith Town Hall to consider the application, which was backed by 91% of local residents in a detailed consultation exercise earlier this year.