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So what is this Red Army Fund?
The Red Army Fund is a fund set up by TrustSTFC, in cooperation with the Supporters’ Club and the club, to help pay for new players for Swindon Town. It is a supporters’ initiative to enable supporters to make a direct contribution to improving the quality of the team we all watch on the pitch, by donating regular, affordable amounts to a fund to be used at the manager’s discretion to strengthen the squad. This might mean paying all or part of a player’s wages, funding a loan signing, or paying the transfer fee for a player the club couldn’t otherwise afford. However the money is used, you can be assured your contribution is going directly to improving the team.
How will it work?
When the manager
identifies a player he believes will improve the quality of the squad, he
can approach the fund management committee for money to pay for all or part of the
player's wages or any transfer fees. The fund will
not pay money to agents, lawyers or any "third
parties" involved in any deal.
Who runs this fund?
The fund will be run by a management committee consisting of nominees of TrustSTFC and the Supporters’ Club, the club manager, a representative from the club, and a fund treasurer who will be responsible for presenting accounts annually.
So do I get a say in which players are
signed?
No, the purpose of the scheme is to improve the squad,
not provide a "fans' veto" over players. It is the manager's job to decide
which players should be signed and it is no intention of the fund to
undermine this. If nothing else, the whole scheme would be unworkable if
everyone had a say in new signings - we'd never agree and end up signing
no-one!
Will it work? It did for Wrexham!
Can this fund make a difference? Just ask Wrexham fans -
celebrating their recent promotion from the Third Division. The Wrexham
Independent Supporters (WINS) Group set up a similar scheme in 2002 and in
the first 18 months helped the club to sign four new players. The WINS
chairman told us "So far, we have funded the signings or wages of four
players, who have made very significant contributions towards our push for
promotion." "Average attendances are currently up by more than 10% on last
season, and the gate at our most recent game was double that of earlier
games in the season. This has produced four times as much cash for the
club as we have donated, which might not have been seen but for the
players we have funded. Had we simply donated cash to pay electricity
bills etc., would this have had a direct influence on match results or
subsequent attendances?"
How do I know my money won't be
wasted?
Fans or businesses wanting to put money into their local
football club have sometimes held back for fear that their money may
"disappear into a black hole" - e.g. being used to pay off old debts or,
at some clubs, disappearing into "advisers' fees". For those fans who
would rather their money went directly into improving the playing squad,
the Red Army Fund provides this guarantee - all money donated is
explicitly ring-fenced for improving the team, not for paying off the
taxman!
Why shouldn't I just give money to the
club?
Please do! The fund is not intended to put people off
participating in the club's fundraising ventures, nor is it intended to
compete with the club's many sponsorship schemes. Instead the fund is
designed for those fans or businesses who would not normally donate money
to the club but who would welcome the opportunity to help improve the
team.
So what do I get out of it?
Well, obviously, we hope the main thing we'll all get out of it will be a better team, better performances and better results! But for those of you for whom that's not enough (!), fans donating more than £50 (or £5 per month by standing order) will be entered on the "wall of fame", a designated space in the main stands (and on the Red Army Fund website) for their name to be recorded so that everyone can see you back your team.
Can local businesses get involved?
Yes! We are offering a range of sponsorship and
advertising opportunities designed with the needs of local small
businesses in mind. Your business can advertise directly to
fans at a rate affordable to small businesses - you know your money is
being used to improve the team and fans know you're backing Swindon Town
in an initiative driven and run by fans. Please see the business sectionfor more details
Sounds great, where do I sign?
Just download and fill in the form and send it back to us at
Red Army Fund c/o TrustSTFC, PO Box 2582, Swindon SN25
4SQ
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