Yellows fans frustrated by their club’s fortunes
MORE than 100 Southport FC fans turned out to air their fears for the future of the football club last week.
An open meeting had been arranged by Trust in Yellow (TIY), the independent supporters’ trust, with morale around the club at rock bottom following a shambolic season.
Despite some positive moves off the pitch with the recent appointment of new directors and increased commercial activity, fans have again endured a torrid time, with the club going through nearly 50 players and three full-time managers, only to find itself bottom of the Vanarama National League.
With the hope of bringing change, supporters packed into the Railway Club, the same venue where TIY was first set up 11 years ago, to discuss how seemingly all hope had disappeared and what changes were needed to turn around its fortunes.
A further 30 fans from around the country and further into Europe had emailed in their contributions.
Introducing the meeting, TIY chairman Martin Robinson made it clear that the purpose was not to single out individuals for abuse, but instead to identify the root of the club’s problems and identify some solutions.
Many fans spoke of their frustration at what they saw as the “secretive and closed-off nature” of Southport FC, with several claiming that offers to provide services or investment had gone unanswered.
One supporter, Liam Monaghan, spoke of the “lost generation of fans” who attended during their school and college days, but have rarely returned since.
If changes were not made soon, he argued, the next generation would also be lost and the future existence of the club could ultimately come under threat.
Others, including local author Ron Ellis, spoke of the lack of ambition which held the club back, while concerns were raised over the lack of toilet facilities available for wheelchair users.
Mr Ellis said that, despite many conversations with those running the club, he had never been convinced that there was a real appetite and plans to take the club forward towards the Fooball League.
Many of the fans had given up going to matches in the past, tired and frustrated at seeing similar mistakes repeated on and off the pitch, but desperately wanted to see the club return to more successful days and to its place as part of the community.
An extraordinary shareholders meeting will now be called within the next month, where these concerns will be presented to club chairman Charlie Clapham and the board of directors.
A further suggestion that received support from a majority was for a mass walkout during one of the club’s final games of the season.
Designed to be non-disruptive or harmful to the players themselves, the plan would see fans leave the stands in the 78th minute – to mark the year Southport was voted out of the Football League – in either the Forest Green or Lincoln fixture, the latter of which could be televised on BT Sport.
A day before the meeting took place, the club had announced it would be carrying out its own review into what has gone wrong, though it was clear that fans were unconvinced by this prospect.
Announcing its own review, a club statement said: “The board are of course aware that we have endured a horrible season. The board will sit down immediately following our last game of the season when a complete review of the club from top to bottom will take place.
“Following the root and branch review of the club, the board will hold a supporters’ forum where we can discuss together where we want our football club to be, and how we will achieve our objectives.
“Whilst appreciating this has been a very tough season the board asks all supporters to stay united as united we stand, divided we fall.”
The meeting ultimately proved two things: firstly, that despite falling attendances, there remains huge support for the town’s football club; and secondly, supporters are more desperate for change than ever before.