Chairman`s Report/ News
This last year has been an eventful one for shiretrust and I am pleased to be able to tell you our numbers, influence and range of activities have all increased. Our membership now stands at 102 and we must try and continue to grow bigger to boost the trust influence and income. The accounts show that we have generated more money and spent more than last year. The main activities carried out by the shiretrust committee and other topics of interest are as follows:
Boots Fund: `Shire players were offered up to £60 each towards the cost of a new pair of boots on production of a receipt. This was run seperately by shiretrust and funded by donations from individual `Shire supporters, shiretrust and the Official East Stirlingshire F.C. Supporters Club - 15 players took up our offer and a total of £900 was gathered and spent in this way. I want to thank all who donated for helping our players.
Grass Mower: In response to the club having difficulty with the existing mower and unfavourable comments from supporters of other clubs earlier in the season,shiretrust has purchased a top of the range `Dennis` wide grass mower to help maintain the Firs Park pitch. This mower is the most expensive piece of equipement we have yet purchased and it is important to note that the committee are happy for the football club to use it in the long term but ownership is retained by shiretrust.
Ultrasound Machine: In response to the need to get injured players fit again as soon as possible and to reduce the strain on a small squad we agreed to purchase an ultrasound therapy device. This sends ultrasound pulses through an injured players muscles that promote healing and, hopefully, a quicker return to match fitness. As with the mower, we are happy for the football club to use the ultrasound in the long term but shiretrust has retained ownership of the device.
`Shire Colts: shiretrust has made contact with two `Shire Colts youth teams (under 15`s and 17`s) that were part of the last `Shire youth setup until it was allowed to collapse in the 2002/ 03 season. The Colts have kept their name and are now playing in the Forth Valley Football Developement Association. When considering how to help local youth football, the committee felt the Colts would be an obvious place to start. shiretrust has purchased training tops for both teams (with the trust logo) and have provided the under 17`s with a set of East Stirlingshire club ties. With the recent start up of a new youth system at the `Shire we hope the Colts can find a place in it.
`Can-it` initiative: As a way of adding to funds, particularly for the mower purchase, Tony Ford successfully proposed to the committee that empty aluminium cans could be collected from the ground, sorted and sold to a recycling facility at a small profit. This idea has the advantages that it helps cut down on waste, was `environmentally friendly` and rubbish was being turned into money for the trust. We would like to thank local pub the Gordon Lounge for helping us by keeping their cans for us to collect.
Easy Fundraising (online): This is another fundraising idea by Tony. If you shop or order things online simply visit http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/uk/shiretrust and register on this website. When you then buy something online from one of the retailers listed on the website a portion of that payment goes to shiretrust (from 1% to 15%!). As the name implies, its an easy way to raise money for the trust.
New Directors and New Investment: At the East Stirlingshire F.C. AGM in November 2006 two new directors joined the board - Les Thompson and Spencer Fearn. Les is known to `Shire regulars having been the Secretary for several years and on the board previously. Spencer is one of the `main men` behind our current sponsor, SX Records, and he found himself drawn towards the `Shire which seemed to epitomise a gritty, grass roots club struggling for survival. He has promised major investment in the club and possible solutions to the problems that beset us from all sides. I am pleased to tell you the trust committee now has a good working relationship with Spencer and we plan to do our utmost to help him transform our club.
`Shire League Status: You may know that due to the continuous poor performance and lack of competitiveness of the `Shire in the last 5 years the Scottish Football League (SFL) created a new rule that if a club finished bottom of the 3rd division for 2 years running it could be demoted to associate league member status (A further 2 years from then possibly expelled from the league altogether). Having finished bottom last season this is where we now are and recently club director and Secretary Les Thompson has had to explain to the SFL the reasons for this and what was being done about it. shiretrust released the following statement:
"shiretrust hope the League Management Committee are sympathetic to our cause and take into consideration the plans and investment that will be in place at East Stirlingshire F.C. next season which are designed to prevent any repeat of previous failings."
I am delighted to report that Les was successful in gaining the club a repreive from demotion - I believe the planned major investment by new director Spencer Fearn was instrumental in gaining us time to try and turn things around on the park.
Sale of Firs Park: It was recently announced that planning permission had been applied for by Ogilvie Homes to build houses on Firs Park. While many took this as a gloomy sign, the shiretrust committee believe this may be a nessessary step to ensure the club has a future. It must now be obvious to everyone familiar with our club and its troubles that for us to have any future, a way must be found to remove present chairman Alan Mackin and his associates from their positions of power at East Stirlingshire F.C. To this end, Spencer had discussions with Alan Mackin and came to an agreement to split control of the club - that essentially would mean that Alan Mackin would gain overall control of the ground while Spencer would gain overall control of the club. This would leave Alan Mackin free to sell Firs Park for housing and gain most of the profit but would also remove him from the football club and allow Spencer control which would lead to his planned investment. Spencer plans for us to play at Firs Park next season and afterwards groundshare at another venue for a year or two until he can make a further investement to arrange a new home for the `Shire. The issue is set to be discussed and voted on at a `Shire EGM this summer. shiretrust released the following statement:
"shiretrust do not object to the sale of Firs Park in principle if it secures the long term future of East Stirlingshire F.C. with the prospect of a new major shareholder and investment. However the trust would seek cast iron guarantees that there would be no long term ground sharing with another club and would urge the board to pursue as it`s No.1 priority a new home of it`s own."
I know many are uneasy about selling the clubs only asset and most of the profit going to the current unpopular chairman but I do not see any other realistic alternatives that would remove this man from power without destroying our club. It is important to understand there are risks in any course of action that our club can possibly take; sell the ground and risk remaining homeless with our cash dwindling, or stay put with Alan Mackin in charge and risk him driving away any investors and have the SFL eventually expel us from the league for our lack of competiveness on the park. In the end I believe it comes down to two things. 1) We are at the stage where we have no real alternatives left and keeping the `status quo` is itself now dangerous. 2) It is also a question of `trust` - the shiretrust committee have met with Spencer and we believe he genuinely wants this club to flourish and I would ask you to trust our opinion of the man.
Conclusion: With Spencer on board with his plans for investement and desire to move the club on I believe we are now finally emerging from the dark times of recent years. The most precious gift that Spencer has brought with him is not just his investements but simply the renewed hope that things will get better for us. Everybody that has East Stirlingshire F.C. at heart and wishes us well, whether they be trust members, Supporters Club members or supporters at the club or in the community must now all pull together to make the best use of this opportunity. We must raise money, lend a hand with tasks around the ground, help do the things that have to be done on matchdays on a regular basis and continue to back our team to the hilt. This season lets show everyone that the `Shire is back as a proper football club and that we are all proud to be a part of it!
Ian Ramsay