Message to Trust Members and Press Release
1st July 2010

So, now we know. Ever since the club announced the Press Conference which they held this morning, the Crawley Town rumour mill has been working overtime. The calibre of recent signings led to much speculation about new investment, and now we know for certain that this new investment is a reality. This is an exciting time to be a supporter of CTFC, and it is an exciting time to be a member of the Supporters Trust.

But what do we know about the new investors? In truth, only what we were told this morning. Given events in the not too distant past, Crawley Town Supporters may be a little disconcerted with the pace of recent changes, and that is understandable. We've been through some difficult times; times we're unlikely to forget in a hurry. But whilst the pace of events has been unprecedented in our history, we believe that we have good reason to be positive.

Over the past season the Trust has developed good working relationships with shareholders, Bruce Winfield and Susan Carter- and with Director of Operations, Alan Williams. Local Heroes, WAGS for a Day, our sponsorship of Reggie Red and particularly the recent announcement that the Trust had agreed to run- and to pay the costs- of the Junior Reds scheme were born from those relationships. We have had our disagreements, as you can imagine, but we have developed a mutual trust and understanding that we believe will be essential to the successful future of our football club. Bruce and Susan are the driving force behind bringing this new investment into Crawley Town. They believe that the new investors will give us strength and stability, and the fact that they remain shareholders and will be members of the new board should give us all confidence.

We must not, however, get carried away with the new investment and the quality of the new signings and believe that success is guaranteed. This is the real world, not "Field of Dreams". Steve Evans is not Kevin Costner. He may build a good team, but that does not in itself mean that people will come and watch it. New supporters have to be attracted, and there are many other attractions available. With Premier League football on the TV almost around the clock and London clubs on the doorstep, CTFC has a lot of competition. The club needs to engage with the community if the community is to engage with the club. It is the role of the Trust to help build that relationship, and we will do our utmost to make it happen.

It is also the role of the Trust to be independent, however. We will be the moral compass of CTFC. When the club is doing the right thing, we will be steadfast in our support. If the club acts in a way which we believe is not in its best interests, we will say so. We will work to maintain our relationships with Bruce, Susan and Alan, and build relationships with new investors, but these relationships will have to continually be to the benefit of the supporters of CTFC.

So, let's embrace this new world with optimism. The coming season promises to be eventful, so let's enjoy it together. The future is bright. But the future is red!

Ian Townsend
On behalf of the CTFC Supporters Trust
07860478050
lochislair@btinternet.com

Download "Trust Matters"the October 2009 Newsletter