News 12

We have all known for some time that money has been tight at the Club but few of us realised just how severe the crisis has become.
So, where are we now? Simply speaking the Club has run out of money, the football side of things is running at a loss, and the off field operation, Five Valleys Conference & Leisure Centre, has not been making enough money to cover the football losses.

If that is where we are, where are we going? Firstly, we will make it to the end of the season, if only because it will take longer than that for HMRC or any other creditor to secure a winding up order.
The expert view is that in the long run Five Valleys Conference & Leisure Centre is more than capable of providing sufficient extra income to sustain a Conference Premier football club, so the question is how do we make sure that we have a long run?

The Supporters Trust has not got the money to buy the club, the only certain way to secure the future. The Supporters Trust Board believe that all supporters, Trust members, Supporters Club Members and those who just watch and grumble should support the club financially; however they can, in the short term so that we end the season with as little debt as possible, even if this just means bringing a friend to a game, or buying a programme or a drink while you are at the ground.

Our best hope is that an individual, or a small group, comes in to buy the Club. In the meantime it is important that we demonstrate that this club is worth buying, not just because the off field facilities offer a business opportunity but also because we are a thriving football club with a solid and passionate fan base.

One of the best ways to demonstrate this to any prospective investor or buyer is through membership of the Trust; a large membership will demonstrate that they are not just buying a football ground, they are buying a club.

Whatever happens, it is likely that the club will be in new ownership at the start of next season. It is highly unlikely that Stroud District Council would give planning permission for development on the site; the only realistic option is for football to continue.

The open question is at what level will FGR be playing? The Trust Board is committed to working with whoever is running FGR, the present Board or new owners, to secure football at the highest possible level for FGR in the future.