"Action not words" is the call to supporters from newly elected Vice-Chair of the Sky Blue Trust, Steve Brown. Steve, a former pupil at President Kennedy who now lives in Walsgrave, said: "With the new signings at the Ricoh it's great to be able to talk about football and not finance for a change and we're now all looking forward to the season ahead with cautious optimism but everyone knows that off the field, things are still critical and the threat of administration or even liquidation remains very real. Despite the club's windfall from the sale of players the finances are still a concern, the rental agreement remaining broken with no apparent sign of a resolution being one highly visible example. The future of the club remains on a knife edge."
The Sky Blue Trust is an independent and democratic supporters group which aims to build a credible voice for fans and ensure that any decisions made by the club are made for the benefit of the club, the fans and the community. The Trust was re-launched last month with the election of an energised and focused new board and with over 500 new members having joined in just a few weeks the Trust is now the biggest supporters group in the City.
In a recent letter to the Telegraph one supporter said Coventry City fans can either sit back, cross their fingers and hope that something turns up or be positive and start taking matters into their own hands. Steve, a local businessman, definitely agrees with that. He explained: "We've already had four well attended, lively and passionate meetings and there's been loads of great discussion and ideas but we've now got to put words into action".
The Trust has set up a number of working groups covering things like supporter ownership schemes, increasing membership, improving communication, involving the community, and Steve wants even more supporters to get involved. "To become a truly credible supporters' voice with a real mandate from our fellow supporters we need to build up membership. I know lots of people are confused and very fed up by all the talk of debt, administration and all the various rumours about the state of the club and what's really happening, but at this stage the most important thing all Cov City supporters can do is join the Trust - it only costs £1 so why not do it, it could help save your club. The Trust is working hard on a plan so that should the club go into administration or liquidation it is ready to try and save it from disappearing forever but to do this we need some expert help from specialists in finance and law. If you are a City fan with these vital skills please get in touch now so we can be ready for whatever the future holds for your club. Being proactive like this is what supporters did at Swansea when they were in a similar position to what City are now. Swansea is a real success story and proof that united, organised and passionate fans can make a difference and if they can do it I'm sure we can do it in Coventry!"
If you would like to join the Sky Blue Trust or simply learn more about it go to www.skybluetrust.co.uk
If you feel you have the expertise the Trust is seeking e-mail to sbst@hotmail.co.uk .
For news of the Trust go to the website or to www.facebook.com/theskybluetrust or twitter @TheSkyBlueTrust