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Members of Supporters Direct, and Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service.

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NEWSLETTER No 34 April 2011

Minutes of our Annual General Meeting.

Stadium Development and The Trust‟s „Safe Standing‟ Campaign

„FREE‟ Trust Membership! when you join the „Gold Bond‟ Scheme.

Pete Lane‟s memories of

Posh‟s First League Season

„Crightons‟ of Peterborough, and Peterborough Chauffer Services,

join our Members Discount Scheme.

The Posh Supporters‟ Trust Limited. Website: www.theposhtrust.co.uk E-mail: theposhtrust@yahoo.co.uk

THE POSH SUPPORTERS‟ TRUST Registered in England and Wales with the Financial Services Authority as an

Industrial & Provident Society. Registration number: 29533R.

Member of The Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service.

Chairman Adrian Woolley -- ViceChair Barry Bennett, -- Secretary John Henson, Treasurer Geoff Callen – Directors Richard Bellamy, Ray Cole, Paul Froggitt, Tony Griffin, Keith Jennings, Paul Little, Walter Moore, James Wapples . Consultant Peter Lloyd.

The Posh Supporters‟ Trust, is a democratic not-for-profit organisation of supporters, committed to strengthening the voice of supporters in the decision-making process at Peterborough United Football Club. We seek to improve the links between the club and the community it serves, and help the club to grow to the highest level.

OUR AIMS To bring Peterborough United Football Club, Posh fans and the local community

closer together. To help disadvantaged and deserving fans to go to a match for free under the

"Smile Ticket" scheme. To help the football club by increasing the Posh fan base through our "New Posh Fans Initiative." To support football related activities locally through sponsorship and donations

whenever possible. To have a substantial membership in order to represent the views of fans at

meetings with the football club and to promote their interests. To have a Supporters' Trust representative on the board of the football club

representing the interests of all fans. To build up funds to support our activities and create a reserve to help the club in

the longer term in the event of a crisis.

Help Us to Help You!

Become a member – subscription details on the back pages. Make a donation to the Trust. (pay-pal facility on website www.theposhtrust.co.uk)

Join the Gold Bond Weekly Draw! And receive your Membership for FREE! Use your membership card at the local businesses that provide excellent

discounts to members (listed in this newsletter). Shop at Westgate Department Stores, AHF Home Furnishing Superstores and

Westgate Optical, asking for the dividend to be credited to the Trust’s share number 473432.

Visit and support our Stall on the concourse on match days! Browse our merchandise including various books and magazines. Join or re-new your membership, and take part in the various competitions we will feature.

Offer your services to the Trust, if you have any professional or other skills, e g in fund-raising, accountancy, business management, the law etc.

Make use of our on-line shopping facility, buy.at/theposhtrust.

We thank all those who continue to support the Trust, however they do it.

Published by The Posh Supporters’ Trust, 193 Oakdale Ave, Stanground, Peterboro. PE2 8TH. Printed by Printing Matters, Unit 12c, Brookside Industrial Estate, Sawtry, Cambs. PE28 5SB

CHAIRMANS MESSAGE

Dear fellow fan, Welcome to our latest newsletter. I thought I would start my Chairman’s report with a small introduction. My name is Adrian Woolley (Ady), born in Peterborough in 1965. I attended the Kings School and I am a Director at the Fane Clinic, a Podiatry, Sports Injury and Chiropody service based in the City. My Grandfather, Father, myself and now my six year old daughter have all been avid supporters of The Posh over the years and my daughter and I currently have a season ticket s in the family stand. At the time of writing, Posh have just beaten Dagenham & Redbridge 0-2 away, and currently sit in fourth place with six games left in the season. We face Huddersfield away on Saturday in a crucial 6 pointer Lets hope by the time you read this we have enough wins in the bag to be playing championship football next season. I was given the honour of taking on the role of Chairman of The Posh Supporters Trust last year and would like to take this opportunity to thank the hard working Board of Directors for their support and commitment with a particular thank you going to Barry Bennett, who passed over the reins to me. The last few months have seen us working on numerous projects, some of which are mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter. My main objectives as Chairman are three fold, to increase awareness of what the trust is and its objectives, to significantly increase our membership and to continue to work hand in hand with the Football Club on increasing our fan base. Over the coming months, we will be re-launching the trust and you will be able to meet some of us and discuss what our role is. The current trust stall on the concourse under the main stand will be revamped as a membership stall, where we hope to start to increase our numbers from. There will be many exciting reasons to join and we hope to meet many of you to discuss the benefits of membership. Finally, I am delighted to welcome 2 new businesses into our Membership Discount scheme. saving Trust Members even more £££££££’s on production of a valid membership card, and also supporting the local businesses.

1. Crightons of Peterborough will give you 20% off MOT’s all garage services (see advertisement on page 7 and detail on page 14)

2. Peterborough Chauffer Services offer a 10% discount on your luxury travel requirements. Full details inside this newsletter on page 15.

Enjoy the rest of the season and „Up The Posh‟.

Regards in Sport Ady

THE POSH SUPPORTERS LIMITED MINUTES OF THE 8th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

Held 19 October 2010 at The Cherry Tree

Present:

Trust Board:- Adrian Woolley (AW) , Barry Bennett (BB), Geoff Callen (GC), John Henson

(JH), Keith Jennings (KJ), Paul Little (PL), Walter Moore (WM) Paul Froggitt (PF), Ray Cole

(RC). New Board Candidates, Tony Griffin and James Wapples. Plus 13 members.

Apologies Received:-

Bob Symns, Peter Lloyd, Brian Seaton, Ady Hargreaves, Richard Bellamy.

Welcome

Barry Bennett welcomed the members to the meeting and introduced the board members

addressing the AGM.:

Himself as chairman, John Henson as Secretary, and Geoff Callen as Treasurer.

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 21October 2009 The minutes in respect of the meeting were accepted as a true record and signed by BB.

Chairman’s Report

Officially I am the Vice Chairman of the Trust, and due to the vacant seat, I have occupied the

position of Chairman for the last 12 months. Being a hands-on type of person, I have enjoyed

and fulfilled the role to the best of my ability, however as I said last year, I have been involved

with supporters groups for 14 years now, and most of my Ideas and enthusiasm has been

exhausted. The Trust needs a Younger forward looking Chairman, to bring a fresh approach to

ensure that we remain focussed on the Trust movement, the principles of community

involvement, and to remain alert to influence the future direction of our football club.

Subject to your approval, I believe we have the right person to do that, nominated here tonight.

For the last 12 months we have remained alert and active to the Aims of the Trust. We have

attended monthly meetings with the club, to debate and issues that effect the match day

experience, and the development plans of the football club. We continue to offer Free tickets to

disadvantaged and deserving fans, with our Smile Ticket Scheme. We have implemented 2

New Posh Fans Initiatives this year. The first on 6 March, in the Stanground area, and the 2nd

in October in Yaxley. This year alone we have introduced almost 1750 New Fans to London

Road and hope that they will come again and again. We have continued to build our funds and

hold a substantial bank balance to add credibility to our organisation.

In September last year, PISA launched a Campaign to get the City Council to speed up the

drawn out issue of finding a new location for the Club. The Trust joined forces with the club

and actively applied pressure upon the Council to eliminate the prospect of having No Ground

come 2013 when the Colin Hill lease expired. The Trust and PISA also played a vital role, to

encourage the Council to Purchase London Rd when the opportunity arose. The Trust Press

Officer, Paul Froggitt has been, and will continue to be very active in meeting Club and

Council officials, to talk about the stadium developments and to identify and influence plans

and ensure the Supporters View is considered at all times.

So all in all, Your Trust has had a very busy and successful year. This has been achieved by

Your Board and I would like to thank each one of them for their efforts. A Special Mention to

Walter Moore, who has once again added a substantial amount to our funds through The Gold

Bond Scheme. Also a special thanks to Ann and Jess here at The Cherry Tree, as well as

Charters, Oakham Ales and Printing Matters for their regular sponsorship, to our Accountant,

Tony Millen for once again Auditing our Accounts free of charge, and finally to PISA for their

solidarity and support of the Trust throughout the year.

Treasurers Report

Geoff Callen presented the accounts for approval. see attached (Trust AGM Accounts 2010)

Appointment of Auditor

Barry Bennett called for Members to re-appoint Tony Millen as our auditors for next year.

Proposed : Paul Little Seconded : Graham Palmer. By a show of hands, Tony was re-

appointed for the year July 1st 2010 to June 30th 2011.

Secretary’s Report

JH reported that the Trust shareholding in PUFC remained the same as last year, 1410 shares.

Leaving the Trust still the second largest shareholder after Darragh MacAnthony.

JH reported that 7 Board meetings were held during the year and a Trust representative attended

each of the club’s monthly meetings with Bob Symns, PISA and Forever Posh.

JH reported that 3 newsletters were sent out to members and distributed from the Trust stall and

outside the ground. All local councillors and MPs were also sent copies of each newsletter. JH

reported that the Trust membership was 246 at the start of September – including 29

complimentary members, 16 life members, 5 ‘10 year’ members and 67 ‘5 Year’ members. JH

closed with a thanks to the Board for their continued support of all trust activities and aims.

Election of Directors

Directors seeking re-election: Richard Bellamy, Proposed by Ray Cole Seconded by Walter Moore

Keith Jennings, Proposed by Tony Griffin Seconded by Graham Palmer

Walter Moore, Proposed by Geoff Callen Seconded by Keith Jennings

New Candidates seeking election to the Board. Tony Griffin, Proposed by Keith Jennings Seconded by Barry Bennett

James Wapples, Proposed by Adrian Woolley Seconded by Barry Bennett

No objections were received from the floor, so all nominees were duly appointed.

Nomination for the position of Chairman.

Adrian Woolley. Proposed by Barry Bennett Seconded by Ray Cole

There were no objections from the floor, so Adrian Woolley was duly appointed Chairman.

Chairman’s Address AW spoke to the meeting and outlined his business background and long standing support of

PUFC. He thanked the Trust Board for backing him to become chairman and emphasised that

he wanted to be proactive and establish positive links with PUFC and raise the profile of the

Trust with fans.

Any other business, relating to AGM No other business was raised from the floor.

The AGM Closed at 8-10pm.

LONDON ROAD STADIUM and SAFE STANDING

A number of members of the Trust were at the recent open day at the ground and had the

opportunity to look at the plans for the proposed new Moy’s End stand. Although the design for

this individual stand looks quite good, given the necessity of the Council to compromise on the

design of a football stand in order to accommodate the STEM centre, I have reservations,

shared by many others, about its suitability as part of the overall stadium development. A stand

of approximately 2,500 seated capacity seems small in the context of PCCs declared intention

of achieving a redeveloped stadium of 19,000 capacity. Unfortunately, it is not possible to say

with any certainty whether this view is justified as no plans for the overall stadium development

exist. Some very sketchy ideas have been floated for the possible means of replacing the

London Road End stand but nothing at all suggested for a new North stand.

The programme for work to start on the Moy’s End is still stated to be demolition starting in

Sept. 2011. The whole stand, including the STEM centre, to be complete by March 2013 with

the football side being available for use 6 months before that. However, this programme was

predicated on plans being submitted for planning approval by April 2011 and at the time of

writing no plans have been published for public consultation let alone been submitted to for

planning approval.

When the rebuilding starts parking will become restricted and problematic. It may be

anticipated that the area behind Moy’s End will be unavailable as this will be taken over by

contractor’s compounds and storage areas. Some additional parking may become available

when the empty shop block fronting London Road is demolished but the capacity of that area

and the existing car park behind the North Stand will fluctuate over the next few years as the

new Eco housing is built. Ultimately it is envisaged that no general public parking will be

available adjacent to the ground only spaces for officials, players and some disabled parking.

A further disappointment, in the eyes of many, about the plans for the Moy’s End stand, is that

it does not incorporate Safe Standing areas. At meetings with the club they have stated that they

are very much in favour of Safe Standing however when asked why is it not in the plans their

response (and that of PCC) has been that it is ‘too late’ for this stand but they will consider it

when the London Road stand is replaced. When pressed further on what makes it ‘too late’ they

have not offered any specific reasons only that there are ‘too many obstacles’ but without

stating what the obstacles are.

The Trust were not convinced that such ‘obstacles’ might not be perceived rather than actual.

We have, therefore, taken it upon ourselves to assist the club and the council by obtaining

information on the issue to try to clarify the situation.

Following correspondence with The Football League and The Football Licensing Authority we

now believe that the building of Safe Standing areas, of the rail seat type that the Trust together

with other supporters’ organisations promoted in their presentation last December, is

practicable. In response to our questions The Football League have clearly stated that their rules

permit a club to amend their standard ground regulations to suit particular circumstances and

also that it is ‘at the discretion of’ the club to decide whether to compel spectators to sit. We

asked The Football Licensing Authority to clearly state whether they would permit and license

a stand with a rail seat configuration. Their response largely avoided answering the question

directly but offered only one reason, concerning the relatively minor and easily resolved matter

of sight lines, why they may not.

We now feel that we were correct in suspecting that envisaged obstacles to building a stand

with Safe Standing areas do not in the main exist and/or those that do can be readily overcome.

Although we believe that we have significantly advanced the case for Safe Standing at London

Road we now need the co-operation of, and some action from, PCC – and, particularly, from

PUFC. In our opinion the next step should be the submission of plans showing the Moy’s End

stand with rail seats incorporated to The Football Licensing Authority with a request for them

to state whether they would license such a stand. Such plans could be very easily produced and

would serve as a test to elicit a response from the relevant authorities and further clarify the

situation. PCC would need to instruct their consultants to do this but they have said that they

have no incentive to pursue the Safe Standing option as the club are not requesting it. This

would seem to a very negative attitude for PCC to adopt given the huge publicity that the City

would attract by being the first in the country to incorporate such an innovative feature but, if

they are passing the buck to the club, it seems that it is PUFC that we must persuade to use their

influence upon council officers to change their attitude from one that seeks reasons for not

doing something to one of - Can Do.

To repeat myself, the club have said that they are in favour of Safe Standing – Darragh gave a

very positive response when given the Safe Standing presentation - and hence the Trust will be

urging them to put the necessary pressure on PCC to give substance to their stated wishes. Even

if their statement that it is ‘too late’ for Moy’s End is correct (and we don’t believe it is) then

the earliest action is required to make sure that it does not also become ‘too late’ for the London

Road End Development Plans.

Paul Froggitt 04/04/11

POSH QUIZ by Mick Robinson (Just for Fun) All questions are about ‘The Posh’ in the Championship 2009/2010 Season.

1. Name the 4 Managers that managed the Posh last season.

2. On which ground did Posh play in front of the smallest league crowd?

3. Who was the Posh overall leading scorer last season?

4. Who were the 3 Posh players that received Red Cards during the season?

5. Which 2 Championship sides did Posh beat twice last season?

6. Who scored the first Goal for Posh in the Championship?

7. Who scored the last Goal for Posh in the Championship?

8. Posh lost 6-0 at Reading, but what was their 2nd worst league defeat, and where was it?

9. In order, who scored the goals for Posh in the come back 4-4 home draw with Cardiff?

10. Who was the only player to score on his debut last season?

Answers on page 11

A QUIZ from the past by Geoff Callen ( Win a 5 year Trust Subscription )

1 When was the first penalty shoot-out in the World Cup finals?

2 Which Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper was sent off after 12 seconds in a league match?

3 What was the profession of Stanley Matthews’ father?

4 Which European country was the first to host the World Cup?

5 Which London club plays in Middlesex?

6 Who did Posh beat 9-1 in a league match in September 1998?

7 Who did Wolves pay Bristol City £3million for in September 1999?

8 Which father and son both played for Nottingham Forest and Scotland?

9 What name did Arsenal play under when formed in 1886?

10 Who sent the Arsenal club a full set of red shirts in 1886?

11 Starting 1955/56 how many successive Midland League titles did Posh win?

12 What is the record number of goals scored in a season?

13 Which club holds this record?

14 Where did Bobby Robson begin his playing career?

15 What did Pat Jennings do before he became a footballer?

16 Which First Division club did Posh beat in the 1964/65 F.A. Cup?

17 Where did Bristol Rovers have to play 5 home games in 1990/91?

18 Which club did Posh replace in the league in 1960?

19 Which 2 London clubs play in SW6?

20 Which comedian was a director at Luton Town?

To win 5 years free Trust membership, write the answers to the above 20 questions on a piece of paper, add your Name, Address, Phone No and Trust Membership no. (If applicable)

One point will be awarded for each correct answer, in the event of a draw, the Winner will be the first of the highest scorers drawn out of a hat.

Post your entry to:- The Posh Supporters Trust, c/o 24 Dry Leys, Peterborough, PE2 7HP. The closing date for entries is 30 April 2011.

THE „GOLD BOND‟ Weekly Draw in aid of The Posh Supporters‟ Trust.

Get „FREE Membership‟ of the TRUST! when you subscribe to the „GOLD BOND‟

Weekly Draw by Standing Order.

The Gold Bond Weekly Draw is a vital part of our fund-raising activities and as an extra incentive, the membership fee for standing order subscribers will be paid for out of the commission we make. We have had some very good winners in the last few weeks! In addition to many £25, £10 and £5 winners, Barry Bennett won £2000 in December, and in March a subscriber via our agent at Glinton P.O. also won £2000. March also saw 2 x £500 winners for our subscribers.

It costs just £1 per week for 7 entries into the weekly draw, giving you 7 chances for every £1 fee, to Win fantastic cash prizes!

315 Prizes Won Every Week! First Prize £2,000

You could win one of the following Weekly Guaranteed prizes: 1 x £2,000 + 1 x £500 + 1 x £200 + 2 x £100

4 x £50 + 6 x £25 + 170 x £10 and 130 x £5 Plus - - - - A Fantastic Annual Jackpot of - - - £10,000

Winners are paid automatically so there is no need for you to check your numbers, however if you wish you can check the main winning numbers on our website : www.theposhtrust.co.uk

You‟ve got to be in it to win it! ------ Join NOW!

For a Standing Order Entry Form, either call Walter on the number below, or request one via Email to theposhtrust@yahoo.co.uk If you wish to become an Agent and earn good commission, then give Walter Moore a call on 01733 313121

Promoter : G Steele, BFC development association Blackpool FY1 1ZR The Gold Bond Weekly Draw aims to support a variety of sporting organisations and other Charities.

Licensed by the Gambling Commission --- License 5166 www.gambling commission.gov.uk

Please Gamble Responsibly www.gambleaware .co.uk

50 Years ago “Champions and Record Breakers”

Fifty years ago on 29 April 1961 Posh had just completed their very first season in the Football League, competing in the then 4th Division. Not only did we win the title but also scored an amazing 134 goals to set up a new record previously held by Bradford City and Aston Villa in 1930 with 128 goals. Then another goal scoring fête by Terry Bly netting an incredible 52 goals, a record for the Division. In fact the remainder of the forward line hit double figures with Wingers Billy Hails 23 goals, Peter McNamee 15, Inside Forwards Ray Smith 17 and Denis Emery 15. Oh! What a great season we had, with this in my opinion the greatest side ever in the Club's history. Please, don't get me wrong I do realise and respect also what a great team we have today and under the leadership of both Chairman Darragh and Manager Darren, who knows with the progress we are now making, I am sure we can but emulate that great team of 1960/61.

Let me now take you back and recall events leading up to that magnificent Championship of 1961. Posh had just failed in their last three previous away games to secure a victory that would be enough to win us the Championship, so with just two games remaining Posh now required only the single point for this honour. Could this be our day on Tuesday 25th April 1961 away yet again at the seaside town of Southport. The Lancashire club had already beaten us by 4-3 at London Road in October and were hoping to become the first club to inflict a 'double' over us. Once again as against Millwall only three days earlier Roy Banham deputised for the injured Jim Rayner this once again the only change in the usual Posh line-up. Straight from the kick-off Southport looked the liveliest of the two teams and could easily have taken an early lead not before however Keith Ripley hit the post for Posh. Then Billy Hails missed a sitter when he miss kicked in front of goal. Southport took a deserved lead after 28 minutes and seconds later Rigby handled the ball to concede a penalty but fortunately for Posh the spot kick went wide of goal. Then two minutes before half-time Posh drew level through Billy Hails.

Again in the second half Southport's nippy little forwards were still giving our big defenders the run around and making Posh look anything like a championship team. Skipper Rigby was doing his utmost to keep his side focused but he could not do anything to prevent Southport to score two further goals. With only nine minutes remaining it looked all over bar the shouting but then a Southport defender gave Posh a lifeline by sending a misdirected back pass to his goalkeeper who was moving in the wrong direction and quick as a flash there was Bly to seize his opportunity and shoot into the empty net. Then with only 2 mins. remaining, completely out of the blue, our moment came when Denis Emery sent over the perfect cross for who else but Terry Bly, to nod in the perfect equaliser for the goal and point to secure The Championship, (this was unless by an absolute miracle Crystal Palace won their next game by a cricket score! as Posh's goal average was 128 for (yes that was not a misprint!) and 63 against. Palace had scored 109 goals against 69 goals). So a crowd of 6,104 were present at Haig Avenue on that wonderful Tuesday evening of the 25 April 1961 to witness that fantastic part of Posh history in the 3-3 draw.

So this left one game remaining for the visit of Barrow four days later and this game could not come quick enough to greet our heroes. Jimmy Hagan recalled (fit again), Jim Rayner back at the expense of the reliable Roy Banham at right-half. Posh went into this game looking for one goal to beat the record held by Bradford City and Aston Villa in 1930. Terry Bly required one goal to reach his 50th for the season and a personal best in the 4th Division. Barrow required to win in order to avoid re-election to the League and also becoming the only team to complete the double over Posh. The visitors made the early opening in the first twenty minutes of the game, but that was all they did and then winger Billy Hails cut in from his wing to cross low for Bly to score his record 50th goal which sent the crowd into a frenzy, then was unlucky again only moments later to see his shot cleared off the line.

Shot after shot rained towards the visitors goal and on 30 mins. Ray smith made it 2-0 and just before half-time Bly got his second goal. The opening of the second half saw Posh going crazy and turning on real class and style as Ripley charged through to score number four after 5 mins. of the re-start. Barrow managed to pull one back but once again it was another goal for Posh as Emery, nodding into an empty net on the hour. Then five minutes later Bly picked up his seventh hat-trick of the season. Minutes before time the visitors picked up one more consolation goal, but Barrow were then well and truly in-The-Furness of Posh fire. 15,318 fans were in raptures as Len Shipman from the Football League presented skipper Norman Rigby with the Championship Trophy.

This record breaking team then enjoyed flowing champagne in their changing room after the game, served by Chairman Cyril Palmer. On the following Tuesday evening hundreds of people lined the streets to pay homage to their heroes as the team paraded through the town on an open-top bus. Braving the rather wet evening the team then enjoyed a civic dinner in the Town Hall. Many tributes were expressed including a special Thanks to Mr Cyril Palmer, and to the widow of the late Posh Chairman – Frank Stimson who was instrumental in his work for the Club enabling them for their success which followed. What a shame Frank was unable to share that great dream he so much deserved. He sadly passed away just prior to the season 1959/60.

'Up The Posh' - Pete

Charters Bar Town Bridge Peterborough

Easter BEER Festival 30+ Real Ales plus Ciders, Perry & Continental Bottled Beers

Starts Midday Thurs 21st April

Live Music : Sat 23rd ‘Ian Parker’ from 10-00am

Sun 24th ‘5 Miles High’ from 3-00pm

Admission to Charters for the festival is ‘FREE’

Answers to Mick Robinsons Quiz on page 8

1) Darren Feruson, Mark Cooper, Jim Gannon, Gary Johnson 2) Scunthorpe (4995) 3) George Boyd 12 (9 league + 3league cup 4) Lewis (Blackburn, Morgan & Bennett (Derby) 5) Watford and Ipswich 6) Boyd (Derby A) 7) Craig Mackail-Smith (Plymouth A) 8) Scunthorpe A 4-0 9) Simpson, Lee, Boyd, Simpson 10) Liam Dickinson (Ipswich H)

FOOTBALL CLUBS IN DEBT ( CONTINUED ) By Geoff Callen

Following my article in our April 2010 newsletter I have followed the progress of Portsmouth F.C. ( Full name was actually Portsmouth City Football Club Ltd ).

Apparently, in the process of administration, football related creditors are paid in full. In Portsmouth’s case this amount was £22.4m and was funded by the Premier League deducting the amount from their allocated TV revenue.

However, the debt to unsecured creditors, which totalled approximately £65m are only due to receive a 20% payment (£13m). £17m was owed to HMRC (Inland Revenue). who will therefore only receive £3.4m. It was originally reported that the debt owed to the Revenue was 37m but this was reduced to £17m on appeal.

Portsmouth came out of administration on 24 February 2011 & a new company was formed called Portsmouth Football Club (2010) Ltd.

In fact many millions of pounds are owed to the Revenue ( i e the tax payers) by football clubs. If this could all have been collected the Countries “big hole” would not have been quite so big!

Other clubs that we know about such as Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday have been saved from administration with new owners stepping in. Southend have an agreement with the Revenue to pay outstanding taxes and narrowly avoided going in to administration last August after reaching a deal with HMRC over unpaid taxes.

However Plymouth have not been so lucky, they are now in administration, and have suffered a 10 point deduction.

It is a sorry picture and one which is getting worse.

Unfortunately, in a lot of cases, football clubs are not run as efficient businesses and like any badly run business, one day, the day of reckoning will come.

Geoff

£22m tax debt for football at financial year end. 15 March 2011

Football clubs from the Premier League and Football League owed the taxman £22m in “simple” taxes – PAYE, NI, and VAT - at the end of last tax year, April 2010, according to findings from a Freedom of Information request by Sporting Intelligence. The Premier League’s 20 clubs owed £14.4m between them while the Football League’s 72 clubs collectively owed £7.4m. The outstanding or overdue taxes owed to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) by football clubs were: Premier League (20 clubs) £14,407,106 --- Championship (24 clubs) £6,412,370 --- League One (24 clubs) £461,859 --- League Two (24 clubs) --- £534,242 Conference (68 clubs) £344,955. (Most recent full year figures available, to end of 2009-10 tax year) Premier League clubs accounted for 65% of football’s total tax debt while the Championship made up 29% of the total. League One, League Two, and the Conference made up 2% each of the remaining debt. The average top-flight club owed £720,355 while the average Championship club owed £267,182. Tax debt decreased rapidly beyond that with League One (£19,244), League Two (£22,260), and Conference (£5,073) clubs owing far less on average.

Tensions between HMRC and football have been running high in recent years due to the football creditors rule. The rule means that when a club gets itself into serious financial difficulties football creditors such as players and other clubs must be paid in full before anyone else sees a penny. This means multi-million pound businesses are paid back in full while small local businesses and charities, such as the local plumber or St John Ambulance, can go unpaid.

Premier League head of communications Dan Johnson said: “The Premier League’s starting position is that there should be no debt to HMRC, which is why we have introduced a raft of financial criteria to encourage clubs to run themselves in a responsible and sustainable manner.

“This includes quarterly reporting on any overdue HMRC payments and the ability to intervene if clubs get behind. When combined with HMRC’s new policy of, quite rightly, not permitting clubs to run up debts over time, this will more than mitigate this issue going forward.”

The Football League pointed out that debt among their clubs was actually decreasing and argued that, by showing only one moment in time, the statistics ignored this general downward trend. In August 2009 29 clubs owed a total of £9.6m to HMRC; by August 2010 this figure was down to £400,000 owed by only four clubs. The Football League’s head of communications John Nagle credited this to new financial regulations relating to tax payments pioneered by the Football League.

Supporters Direct chief executive Dave Boyle argued that clubs owe a debt not only to the taxman but also the communities from which they originate: “Football clubs make great play of being engaged in their communities, but that rings hollow if clubs don’t contribute to their communities by paying their tax on time, especially in the current economic and fiscal climate.

“It’s important to recognise that the game has been making progress to tackle these issues, but these figures highlight how far there is to go. We think it’s yet another piece of evidence underscoring the need for a thorough licensing regime across the professional game and the Conference.”

Sporting Intelligence also revealed that clubs in the Welsh Premier League owed £42,583 at the end of the last tax year while HMRC had issued 40 petitions in 2010 against the limited companies that own clubs in the Premier League, Football League, three divisions of the Conference and the Welsh Premier League. A number of these petitions were issued against owners with “previous” – most notably Cardiff City’s old owners and Southend United.

According to Sporting Intelligence HMRC sought winding up petitions against 19 clubs in 2010, named as: Accrington Stanley, AFC Bournemouth, Bishop Stortford, Cardiff City, Chester City, Crawley, Crystal Palace, Dorchester Town, Forest Green Rovers, Hinckley United, Ilkeston Town, Lewes, Notts County, Plymouth Argyle, Portsmouth, Preston North End, Sheffield Wednesday, Southend United, Welling United.

Article from Supporters Direct Media Briefing 25 March 2011

LATEST “UPDATED” DISCOUNTS FOR TRUST MEMBERS Members of The Posh Supporters’ Trust will (on production of their membership card) receive discounts and benefits generously given by many businesses in the Region.

Please support all the businesses that provide these discounts, they help the Trust to maintain and build its membership base. The Trust thanks them all for their support.

If you own or are involved with a business that would benefit from joining our discount scheme, please contact us at the address on the back cover of this Newsletter.

BUSINESS DISCOUNTS

Blinds Direct

0800 0282942 or 01733 840557 10% off purchases .including special offers.

Charters Bar, Town Bridge, Peterborough PE1 1DG

30p off a pint of Oakham „House‟ Ales,

Bishops Farewell, White Dwarf, JHB and Inferno Discounts on home match days only, 2 hours before and after the game.

City Electrical Factors Discounts available according to type of product.

Cottons TV Rentals Ltd Oundle Rd Peterborough

First Months rental FREE to Trust Members on 12 month rental contracts.

Crightons Garage Services

Dukesmead Werrington PE4 6ZN

01733 571836

MOT Servicing and Repairs Save 20% off all our standard rates

Free Collection & Delivery Please quote this code: POSH01

Ed‟s Trade & Business

Warehouse, Eastern Industry Est, Padholme Road East, P’Boro

Free entry on production of Trust membership card.

(tel 355320) F Wade & Son Fishing Tackle

247 High Street, Fletton 10% off purchases, excluding bait.

The Fane Foot Podiatry Chiropody & Sports Injury Clinic

226 Dogsthorpe Road P’Boro 01733 344088

Free Consultations and 10% off Prescription Orthotics 10% Off Chiropody Treatments 10% Off Sports Injury Treatments

Fitzjohn of Peterborough Estate Agents,

9 Church Street, P’Boro

15% off standard sole agency fee

(with minimum charge of £1,000). Flag Fen, , The Droveway,

Northey Road, P’Boro 313414

20% discount on normal day admissions

(excluding special events)

Golden Cod Fish Bar,

Staniland Way, Werrington 10% off purchases.

Hamerton Zoo Park.

Hamerton near Sawtry Cambs PE28 5RE 01832 293362 Discounts for up to 6 persons

£2 off Adult entry prices, £1 off Senior Citizen, and £1 off Child (3 to 12) Open every day (except 25 & 26 Dec) throughout the year. 10-30am to 6-00pm summer, and 10-30am to 4-00pm during the winter.

J W D‟Arcy Limited, Jewellers, 7 Westgate, Peterborough

10% discount off purchases (new sales only, not repairs)

The Lampshade Warehouse

10 Saville Road Westwood PE3 7PR 01733 264391

also at 16 Broad Street Whittlesey. 01733 208466

The largest independent Lighting showroom in Cambs Minimum 10% discount on all purchases.

High value orders are negotiable Maidenhead Aquatics

Peterborough, Wyevale Garden Centre, Postland Rd, Crowland.

10% on all undiscounted items in the shop.

(01733 211825) Market Cobbler,

Peterborough Outdoor Market

10% off shoe repairs and keycutting, including

specialised car ignition keys.

Michael John, Hair Stylists,

30 Queensgate, Peterborough

10% off hair styling.

Michael John, Hair Stylists, 289 Lincoln Road, Millfield P’Boro

10% off hair styling.

PAGE Group (Peterborough) Ltd.

Cygnet Park Cygnet Road Hampton Peterborough

15% discount on supplying sealed units / single

glazing; replacement aluminium windows; solar control film; shopfronts and all door furniture.

PD Kitchens & Bedrooms –

"Made to Order” Units 01733 762039)

10% off trade price list for kitchen and bedroom cabinets

Peterborough Chauffeur Services. Orton Waterville P’Boro

07828 008534 or P’Boro 230721

10% Discount on Luxury travel Corporate – executive – airports – weddings – special occasions

Fully insured and licensed by P’Boro City Council Peterborough Greyhound Stadium. Fengate P’Boro

FREE Entry for a Trust Member and Guest on any

Wednesday or Friday Race meeting throughout 2010 Plough Inn, Ramsey Road,

Farcet Fen 01733 844307

10% off meals. (excludes Promotional offers)

PSH DECORATORS

01733 340451 or 07908398049 E-mail: pshodges@ntlworld.com

For all your painting and decorating needs Special 10% discount for Trust Members

RAC

(Telephone 0800 716 976 and quote DT0120).

20% discount on Roadside, Recovery, At Home, Onward Travel and all Standard service levels except RAC Solutions.

Railworld large model railway, a garden railway, a display of trains past and present, plus a small cinema and a wildlife haven. Oundle Road Peterborough Tel: 01733 319362

10% Off the entry price for up to 4 paying persons on

the production of a Trust Membership Card. In addition, Childen under 14 will be admitted free. Open 11am to 4pm, 7 days a week (March to Oct). From Nov to Feb we are open Mon to Friday only. Christmas and New Year by arrangement. Closed Good Friday.

SMART REPAIRS Car repairs interior and exterior inc Bumper Scuffs, Cosmetic Scratches Leather, Vinyl Repair & Recolouring

10% Discount for Trust Members

Call Paul on 07710 169 010 Paul@smart-repair-systems.co.uk

SMART Wheels ! Mobile Alloy

Wheel Repair @ Refinishing

10% Discount for Trust Members

Call Michael on 07826 806 738 Speedy Hire Centres

Fengate P’Boro 01733 344534

25% off equipment hire.

Terry Wright Cycles, 102 Bridge

St Deeping St James, P’Boro

10 % off bicycles or accessories.

Thorney Golf Club

Thorney Peterborough

25% off green fees on the Lakes and Fen courses.

01733 270570

Topps Tiles Newton Way,

Boongate P’Boro tel 344214

5% Discount on :- Tiles ----. Natural Stone

Wetrooms --- Wood Flooring --- Under Floor Heating Adhesives and Grouts ---- Tools and Accessories

Woodston Motorists Centre,

Wharf Road Industrial Estate,

£10 Off an MOT test. £10 Off a 4 wheel Tracking 01733 315268

TRUST MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

Surname

Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms

First names

Address Inc Post Code

E-mail address

I wish to become a member of The Posh Supporters‟ Trust in accordance with its Rules. (Members must be 16 years of age or over.)

Signed……………………………………………….

Date…………………………….

Join The GOLD BOND WEEKLY DRAW scheme, and get your membership for FREE For details send Email to theposhtrust@yahoo.co.uk or call Walter Moore 01733 313121

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

12 months £10

Five years £40

Ten years £80

Life membership £150

Life membership (over 60s) £80

DONATIONS WELCOME

TOTAL £ HOW TO PAY

Please Email us for a Standing Order Mandate theposhtrust@yahoo.co.uk or send a Cheque, payable to The Posh Supporters’ Trust, to:

THE POSH SUPPORTERS‟ TRUST, c/o 193 Oakdale Avenue, Stanground Peterborough. Cambs PE2 8TH

N.B. Information supplied is held on our database and will not be supplied to a third party without your prior permission. For details of the Rules and objects of the Trust,

write to us or visiting our website, www.theposhtrust.co.uk (NL 34)