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Please try the coach it is an excellent, relaxed and comfortable way to travel. You can forget about the car and all the worries about finding parking. Plus it is stadium to stadium.

To book your seat(s), please contact:

• Bob Trafford - 07809 222852
• Rob Wilson - 07780 613297

Any profit made will be invested in the club by the Trust.

Coach to Hereford
29th August 2007

The Trust are arranging a coach to the next away league game against Hereford on Saturday 8th September.

To book your seat(s), please phone either note - the contacts have changed!

• Bob Trafford - 07809 222852
• Rob Wilson - 07780 613297

To keep your costs as low as possible, prices for the trip work on a sliding scale depending on how many people travel. If there are 40 or more adults on board it will cost just £10 for adults and £5 for kids. 30 adults will be £14 and £7 whilst 25 adults will be £16 and £8.

So there is a real incentive to sign up for the coach and promote it to your friends. Hereford for as little as £10 is a real bargain!

Any profit made will be invested in the club by the Trust.

Please note that all under 16's MUST be accompanied by an adult.

Book early to guarantee your seats!

Annual General Meeting Report
23rd August 2007

The AGM of the Silkmen Supporters Trust took place at the Moss Rose on Monday night. There was an excellent turnout, many thanks to all those who attended.

The minutes of the meeting are available on this site - click here.

Coach to Grimsby
15th August 2007

After the success of the first Trust-organised away coach trip, we will be organising another coach to the game at Grimsby Town on Saturday 25th August. The coach will leave the Moss Rose at 10am.

The price for this trip will be £15 for adults and £7.50 for kids. Note that under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

To book your seat(s), please phone either:

• Big Jim Goodwin - 07940 929934
• Bob Trafford - 07809 222852

Any profit made will be invested in the club by the Trust.

Update 23rd August: There are still some spaces left. Book as soon as possible to ensure your seats.

Annual General Meeting
10th August 2007

Notice is hereby given that there will be an Annual General Meeting of the Silkmen Supporters Trust at 7.30pm on Monday 20 August 2007 in the McIlroy Suite, MTFC, London Road, Macclesfield. The agenda for the meeting is given below.

All Members and supporters are invited to attend but only Society Members are entitled to vote.

1. To hear the notice convening the meeting.
2. To receive and adopt the 2006 Financial Statements (including Statement of Financial Activities, Balance Sheet and related Audit Report).
3. To appoint Osbornes Accountants Ltd, 20 Market Place, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 1JP as Auditors for the Society.
4. To agree that from 2008, the Society dispenses with formal external Audit and instead opts for an Independent Examination.
5. To agree that the term of office of the current Board is extended until 31 March 2008 to coincide with the AGM which is scheduled to address financial matters relating to 2007.
6. Any other business.

In order to progress the business of the meeting, the following resolutions will be proposed for adoption:

1. The Members of the Silkmen Supporters Society Ltd present at the Annual General Meeting held on 20 August 2007 receive and adopt the financial statements prepared by the Societys financial auditors.
2. The Members of the Silkmen Supporters Society Ltd present at the Annual General Meeting held on 20 August 2007 agree to appoint Osbornes Accountants Ltd, 20 Market Place, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 1JP as Auditors for the Society.
3. The Members of the Silkmen Supporters Society Ltd present at the Annual General Meeting held on 20 August 2007 agree that from the AGM to accept the Financial Statements for 2008, the Society will seek an Independent Examination by an appropriate Independent Examiner as defined by Supporters Direct in their Supporters Trust Handbook.
4. The Members of the Silkmen Supporters Society Ltd present at the Annual General Meeting held on 20 August 2007 agree that the term of office of the current Board be extended until 31 March 2008.

Going to Bradford? Leave the car at home!
6th August 2007

The Silkmen Supporters Trust will be running a 49-seater coach to Valley Parade for this season's curtain raiser against Bradford City. The coach is open to all Macc fans, not just Trust members.

The coach will leave the Moss Rose at 11.30am. Prices are £12 for adults and £6 for under 16s. Note that under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

To book your seat(s), please phone either:

• Big Jim Goodwin - 07940 929934
• Bob Trafford - 07809 222852

Any profit made will be invested in the club by the Trust.

Away Coach Travel
1st August 2007

The trust are investigating the possibility of arranging coaches for travel to Macclesfield Town's away fixtures.

Discussions are currently at an early stage. If your company would be interested in sponsoring the away coach travel or any other aspects of the Trust's work, please email us at silkmentrust06@yahoo.co.uk.

Volunteers needed for Leafletting!
30th July 2007

Last year's pre-season leaflet drop was a great success and it is about to be repeated this year.

The club have produced over 20,000 leaflets advertising the club and including the fixtures for 2007/08. The leaflets are nicely folded so they can fit in people's wallets or purses.

Could you help distribute them? They're bundled up in fifties, if you could help by delivering them to the houses in your area it would be fantastic. If you can help, please email Rob Wilson at robert.wilson1981@btinternet.com.

Update: Thousands of leaflets have been distributed already, but some areas haven't been covered yet. If you can help, please email Rob Wilson.

Macclesfield Family Fun Day
26th July 2007

The Macclesfield Family Fun Day takes place in West Park, Macclesfield on Sunday 19th August, the day after Paul Ince's return to the Moss Rose in our home fixture against Milton Keynes.

The Supporters Trust will be there, promoting the club and raising funds by holding a bottle tombola.

How you can help!

1. Donate a bottle. It doesn't have to be a 1964 vintage Dom Perignon! Donations of anything - alcoholic or soft - would be much appreciated.
2. Help man the stall - it would be a great help even if you could spare an hour to help us run the stall. It's a great way to meet other Trust members and get involved!
3. Visit the stall on the day! The Fun Day is free to get in and it's a great family day out!

If you're able to spare some time or donate a bottle, please send an email to Rob Wilson at robert.wilson1981@btinternet.com who is co-ordinating things.

You will also be able to join the trust at the Fun Day! - membership forms will be available, so if you're not already a member, you can join there and then, or take a form home.

Trust to fund new Bar
11th June 2007

Following a Board meeting the Silkmen Supporters Trust are pleased to announce that they have agreed to fully finance the club's plan to convert one end of the McAlpine Stand to a bar for the use of supporters in the Star Lane End.

The Trust decided to make this their priority project towards the end of last season and offered £1,000 funding for the early design work at the time.

Since that pledge, the Trust have informed the club that there is now a further £4,000 available for the club to use for this conversion, which will be issued to the club as they need it for the project and in exchange for shares.

The Trust are now awaiting a response from the club as to the next stage of the project and look forward to the new facility being available to the Star Lane supporters.

Trust Chairman Andy Worth said:

"We were approached by the club late last season and asked if we could help to fund this project. We were happy to agree as a bar for the vocal fans in the Star Lane End has been a subject of discussion for some time. We are happy that this funding will prove popular with the supporters who have wanted a bar in this area of the ground for many years.

"The bar also opens a new revenue stream for the club and shows a genuine example of the Trust working with the club on behalf of the supporters. We are excited at the prospect of having a tangible product of the Trust's hard work in regular use at the club and look forward to hearing from them about their plans for the first stage of development."

The Trust are also planning an event to mark 10 years since the club entered the Football League. They are also set to produce a programme style magazine to celebrate the Silkmen's decade and will be looking for supporters to share their memories of great moments, players and goals over the last 10 years.

Update: The plans for this project are currently with Cheshire County Council awaiting approval. More news when we get it.

Prize Draw Winners
7th June 2007

Last season, the Silkmen Supporters Trust held a prize draw to win a season ticket.

The winners of the draw were:

• 1st Prize - Season Ticket - Chrissie Thompson
• 2nd Prize - 2 tickets for a league match - Paul and Fiona
• 3rd Prize - Signed Shirt - Dave Caveney
• 4th Prize - Signed Ball - Elaine Rance

Congratulations to the winners!

Memberships up for renewal
18th May 2007

Fifteen months ago, the Silkmen were in crisis. The Football Association had hit the club with a fine that genuinely threatened its existence and the supporters needed to rally around to help save the club.

The Silkmen Supporters Trust was born from this crisis and played a part in the club's survival with the purchase of 25,000 shares, the money from which went towards paying the fine. 242 Macclesfield Town supporters signed up to join the trust and express their support with membership fees and other donations.

It was a tremendous effort from all concerned to achieve this much in the short timescale offered by the FA. The Trust grew from its beginnings at a club meeting through to holding its first official elections over the summer. The pace at which the trust began was always going to be difficult to sustain following the end of the immediate crisis, but the Trust still lives on.

With enough shares and enough members, the Trust will remain a vital voice for the fans and can provide the link between the fans and the Club board. It is a genuine route for supporters to raise grievances or other issues with the club, as well as a potentially vital organisation for fundraising.

The next project is of a less immediate nature, but one, which will benefit supporters of the football club. There has long been a lack of bar and refreshment facilities for supporters at the Moss Rose. The club have approached the Trust and requested that we raise funds to convert one end of the McAlpine Stand to a bar for the use of fans in the Star Lane. The Blues Bar, on London Road is also in need of attention, and could be renovated with funds raised by the Trust.

The Trust membership is now up for renewal and although the crisis is now over, there is much the Trust can do for the fans of Macclesfield Town Football Club.

Membership fees remain the same, with two additions, which will benefit members. First of all the Trust has introduced a Life membership of £200 (£100 for over 60's) and discounted membership if you sign up for five years.

Furthermore the names of all Life Members will be entered on a Roll of Honour to be published on the Trust's website and on the Trust's page in the programme.

All monies raised from Membership fees will go towards purchasing more shares in the club.

Membership will run from 01 April to 31 March the following year.

For more details, click here!

Trust Applaud Pricing
26th April 2007

The Silkmen Supporters Trust would like to officially applaud Macclesfield Town football club for their decision to freeze prices at the current exceptional level for the 2007/2008 season.

At a time when high ticket pricing remains very much in the news, it is a rarity for a club to be lauded for low prices. The Trust believe that the Silkmen deserve all the praise they get for the decision to remain at just £10 for an adult to stand at games.

It was a genuine gamble for the club to experiment with this and by keeping the prices, it appears they feel the gamble paid off.

The prices also gives the youngsters of the town a chance to watch live football, but will help develop the links to ensure the support for the future of the football club.

When you hear stories about people being charged £30, £40 or even £50 or more to watch a single game of football, it just reminds you how lucky we are to have owners who understand the importance of the fans.

The Trust hope that all Macclesfield Town fans will show their support to the club by signing up for season tickets but also that the prices will encourage more casual fans to attend more regularly.

Bar Project Given Kick-Start
22nd April 2007

When the Trust were asked to raise funds to developed a bar for the Star Lane end, part of the money was required for the club to have technical drawings and plans drawn up.

The Trust have decided to offer the club the money for this preliminary stage from existing funds. The Trust hope that this will allow the club to make a start on the project as soon as possible. We will still be actively fundraising for the remainder of the money but now the beginning of the work is not dependant on the entire money being raised.

Calendar
20th April 2007

After the success of the 2007 calendar, the Silkmen Supporters Trust are planning on a repeat for 2008.

This time we are going to give fans a series of option for the theme of the calendar.

The possible themes will be:

• Legends II
• Great Teams
• magic moments
• former kits
• the 2007/2008 squad

If you have any other ideas we'd like to hear them. But we'll give fans the option to pick early next season.

TEN YEARS CELEBRATION
17th April 2007

This season marks a landmark 10th in the Football League for Macclesfield Town. And to mark this, the Silkmen Supporters Trust are arranging an event in the McIlroy Suite. This event, which will give you the option to meet players past and present will take place on July 14th and tickets are expected to cost £15.00.

Keep an eye out for details on buying tickets in the next programme and on the Trust website.

Season Ticket Prize Draw
15th April 2007

Draw tickets are currently on sale from trust board members and other Trust members. First prize is a season ticket for the 2007/2008 season, second is a pair of tickets for a League game, third a signed shirt and fourth a signed ball. The draw will be made at half time in the Notts County game.

Player of the Year
14th April 2007

Your votes for the Player of the Year are now wanted. Use the ballot boxes at the club office and the club shop in the town centre. Vote now and the results will be announced after the Notts County game.

Membership Renewals
13th April 2007

The Silkmen Supporters Trust is currently looking for membership renewals for the coming year. Membership fees remain the same, with two additions, which will benefit members.

First of all the Trust has introduced a Life membership of £200 (£100 for over 60s) and discounted membership if you sign up for five years.

Furthermore the names of all Life Members will be entered on a Roll of Honour to be published on the Trust's website and on the Trust's page in the programme.

All monies raised from Membership fees will go towards purchasing more shares in the club.

Membership will run from 01 April to 31 March the following year.

Application forms will be available to download from the Trust website as well as from board members.

Club Crest
12th April 2007

Last week the club announced that it was to replace the club crest for next season. A decision which was changed at the weekend. Although the Silkmen Supporters Trust did not have time to officially gauge the reaction of its membership at a n open meeting, the general consensus was clear that the majority of supporters were against the change.

With this in mind, we would like to applaud the club in its decision to recognise the feelings of the supporters and remain with the traditional crest.

Bar Project
10th April 2007

The Silkmen Supporters Trust have now selected a fundraising project which they believe will be beneficial to both the supporters and the club.

For some time there has been a wave of support from the fans for a bar which can be accessed from the Star Lane End. The club have also been keen to provide this facility.

Although plans are in the early stages, the Trust are hoping to raise £5000 to convert one end of the McAlpine Stand's lower concourse to a bar, which can then be accessed by the doors on to the Star Lane End.

This bar area is not expected to be massive in size, but will certainly be an improvement on what is available and will benefit the loyal supporters who use that part of the ground.

And in turn this will benefit the club as it opens up a new revenue stream on a matchday.

The Trust will keep members and other supporters informed as to what forms this fundraising will take. The Trust are always interested in your ideas. If you want to get involved or have any ideas for fundraising, please get in touch.

Membership Renewal
10th April 2007

The Silkmen Supporters Trust are beginning preparations for the membership renewal drive. We would like to thank all the supporters who joined the Trust during the crisis a year ago and hope you will continue to stick with us as the Trust and club move forward together into a bright future.

Trust Open Meeting Report
28th January 2007

For the full report on the Open Meeting held on Saturday 20th January, click here.

Ticket Prices in the News
26th February 2007

Ticket prices in football have been something of a key topic in recent weeks as top flight clubs promise to cut theirs thanks to the new TV deal.

The Silkmen, however, were trailblazers in the price war this season as a move which has gone largely unnoticed since the early days of the campaign, saw Macc introduce the lowest entry price in the Football League.

Just £10 for adults to stand, £5 for youths and free for U12s is a phenomenal deal and a great show of loyalty to the supporters from the club.

Unfortunately for the fans and club alike, this exceptional experiment was hit hard by our early season form. The 4-0 defeat at Darlington on opening day must surely have decimated the gate for the opening game at the Moss Rose the following Tuesday.

As the on-field events continued to unfold, neutral fans were not drawn to the club.

Since those early days of the season, the ticket prices at the Moss Rose have been pretty much a side-issue. The widening gap between the club and the rest of the division, followed by the Ince-inspired miraculous resurgence and FA Cup exploits were all deemed more worthy of the few column inches the club manages to achieve.

With ticketing back in the news, the Supporters Trust believe the club should once again be congratulated and championed for taking this stand against rising prices across the country.

With tickets at the top level currently creeping towards, and even beating the £50 mark for a single game, and even League Two demanding £20 a game, it was a risky strategy to be the first to give it a try.

Now the club is back on it's feet within the division and really looking to push forward it's time for the football fans of Macclesfield, and even further afield, to show that they genuinely are interested in real football at the right price.

With a good run of form, entertaining football and at the best value in the country, the Silkmen should be matching or even beating some of their rivals in the League table of attendances.

If a struggling League Two side can show improvement in their attendances based on an attractive pricing structure, then perhaps the bigger boys will be less cautious about following suit.

We all want the Silkmen to continue to climb the division and the team have shown what they can do. They have given us a great chance of survival this season as well as a memorable day at Chelsea.

Pound for pound, a family day out at the Moss Rose is surely one of the best afternoons of entertainment in Cheshire.

So spread the word. The Moss Rose is the place to be!

Trust Open Meeting - What Next for the Trust?
15th January 2007

The Silkmen Supporters Trust is now a year old.

The Trust was formed to help the club through the dark days of last winter when the FA fine threatened the very existence of the club.

But now, with that threat behind us, the Trust is asking the fans to decide what they want their trust to do over the next year.

The Trust are holding a meeting at the McIlroy Suite at 5.30pm on Saturday the 20th January, directly after the Hereford game. The meeting, which will run until 6.30pm, is expected to set the wheels in motion to decide the direction of the Trust for the coming months.

Trust Chairman Andy Worth said:

"We had a tremendous response a year ago when everyone rallied around to help save the club. And we've had some successes since then in getting volunteers to help the club with the massive leaflet drop over the summer as well as other campaigns.

"But this is trust is here for the fans and we want the fans to tell us what they want us to achieve and to get involved themselves in trying to achieve it.

"We want to be entirely inclusive to all members and supporters. If people have an idea that they believe the Trust could undertake for the benefit of the club or its supporters, then we want to hear it.

"If someone wants to get involved in any aspect of the Trust, then we want to hear from you. If you have a plan amongst a group of friends that you believe would be for the good of the club, how could you work with the Trust to make it work?

"But the Supporters Trust is not just the group who are named as the board. The Trust is every single member. And every single member is a Macclesfield Town fan.

"What do our fans want to achieve over the next 12 months?"

All supporters are welcome to attend this meeting in the McIlroy Suite.

Trust funds new Commentary Kit
9th January 2007

The Silkmen Supporters Trust have helped out many exiled supporters by providing funding for better equipment for the Silkmenworld commentary team.

Despite the commentary team's best efforts, the existing equipment often made the audio difficult to follow from away games but the Silkmen Trust have purchased a mobile broadcasting kit that they hope will provide crystal clear quality.

Web broadcaster Colin Farnworth said "We would like to thank the Silkmen Trust for the funds to purchase the new broadcasting kit. This should make a real difference to the sound quality of a service which is invaluable to many Macclesfield supporters who cannot make away games. We hope to use it for the first time at Barnet."

Chelsea Game
9th January 2007

The Silkmen Supporters Trust would like to issue their thanks to Paul Ince, his staff and the rest of the team for an excellent occasion at Stamford Bridge which capped a wonderful month for Macclesfield Town.

Despite terrible luck with injury and not helped by the officials, all of the supporters were delighted with the way the players approached the game.

From the first minute to the final whistle, despite finishing the game with just nine men, the team entertained the visiting fans by playing attractive football and looking for goals.

As well as this, we would like to thank the team for their efforts in the first three FA Cup games to earn this tie which will live long in the memory of everyone associated with the club.

Every player involved can feel proud of their performances and take great confidence from this game into the remainder of the season.

The Trust would like to offer Paul Ince and the rest of the team all the best for the rest of the season.

The Football Club also deserves a vote of thanks from the supporters for their marvellous gesture in providing free coach travel to and from the game. It made for a tremendous day out for every supporter of Macclesfield Town.

But although it was an occasion which will be long remembered, there is still a lot of work to be done to keep this club in the Football League.

The team gave everything they had for the Macc fans at Stamford Bridge and now the fans will have the opportunity to give something back to the players by thanking them in person at the next home game.

The Trust would like to urge every fan who was at Stamford Bridge to show their thanks and support to the club by turning out for the vital home game with Hereford on the 20th January. Although the Trust appreciates that not every fan can make it to every game, it would be a magnificent show of solidarity to be roared on by three or four thousand home supporters against Hereford.

Together we can build on this memorable occasion to make the Moss Rose a fortress and leave the relegation battle far behind us.

Silkmen Supporters Trust AGM Report
3rd January 2007

For the full report on the 2006 Annual General Meeting of the Silkmen Supporters Trust, click here!

Many apologies for the delay in uploading this report to this site.

Sponsored Walk Success
16th December 2006

At least the rain held off after a very soggy first half an hour.

A special mention must go to Andy Mellor and everyone who made the trip in fancy dress. "If you're looking for Scooby Doo and the giant chicken, you just missed them" isn't something that Hazel Grove landlords say very often!

Away Transport
16th December 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust would like to applaud the club in their move to lay on free coach travel down to our historic game at Stamford Bridge in January. It is a great gesture by the club and one we hope will be greatly appreciated by the fans.

Meanwhile other away games also have coach services. Moose Tours have been running for years as have Margaret's coaches. But Margaret has had a few problems of late which has led to her putting future trips on hold. The Trust is hoping to work with her to overcome these problems and give the supporters more travel option.

Check this page for future details on away transport.

Trust with Club against Racism
11th December 2006

On behalf of its members, The Silkmen Supporters Trust would like to back the club entirely in this matter.

Racism is something that we do not want to be associated with our club. Macclesfield Town has a reputation as a friendly, family oriented club. This reputation and the community links it engenders is something the Trust was formed to protect and improve.

The Trust would like to echo the club's request that all spectators should report any instances of racism to a Steward or Police Officer at the game.

Genuine Silkmen supporters can stand together to ensure this issue does not rear its head at the Moss Rose again.

Supporters Club backs Trust
17th November 2006

The Supporters Club have offered their fullest support to the Silkmen Supporters Trust.

Former SC chairman Rob Kerr said: "The Silkmen Supporters Trust can take up where the Supporters Club left off to become a key part of this football club. The Supporters Club are firmly behind the Trust as they move forward."

The Supporters Club itself ceased to exist at the end of last season as most of the current committee decided that they could no longer provide the dedication and spare time that they thought was required to take the Supporters Club onwards. Unfortunately there weren't enough willing volunteers to take over the running of the club and so things had to come to an end.

"We believe that it is vitally important to the club to have a strong voice of the supporters and the more members an organisation has, the more influence they will have. The Supporters Club would urge all former members to join the Trust if they have not already done so."

Meanwhile the Supporters Trust would like to thank the Supporters Club and all their current and previous committee members on behalf of all their members and other supporters of the club. The sterling work they have undertaken in support of this club over many years ensured they were an integral part of the matchday experience as the club made its rise into the Football League.

It was a sad day when the decision was made to wind up the Supporters Club at the end of last season following season and the Trust would be delighted to welcome any former Supporters Club members into the Trust should they wish to join.

Calendar now on sale!
17th November 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust calendar is now on sale. These can be bought from Trust board members at the AGM and from the club shop on matchdays. It is also available on E-bay (Search for 'Silkmen')

Sponsored walk
17th November 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust are walking to the game at Stockport County to raise money for East Cheshire Hospice, McMillan Cancer Relief and the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. If you wish to get involved with the walk, you can collect sponsorship forms at this evening's AGM. The walk starts from the Cheshire Building Society in the town centre. Fancy dress is optional but fun!

Or if you don't want to make the full 13 mile trek, we would love to get some moral support along the route. Whether you just beep your horn as you pass or join us for a mile or so, it will be great to hear from you and all donations will be gratefully received.

Election Not Required
30th October 2006

The independent election committee formed to ensure the Trust Elections were run in a fair and impartial manner have announced their findings following the closure of the nomination window on October 2nd.

The committee was made up of five trust members who were not standing for election. It was this group who received all the nomination forms via Daniels Solicitors.

To ensure full impartiality, the existing board members and any new nominees had no contact with the forms themselves or any involvement with the election committee.

The committee has now made the following statement to announce the results of the initial stage of the election proceedings:

"Nominations for election to the Trust board closed on 2 October 2006.

"As there were 12 vacancies and the number of nominations received was less than 12, it will not be necessary to hold an election and the nominees are appointed unopposed.

"Details of the new Board will be announced at the AGM on 18 November 2006."

Lack of coverage a concern
26th September 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust have written to the Macclesfield Express to voice their concern about the lack of midweek coverage. Both our letter and the reply can be read below.

One of the reasons that the Silkmen Supporters Trust was set up, was to give the individual fans more of a voice about matters concerning the football club we love.

Since the death of the Sunday Pink and despite promises from the Manchester Evening News at the time, coverage of Macclesfield Town has been almost non-existent from anyone bar the specialist Macclesfield media. People buying the M.E.N. will be given only a short match report or perhaps 50 words of an already known news item hidden amongst the Premier League hype. The radio commentary on Silk FM is also missed by many.

It is also something of a bone of contention amongst many supporters that the coverage of the club does not extend even as far as the edge of the Borough. With the Wilmslow Express' reluctance to acknowledge their Football League side, it is possible to live within five miles of the Moss Rose and not receive coverage in your local paper.

This has led to some Macclesfield Town fans feeling like second-class supporters when it comes to the level of interest offered to the club by the press.

The Macclesfield Express has historically been the best source of information about the Silkmen and remains the best in the non-club produced printed media.

It has therefore come as a disappointment that the Macclesfield Express has decided against reporting on Tuesday night fixtures. With cup games and late season re-arrangements, midweek games can often be the most important and exciting of the club's season and in-depth coverage of the club is vital in their efforts to raise attendances.

Although the Silkmen were beaten by Leicester recently, had they won as they did at Nottingham Forest the previous season, it would have been amongst their best ever results. And yet the major local paper did not have any plans to report on the proceedings the following day. Last season's exciting LDV Vans Trophy Campaign was played out entirely in midweek matches.

Compare and contrast with the coverage offered to our neighbours Stockport County. The Stockport Express sports section is printed and written in the same place as its Macclesfield counterpart yet manage to cover midweek games.

In an already competitive market for supporters in the North West, clubs need all the coverage they can get, yet Macclesfield Town receives less than it's near neighbours, even those who compete at the same level.

With this in mind, the Silkmen Supporters Trust believe that our loyal supporters deserve more of an explanation as to why their local newspaper does not now feel it is capable of covering Tuesday night matches.

On behalf of the Silkmen Supporters Trust.

Mike Glendenning, the new sports editor was quick to reply.

Following your e-mail, I'd like to bring you and the other SST members up to date with the problems we are experiencing in covering Macclesfield Town's midweek games.

The problem has arisen due to the Daily Mirror's new printing press in Oldham recently imposing a 7.30pm Tuesday deadline for each week's Express, which obviously prevents us from being able to carry a match report. While the Stockport Express, another GWMN title, is printed at the same press, their slightly later deadline affords the Stockport sports staff enough time to include brief reports on County's midweek games.

Myself and the newspaper's editor, Dave Lafferty, are in complete agreement with you that the Macclesfield Express should be able to carry Tuesday night reports in the earliest available issue, and we are still trying to negotiate a satisfactory resolution.

As a temporary (and hopefully short-term) solution, our reports are available for viewing on our website the following day, and also in the Macclesfield Times.

I hope you are happy for me to forward the Silkmen Supporters' Trust's statement to our managers as an example of our readers' dissatisfaction with the present situation, which may help in our attempts to restore our expected service as soon as possible. We appreciate that midweek games are every bit as important as those taking place at the weekend and have voiced our dissatisfaction to the group's publishing editors.

Please also be assured that myself and Dave share your frustrations and we hope that we are soon in a position to provide Macclesfield Town and its supporters with the coverage that both club and fans deserve. I will contact you as soon as any new developments in this matter arise.

Mike Glendinning, Macclesfield Express Sports Editor

Election Details
11th August 2006

A first mailshot will be sent out to all current members of the trust on 18th September and will contain any share certificates which have not yet been collected. A Supporters Trust Newsletter will also be included along with the election nomination form and election rules.

Car boot and Programme sale cancelled
9th August 2006

Unfortunately due to the high cost of insurance needed to cover such an event and high competition from more established sales in the area, the Silkmen Supporters Trust have been forced to cancel the car-boot sale planned for this weekend at Tytherington School.

We apologise for any inconvenience but hope to overcome this problem and hold a similar event in the future. Keep checking this website and our page in the matchday programme for details.

Election Date Set
4th August 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust have announced provisional dates for their first election.

Proceedings are planned to commence on 18th September when a mailing including full details and rules of the nomination process and election will be sent to all members. This will also include any share certificates not yet received.

The results of the election will be announced at the first Trust AGM, planned for 18th November.

Further details will be available on the Trust's new regular page in the matchday programme for the home game against Hartlepool. Full details will also be posted on this site.

Silkmen Supporters Trust Statement
31st July 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust would like to offer their thanks and support to the Alkadhi brothers in their move to convert their loans into shares in the football club.

The Trust considers that in doing this, Amar and Bashar are further cementing their support of Macclesfield Town FC and showing that they are committed to continue their support of the club. The exceptional move to slash gate prices for the coming season is a move clearly designed to build the club for the future.

Having canvassed a cross section of the Silkmen supporters, the Trust wishes to record the concerns of some supporters that this move represents a significant change in the ownership status of Macclesfield Town Football Club.

Macclesfield Town has historically been a community club owned by the fans. Without matching investment from other existing or new shareholders, this conversion will effectively give the owners control of the club by increasing their shareholding to 75% and enabling them to change the articles of association should they wish to do so.

Whilst this represents a departure from one of the traditional values of the club, the Trust supports the proposed debt to equity conversion but believes that the proposed change will give the Trust a more important role than ever. The Trust intends to continue working to ensure that the Football Club is developed as an integral part of the community by maintaining its strong links with both the club, the existing supporter base and the wider community.

General meeting of ALL supporters groups
1st June 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust would like to invite all members of the Supporters Trust, Supporters Club, Silk Alliance and Fans Forum to a meeting in the McIlroy Suite on Thursday 8th June 2006 starting at 7 p.m.

It would be great to see as many people from each of the organisations as possible present, so that the four groups can discuss how best to work together to aid the Silkmen as they move forward as a club.

If the fans all pull in the same direction and work together, WE THE FANS can make a real difference at our club!

Further Share Purchase for Supporters Trust
21st April 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust have made an application to purchase a further £5,000 worth of shares in Macclesfield Town Football Club.

The money has been raised through donations and sponsorships for the two walks from Macclesfield to Stockport and Chesterfield to Macclesfield.

Trust Secretary Steve Mundy handed a cheque for £5,000 to the club at this week's AGM to take their total shareholding in the club to more than £25,000.

The Trust are now one of the largest shareholders in the Football Club with this latest purchase taking their holding into the top ten of all shareholders in Macclesfield Town FC.

The Silkmen Supporters Trust also hope to be able to announce a date shortly for the elections in the summer and will also be looking for nominations for people to join the board ahead of this vote.

Trust Applaud Price Cut
13th April 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust have moved to applaud the club's decision to slash prices at the Moss Rose for the coming season.

The Silkmen have cut matchday prices at the Moss by 28% meaning that an adult terrace ticket at the club will now cost as little as £10.

Supporters Trust Membership Secretary Rob Wilson said: "The image of the club has drifted away from the community over the last few years and many believed that the club had priced itself of the local market for Football supporters.

"But these new prices not only give the people of Macclesfield a chance to watch the most affordable League football in the entire country, but also show a clear determination from the club to realign itself with the people of the town and surrounding areas.

"The excellent pricing, especially for children, will help the club form a real bedrock of support for years to come."

"The Silkmen Supporters Trust would like to offer its full support as the club look to promote this excellent initiative heavily both in and around Macclesfield."

Macclesfield Town's price cut is certainly a bold move as it comes at a time when football price rises are very much in the news.

The Supporters Trust would also like to welcome new Chief Executive Patrick Nelson to the club. We wish him every success in his new role.

Players Boost Supporters Trust Walkers
28th March 2006

Macclesfield Town manager Brian Horton and the Silkmen players gave the Supporters Trust a boost last Saturday.

Andy Mellor along with almost 20 other Silkmen supporters took part in a sponsored wheelchair push and walk to Stockport for the club's long awaited first ever derby at Edgeley Park.

Along the route the players and manager had offered moral support from the team coach as they passed the hardy group but the support then continued with a collection for the walkers. This was then presented to Andy Mellor in the home dressing room prior to last weekend's 2-0 win over Shrewsbury.

Andy Mellor was delighted with the event:

"It was a nice surprise to get what we received from the players. Someone from the trust had mentioned the walk to the Gaffer and as soon as he found out he said the players would donate."

"It was great to be invited into the dressing room for the first time to get this donation. It was their idea so it was a wonderful gesture from them to ask me in. It was pretty lively in there because they certainly seemed up for the game and that showed on the pitch with an excellent result!"

The Trust would like to thank everyone involved in the walk as well as everyone, players and fans alike, who sponsored the walkers.

The bucket collection raised £402.31 and although the sponsorship funds have not yet all come in, the final total is expected to be well over £1000.

As with all the money raised by the Supporters Trust it will be converted into shares at the Football Club and then go towards paying the FA fine.

Champagne Draw
26th March 2006

After winning the draw from the first 200 members at the Trust Open Meeting last week, a bottle of Champagne and Share Certificate was presented to Don Bayley by interim Board member Bill Milligan. Another draw will be made from the next 200 or those that join before the start of next season.

Supporters Trust Strides out to raise funds
21st March 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust held a sponsored walk and wheelchair push from Macclesfield Town centre to Stockport County's Edgeley Park on Saturday. And whilst the Blues were unlucky to be beaten 2-0 on the day, it was a successful, if tiring day for the walkers.

There was a good turnout, which included Macclesfield Town chairman Rob Bickerton, at the Cheshire Building Society to see off the walkers who were accompanying long time Macclesfield Town supporter Andy Mellor who was in a sports wheelchair kindly supplied by The Helpful Hand mobility shop of Chester Road.

Leaving at just before ten in the morning, the hardy group were planning to take about four hours to make the full distance.

With several members in fancy dress for the 13 mile slog, there were people carrying buckets to make collections along the way as well as their own sponsorship money for the walk. There was also a collection taken by the Supporters Club Football Team who were playing their Stockport counterparts that morning.

Trust President Andy Worth said: "It was certainly hard work but a memorable way to get to our first ever game at Edgeley Park, even if the match itself wasn't quite so much fun! Andy was a legend and we had trouble keeping up with him at times."

"We had lots of support from people in their cars along the way and even the team bus gave us a honk as it passed. We had people stopping their cars to donate, people giving us money along the route as well as a good collection from Macclesfield supporters when we arrived at the ground. We would like to thank everyone who donated as well as both Macclesfield and Stockport Councils, The Helpful Hand and Stockport County for allowing us to collect at half time."

The bucket collection raised £402.31 and although the sponsorship funds have not yet all come in, the final total is expected to be well over £1000.

As with all the money raised by the Supporters Trust it will be converted into shares at the Football Club and then go towards paying the FA fine.

Silkmen Supporters Trust Continue to Push Towards Success
10th March 2006

Macclesfield Town are set to face Stockport County in their first ever League game at Edgeley Park this weekend and although it is the Silkmen's closest away game of the season it will be the longest journey for one group of Macclesfield Supporters who are making the trip the hard way, led by long-term Macc fanatic Andy Mellor.

Andy will be heading a sponsored wheelchair push starting from Macclesfield Town Centre to Stockport County's ground on the 18th March to help raise funds for the club via the Silkmen Supporters Trust.

"I've always been a big Macclesfield Town fans and I'm looking forward to this challenge. We've got a good group of people coming along to help with the push and to help with collections along the way and we're hoping to raise some good money." said Andy.

"I've already started to collect sponsorships from Macclesfield Town supporters but the more we get, the better. I'm looking for as many people or local businesses as possible to sponsor me and the rest of the people involved for this trip."

"If anyone wants to sponsor me or join in then all they have to do is give me a call on 07815 080071."

The Supporters Trust will also be holding collections along the route as they make their way to the derby game.

The Silkmen were 6-0 winners at the Moss Rose in the return fixture and will be hoping for a good following to this game at the weekend. Whether they are traveling by car, coach, train, chair or foot!

Sponsored Walk - Chesterfield to Macclesfield (34 Miles)
8th March 2006

On 24-25 March 2006, Brian Offiler will be walking from his home in Chesterfield to Macclesfield Town Football Club, a distance of 34 miles, arriving in time (hopefully!) for the Club's match on the Saturday afternoon against Shrewsbury, to raise funds for the Silkmen Supporters Trust. Brian has supported the Silkmen for over 35 years, and since moving to Chesterfield 22 years ago has travelled to most of the Club's home games with his father, Bernard, and wife, Alyson.

"As I enjoy walking and care deeply about Macc Town, this seemed to be an obvious way in which I could contribute to the Supporters Trust's attempts to raise funds to help the Club pay the FA fine and to improve links between the Club and community," said Brian.

All funds raised will be used to buy shares in MTFC, supporting the Club in its hour of need and providing the Trust with representation through its increased shareholding. If you would like to support Brian's walk, you can offer to sponsor him (contact via email or telephone 01246 234707) or send a donation to the Silkmen Supporters Trust, c/o Daniels Solicitors, County Chambers, 6 Chestergate, Macclesfield, SK11 6BA.

Pixsale finishes as a success
24th February 2006

When the Silkmen were hit with a seemingly draconian fine by the FA just before Christmas, many people would have excused supporters of the Silkmen for being despondent. But nothing could have been further from the truth and fans leapt to the support of their club. One fan, Gary Jackson, jumped into action within hours of the FA's decision with his Pixsale board at www.thesilkweb.com.

Before too long, the Pixsale board outgrew it's place in the unofficial Macclesfield Town site and was relocated to www.mtfc.info with the donations level hitting the £1,000 soon after. With each individual block having to be added to the site by hand,. Gary was in for a tough time. "It was a lot of hard work, but it was well worth it," said Gary. "When it first started we had no idea how much we could raise through this. I was away from my computer over Christmas and when I returned I had huge numbers of them to add to the site. But it was magnificent to see the way the rest of football had rallied around to help us out. Once again I would like to thank all of the supporters who have made donations to the cause and the nine businesses, both local and national, who have bought adverts on the page."

Now closed, the money raised by the Pixsale has now all been forwarded to the Silkmen Supporters Trust who will give the money to the Football Club to go towards paying the fine in exchange for shares in the club. Trust spokesman Thomas Rance said, "Gary's contribution of over £8,100 has been invaluable. His Pixsale funds have remained the single largest income stream into the Trust. We have had some significant donations, up to Three thousand pounds at a time, but this has been a magnificent effort from Gary and all of the other supporters who have contributed."

Second Trust open meeting meeting planned
22nd February 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust have announced a second open meeting in the McIlroy Suite on Thursday 9th March at 19.45pm.

As well as offering supporters the chance to join the Silkmen Supporters Trust, there will be a question and answer sessions for members of the interim board of the Silkmen Supporters Trust.

Recruitment drive for the Silkmen Supporters Trust
22nd February 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust formed in December to help the club raise funds to pay the FA fine which threatened their very existence. With a good early burst of memberships as well as generous individual donations to the cause they now own more than £20,000 worth of shares in The Silkmen, which has gone towards saving the club.

But the aims of the Trust do not end with simple survival as they also aim to bring the club closer to both the community with planned links with the council and local schools, as well as the existing fanbase. "The more people join the Trust the more representative of the fans we will be," said Dave Ellis. "We currently have around 200 members which is more than 10% of our weekly support. This is an excellent start but we hope to add to this in the coming weeks and beyond."

Supporters interested in joining the Trust should click here and Trust members will be on hand with application forms at the turnstiles of the club’s next home game against Rochdale. Forms will also be available for anyone attending the Club’s meeting on Wednesday night and can also be picked up at Daniels Solicitors, Chestergate. 12 month memberships cost £10 for adults and £5 for concessions.

"We urge all passionate Macclesfield Town supporters to join the Trust to ensure we continue to represent a significant percentage of the fanbase," added Membership Secretary Robert Wilson. "The Trust is a democratic organization and every member will have the right to a say in anything the trust aims to achieve in the future."

The Silkmen Supporters Trust have meanwhile named their 12 person temporary board who will run the trust until such time as elections can be held. The Trust board members are: Andy Worth (Chairman), Bill Milligan (Treasurer), Rob Wilson (Membership Secretary), Andy Thomas (Club Liaison), Dean Bamford (Youth), Ray Bamford (Community), Tom Rance (Media), Dave Ellis (Legal), Myra Clark (Silk Alliance Rep), Rob Kerr (Supporters Club Rep), Dave Taylor (Fans Forum Rep), Steve Mundy (Secretary).

Supporters Trust closes in on 200
14th February 2006

Despite only being a month and a half old, the Silkmen's Supporters Trust is rapidly approaching the 200 mark for membership.

Membership Secretary Robert Wilson said: "We have had an excellent response to our early recruitment activities which have attracted a wide selection of Macclesfield Town supporters from near and far. Although the majority of members come from Macclesfield itself, we have members from as far afield as London and Southampton. And we even have some international members from Norway, Denmark and Australia."

The trust have also attracted supporters of all ages with the youngest being just four months old and the oldest 81. "It's great to have such a wide range of supporters joining the Trust as we are keen to represent the views of all of the supporters of Macclesfield Town." Added Rob; "We have pensioners and teenagers and everyone has as much of a voice as anyone else. We are all supporters of the Silkmen and all want the club to progress on and off the pitch."

"One of the aims of the Trust when the fine is paid is to be the voice of the supporters. And this will come in two ways, by the purchase of shares and by representing a large proportion of the fanbase. So the Silkmen Supporters trust urge as many Macclesfield Town fans as possible to sign up and help the club through this crisis and beyond."

The Silkmen Supporters Trust hope to reach the 200 mark shortly and anyone who wishes to join should click here.

Second Share Application
11th February 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust have made a second share application to Macclesfield Town Football club to take their total shareholding to past the 20,000 mark.

With money raised through membership fees and kind donations, the trust are now approaching £25,000 which will be used by the club to pay off the FA fine in exchange for shares for the Silkmen Supporters Trust.

The Trust have also received a further £2,000 from Gary Jackson's highly successful Pixsale board. Gary has epitomized the excellent attitude of supporters of the Silkmen and other clubs towards helping Macclesfield Town through this crisis. His hard work has had a positive effect on both Macclesfield Town Football Club and the Silkmen Supporters Trust.

SST join with University of Salford to address low attendances at Macclesfield Town
6th February 2006

Since joining the Football League in 1997, Macclesfield Town have consistently featured at the wrong end of the attendance league table and whilst many schemes have been tried to boost attendance they have often had little noticeable effect. Debate continues amongst club and fans as to why this should be. In order to answer this question the Silkmen Supporters Trust have teamed up with the School of Accounting, Economics and Management Science (AEMS) at Salford University to find out why this is the case.

Dr David Forrest from Salford University is an acknowledged expert in the field of sporting event attendance, and he has agreed to work with the Supporters Trust to help us understand why our attendance is so poor. This project will help us implement attendance boosting schemes that have a good chance of success. "Initially Dr Forrest's team at Salford have applied their model for attendance calculation to The Silkmen and have shown that our "natural" position is indeed at the bottom of the league," said Supporters Trust representative Bernie Doeser. "The Salford model shows that there are three main factors which contribute to average attendance - the density of population within a ten mile radius of the ground, the number and size of other football clubs in the vicinity that compete for supporters, and the length of time the club has been established in the league. Macclesfield Town suffers on all three counts."

"This however does not mean that we are consigned to accept poor attendances. What is does mean is that we have to address issues such as transport rather than rely on good performance on the pitch, which has surprisingly little effect on attendance. We are very fortunate to have forged this link between Macclesfield Town F.C. and Salford University at this time.

"Every supporter of the Silkmen would like to see an increase in the attendances and some work has already been started through the Fans Forum, but working with Salford will ensure we can work with them to target our energy where it will have the greatest effect"

Intriguingly no other league club has undertaken such an academically based study before. The results of the study will be shared with other clubs through Supporters Direct.

AEMS at Salford has a track record of working with English football. The department has published a number of papers on league attendance, provides consultancy to sporting bodies and recently developed the Actim Index which is the official player rating system of the Barclays Premiership for the Press Association in partnership with The Premier League and Football Data Co.

Silkmen Supporters Trust Press Release
6th February 2006

With the news that Macclesfield Town FC were to be given a stay of execution from the FA in relation to their draconian deadline last week, the Silkmen's highly successful Pixsale remains open for business.

Macclesfield Town fan and Pixsale founder Gary Jackson said:

"Since the site opened on December 19th 2005 we have had over £8,000 worth of kind donations from fans all over the world. But we don't want to stop there.

"I want us to reach the target of £10,000 before the end of February. We can do it! We will be staying open until further notice"

The current total now stands at over £8,000 and Gary has recently forwarded the first £5,000 to the Silkmen Supporters Trust which will be used to buy shares in the club.

Fundraising Update
31st January 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust made two huge steps this week as they were officially registered as a non profit making Provident Society and this was followed with their first share application to the Football Club.

An application for £7,500 worth of shares was submitted to the club for Board consideration by the Trust after the Fans United game at the weekend.

The Trust, who have now raised in the region of £20,000, received assurances at the last club meeting that monies raised by the Trust will be exchanged for shares and that this will be used to pay off the FA fine.

The Trust are delighted that this arrangement could be made with the club for the duration of the exceptional circumstances of this crisis.

The trust also held a collection at the recent Fans United day and would like to thanks everyone who donated to the cause. £1,145 was raised by the Trust and there was an excellent turnout from supporters of other clubs to witness the Silkmen's 3-0 defeat of Carlisle United.

The trust would once again like to thank anyone who has made donations, large or small, to the cause. They will continue to strive to raise money to save Macclesfield Town FC.

Trust receives first proceeds from Pixsale
27th January 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust has been sent the first wave of cash from Gary Jackson's highly successful Pixsale initiative. The first £5,000 from the sale will arrive in the Trust Account shortly to take the total raised by the trust to almost £20,000.

Gary Jackson said: "It has been a phenomenal response from supporters of the Silkmen and, of course, fans of other clubs up and down the country and abroad. We're currently closing in on £8,000.

"We have been stunned not only by the generosity of the people but by their messages of support which were supplied with the Pixels."

The Silkmen Pixsale will continue to collect until the end of the month and donations can be made at www.mtfc.info. The total from the Pixsale has also been boosted by £1,000 thanks to an auction of a Liverpool shirt signed by Macclesfield born England International Peter Crouch.

The Silkmen Supporters Trust, who hope to break the £20,000 barrier by the end of the week, were quick to thank Gary for his hard work. Spokesman Tom Rance said: "It was incredible how quickly Gary had this initiative off the ground and it has been a lot of hard work for him to ensure that the site was kept up to date as the donations flooded in. This has been an excellent boost for the Silkmen Supporters Trust and is our single biggest donation to date."

All money raised by the Silkmen Supporters Trust will be used to buy shares in the club and will then be used by the club to pay the FA.

Eric Campbell
26th January 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust would like to echo the sentiments of Macclesfield Town Football club and their supporters at the passing of Eric Campbell.

He was a stalwart Macclesfield Town servant and is a sad loss to the club. We would like to offer our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones at this time.

The Trust applauds the plans to do something in the future to permanently remember Eric's contribution to Macclesfield Town.

Donations Flow For Silkmen Supporters Trust
23rd January 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust have been delighted generosity since they began collecting money a fortnight ago.

At the weekend they held a bucket collection before their game with Northampton Town and raised over £1,300 from supporters of the Cobblers as well as the following Macclesfield Support.

A Trust member who was collecting at the game said "People were very generous towards us. They have been in a similar situation themselves and showed real sympathy. People were donating notes as well as coins and were expressing their best wishes and reminding us that it is possible to overcome the odds.

"This level of support from other fans who have themselves survived a difficult situation for their club has been an excellent morale boost for the members of the Trust. We are now more determined than ever to help the club raise the money they need. We would like to thank the club and everyone who attended the game for their donations and kind words.

The trust has also recently received a one-off donation of £3,000 from a supporter. The fan who did not wish to be named said "If we can get another nine people to donate a similar amount and join the 1% club then we will have matched the generous donation of the owners towards this fine.

"I would hope that some of the other supporters who are able to make such a donation will be nudged in the right direction by my own addition to the cause."

Trust membership has now hit 175, but everyone involved are still keen to recruit people who can donate time, money or even just their support by being a member.

Collection at Northampton raises £1,342
22nd January 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust is pleased to announce that the bucket collection at yesterday's game against Northampton Town raised £1,342.

All of this money will be used to buy shares in Macclesfield Town FC for the Supporters Trust.

We would like to offer our sincere thanks to the Northampton Town fans as well as the visiting Silkmen for their generosity. One Northampton lady dropped £5 in and a Note, which said "Wishing you all the best, you were always welcoming when we come to you - The Cobblers".

We would also like to thank the Northampton Town Supporters Trust who gave us advice and assistance in promoting the collection in advance.

Silkmen Supporters Trust Off to a Flying start
17th January 2006

The Silkmen Supporters Trust received a double boost at the weekend as they announced that not only would the club allow them to buy shares, but that the money raised for these shares will be used to pay off the FA fine.

Company law dictates that a person or organization has no direct say in how their money is spent if they buy shares in a company. However, the Silkmen Supporters Trust has been given assurances that during the exceptional circumstances of this FA fine and repayment, funding received in exchange for shares from the Supporters Trust will be used to pay the fine.

The Trust will submit an application for the first tranche of shares as soon as they are legally incorporated this week.

The announcement was made by Robert Wilson, a member of the Supporters Trust at a club-hosted event in the McIlroy Suite after the club's 1-1 draw with Oxford.

At this meeting the Supporters Trust held a recruitment drive and extended membership to over 160. The Supporters trust also received donations worth over £2,500.

A further donation of £3,000 was then promised after the Trust made the announcement about shares.

"We had hoped to achieve a membership of about 150 in the first six months" said Rob in front of over 100 people at the meeting, "But we have already beaten that target within weeks. It has been an excellent start for us."

The Silkmen Supporters Trust would like to thank everyone who has made a donation to the cause. Whether it is loose change in a bucket a direct donation worth thousands, it is highly appreciated.

Fans United Day at the Moss Rose

Our home game with Carlisle United on the 29th January is a Fans United Day.

Last month Macclesfield Town were hit hard by the F.A. who ordered the Cheshire club pay them in the region of £300,000 by the end of January. This took the form of a fine and repayment for offences relating to the building of the new stand. Two of these charges, which incorporate almost 80% of the full amount, the club still strenuously deny.

It was immediately clear that a club the size of Macclesfield Town, and indeed most other organizations, would struggle to raise that sort of money in the draconian six week timescale given by the F.A.

The Club and it's supporters both moved swiftly to begin the seemingly insurmountable task of raising the required money.

One of several initiatives being run by the club is a decision to host a Fans United day at the Moss Rose at 3.00pm, Sunday January 29th when the club face Carlisle in a League Two clash.

A Silkmen Supporters Trust spokesman Mike Griffiths said: "All supporters of Macclesfield Town feel that the FA have been unjustly ruthless in the size and timescale of this punishment. We are working hard to help raise the money and want to support the Club's move to create this Fans United Day. We hope that supporters from across the country will come and enjoy the day with us. Our four games since Christmas have seen 20 goals so it could prove to be very entertaining for the neutral even if the loyal fans fingernails don't last the full 90 minutes!"

"The day will also involve a collection for our newly formed Silkmen Supporters Trust who have pledged to help Macclesfield Town raise the £300,000 they need by the end of the month."

Fans United days have proved to be incredibly successful in the past as the football family turn out to support one of their own who are undergoing a crisis.

Events at Cambridge and Wrexham last year attracted 1,000 and 1,400 extra supporters respectively.

Supporters of all clubs are invited to attend the game wearing their own team's colours to show their support for the Silkmen in their hour of need.

The Silkmen would also like clubs from the Premiership, Football League and below to send a signed shirt which will be paraded at the Moss Rose to signify the support of all of the Football Family.

Silkmen Supporters' Trust Progress Report – 05/01/06

Following announcement of the fines, the club organised an Open Meeting on 21st Dec to brainstorm ideas for fundraising. There were some great ideas from the floor, and two or three people suggested the possibility of setting up a Supporters Trust. A group of fans got together later that evening and agreed to look into the feasibility for our club. Since that meeting, which was just over two weeks ago, a lot has happened:

• Members of the Steering Group have met Supporters Direct twice.
• Members of the Steering Group have met the football club formally three times to discuss the SOS events, the establishment of the Trust and the procedures for application and the purchase of shares.
• Members of the Steering Group have met Macc Borough Council to discuss fundraising events.
• A Trust Bank account and an address for postal Donations have been set up
• Members of the Steering Group are well on with formally setting up the Trust based on the Supporters Direct Model constitution.
• Members of the Steering Group have another meeting with Supporters Direct on Sunday. We have had a solicitor view the document.
• A dedicated Trust website has been set up at http://www.silkmen.org.uk
• The Trust has 101 paid up members after last night’s meeting, and hope to pick up plenty more.
• The Bank account has been formally opened with a nominal balance, however before then, we had pledges adding up to a figure of around £6,000, and we hope to be in a position to submit our first share application when the Trust is in place.
• Members of the Trust were interviewed by Granada TV, and we were on 606 Radio 5 live after the Wycombe game.

To clarify the Bank account situation as there has been some confusion:

In agreement with the Football Club, a Natwest account was opened specifically for SOS funds with one Supporters Trust and one Football Club signatory.

This means that funds paid in are fully protected. This account is for the bucket collections to date and all monies raised by Football club events. Your money going in there will go to the SOS fund but you get nothing back.

Members of the Steering Group have set up a separate Supporters Trust account with the Nationwide. This will be used to capture Membership subscriptions, donations aimed at the SST, and for funds raised from ”special” events we organise and which are agreed to be SST events with Rob. All SST events will be clearly designated to ensure that supporters are aware which section of the fundraising campaign is receiving their money.

Open meeting gives mandate to continue

The embryonic Macclesfield Town Fans Trust held a meeting at the Moss Rose to allow all supporters of the club to have their say in the plan.

A successful event saw close to 200 people attending and all heard representations from Andy Thomas, Steve Mundy and Stockport County trust member Norman Beverly who spoke passionately about the benefits of Football trusts.

The meeting ended with a unanimous vote to give the Steering Group a mandate from the supporters to continue with their efforts in setting up the Silkmen Supporters' trust.

At the meeting it was announced that Macclesfield Town Chairman Rob Bickerton is in favour of the supporters forming a Trust and is supportive of our goals to work alongside his team in rescuing this club from its current and longer term difficulties.

The Trust are confident that all monies paid to them will be accepted by the club in exchange for shares, but this would need to be ratified by a Football Club board decision.

Become a founder member of the Silkmen Supporters' Trust

Supporters can become founder members of the Silkmen Supporters' Trust now! The membership application form for the Trust is now available on the Trust web site. Click here for details about joining the trust and to download an application form.

Application forms can be posted with a cheque to the address on the web page or alternatively supporters can bring the form and cash with them to the open meeting to be held tomorrow night at 7.30pm in the McIlroy suite at the Moss Rose.

Open Meeting on 5th January 2006

There will be an open meeting taking place on Thursday 5th January 2006 in the McIlroy Suite at the Moss Rose, starting at 7.30pm to discuss the formation of the Silkmen Supporters' Trust.

All Macclesfield Town supporters are welcome.

Silkmen Start Trust

A group of Macclesfield Town supporters have taken the first steps towards setting up a Supporters Trust.

HISTORY

The idea of a trust was first made public at the fans meeting called by the club last week. Several different people had, independently, looked into a fans trust with contact made by individuals to both Supporters Direct and other fans trusts around the area. These different groups joined together and a further discussion was arranged for after the Stockport County game There was then another meeting where it was decided to go ahead and form a Supporters Trust with a temporary steering group of loyal Macclesfield Town supporters setting the wheels in motion.

The primary objective of the Supporters Trust is to raise the money to pay off the FA fine and to try and bring the community and the club closer together. An open fans meeting has been arranged for 19:30 on the 5th January at the McIlroy Suite at the Moss Rose to give all supporters and shareholders of the club the chance to express their ideas and concerns about the Trust as well as the opportunity to sign up.

OBJECTIVES

The steering group have provisionally agreed to some short and long term objectives for the Silkmen Supporters Trust:

• Helping Macclesfield Town Football Club to raise £300,000 by the draconian deadline of January 31st set by the Football Association.
• To work towards bringing the club closer to the community and the community closer to the club.
• To earn future official supporters representation on the Board
• To assist in attracting new fans to the Moss Rose whilst allaying the concerns of any existing supporters currently unhappy with the club.

The overall aim of the Supporters Trust is to pull the Silkmen through this current crisis and work towards a healthy and successful Football League club for everyone in Macclesfield and the surrounding areas.