On Remembrance Day ~ a review of BCST

So here we are Remembrance day 2012. A day when my thoughts turn to people were so interested in their cause that they laid down their lives for it, when my thoughts turn to my father and his brothers who risked the same but luckily came back alive to support the team that they loved. Such commitment, such involvement, effort and risk that we should be eternally grateful for.

So how about the Supporters Trust a campaign that is far less serious but still very important, or so it seemed.

The Supporters Trust is around two years old (from concept). Through all the hard work, personal unpaid time, unreturnable cash investment by the 'Blues Few' who did all the hard work to get the thing off the ground.

I was reminded to post something abut this by the newsletter from Supporters Direct (the governing and supporting body to UK trusts) that arrived yesterday. It lauds the success of Trusts that are world famous at Barcelona and Real Madrid. It talks of the work done by the thousands of Pompey supporters who have a significant opportunity to take over their own club. It talks about many other clubs where Trusts are alive, well and having major influence on their clubs. I take my hat off to the fans of those clubs, I admire them greatly.

So where are we? How do we compare?

We I am ashamed to say that the Birmingham public have managed to get all of 200 people to sign up to the Trust.

That is awful.

I have often wondered why Birmingham City Football Club, the club holding the name of the second city, a city of 2m people has only one team that could ever be seen to really challenge for a top place in English football, and a second team that are poor also rans in that race are in the position that they are. I think I now know the unpalatable truth.

The Birmingham people are just not that interested in football to allow their clubs to be great. Took me a long time, most of my life to realise that, but I think it is the truth.

Whilst Manchester United fans are so interested and involved as to set up an alternative club when they disagreed with what was happening to their club, whilst the Wimbledon fans do the same for different but very valid reasons, whilst Portsmouth fans organise themselves so effectively they can take over their club......only 200 Blues fans can put their hands in their pockets to the tune of £5 per annum to do anything like that, then I think we have to accept that we just do not have the fan base to be great.

You know that long long road that we try to keep right along? It seems it is a cul de sac.