The Honest Men Trust - Ayr United Community Initiative

On 1st October 1999, the Minister of State for Culture, Media and Sport in England announced a government initiative to help give football supporters a say in the running of their local football clubs. An organisation called ‘Supporters Direct’ was established to help with the creation of Supporters’ Trusts. In April 2002 the work of Supporters Direct was extended to Scotland supported by start-up funding from the Scottish Executive.

In August 2003 a meeting was held at Somerset Park, Ayr were over 200 supporters approved the launch of the not for profit The Honest Men Trust – an Ayr United Community Initiative. The Trust with its democratically elected chairman and board of directors was approved on the 28 October 2003 as an official Industrial and Provident Society and registered as the Ayr United Community Initiative Limited with the Financial Services Authority. – Registration No. 2635RS.

The main objective of the Trust is to strengthen the bonds between the local Ayrshire community and Ayr United and to represent the interests of the supporters in the running of the Club. The chairman of the Trust, Mr John Dalton, is now a director of Ayr United. The Trust Board has approved a variety of practical projects consistent with our objectives e.g. assisting the disabled in match attendance and organising transport to away fixtures. It has also embarked on fund –raising efforts which will allow in time a substantial shareholding in the Club to be secured and the Trust’s objectives implemented by mutual agreement with the Chairman and Board of Directors of Ayr United

It has also established sound links with South Ayrshire Council.

Below is an article published in the October Edition 12 of the Supporters Direct publication and outlines a brief history of how the Honest Men Trust was formed.

Like most Supporters Trusts, the idea for The Honest Men Trust was formed in a pub. In this case it was the Horseshoe Bar in Ayr where four fans got together to discuss the possibility of establishing a Trust having attended the first Supporters Direct in Scotland Conference.

The basis for a Trust didn’t occur from a crisis over the clubs’ existence but rather a genuine concern as to the direction the club was heading. Only the previous March, Ayr United had contested the CIS Cup Final and reached the semi finals of the Scottish Cup but now the signs were ominous. The club, had been bank rolled for the previous nine years by its’ majority shareholder, local construction firm Barr Holdings, whose chief executive, Bill Barr was club chairman. But that funding came to an end. Failure to win a battle with the Scottish Executive to build a new stadium was probably the key factor in that source of funding being withdrawn, allied to the failing health of Bill Barr. Barr has subsequently retired from his positions at both Barr Holdings and more recently as Chairman of Ayr United. Long before Barr Holdings sold it’s majority shareholding to American based stockbroker, Donald Cameron who has been on the United board for over a decade, the decision was taken that the club had to restrict it’s spending and live within its’ means to ensure the clubs’ continued existence. There was also a recognition that over the past couple of decades, the club had ‘lost touch’ with the local community. The Supporters Buses that ran to games, not just from Ayr but other local towns like Girvan and Troon had long since stopped. Attitudes both at the club and amongst its’ supporters had to change.

In March a meeting in the towns John Pollok Centre was organised to see if there was the desire and the enthusiasm to engage in the lengthy process of not just trying to get a Trust up and running but to motivate a lethargic Ayr United support. We all accepted early on that the Trust had to work in partnership with not only the club, but also the local community to achieve it’s objectives.

A target was set to launch the Trust at the start of the 2003/4 season. A home Bells Challenge Cup tie with Stirling Albion fell on the opening day and with the club deciding that that fixture bore no opportunity to house hospitality, the Trust took over the Hospitality Suites at Somerset Park to host its’ launch before the ‘big kick off’.
Guest speakers at the launch included Bill Barr (then still club chairman), Cathy Jamieson MSP as well as Supporters’ Directs’ James Proctor. Over 150 supporters, around 15% of Ayr Uniteds’ home support at the game, attended the launch and voted unanimously to back the Trust. At the time of writing we have in excess of 200 members.

With such a strong mandate, the Steering Committee decided that we had to capitalise on the success of the launch and arranged for a follow up General Meeting to be held at the end of August where the draft constitution was agreed and the members elected an interim board to run the Trust through to our first AGM. The general meeting included a presentation on some of the work at other Trusts to give the membership a flavour of what could be achieved and to get their minds working into what projects they would like the Trust to undertake. The plan certainly worked with ideas ranging from playing a role in the possible redevelopment of Somerset Park, to upgrading local playing fields that could be used by both the club and the local community. The subject of womens’ football was also raised. Only a few seasons ago Ayr United’s women’s team were the country’s top side but are now sadly defunct. Could they be resurrected to be the force they once were? Another initiative raised was to investigate possible methods of support for Ayr’s only junior club, Whitletts Victoria, who have existed against all odds for the past 20 years at the lowest level of the game in Ayrshire.

Ambitious they may be but the membership have spoken and with their backing, the trust aim to be a vital and successful organ not only in the future progress of Ayr United Football Club but in the wider community as a whole.