Wanderers trust must support Steve Hayes (From This Is Local London)

Wanderers trust must support Steve Hayes

1:11pm Friday 3rd July 2009 in

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THE future of Wycombe Wanderers is in the balance this week.

Members of the Trust have to make a crucial decision – whether or not to support Steve Hayes, whose financial support of the club has kept it afloat for several years now. He has the full support of the board in offering to formalise part of his loans to the club by acquiring full ownership; this requires the trust members to reverse the current situation whereby the maximum shareholding in the club is 25%.

It is clear that without Mr Hayes’ support Wanderers would already or soon be in administration.

With his support we have gained promotion, acquired an ambitious manager with a proven track record and importantly kept afloat.

But his support of the club has been more than simply financial.

Anyone who was present at an evening he spent inspiring the students of Great Marlow School at their annual prize giving two years ago will understand his complete commitment to working with the community and young people.

His support of this aspect of the club’s work played no small part in Wanderers being voted Family Club of the Year in 2008.

Wanderers were shortlisted this year in the Family Club of the Year, Community Club of the Year, Fan Marketing Campaign and Digital Communication categories of the Football League Awards.

A new Wanderers Community Trust initiative aims at improving diet and exercise for local kids. There is much more to a modern community football club that the Saturday matches.

As a Manchester United supporter since childhood, I found it hard to accept that ‘my’ club was to be owned by two Americans with no connection with, let alone passion for, either Man U or even football of the ‘soccer’ variety. Time has passed and thus far, despite the financial indebtedness of the club, it seems to have proved beneficial. The finances of football clubs may not be what the average fan wants to worry about, but as the last few years have proven, if not properly managed, even great clubs can founder.

Wanderers will have an owner who demonstrably cares not only for the club, but for the community it serves. In that we are lucky – as if truth be told, there are no other millionaire philanthropists queuing up to carry Wanderers forward into the new commercial age of competitive sport.

I hope the Trust supports him.