Simply click on the link below – the interview runs from 48.17 to 53.50, or better still enjoy the whole show! 

http://www.palaceradio.net/audio/ipswich%20oldonetwo.mp3

The shortlist for the award has been drawn up by the club and is as follows:

• Stuart O’Keefe
• Sean Scannell
• Jon Williams
• Wilfried Zaha

As a Trust member YOU get to decide who will be the winner!

Simply click on the link below to send us an email  giving your name, and choose one of the four players above.

For example: James Smith – Sean Scannell

Voting will close on Friday 4th May  and the winner will be announced at the CPFC Player of the Year awards at Selhurst Park on Saturday 12th May.

Click here to vote: cpstrust@hotmail.com

Trust Statement on Football Governance
Fulham Supporters’ Trust

Football’s Response to Government Regulation Recommendations
Rams Trust

Clear blue skies over Edgeley…but not over Football (second story down)
Stockport County Supporters’ Co-operative

England/Wales

Business people urged to help save Pompey
Pompey Supporters Trust

Swansea City’s trust help keep the club in good company
The Guardian

FC United hits Community Shares target
FC United

Supporters Direct says supporters’ trust has taken a significant step 
Northwich Victoria Supporters Trust

Community Stadium News
Cambridge Fans United

Chester FC and Northwich Victoria: Poles apart in the same division

Twohundredpercent

Revealed: the £39.6m in unpaid football taxes
Sporting Intelligence

Ladies are Champions
Lewes FC

Port Vale in administration: the end of the beginning
Twohundredpercent

Trust reacts to administrator’s final report
Argyle Trust

Comments & Blogs                                                                                                                                                     

Governing the Beautiful Game
Tom Greatrex MP

Football for the many
Dan Crawford

How would Roman Abramovich react to being a laughing stock at Chelsea?
Marina Hyde 

Sport and the British: Globalisation (Audio)
BBC iPlayer

Aston Villa – Prophets and Losses
The Swiss Ramble

Committee Corner – Financial Fair Play
Shrimpers Trust 

Scotland

Rangers: Andrew Ellis in legal action over Craig Whyte shares
Glasgow Rangers

The Fans’ Plan for the future of Scottish Football
Supporters Direct 

Scottish Football Supporters’ Network design winner guests at League Cup final
Supporters Direct 

Singapore consortium enters battle to take control of Rangers
The Guardian

Rangers: the ‘experts’ speak
Twohundredpercent

Europe/World

A la nantaise receive cross-party support for campaign
Supporters Direct

EC confirms support for Financial Fair Play
Supporters Direct 

Trusting their own abilities
Irish Independent

Interview with Eric Sjölin, Elfsborg SLO
Supporters Direct 

Let’s buy a Soccer team
Voice of San Diego

Mr Almunia stated, “I am a football fan and I hope that future generations will also be able to watch and enjoy first class professional football based on solid grounds. I am deeply concerned by the increasing level of indebtedness of many European clubs. This situation is not sustainable. Both EU state aid rules and UEFA objectives help introduce discipline and rationality in football club finances.” Mr Platini said, “I am very pleased that UEFA and the EC have together taken this decisive step to secure a prosperous and stable future for European football and for the European football community generally. Our statement confirms that UEFA’s financial fair play regulations are fully consistent with EU State aid policy and I would like to sincerely thank vice-president Almunia and the EC for their commitment, constructive spirit and cooperation in this joint process.”

Under Article 35 of the 2010 UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations, clubs competing in UEFA competitions will be required to appoint a Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) before the beginning of the 2012/13 season, to ensure that dialogue between supporters and their clubs remains open and constructive.

The introduction of SLOs across Europe will hopefully help to ensure fans have a voice at their respective clubs. All too often, clubs and associations take decisions affecting fans without ever having involved them in the decision-making process or taken the trouble to listen to their views. Thankfully this does not happen at Palace! Having an advocate inside the club should serve to remedy this situation.

Supporters Direct has played a big part in bringing about Article 35 and its efforts have since been acknowledged by the British government in its response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee Inquiry on Football Governance: “The Government believes that every club should have a dedicated and mandatory supporter liaison officer.” Let’s hope that the relationship between clubs and supporters across England become as strong as they are here at Selhurst Park.

Supporters Direct (of which the Trust is a member) issued the following statement following the response:

“We note the proposed introduction of a licensing system and welcome the football authorities’ recognition of the value in adopting a licensing approach. At this stage of the reform process the proposals only address the principle of licensing.

During the second stage, more detailed measures will need to be incorporated into the licensing system to ensure the sustainability of English professional clubs in the future.

To assist with this process SD has submitted proposals for our key principles for football club licensing for discussion with the football authorities.

If the substantive issues of sustainability are not addressed, the regrettable trend of insolvencies and financial strife affecting football clubs can be expected to continue. With Port Vale entering into administration today, there have now been 92 insolvencies since 1992 in the top five divisions of English football.”

FC United of Manchester reach Community Shares target!
Following the re-launch of their Community Shares scheme, FC United of Manchester have today reached their target of £1.6m, which will allow them to go ahead with their planned stadium and community facility at Moston, Manchester – a remarkable achievement. To find out more, click here. Congratulations from everyone at SD to FC United!

Supporters Direct on the radio 
Many of you will be familiar with the BBC Non League Show, which has for many years provided an invaluable place where supporters and clubs alike can discuss the issues affecting the game below the professional level. SD’s own Kevin Rye has a regular guest slot on the show, and you can listen to his most recent appearance on Episode 31 here. You can also follow the show on Twitter @nonleagueshow.

Exeter City praised for anti-homophobia initiative, annual accounts
Following the most successful season in their history, Exeter City FC are once again enjoying an eventful season in League One. But the club have also been busy off the pitch, drawing praise in the last month for their anti-homophobia stance and also releasing their annual accounts. To keep up with all the happenings at the club and the Trust, follow them on Twitter.

Local Businesses ‘Backing The Blues’
Another team enjoying an eventful season are Chester FC. Twelve points clear at the top of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League table, the Blues have also been developing their links with the local business community through the ‘Backing The Blues’ campaign. To find out more, click here. Members of City Fans United have also voted on the club’s home kit for the 2012/13 season – to take a look at the winning design, click here.

AFC Wimbledon scoop Big Society award
AFC Wimbledon recently became the first football club to receive a Big Society award, set up ”to recognise individuals, groups or organisations that are demonstrating the Big Society in their work or activities.” To find out more, click here. 

A busy period for Cambridge Fans United
Cambridge Fans United recently presented Cambridge United with a cheque for £10,000, receiving shares in return, and helping the club through a difficult time. This follows the appointment of a second Trust Board Member to the Club Board, Dave Doggett. To find out more, click here. The Trust have also launched an Audio-Descriptive commentary service for visually impaired supporters, and are looking to extend this service to away matches. For more information, please contact Nick Parker on 07929 589 925. To keep up to date, visit the CFU website.

One of CFU’s major priorities concerns the potential relocation of the club to a community stadium funded by Grosvenor Homes. CFU are working with Grosvenor to ensure that all supporters are given the opportunity to receive and provide feedback about the possible move. On the commerical side of things, CFU have also set up an online shop and ticketing facility which can be accessed via their website. To find out more, please contact John Bilboa on 07971 805 531.

All of this comes in the year of the club’s centenary, and CFU are closely involved in planning various ways to mark this, including a new online museum, and a book being produced to commemerate ’100 Years of Coconuts.‘

Brakes Trust seek citizen of the year
The Brakes Trust (also known as the Leamington FC Supporters’ Co-operative) are once again running their annual search for a local Citizen of the Year. The campaign is intended to find a local unsung hero, who brightens the lives of others around them for little or no reward. To find out more, click here.

Killie Trust scoop RBS CommunityForce Award
The Killie Trust have this week celebrated the news that they have been awarded a £6275 CommunityForce award by RBS, as part of the bank’s Customer Charter. The award will be used to extend the Trust’s primary school education project, which promotes literacy, numeracy, decision making, a healthy diet and exercise activity. To find out more, visit the Trust’s Facebook page.

News from Europe

‘Improving Football Governance through Supporter Involvement and Community Ownership’ project underway
Work is underway in the ‘Improving Football Governance through Supporter Involvement and Community Ownership’ project, funded by the European Commission, coordinated by Supporters Direct and involving eight partners from across Europe, who will meet for the first Steering Committee session on April 20th. The project will last until June 2013, and will continue the drive towards better governance and supporter involvement in European football. To find out more, visit the Supporters Direct website.

Una Nuova Governance per il Calcio? La partecipazione dei Tifosi e il ruolo dei Supporters Trust
Stakeholders from across the Italian game (clubs, supporters, local government and the football authorities) were present in Venice on Saturday February 25th, organised by Supporters Direct affiliate members Venezia United, the Supporters’ Trust for FBC Unione Venezia. SD Head of European Development Antonia Hagemann was among the speakers at the event, which saw a discussion and debate about the role that Italian football supporters can play in the governance of their clubs. To read more about the event, click here.

Supporter Liaison Officer update
Ahead of the requirement for all clubs competing in UEFA competitions to appoint a Supporter Liaison Officer in time for the start of the 2012/13 season, the SLO project continues apace across Europe. To read an interview with the SLO at Swedish club Elfsborg, Eric Sjölin, click here. To find out more about the project, visit the Supporters Direct website, or contact Stuart Dykes.

Fan ownership movement continues to develop in France
On Friday March 23rd A la nantaise, l’association des amoureux du FC Nantes, held an event organised in co-operation with Supporters Direct. ‘L’actionnariat Populaire, une réponse face à la crise financière et morale du football professionnel européen’ was attended by local and national stakeholders, and the Norwich City Supporters’ Trust, with whom A la nantaise have recently twinned. The event generated some positive discussion, and clearly showed the appetite and support for fan ownership in France. To find out more, click here.

England/Wales

FC United closes in on £1.6m Community Shares Target
Supporters Direct

PST Statement, 1/3
Pompey Supporters’ Trust

Hearn to hear Trust proposals
Dorset Echo

Mansfield Town chairman John Radford plans for the future after Field Mill purchase
chad.co.uk

MP Damian Collins calls for football clubs to reveal identity of owners
The Guardian

L.U.S.T Board Members’ ticket purchasing accounts blocked by Leeds United
Leeds United Supporters’ Trust

Exeter City celebrated for its stance against homophobia
Supporters Direct

Club accounts 2010/11
Exeter City FC

Fans Trust backing United
Supporters Direct

Aston Villa announce record losses of £54m under Randy Lerner
The Guardian

CFU members to vote on kit designs
Chester FC 

Coventry City and Birmingham placed under temporary transfer embargo
The Guardian

Brakes Trust seek citizen of the year
Supporters Direct

Poppies suffer three-point deduction
Evening Telegraph

Stoke City Council propose Port Vale administration
BBC Sport 

Supporters Direct

Supporters Direct Councils/Advisory Group Election Results 2012
Supporters Direct

West Midlands regional meeting
Supporters Direct

South West regional meeting
Supporters Direct

Comments & Blogs

Demands for reform lead FA to surrender power to Premier League
David Conn

Portsmouth back on brink as extent of mishandling is laid bare
David Conn

Support is not for sale!
The Two Unfortunates

Arsenal’s mystery dance
The Swiss Ramble

The continuing adventures of Chairman Eddie of Bournemouth
Twohundredpercent 

Scotland

Save 140 years of history
Saverangers.com

Rangers chasing club owner Craig Whyte for up to £9m
BBC Sport

Rangers players head home without redundancy decision
STV 

Ticketus to talk to bidders as Rangers uncertainty continues
The Guardian

Europe/World

Una nuova Governance per il Calcio? La partecipazione dei Tifosi e il ruolo dei Supporters’ Trust
Supporters Direct 

SPL to review Financial Fair Play rules
STV

We look forward to being one of the supporters associations to attend the forum that will soon be convened along with the club and the police to discuss these matters further and raise any comments fans have. To that end if you have anything you wish to raise please contact us at at contact@palacetrust.org.uk .

Martin was co-opted to the Board earlier this month. He is a Civil Engineer working on projects ranging from single house new builds to housing estates, supermarkets and goods yards, and brings knowledge of design and construction to the training ground project.

The Board looks forward to his valuable contributions on the training ground project over the coming months.