CPST makes donation to Crystal Palace Ladies FC
The Crystal Palace Supporters’ Trust is delighted to announce that it is donating £1,000 to Crystal Palace Ladies (CPLFC) to assist with the funding of a minibus. CPST had been in discussions with CPLFC chairman Richard Spokes for a number of months about the best way the Trust could look to help the Ladies’ club achieve their aim of obtaining Women’s Super League Status, and it was agreed by both parties that funds to help acquire a minibus would be a tangible and immediate boost towards the club’s objectives.
Richard Spokes said, “In a sport where the ability to pay players for their efforts is still rare, we rely heavily on the goodwill of our players and our partners. Player retention, in a competitive and often non-contracted environment is a massive issue for us, and we know that we have to work as hard as possible in all areas of club life to make CPLFC the choice for them.
The ability for players to have transport provided to and from games is one key area that we are focussing on. With success, comes longer journeys and increased costs. We see the provision of a minibus as not only a cost saving for players who would otherwise rely on driving themselves or the use of public transport, but also an aid to their match preparation and, of course adding to that team cohesion and spirit. The support of partners such as CPST is huge for us, not just the generosity of the financial help, but the fact that it comes from such an integral part of the Crystal Palace family, whom we are so proud to represent. We would like to thank everyone involved in this offer of help, something that is rarely, if ever seen at other clubs, reinforcing what we all know, Crystal Palace FC. One club. One community.”
CPST chairman Alan Palmer stated, “The Trust is always looking to how it can help with local projects, and we identified CPLFC as a particular project that we thought we could help. Richard and his team have done an incredible job over the past few years to set up and run so many teams under the CPLFC umbrella with very little external support, and their continued success at all levels has been fantastic. The Trust is very pleased to be able to help in the club’s objectives to becoming a Super League side.”
Crystal Palace Supporters’ Trust was founded by fans in 2000, when the Club first went into administration, with a view to raising sufficient funds to purchase a stake in the Club on behalf of fans, raising in excess of £1 million from individual fans through a loan notes scheme. The Trust has approximately 2,000 paid up members, and is one of the largest Trusts in the football community. Its objective is to develop and strengthen the bond between Crystal Palace Football Club, its supporters and the local community.
Crystal Palace Ladies in its current guise was established in 1992, with the creation of a youth team that season on season was added to, until 2002 when the first adult team was formed. From this point on, the club has developed further, attracting players from across South London, Kent, Surrey and beyond. The club has enjoyed success across the age groups and won multiple league and cup titles in a number of leagues. Run entirely by volunteers, this part of the World famous Crystal Palace brand is self-managing and wholly self-funding. It has over 300 players across 18 teams, from under 9s through to our elite first team, now playing in The FA Women’s Premier League. Whilst aiming to progress to the very highest levels, the club is also focused on providing development and opportunities geared towards the individual player.
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