Scarborough Athletic FC is born
The board of Seadog Trust has received confirmation this morning that its official application to the Northern Counties East League has been the only one received by the NCEL secretary before the midnight deadline.
As such, pending a meeting with NCEL officials at Bridlington Town's Queensgate ground to discuss the application, a Trust run club with the name Scarborough Athletic FC, will take its place in that league starting in the 2007-08 season.
Trust chairman Simon Cope has said “This is the start of the next chapter in the history of football in Scarborough. It is time now to put the past behind us. All of us at Seadog Trust would like to express their thanks to Ian Scobbie for his efforts to save Scarborough FC and his continuing commitment to football in Scarborough but we feel that a new club owned by fans is the best, if not only way forward. Now more than ever we would urge football supporters in Scarborough to join the Trust and have their say in the development of Scarborough Athletic. The Trust is a democratic, inclusive organisation, and any Trust member can stand in the upcoming board elections. We, the football fans of Scarborough, are in a position to create a football club which stands at the heart of the town’s community.”
Seadog Trust has decided, in conjunction with the Supporters Club, there will be an open forum for fans to have queries about the Trust answered. This is to be held at the St Nicholas Hotel on Thursday 28 June, 8pm. Please accept our apologies for the short notice of this meeting. Issues have changed rapidly in recent weeks and we understand that supporters need to be informed and their views heard as soon as possible. We would urge those who are interested in the future of the football club to attend this meeting which we hope will be a free and frank discussion about the future of football in Scarborough.
With the future of Scarborough Athletic now resolved, the Trust board is turning to the creation of a side for the 2007-08 season. A shortlist of managerial candidates has been prepared and those on this shortlist will be contacted over the coming days. Once a manager is appointed we will be able to press on with the formation of a team for the season. Although nothing concrete has yet been confirmed we hope to be holding trials at some stage to give the football players of the community every chance to be part of a true community club.
EDITOR’S NOTES:Seadog Trust is the Supporters’ Trust for Scarborough Football Club. It is an Industrial & Provident Society owned and run by its members, independent from the football club, and open to all Scarborough fans and the community of the town to join.The central aim of Seadog Trust is to enable supporters to play a meaningful role in their football club through the acquisition of a financial stake and also through board representation.Seadog Trust is a member of Supporters Direct, a government initiative funded by public money, and is one of nearly 150 other Trusts established with their assistance.