Simmering tensions between Carlisle United’s supporters’ trust and a new fan movement have come to the surface in recent days – and the war of words shows little sign of abating.

The latest clash between Unita Fortior and CUOSC has seen the former accuse the latter of a “vindictive slur” following a radio appearance by two senior trust figures.

CUOSC, for their part, have labelled the fledgling Unita Fortior group as a “trojan horse” designed to unseat existing trust board members.

Amid a series of public comments from both sides, the appearance of CUOSC’s Frank Beattie and Nigel Davidson on BBC Radio Cumbria on Friday in response to previous comments by Unita Fortior, has done little to turn down the heat.

The recently formed Unita Fortior said they took issue with suggestions made on the show about how members of the new group would handle confidential information should they be elected to the CUOSC board.

“We would like to make it clear that we are more than aware how to process such information,” said Unita Fortior in a statement yesterday. “To suggest otherwise questions both our integrity and credibility.

“We say this is nothing more than a cheap, vindictive slur.”

Unita Fortior formed in January with a stated aim of dramatically boosting numbers in CUOSC in order to make the trust more representative of the wider Carlisle fanbase.

They claimed the trust had “stagnated” and grown “stale” and needed to be revitalised, with about 150 fans joining up in the aftermath of the launch.

Months later, though, and things have become more controversial, with Unita Fortior saying they recently put forward two fans to be considered for co-option for vacancies on the trust board, only for neither to be approached for further discussions.

A former trust board member was instead co-opted, with Unita Fortior saying: “The confirmation that the co-opted place had gone to a member who had served on the board previously spoke volumes to us about the lengths that those on the board currently appear to be going to maintain the status quo.”

The new group last week said that, after discussing the matter “at length”, they had decided “the only way change is realistically going to happen within CUOSC is to put forward candidates at the AGM ourselves.”

The said “some” of their group will announce their intention to stand for election to the CUOSC board at the July 31 AGM.

They said they hoped others not in UF would also stand.

One of the UF group, Dan MacLennan, appeared on Radio Cumbria early last week to underline some of their frustrations with CUOSC.

That also included a recent controversy over the communication of another co-option, and the resignation of a board member in the process.

He also said the trust had been sluggish in acting on ideas and suggestions they had put forward, and also had been “obsessed” with trying to arrange private meetings with the group, who instead preferred things to be aired in open members’ meetings.

News and Star: CUOSC's Frank Beattie, left, and Nigel Davidson, rightCUOSC's Frank Beattie, left, and Nigel Davidson, right

He also “categorically” said that UF had not formed with the intention of contesting board positions – only to help make the trust bigger and more representative.

CUOSC chair Frank Beattie and Nigel Davidson – who is replacing Jim Mitchell as CUOSC’s representative on United’s 1921 operational board – then hit back at some of the comments in their radio appearance on Friday.

Beattie said he felt the “stagnating” comments referred to slow progress with the debt and ownership situation at Brunton Park.

UF, though, have since stressed that such comments were about the trust, not the club.

Beattie also said CUOSC had sought private meetings with UF to try to make them aware of “restrictions we work under” regarding the dissemination of certain information, including Football Supporters’ Associaton rules and the trust’s own rules.

Davidson also said private meetings had been sought because UF had not come to the trust before their launch, and hence CUOSC had wanted to “reach out” to them.

But he said UF had “not engaged” that way, claiming that was “strange”.

Davidson went on to say UF’s comments in recent days “had proven what we thought from day one, which was [that] this is a Trojan Horse – they want to get onto the [trust] board, oust us and sit themselves in front of the directors of the football club.”

Davidson added that he “fully expected” UF members to get onto the CUOSC board at the AGM, and that he “didn’t have a problem” with that.

He said any new board members would then have to be informed of certain information that they don’t currently know, as well as the ways board members “have to conduct themselves”.

“What we’ve seen to date, particularly on social media, is really difficult. The way we’ve seen some of the individuals act, especially on social media – that would be breaking the board rules," he added.

“We have a concern about that – we have a concern about the information we are party to. At a recent members’ meeting we talked about what is an official [non-disclosure agreement] where we weren’t supposed to talk about details of the debt in public.

“One of the members of UF said in that position they would have done that. That’s a significant risk to the football club.”

They went on to say that breaching such agreements, regarding United's lenders, would put the Blues at risk of the debt being called in and the club going into administration.

Beattie also responded to criticism over CUOSC’s openness by saying that representatives of thecumbrians.net – some of whom are also involved in UF – had never given full details of why they had withdrawn from United’s supporters groups forum.

Davidson also claimed that UF’s approach was “causing division”. He said CUOSC extended the offer to meet UF again.

He also said that some CUOSC figures had taken “abuse” on Twitter from people connected to UF. Some individuals in UF have strongly denied being "abusive" in their criticism of the trust and its leading figures.

UF then further responded with a statement on Saturday where they said their intentions had been “misrepresented” by the CUOSC leaders.

They added: “Our original and sole aim was to help increase membership of the trust with the hope it would become much more engaging and involved with our fanbase.

“As the year has progressed, we’ve realised the only way to do so is by putting candidates forward for the upcoming AGM.

“Our call of stagnation doesn’t refer to the debt – it refers to our trust being stale. Talk of wanting to sit in front of directors is way off the mark.

“We were also disappointed to listen to the CUOSC board members claim they have worries regarding ourselves and the handling of confidential information.

“We would like to make it very clear that we are more than aware how to process such information. To suggest otherwise questions both our integrity and credibility.

“We say this is nothing more than a cheap, vindictive slur.”

The News & Star has invited leading CUOSC figures and UF to be interviewed in the build-up to the July 31 AGM.