Carlisle United fans' trust: why time was right for relaunch

CUOSC are now known as CUST – Carlisle United Supporters’ Trust – after a vote by supporters to change from the previous name of CUOSC (Carlisle United Official Supporters' Club).

The trust also have a new logo and website which was launched on Sunday at a members’ meeting which was attended by the club’s owners, the Piataks.

Trust board members hope the rebrand will prove timely following the takeover – and provide fresh clarity on the trust’s aims and purpose.

“With being involved with the takeover from the very start, we could see that there was a potential for a new start for the club itself – and with the increase in interest in [the trust] over the last couple of years, with a three-fold increase in membership, we thought it was a good time to do one ourselves,” CUST chair Dan MacLennan told the News & Star.

The new supporters' trust logo (Image: CUST)

“This is our fourth iteration now, having been CCUIST, the United Trust, CUOSC and now Carlisle United Supporters’ Trust.

“The ‘trust’ element is one of the biggest parts for us, because we will always be a trust – our main duty is to be the 10 per cent shareholder as a trust and I think it's important that that is conveyed.

“Some people couldn't distinguish between trust and supporters’ club [with the previous name].

“There are elements of supporters’ club stuff that we want to do in the future, but at the same time we don’t want to step on toes – for instance, the away travel is established at the moment.

The trust presented the changes to members at Sunday's meeting (Image: News & Star)

“In the future, I'd like to think it would eventually all come under one [banner] but for now, we see ourselves as a link between the fan on the terrace and the faces in the boardroom.”

The trust, who have directors on the operational and Holdings boards at Brunton Park, were looking at a rebrand before the Piatak takeover but as that situation gathered pace, agreed to “park” it until things were resolved and a new era at Brunton Park was under way.

It was picked back up this summer and, after a survey, the name change was voted upon, while potential new logos were presented to fans, designed by Mike Rome and Rob Morley from PrintByRob, whose design was ultimately chosen.

“The member involvement was a key part of it,” MacLennan added.

He said the new website would be a more user-friendly experience for trust members and supporters.

“Everything is in one place,” he said. “Previously, on the old website you would click ‘join’ and it would take you to a separate website.

“It’s all embedded in the new one. We've got a shop with new products embedded now, all our policies and so on – it’s all there.

“It’s a case of saying, ‘This is us, there’s a fresh start at Carlisle United – get on board’.

“We can't talk enough about how well the relationship [with the club and owners] is now and yes, it's us in the chair at the moment, but in the future there will be others.

“We hope more supporters will come on board and [if necessary] draw that line in the sand with the historic stuff [that might have affected views of the trust], such as what happened during Fred Story’s time as owner.”

The trust’s shareholding reduced from 25.4 per cent to ten per cent as part of the Castle Sports Group takeover, thus removing its historic ‘blocking right’.

CUST believe, though, that they can remain increasingly relevant through their activities and their relationship with the Piataks.

At Sunday’s meeting they pointed to five key strands concerning governance, commercial, membership, relevance and communications, which are all set out on the new website.

“We want to be that link between the terrace and the seats and the boardroom,” MacLennan added.

“We have a fantastic working relationship with the [Piatak] family, Matt [Spooner, the trust’s 1921 board rep] is involved in the leadership groups [at the club] and we have contact with the family ourselves.

CUOSC chair Dan MacLennan, left, pictured with Blues hero Dean Walling (Image: Barbara Abbott)

“We are also looking at getting a new fan zone presence – and we want people to come and see us so we can hear your ideas, comments, feedback.

“Rest assured it will get sent and passed on. Whether or not it is a ‘yes’ to everything, every piece of information is taken on board and evaluated.

“This is the link, this is what we are, and hopefully we’ll do that justice in the coming years.”

Current membership is 1,075, Sunday’s meeting heard, down from a high of 1,394 which coincided with an influx of new members ahead of last September’s meeting with the Piataks and the vote on the trust’s shareholding amid the takeover process.

On the aim to grow numbers again, MacLennan said: “Two-and-a-half to three years ago there were 400 members of the trust, and it went up nearly as high as 1,400 last year.

“We knew there'd be some who would only join for that meeting, and we have had the drift, but we're approaching 1,100 again now.

“We don't want to set a target but we get emails every night from our membership software and every day there's two or three more people joining, or people renewing.

“We just want to get it higher. The more people are members, the bigger the voice we have. I would like to think if we could get back up to 1,400, 1,500 this season, then the next step you think of is 2,000.”

The Piataks attended Sunday's trust meeting (Image: Ben Holmes)

MacLennan also responded to the question of how CUST maintains its relevance in the wake of its reduction in shareholding.

“We did get comments of that kind when the vote happened, people saying we’d have less of a voice – but it has been completely the opposite.

“The relationship between ourselves and Castle Sports Group is just a different level to anything I've known and long may it continue.

“Should there be a day in the future when there's a decision made that we're maybe not so keen on – it may happen, it may not – certainly our views will be taken on board, as they always have been, so we'll cross those paths if we ever get to them.”