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In early 2016, the owner of Grays Athletic FC announced that he would be stepping down as Chairman of the club at the end of the 2015-16 season. A group of supporters met in February 2016 to discuss the possibility of creating a new supporter-owned club. A meeting of supporters followed in April and a significant majority decide to pursue the creation of a 100% supporter-owned club. Supporters Direct helped the club launch a successful community share offer to demonstrate the club’s financial viability for the 2016-17 season. The club applied to the FA and the Ryman (now Bostik) League for permission to transfer its membership from the company that ran the club to a new organisation – “Grays Athletic Community Football Club”. In November 2016 Grays Athletic Community Football Club received official confirmation from the FA and the League that the transfer of ownership had been approved.

The Football Supporters’ Federation and Supporters Direct have appointed an interim board that will oversee work towards a unified national supporters’ organisation over the coming months.

Walsall Football Supporters Trust (WFST) took a memorable trip to the Walsall FC training ground recently. Trust representatives were there to witness the entire Walsall FC Squad, and members of the playing staff, including Dean Keates (Manager), Andy Davies (Assistant Manager), Michael Oakes (Goalkeeper Coach), Marc Czuczman (Senior Physiotherapist), Callum Hayes (Performance Analyst), Nick Barnett (Strength and Conditioning Coach) and Tom Bradley (Kit Man), become fully paid members of the trust.

It’s a Tuesday night in Stoke. Last kick of the game. On his debut. 40-yard own goal. Injured in doing so. Welcome to English football, Juninho Bacuna. Thanks to our chair Malcolm Clarke for the tip off on this one. Got to see this in person.

As Bristol City fans take legal action against West Midlands Police over alledgedly unjustified use of dispersal powers on supporters they are launching a crowdfund to help their cause and other fans in future. Stu Rogers from Bristol City Supporters’ Club & Trust tells us more…

The FA has publicly come out in favour of clubs being allowed to introduce standing accommodation, according to The Times.

Clapton CFC are yet to play their first competitive match yet they’ve already shifted over 2,000 shirts. In a weekend.

Following an incident involving away fans and Lancashire Police at Deepdale at the weekend, FSF caseworker Amanda Jacks was invited to a debrief by the force, here is her report…

To mark the magnificent work of some of the firefighters who tackled the Winter Hills fires, Bolton Wanderers FC Supporters Trust (BWFCST) have offered local firefighters the chance to attend a forthcoming fixture.

AFC Wimbledon lost 3-1 at home to Walsall this week, who continued their impressive and unbeaten start to the season – aided by Dons defender Will Nightingale who put his side in big trouble with this truly terrible backpass…

At our AGM last month, FSF members voted to support action on football’s marketing of sugary brands to children. Here Matthew Philpott from Healthy Stadia tells us more about the issue…

Southampton and Virgin Media will be promoting the work of Scope by handing over the team’s shirt sponsorship to the leading disability campaign group this weekend.

Wales are heading off to Aarhus next month for a UEFA Nations League match against Denmark and FSF Cymru will be on hand again to help those making the trip.

From Norway to Cyprus, and Israel to Ireland, SD Europe’s network touches 38 countries in Europe alone and beyond. To highlight and celebrate our growing network, this week sees the kick off of a new social media campaign, highlighting the supporters groups, member-run football clubs, and supporter liaison officers (SLOs) that make up SD Europe.

Bayern Munich put five past Frankfurt this week in a one-sided affair. Amidst the pummelling however, was this gem of a miss from from Sandro Wagner. Somehow skewing it wide from two yards…

This week La Liga announced that it will be staging competitive fixtures in the USA and Canada as part of a new 15-year broadcast deal.

After many years of talking about it, the Rochdale Former Players Association (RFPA) has been launched with the help of the Dale Trust.

Match-going supporters are losing out on affordable train travel due to broadcast moves and the state of the rail network, Labour said this week.

Our Away Fans Survey is back again this season, entering its sixth year of recording the away fan experience across England and Wales.

Orlando Pirates ‘keeper Wayne Sandilands stakes his claim for a spot in our And finally… Hall of Fame this week with a truly atrocious piece of control. His faffery put the Pirates 1-0 down, but luckily they managed to scrape a draw…