October 21st 1805 - Admiral Horatio Nelson onboard the flagship HMS Victory issues the cry that "England expects that every man will do his duty" as the battle of Trafalgar is amount to commence.
May 13th 1940 – The new British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addresses the House of Commons with his first speech "come then, let us go forward together with our united strength," as the country continues its fight in World War II.
Throughout history the call for help and the call to unite behind a cause has been re-iterated in many different languages, in many different cultures and countries all over the world. To ability to help and aid others will always be common place in society. Today, here and now in 2011 our ability to be able to help and the methods we can show our support have changed vastly. The modern medium of the internet has let people spread a message of support worldwide in seconds. As a tool it’s one of the most powerful inventions the world has ever seen. When you believe in something and your moral compass tells you that something is right or that you don’t agree with something - then you all have the ability to help bring about change.
Change doesn’t occur overnight in a lot of cases. To bring about change takes time and patience but as a collective and with united strength together - history has taught us that we can bring about a change and that with more support that task becomes easier. The Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius famously said “The drops of rain make a hole in the stone, not by violence, but by oft falling.” The notion that a drop of water in stone seems an absurd notion on paper but it can be achieved over the course of time. So if it’s possible to bring about a change in such a solid structure using just water, then you begin to believe that anything is possible when you have even more elements to use at your disposal.
December 23rd 2009 saw the birth of The Pompey Supporter’s Trust. With the football club on its knee’s and fighting for its very life the formation of a Trust was a way to help the fans have a stronger voice and a role in trying to bring about change. Their aim is to bring about responsible, democratic representation at Portsmouth Football Club and in doing so help promote the highest standards of transparent governance, accountability and embed Portsmouth FC deeper into the community through greater communication and co-operation with the clubs fans.
The objectives of the Pompey Supporters Trust are as follows;
· To strengthen the bonds between the Club and the community by working in partnership with everyone connected to the Club, enhancing the benefit to the community it serves.
· To build up and develop a positive, proactive relationship with its owners and management of the Club by encouraging dialogue between the Club and its supporters.
· To encourage the Club to take proper account of the interests of its supporters and of the community it serves in its decisions.
· To further the development of the game of football both nationally and internationally in the upholding of both its rules and the accountability of those involved.
· To encourage supporter involvement including but not limited to, dialogue, fan representation and share ownership, ultimately to be the vehicle for democratic elections to the board.
· To promote, develop and respect the rights of members of the community served by the Club and people dealing with the Trust, by providing information to members and conducting the affairs of the Trust in accessible and appropriate ways.
Fast forward to September 2011 and the Pompey Trust continue to strive to help bring about change and give you the fans the chance to make a difference in the issues that affect you the most. Log onto any of the dozens of Pompey pages scattered online and you will find a dissenting voice on every single one about a broad range of topics. It’s all very well to have a moan but fans need to ask themselves how this will bring about change? The answer is simply to give your support behind the Pompey Trust and collectively as a single voice bring the issues to the football club itself in an attempt to bring about a change – a change that ultimately benefits you as a fan.
To join the Pompey Trust is simple and easy. Log online to http://www.pompeytrust.com/ and click on become a member at a total cost of just 1.37 English pennies to you per day or Five of your English pounds per year if you want to look at it in a different light.
Becoming a member of the Trust will help bring about the changes that affect you as fans. It will give you the opportunity to also give something back to the community as a whole with the work and help that the Trust does alongside calling for change.
There’s financial benefits to joining the Trust to; Members receive 10% off purchases in the club shop and the club also offers its members discounts on selected games throughout the season.
So what are you waiting for? Sign up today and be part of something bigger.
The Pompey Trust – By the fans … For the Fans.
PLAY UP POMPEY
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