Chairman David Gartside has now officially stepped down as Chairman of the Rochdale Supporters Trust, and will be replaced in his role by Colin Cavanah.
Incoming Trust Chairman Colin Cavanah: “I would like to pay tribute to David for his time as Chairman of the Trust. His tenure as Chairman is the longest by some way of any previous Trust Chairman. As with any supporter organisation, it hasn’t always been plain sailing but he has led the Trust fantastically well during his time as Chairman even when we have been down to the absolute bare bones in terms of numbers on the committee.
“His commitment and drive have been extraordinary, and his phone bills must be astronomical given the number of phone calls he has made as anyone who has been on the Trust board can testify to. He has led with a sense of humour but overall he has shown a genuine desire to achieve the absolute best for the Football Club, the Supporters and above all the Trust members.
“Amongst his many achievements as Trust Chairman have been raising significant funds for a number of projects related to the club and the local community over the years, and expanding the membership of the Trust, especially with regards to the Exiles. On the plus side, we will now at the very least be able to host Curry Nights with the Trust Chairman present from now on.
“In taking over from Dave, it is a return to the role I had when we first launched the Trust back in January 2004 and we very much see the Trust as a members led organisation. The members have given us a clear mandate in two surveys now that they see the Trust’s chief purpose as being to act on behalf of the members, and that is something we are very keen to continue.
“Over the past twelve months, we have increased communication to our members through the monthly newsletter, increased the content on our website and an increased our presence on social media, and we have encouraged members and supporters to contact us directly either through email to info@daletrust.co.uk or in person at the Trust Desk in the Dale Bar on Saturday home matches. We need this communication with members to be a two way street, and there is no better way to do so than speaking to us directly.
“Much has been said about Team Rochdale over the last few months, but the Trust continues to have an excellent working relationship with the Football Club that allows us to have an ongoing dialogue with them on all matters. A recent Supporters Direct Members Day showed that very few supporters’ organisations in the country enjoy the relationship that we have with the club that benefits all parties.
“We fully applaud the club’s outstanding Season Ticket pricing structure for the 2018-19 season that offers affordability for all supporters – an absolute cornerstone of the Team Rochdale principles in my opinion, and we look forward to continuing to work with the club to strengthen all aspects of the Team Rochdale beliefs.
“We encourage as many supporters as possible to get involved and to sign up with the Trust for the 2018-19 season. This us your Trust.”
