The Trust are delighted to announce that they are the recipients of a fantastic gesture from the David Clough legacy that has seen 72,500 shares purchased in the Football Club and donated to the Trust.
The David Clough legacy has already made a real difference to the Football Club, with the new scoreboard, pgrading of the facilities within Executive Areas and the tribute to the Overcoat men. But this latest donation will go a long way to protecting the future of the Club for the long term and put another nail in the coffin of all those seeking to take advantage of our Club by making the Trust one of the largest shareholders in the Football Club.
Richard Wild issued a statement on Monday: “So today marks the final chapter in keeping our promise to Cloughie. Back in 2001, myself and Francis looked the great man in the eye and assured him that we’d do the right thing when his time came and that his legacy and passing wouldn’t go unnoticed.
“Since 24th June 2020, we’ve set about being good to our word and that concluded today with the purchase of 72,500 shares in Rochdale AFC. These shares will be donated to Dale Trust, ensuring the football club he loved so much remains safe from vultures and run by people with its best interests at heart. It follows on from all the other projects we’ve undertaken, all of which are well documented.
“What makes me proudest is that people now know about David Clough and what he did for RAFC before and after he left us. He’s appeared in publications all around the world and it makes me proud to see fans at the ground posing for a picture next to him.
“We miss him dearly, but he’d have been alongside us every inch of the way in our battles of the last 9 months. This now looks like a battle we’ve won, so raise a glass up there Cloughie, you’ve played a big part in achieving this.”
As a Trust, it is important that our newly increased shareholding reflects the fact where these shares come from. At our forthcoming AGM, we have having two votes. The first is that all votes at any Club AGM or EGM must be put to the members first, with the vote going the way that the members have dictated the Trust Board. That will ensure that any vote has the backing of the membership rather than just a handful of people on the Trust Board.
The second is that these shares can never be sold without 90% backing of the members in a ballot. We don’t envisage that it is something that will ever happen, but should this be approved at the AGM, it will set out the requirements for such circumstances. It also protects the Trust Board from any outside influences that may wish to persuade such a sale.
We are incredibly appreciative of the donation of the shares. We must pay tribute to both Richard Wild and Francis Collins for their part in this donation as the executors of the Will. This is the latest and final act from a legacy that has already made a real difference to life at Spotland.
But more importantly, the final word must go towards everyone’s favourite Goldbond Agent, the original Rochdale superfan and Trust member David Clough who has made such a significant difference to the Club both before and after his death. This act will go a long, long way to ensuring that this Club remains in the hands of the supporters and protects the Club for both this generation and the next.