Leeds United Supporters Trust is honoured and delighted that the Leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor Keith Wakefield, has today announced his support for the Trust and its aims.

A statement issued today by the Trust said that Councillor Wakefield is the latest of a number of high-profile supporters of L.U.S.T., joining our Honorary President Nigel Martyn, and several local politicians including Rachel Reeves, Greg Mulholland, Fabian Hamilton and Hilary Benn.

Councillor Wakefield said. “I support the Campaign for Change and vision to see Leeds United regain their rightful place in the Premier League. Fans need a greater say in the running of clubs. I’m happy to work with all political groups at the Council to see how we can support the Leeds United Supporters Trust".

And todays statement continued “one of the main aims in the Trust’s Vision Statement is to build positive relations with local bodies, and to have the Leader of L.C.C. on board with the Trust gives greater volume to the fans’ voice. There is growing political support for the role of supporters’ organisations in the governance of football clubs, and last July the Commons Select Committee’s Football Governance Report endorsed the Trust model as the preferred method for giving fans a meaningful voice. Councillor Wakefield’s support will be of great help to L.U.S.T., as we continue to campaign for the fans’ requests for positive change to be heard at our football club”.

And the Trust are delighted with Neil Warnock’s appointment, but added “We would urge the club to give more backing to its new manager than has been shown in recent seasons, to concentrate its resources on supporting Neil and the players rather than spending in non-football areas. We also call on the club not to ignore the wider ambitions of the Trust’s Vision Statement. More than a change of manager is required, not only to take Leeds United back to the Premier League, but to repair relations with supporters who have felt disenfranchised by the events of the last seven years. “

And I think that it’s absolutely right that the Trust are keeping up their Campaign for Change. Although there was a buzz around Elland Road on Saturday that hasn’t been there for a while and we can believe that Neil Warnock will guide us to more successful results, we are still left with several issues that need to be addressed.

We are still paying some of the highest ticket prices outside the Premiership while the playing squad has been starved of funds and the best players leave the club, and Bates spends the money on dubious property schemes around a stadium he claims not to own. Time for the Trust to bring some new investors into the club to give the new manager the resources he needs to take Leeds United back to where they belong.

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