Trust Working Group

A brief history

On April 10th 2004, an open meeting was held at Chorley Library to gauge interest in forming a Supporters' Trust. The meeting was attended by over 50 people, some of whom came forward to form the Working Group. These people then went through the process of setting up the Trust as an Industrial and Provident Society.

On August 31st 2004, the Magpies Trust held its Launch Meeting at Chorley FC in the Social Club. At this meeting, those present voted in favour of the Working Group continuing to run the Trust until the first General Meeting, which took place on April 23, 2005.

Six people stood for election to the board: Working Group members Mick Brotherton, Colin Holden, Mark Rees and Peter Rothwell, Geoff Haslam and Anthony Holden also stood. Since the number of candidates was fewer than the 11 places available, all six were automatically elected, in accordance with the Election Rules. You can read about the members of the Board on this page.

The Trust is always on the lookout for volunteers. Whatever skills you have, you will be able to help. We need everything from leaflet deliverers to salespeople to people with legal knowledge. If you can dedicate a couple of hours each week to saving the football club you love, then get in touch, or just ask any member of the Working Group when you see them at a match. You will always find a few members in the Social Club before, during and after home matches.

Chair - Paul Brennan

Having been brought up in Chorley, I started supporting the club in the early 70s. The most memorable match from those days was a 5-4 win over Wigan Athletic under floodlights in front of a very large crowd.

After university, I moved to Manchester, then to Hyde (!), and I often watched our away matches at places like Stalybridge, Droylsden, Matlock and so on. Back in Chorley since 2000, I am now more of a regular along with my wife Sheila, who shares the secretarial duties.

The most memorable players I have seen have to be Micky Worswick and Paul Mariner: both classy and quality.

Secretary - Sheila Brennan

Biography coming soon

Treasurer - Colin Holden

I am a 42 year old Chartered Accountant and managing director of my own engineering company. I was brought up on Avondale Road in Chorley and was educated within a stone's throw of the ground at Duke Street primary school.

My first memory of Chorley FC is my granddad taking me to watch Manchester United reserves at Chorley in 1970. I am reliably informed that this game finished 2-2 and we lost the replay. Great memories include Steve Galliers running rings round Wimbledon, Paul Moss' header from the edge of the box to beat an expensively assembled Bury side and more recently the pace of Steve Jones and Tony Black.

There have been times when I have drifted away from the club, during my university years when I lived out of the area, and when I dedicated myself to building my family and career. However, I have always come back to support my local team.

Membership Secretary - Mark Rees

I have supported Chorley FC since 1990, and am a season ticket holder. I have been running the club's unofficial website Magpies In Space since 1999, and before that used to contribute the odd article to our old fanzine, Two For Joy. My first game was our last match in the Conference against Barnet, and ever since then the club seems to have been in a slow but steady decline. This has inspired me to get involved with the Magpies Trust and work to turn the club around and put it back where it belongs at the forefront of non-league football.

Away from Chorley FC, I work in IT. I have lived all over the UK, and in Holland for a year, but still managed to get to at least a few games each season. I now live in Manchester but grew up in Chorley and still have close links with the town.

Joe Hollings-Tennant (Co-opted onto board)

Biography coming soon

Ed Cookson (Co-opted onto board)

Biography coming soon