The annual Sky Blue Trust survey was conducted during February and has yielded some interesting and potentially worrying results. It must be stressed that the survey was done before the return of Mark Robins and the welcome success at Wembley.
The survey was completed by 720 supporters, 50% being Trust members. Of the 720, over 50% were either season ticket holders or had attended more than 5 home matches. Therefore the survey shows a good spread of supporters from a range of demographic groups so that these results should be given real credence
The most worrying outcome from the survey is the finding that, among current season ticket holders, only 20% would definitely renew if the club, as looks sadly inevitable, were to be relegated to Division 2. This would mean a major cut in the club's income, a potential decrease of almost £1 million. With the current owners steadfastly refusing to invest in the team, it makes the prospect of signing quality players and bouncing straight back up again remote.
However, 60% did indicate that a change of ownership would lead to them definitely renewing, even if the club was in Division 2. The subject of ownership is one that is deep in the thoughts of most Sky Blue supporters, with 65% stating that they cared about who owned the club and 83% supporting an ownership model based around some form of supporter involvement.
To further back this supporter involvement in ownership model, 92% of respondents indicated that they would be willing to invest their own money into their club, with 36% stating they would be willing to invest £1000 or more. This shows that there is not only an appetite for this type of ownership change but that supporters could raise sufficient funds to make it a reality.
To see the survey, please click http://www.skybluetrust.co.uk/index.php/survey