Everton FC fan proposal already work in progress at Crystal Palace

Feb 8 2012 by Greg O'Keeffe, Liverpool Echo

CRYSTAL Palace fans’ Supporters’ Trust last year launched a bid to build a £4million training ground for the club.

Trust members voted unanimously in favour of funding the venture in a special meeting held at Selhurst Park last year. In a similar fashion to the Trust Everton plan, the move would see Palace’s owners pay rent to the CPST, who would own the facility.

The cost of the project is set to be raised by loan notes or community shares with fans asked to invest a minimum of £500. But members of the South London club’s trust hope that wealthier supporters will make larger donations.

Last summer a project manager was appointed to drive forward their scheme and a site was selected.

When Palace’s Trust was set up, the initial annual membership fee was set at £20. The Trust board then decided to charge no membership fees for the years to March 31 2002, to March 31 2003 and to March 31 2004. Since then the annual membership fee has been set at £5.