As many of you may already know, Queens fan Richie Nicoll along with a committee of other lifelong Queens supporters have set up the QOS Tanner Fund. They are delighted to report that initial response has been good but they have now reached the stage where they would like to step it up to the next level.
The purpose of the fund is to aid the manager’s playing fund for him to use to pay either in full or part players wages. The money would be raised through supporters who pay a monthly direct debit into a specific Tanner Fund account, which is fully controlled by the Tanner Fund committee. One off payments will also be accepted but the commitment to a monthly direct debit allows those in charge of the finances to have a reliable projected income. The hope is that they can reach the level of commitment required in time to start releasing the money to the Manager for recruiting players when the new season gets underway.
Similar projects have proved a major success for other teams across Scotland including at least two of our Championship competitors. At one club in particular the initiative has raised £100,000 over three years and it’s fair to say that at our level that makes a massive difference.
Although it’s set up and independently run by supporters of Queen of the South, the effort has the full backing of the Board of Directors and this week, Chairman, Billy Hewitson along with Craig Paterson and Mark Blount signed the QOS Tanner Fund pledge.
In these tough times and when Queens don’t have the budget to match other teams in Scotland, the Tanner Fund is committed to helping the Club raise additional funds with transparency to boost the Manager’s current playing budget. Direct debits can be set up to suit all budgets, if you wish to contribute a £1 that’s fine or if you can and are willing to pledge more that’s great, all the committee ask is that you set an amount that you can comfortably afford.
QOS Tanner Fund Chairman, Richie Nicoll this week said “At the conception of the Tanner Fund, we believed we could make a change and help Queens in the market financially but with the current environment due to the pandemic, I believe the Tanner Fund genuinely is going to be critical for the club once we finally get the nod to play again”.
“With the amount of players released and looking for clubs aligned with a positive recruitment from the Manager, the Tanner Fund can play a pivotal part in rebuilding the team and with the signing of the pledge this week it shows we have the fundamentals right and the backing of the board”
“Finally, I would just like to thank all of those fans who have contributed so far, especially in these hard times. It really does show how much the club means to us”.
Speaking on behalf of the Board, Mark Blount added “Due to the help of volunteers, we run the club as tightly as we can to ensure as much money as possible goes to the playing budget. We are grateful to Richie and his committee for creating the Tanner Fund as similar projects have proved to be a success at other clubs and with the backing of Queens supporters it could really make a difference. We know there are Queens fans across the world who can’t make it along on a Saturday who would still like to help in some way, this gives them the opportunity to make their valuable contribution”.
“It is a totally transparent process that is all about integrity. Everyone who becomes a member will be able to do so with the confidence and certainty that at the end of every month their money is going directly to pay for players wages. The more people we have contributing the more players or standard of players we can attract will increase and that would be the difference between surviving in the Championship or going and competing.”
The project also has the full backing of the SLO Committee. Iain Wright who is not only one of our SLO’s is also part of the Tanner Fund committee, he said “The Tanner Fund is a great idea and we’re sure through time it can be as successful as it has been at other football clubs. We know the Board are fully behind it and we’re sure the manager will appreciate any extra financial help that solely benefits the playing squad budget. Hopefully, in turn this enhances the product that we see each week moving us forward and competing at the right end of the table”.
Anyone wishing further information on the QOS Tanner Fund should email [email protected] or visit the Tanner Fund Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/QosTannerFund. Or anyone wishing to set up a direct debit can do so to the QOS TANNER FUND account:- sort code: 83-04-25, account number 19380274. Please email the above address to let the organisers know your pledge.
The QOS Tanner fund is a great effort by QOS fans as they aim to help the Club through the current Covid 19 pandemic, this in addition to the other fundraising initiatives such as the weekly bonus ball and virtual half time draws along with the donations and the commitment to our weekly prize draw are greatly appreciated by everyone connected to the club.