MEMBERS of the Ipswich Town supporters' trust are today preparing to launch a new bid to secure a seat on the board at Portman Road.The trust has engaged solicitors to draw up a motion to be debated at this year's annual general meeting of the football club in November.

MEMBERS of the Ipswich Town supporters' trust are today preparing to launch a new bid to secure a seat on the board at Portman Road.

The trust has engaged solicitors to draw up a motion to be debated at this year's annual general meeting of the football club in November.

If passed it would enable a nominee from the supporters' trust to sit on the Portman Road board for a fixed term.

However the proposal seems certain to be opposed by the current board – in his programme notes on Monday club chairman David Sheepshanks defended the way the current directors had been chosen.

Supporter's trust secretary Colin Kreidewolf, who attended the last board meeting in August as an observer, insisted that the trust wanted to work with the board rather than criticise it.

He said: "I think there is a certain amount of sympathy for our position among some members of the board although not everyone feels the same way."

The wording of the motion is currently being drafted by solicitors for the trust – and is expected to be confirmed early next week.

It will have to be debated at the AGM in November if more than five percent of the shareholders ask for it to be included on the agenda.

The trust already has the support of more than seven percent of the votes at the meeting, but it seems unlikely to be passed.

Writing in the Ipswich Town matchday programme for Monday's match against Wolves, Mr Sheepshanks emphasised that current board members were first and foremost fans of the club.

In his column he warned that the board could have problems with an outside nominee, especially when confidential issues were discussed.

He wrote: "The trust would like to nominate a representative from their membership of several hundred out of a season ticket base of over 17,000.

"They have raise valuable funds in the share issue but only a small percentage of the overall sum.

"In any future appointment we have to have absolute confidence in each other and I cannot imagine how a board can function, let alone be effective, if there is doubt over confidentialities being observed."

Mr Sheepshanks feared some people felt a trust nominee would be expected to report back all items to the trust – and that would be unworkable.

Do you think the trust should have a seat on the board? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk or visit the Evening Star forum on www.eveningstar.co.uk