Fans of Halesowen football club have voted unanimously to form a supporters trust to give them a strong say on club matters.

More than 80 supporters packed into the Yeltz Bar at The Grove stadium to listen to experts from the Supporters Direct organisation and trust representatives from AFC Telford and Worcester City.

A sea of hands rose to vote for the formation of the Halesowen Town Supporters Trust at the meeting.

One of the trust leaders, Guy Cooper, said the long term future of the 136-year-old club and its place within the community were top priorities.

He said: “Our aim has always been to work closely with the club itself – but community involvement is the key, as we feel the club should be the centre of the town.”

The trust will get £1,000 towards starts up costs from Supporters Direct, a government backed associated that helps more than 150 other trusts manage themselves.

News that the club faced money troubles prompted Mr Cooper and fellow fans to discuss the possibility of creating a trust.

Halesowen lost more than £100,000 of sponsorship due to the credit crunch.

Mr Cooper reckons that ideally the trust would want to take a place on the club’s board.

The trust will now form a working group to draw up rules and regulations before an AGM takes place to formally create the trust.