Notice of Annual General Meeting

Samantha Brown

I want to join the Board to help ensure Carlisle United supporters have a strong, unified voice where it matters most—at Club board level and within wider supporter structures. I fully support the mission to be the primary and integrated voice of both Carlisle United supporters and Supporters Trust members, and I believe I can contribute meaningfully to that goal.

My connection to the club is lifelong and deeply personal. I have been a fan since childhood, when my dad would take my sister and me to matches. My first Saturday job was selling programmes on match day, followed by selling tickets, and after university, I worked in the club shop when it was based in the town centre. For the past 20 years, I have held a season ticket in the East Stand and have remained a passionate and committed supporter through all the highs and lows. Carlisle United has been a constant in my life, and I care deeply about its future and the role of supporters in shaping it.

Since being co‑opted onto the Board in July, I have worked hard to represent supporters with energy and transparency. I have attended every Board meeting, contributed to discussions on key issues, and ensured that the perspective of fans is consistently heard. I have engaged with fellow supporters both formally and informally, listening to concerns and feeding them back into Board conversations. I have also supported the Trust’s communications, helping to make sure that updates are clear, timely, and accessible.

I see my role as not only representing supporters but also building bridges—between fans and the Club, between the Trust and the wider supporter base, and between Carlisle United and the broader football community. Since July, I have worked to foster constructive dialogue, encourage openness, and promote collaboration. I believe these efforts have already made a difference, but there is much more to do.

I bring a genuine love for Carlisle United, a strong connection to fellow supporters, and a desire to strengthen the role of fans in shaping the future of our club. I am ready to listen, engage, and represent the interests of all supporters with transparency and dedication. I believe that the Board should be a place where the passion of fans meets the responsibility of governance, and I am committed to ensuring that Carlisle United supporters have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them.

It would be an honour to continue serving on the Board and to play an active role in carrying forward the voice of Carlisle United fans. I am proud of what I have contributed since being co‑opted, and I am eager to build on that foundation. With your support, I will work tirelessly to ensure that the interests of supporters remain at the heart of Carlisle United’s future.

Mathew Spooner

I’ve spent the last two years in a role that will always be judged publicly on the failures and successes of the

football team. But the real work of a Supporters’ Trust board member is often unseen. That work – the

representation, the communication, the day-to-day commitment to supporters – is why I stood for election in the

first place, and it’s why I want to continue.

Since you elected me, the Trust has gone through a huge period of transition. We’ve adopted new membership

software that has made it far easier to join, renew and pay. We’ve become more visible, more open, and more

available to supporters. Members now have online access to Club Shop discounts and priority ticketing, rather

than having to rely on in-person processes. The Trust also played a vital role in the Piatak takeover. All of this has

helped membership grow to more than double what it was when I joined.

Since the takeover, we’ve also delivered some completely new initiatives. The “money-can’t-buy” Boardroom

experience for members has been a fantastic addition. We’ve launched away travel, something members have

asked for repeatedly over the years, and something I’m delighted we’ve finally been able to offer. And importantly,

the Trust is now invited into operational 1921 discussions earlier and more meaningfully than at any point in recent

memory. This shift in cooperation really matters, and I want to help keep building on it.

Alongside Chris Armstrong, I took the lead on implementing our new feedback model, which gives us a way to

gather and relay real-time, relevant supporter opinion directly to the Club. It means all members, not just the

loudest, the best-known or those closest to us, have their views represented. Chris deserves real credit for

building an excellent system that we’ll continue developing.

I’m proud to have played a leading part in driving these improvements.

It hasn’t all been perfect. There are things I could have done better, or words I could have chosen better and I’ve

certainly learned a lot through experience and hindsight. But that learning has made me better equipped, more

grounded, and more confident in how to contribute effectively to the Trust moving forward.

What I bring above all else to the Trust board is time, passion and continuity. I care deeply about Carlisle United

and the people who support it. I believe wholeheartedly that strong, independent fan representation is something

football clubs will always need – especially now, when the game is changing rapidly.

If re-elected, I will continue to work hard, listen openly, ask difficult questions when needed, and represent every

member to the best of my ability.

It would be a genuine honour to serve another term on the Supporters’ Trust board.