The following is a copy of the letter sent by NUST to Simon Taylor and the Editor of the Guardian :

Dear Mr Taylor

Re: Guardian Newspaper Article 25/5/10 by Chris Arnot “Search for a British Asian football star kicks off”

It was very disappointing in the extreme to read the above article and quotes attributed to you, in your role as head of corporate social responsibility at Chelsea FC that are nothing but an outright slur on the supporters of Newcastle United Football Club and the City of Newcastle upon Tyne.

I believe it is now vital that nothing less than a full and frank apology should be forthcoming from yourself for these comments that discredit you, the position you hold and your employers, Chelsea FC.

For the record and to correct your inaccuracies:

For many years Newcastle United and its supporters have been crying out for long-term planning but the statement released raises more question than answers. All rational supporters would be in favour of a long-term plan to bring about both financial stability and gradual progress on the field of play. However, the immediate reaction of a broad cross-section of supporters and commentators is that NUFC’s statement is most unlikely to deliver either.

NUST totally supports the development of an ever improving academy but that needs to happen alongside an ongoing strengthening of the first team squad. The ability of players to progress from academy to first team is a fragile one and very few make it, when it happens this should be seen as a bonus rather than essential.

There is general acceptance by everybody from the supporters to the manager, that just like any other promoted club Newcastle United need to strengthen the squad to deal with the challenges presented by the Premier League. After the magnificent job he has done over the past year, Chris Hughton must be given the full backing of both supporters and the board.

The NUFC statement also left supporters disappointed and confused by the declared aims of keeping communications with the media (and by association the fans) to a minimum and within very narrow parameters. Many parts of the statement left supporters unclear as to their true meaning and requests to clarify, including from local media, were rebuffed. The phrase, ‘..no plan for new capital outlay on players’, being especially worrying for supporters.

Newcastle United’s long-term health both on and off the pitch depends on a team remaining and prospering in the Premier League, we urge the football club to make their actions this summer speak louder and clearer than their released statement and help the club to once again move forward.

The latest batch of photos have now been added to our Newcastle Fans' Gallery.

We have also added further photos to our NewcastleGateshead Gallery.

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A busy month for Supporters Trusts around the country...

January, the month of penny pinching for most, but the time of year that traditionally Premier League clubs continue to plunder further into the red with the next raft of marquee signings. Not this year. This year under £30 million was spent; according to Deloitte the lowest since the system was introduced in 2003. Instead it is the supporters who have been making the headlines….

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What have NUFC and MUFC got in common? Clue: I am not talking about the contents of their trophy cabinets over the last fifty years. Sponsorship: Man United’s sponsor AIG the insurance giant were recently saved from bankruptcy by the US government in a £48 billion rescue package which is the biggest nationalisation in human history outside a communist country. So MUFC follow NUFC and Northern Rock and join us in a round about way as a state sponsored team.

Through this whole sorry shambles of a season and into the vacuum of the close season, the one glowing constant has been the presence of Newcastle United Supporters Club; irritating and hounding the administration and seeking a path through the melee of mistruths and downright lies that have been omitted from NE1, on the odd occasion that is, when anyone of authority has sought to stick their head over the parapet and face the fans.

At the time the ‘Save our Seats' debacle at the turn of the Millennium, then Chief Executive Freddie Fletcher announced that there needed to be an improvement in the relationship between Newcastle United and it's supporters. At the same time the Government, acting on one of the recommendations of the Football Task Force to ‘increase supporter involvement in the running of their clubs' set up an organisation known as Supporters Direct to put such a system in place. In turn Supporters Direct recommended the establishment of Supporters Trusts at clubs.

Since Newcastle United Supporters Club (NUSC) was formed in September 2008 with a view to establishing an organised body to represent the interests of Newcastle United Supporters  a small sub group has been exploring the possibility of converting the status of NUSC to that of a Supporters Trust.

After initial guidance and assistance was sought from national fans organisation Supporters Direct about the procedure involved in such transformation a motion was put before a NUSC members meeting in October 2008 requesting members endorse the proposal and was passed by a resounding majority.

What is a trust, and how does it differ from what we have right now?

A supporters trust is a democratic, not-for-profit organisation of supporters, committed to strengthening the voice for supporters in the decision making process at a club, and strengthening the links between the club and the community it serves.

It's legally registered and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, and it can hold assets like a company can. This means that any money  raised or shares bought would belong to all members equally, and not need to be held by individuals.