THE TIME has to be now for Newport County AFC fans in terms of deciding whether they are supportive of the Supporters’ Trust takeover of the club.

Fans need to raise £225,000 in Community Shares, donations and Trust membership in order to take control of a club that has haemorrhaged money ‘living the dream’ in the Football League.

The situation is abundantly clear as Newport fans are once again dealing with a financial fire fight, bailing out the club they love because of the actions of those who have been in charge.

But unlike in 1989, there is no villain of the piece here, just people with good intentions who made bad decisions.

Manager Justin Edinburgh, a young and emerging manager who like every one of his contemporaries, always wanted an extra player, another signing to strengthen an already strong squad. A tale as old as time.

Les Scadding, a chairman and lottery winner who was desperate to live a legacy at the football club in the city he’d grown to love. He seemingly never said no to Justin Edinburgh or the County board and can’t possibly be criticised for wanting a return of £300,000 (interest free) having written off nearly £1.5 million spent on top of that.

Director Howard Greenhaf, who, since Mr Scadding pulled his funds, has been ‘spinning plates’ looking to keep the club afloat, including during the off season where wages need to be paid with no money comes through the gates, bankrolling wages himself and guaranteeing County’s bank overdraft.

These guys thought they were doing what was best for Newport County AFC. They anticipated better support through the turnstiles, they unquestionably made mistakes, and they all appear to have parted acrimoniously with one another.

We can’t make that our issue. Our issue is simple. To rescue Newport County AFC from this financial hole and to take control of a club that still has more than just a chance to be a fixture in the lower reaches of the Football League, the elite 92.

And it isn’t a slogan to preach positivity and encouragement, rather than recriminations and resentment, it’s essential.

County’s supporters have to make this work. They can’t rely on a fan favourite like Matt Southall riding in on a white horse at the final hour to save the club from the abyss. If the Supporters’ Trust don’t take control of the club, it could end up in the hands of any Tom, Dick or Harry.

Or it could end up extinct once more, the phoenix from the flames that refused to die, until it died.

It doesn’t have to be that way. It can’t be that way and if recent history is any indicator, it won’t be that way.

The key here is momentum. Clubs like Exeter and Wycombe weren’t in a Portsmouth situation, but through sheer unity, they managed to wrangle control of their clubs. Look at them now.

Newport are not in a Hereford United situation either, thankfully, with crippling debts and issues that even a massive fanbase couldn’t address to prevent the need for reformation.

County supporters need to raise £225,000, a figure that is under initial estimates and with goodwill creditors such as Mr Scadding who won’t charge interest on monthly repayments.

Some basic arithmetic shows where we need to start, simply in swelling Trust numbers. Membership is £10. So with 5000 members, that’s £50,000 before a Community share is purchased. Considering the Exiles took twice that number of supporters of Wembley, it doesn’t seem an absurd aim.

We have to aim high and we have to be open to any and all fundraising ideas.

Negativity and doom-mongering isn’t going to save Newport County AFC.

A collective unity, encouraging supporters with varying financial situations to invest in community shares and make donations to a Trust everyone is supportive of, will.

This is Newport County AFC’s defining month. It’s time to forge your own future.

ADDITION: With the emerging news that Regan Poole and Aaron Collins are attracting genuine interest on transfer deadline day, we are soon going to see clearly how seriously Mr Scadding is taking the issue of legacy.

In theory, selling the players should provide a huge boost to the Supporters’ Trust takeover, with the transfer fees counting towards the sum needed to be raised.

In theory. As the majority owner of the club, having sunk in well over £1 million he won’t see a return on, there is no legal reason for Mr Scadding not to simply pocket the money himself.

Could be an interesting day.