THERE were plenty of subjects up for discussion during tonight’s Newport County AFC fans’ forum, which was held at the Riverside Tavern in the city centre.

Supporters Trust board members Shaun Johnson, Neil Collier and Mike Everett, commercial manager James Watts, and football and business development director Mike Flynn were present to take questions from supporters.

Topics including the Rodney Parade pitch, the club shop, County’s relationship with Newport Gwent Dragons, communication between the trust and fans and the possibility of the Exiles finding their own ground came up for discussion.

Johnson revealed that a group had been set up to look at where the club could play their home games if they were to move away from Rodney Parade, while Flynn told fans that there had been some positive dialogue between himself and Dragons chiefs with a view to improving the relationship between both parties.

Flynn said he sees County as more of a Championship club than a National League one in five years’ time and he stressed the need for the Exiles to own their own training ground to benefit the first-team squad and academy.

Talking about the commercial side of things, Watts admitted there were “so many places where we don’t make money where we could”, and Johnson stated the importance of getting the local business community involved more.

Johnson also told the supporters that the first-team budget had been increased from last year and that just because the club was fan-owned it would not be “doomed to relegation”.

Addressing the issue of communication, Collier was in no doubt that it needed to be better between the board and the fans.

The room was also told that the HR issues brought up at the AGM are set to be resolved in the near future.

The forum lasted for more than two hours and it was suggested that similar meetings be held every month, while Johnson also agreed to have a suggestions box at the ground for the first league game of the season on August 6.