Carlisle United's supporters' trust say "clarity" from Edinburgh Woollen Mill over their intentions for the club would have a "direct" impact on the Blues' long-term ownership issues.

The Carlisle United Official Supporters' Club (CUOSC) also believe a combination of falling crowds and "succession" uncertainty at the top of the club means "further changes" are needed at Brunton Park.

CUOSC today responded to a request from the News & Star for their comments on the club's 2017/18 accounts, which were published last week.

The accounts, which will be presented to shareholders at Thursday's club AGM, showed United lost £121,000, but also received £860,000 in fresh loans from backers EWM.

This took their debt to Philip Day’s firm to £1.31m, while £860,000 of existing debt to club directors was converted into shares before the end of the accounting period in June last year.

The fans' group, who have a 25.4 per cent stake in United's holding company, said EWM's support was appreciated but highlighted the fact many supporters would like them to say more about their arrangement with the Blues.

A statement on behalf of the CUOSC board said: "It goes without saying that we are very grateful to EWM for the financial input that it continues to provide.

"As we have said on a number of occasions, as a supporters group we appreciate that fans would wish to have more clarity as to whether the current situation will evolve beyond the present arrangement.

"Clarity on whether the relationship is likely to develop further would impact directly on the succession issues the club still face."

United last week said they remained "grateful for the commercial support" they receive from EWM but would not be drawn on whether their loans - secured against club assets - could evolve into ownership. EWM, whose loan facility to Carlisle began in March 2017, themselves did not comment.

On the subject of United's recent path, with long-standing owners Andrew Jenkins, John Nixon and Steven Pattison having been at the helm since 2008, CUOSC added: "The experience of recent seasons in League Two, with crowd levels impacting on income, and long-term succession issues remaining unresolved, suggests to the CUOSC board that further changes will be required to get the club to where we all want it to be with the full backing of our fanbase and the wider community."

The fan group said the figures shown in the 2017/18 accounts were "unsustainable" and CUOSC have supported efforts since then to change the club's financial approach.

The CUOSC board said: "Over the previous two seasons [2016/17 and 2017/18] the club stretched itself financially in its quest to secure promotion from League Two, which proved unsuccessful.

"The financial consequences are clear and were not helped by reduced income from gates and the commercial side of the business. This is all reflected in the 2017/18 accounts.

"During the year, despite more use being made of the EWM loan facility, the club’s overall debt rose only slightly. This was due largely to individual directors again writing off their personal loans to the club in return for equity in the form of shares with no voting rights.

"The operating loss made by the club was obviously unsustainable. The different financial approach now being employed in response to this has moved the club to a somewhat better position with which to face the future.

"However, there remains a lot of work to be done."

CUOSC added: "Thanks to the efforts of all of the club’s playing, coaching and backroom staff we sit just a point below the play-off places with eight games of the season left.

"Furthermore, the success of the #8kforMK initiative demonstrated the club’s future potential very convincingly.

"Hopefully, going forward, a way can be found to capitalise on it."

CUOSC's Jim Mitchell sits on United's operational board while Billy Atkinson is their CUFC Holdings director.