By Dave Noble - CUOSC

The events and subsequent fall out of the Reading protests and abandonment at the weekend highlighted not just the dreadful stewardship of the Royals but also the incredible strength of feeling supporters have for their club.

It is unlikely any of the fans felt particularly good about crossing the white line to embark on the protest that saw the game halted.

We hope that their actions were not in vain and that their owner Dai Yongge, whilst hiding behind the chief executive, does the decent thing and sells to a suitable replacement. The only Berkshire residents who wouldn’t welcome a sale will be the tennis ball salesmen!

Other clubs' troubles with ownership properly accentuates the good fortune we have had for the Piatak family to land at Carlisle.

Their objectives have been made clear from day one. They have made themselves visible to fans at forums and on various social media platforms.

They spend time with supporters in the fan zone and their transparency has been a refreshing change.

News and Star: Patty Piatak meets a Blues fanPatty Piatak meets a Blues fan (Image: PA)

So far, everything the family have said they will do, they have done or are in the process of doing.

Struggles on the pitch, including Tuesday night’s latest reversal at Barnsley - albeit in a much more encouraging performance - are obviously at the forefront of supporters' minds, but we mustn’t take our attention away from the fact that off the pitch, the club has likely never been in such a position of rude health, and it is hopefully only a matter of time and before the football side catches up.

CUOSC have a very good relationship with the new owners having been speaking to them for the best part of 12 months. We are in continual discussions with the club to provide what we can and to increase the offering available to our members.

With that in mind, starting with the Bolton Wanderers match on January 27 we are excited to announce that we will be running a free draw for members to win a ‘Boardroom Experience’ for two.

Our lucky winners will enjoy pre match hospitality in the newly refurbished Boardroom along with United and Wanderers Directors, followed by tickets to watch the match from the directors' box.

We will be running this draw for subsequent home games throughout the rest of the season so there will be lots of chances to win a great day out at the club.

To join CUOSC and give yourself the chance to win and also take advantage of other membership benefits, visit our website at www.cuosc.org.uk. It currently costs £10 for an adult for one year and £5 for seniors and under-18s.