NEWPORT County AFC fans will get the chance to put their questions to operational chairman Gavin Foxall and the rest of the board at tomorrow’s open supporters meeting and it promises to be an interesting evening at Rodney Parade.

The club recently reported a loss £351,456 for the year ending June 2017 and, although the FA Cup run means they expect to make a profit this season, published minutes from the most recent board meetings have revealed that the directors have big concerns about the club’s finances.

The minutes from the April board meeting state: “A business-sensitive discussion followed regarding areas of the overall club budget where savings could be made and about the continued viability of the current Trust ownership model.

“All directors agreed that the financial shortcomings of the current model needed to be communicated to all Trust members/owners at the next supporters’ meeting in May.

“Cup runs and transfer incomes are merely plugging the gap created by these shortcomings and this needed to be addressed.”

And the minutes from the May meeting added: “It was agreed to postpone the planned open meeting for supporters to May 23 to ensure the latest information was available in terms of budget and the viability of the current Trust ownership model given the low levels of income generated via Trust memberships.”

Given that the club made between £700,000 and £900,000 from this season’s FA Cup run, some supporters have understandably been asking ‘where has the money gone?’

And tomorrow’s meeting will hopefully answer that question and many more.

My understanding is that the directors will lay bare the difficulties with the current ownership model as they see it and that Trust members will then be surveyed for their views on the way forward for the club.

The May minutes also hint at the club’s dissatisfaction with the deal they have in place to play at Rodney Parade, which currently runs until 2023.

The document says: “Business-sensitive discussions took place regarding ongoing negotiations with the WRU and pitch maintenance arrangements during the close season.

“Kevin Ward confirmed the leader of Newport City Council had agreed to facilitate a round-table discussion involving all Rodney Parade stakeholders to consider the future of professional sport at the venue.”

Fans can expect an update on the club’s relationship with the Welsh Rugby Union, who own the ground, with Foxall in particular keen to promote debate about preserving elite sport at the historic city centre venue.

Tomorrow will also be the last time that supporters will hear from chief executive officer Alex Tunbridge before he departs for a similar role at League Two rivals Stevenage Town this summer.

Tunbridge has to go down as one of Graham Westley’s best signings for County and he’s done great work in improving the business structure of the club over the past 18 months.

He leaves some big shoes to fill but it’s by no means all doom and gloom for the Exiles, with Foxall emphasizing the huge strides made on the pitch in today’s interview with the Argus.

And, speaking to me at the FAW Coaches Conference at Celtic Manor on Friday where Flynn received his UEFA Pro Diploma, the chairman also wanted to sound a positive note about off-the-field matters.

“Obviously Alex is leaving and he will be a loss to the club,” said Foxall.

“He’s done a great job for us here, but we had in excess of 35 applications for his job.

“I think that shows how far the club has come and its progression. People want to be associated with us now.

“All the new directors who have come on board have said that we’ve got a brand and we need to sell that brand in the right way for the city.

“We need the city to continue to get behind us, we need the council behind us and for us it’s a positive outlook.

“We will always have a challenge around finances, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s how you then use what you’ve got in the right way to achieve what we’re trying to do.”