PEACE broke out in the war between Bromsgrove Rovers and its independent Supporters Society this week, after the club presented the fans' group with 5,000 shares.

Rovers chairman Tom Herbert presented opposite number Des Best, from Bromsgrove Rovers Supporters Society, with a certificate for 5,000 club shares, worth £1 each, before July 13's home friendly against Kidderminster Harriers.

Best is now hoping that the relationship between the club and society, which hit rock-bottom over the last few years, can improve and that both groups can work together.

He said: "The shares have caused a lot of bad blood over the years, but we are very happy that this has been resolved.

"More importantly, we hope to build a better rapport with the club in order for it to have a better future."

The society has always maintained that Herbert promised it the shares, after it lent him £5,000 to help buy the club off former owner, Partrick Bannister, in 2001.

Since then Herbert saved the club, which was in administration at the time, from financial collapse and brought Rovers back into the black in 2003.

However, the Rovers supremo believes that the pressure is on the society to make the next after he gave it the shares.

He said: "It's up to the supporters society to make the next move.

"Fans have to remember that the club wouldn't be around if it wasn't for the fact I have spent a lot of money on it."

"I am quite happy to talk to anybody who has the club's best interests at heart.

"If the society wants to help then it must start spending the money it has been saving up."

The society has generated funds to help the club, but has been unwilling to use them until the issue with the shares was resolved.

However, Best admitted that the society would be writing to the club asking how it can help.

Best said: "Tom has held up his part of the deal, no matter how long it has taken.

"Now we are interested in helping the club in any way."

A number of disagreements, particularly the shares, between Rovers and the society saw communciations between the two sides breakdown.

Such was the poor relationship between the two sides that the society did not volunteer its services over the summer of 2005 to get the Victoria Ground into shape.

Best though was positive that now the shares issue had been resolved that the two groups could work together.

He said: "It has taken too long, because instead of fighting we could have been working for the club's benefit.

"There is no point looking back, we've all got to look forward to a brighter future."

l Herbert has made a plea for members of a now defunct fans group to come forward about missing funds.

The Rovers chairman claims that the funds raised by a supporters group, which was around when Bannister was in charge, have disappeared.

He said: "If anybody knows what happened to the money that was raised I would like to hear from them."

Call Herbert at the Rovers on 01527 876979.

By Peter McKinney