Brother
08-02-2007, 10:33 AM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6914775.stm
I remember reading about this idea and checking out the website a few months back when it had first been launched. Naturally I never imagined that anything would come of it, but apparently they're just about ready to collect members' money and plumb ahead.
If you can't be arsed reading the article, a guy has set up a website asking for 50,000 35 pound donations in order to buy a football club. Your donation will get you one share in the club, so effectively the club would have 50,000 owners. Shareholders get to vote on how to spend their money, who to hire and even the team week-in, week-out.
Long story short, the guy's done it. The lawyers are in, the FSA approve. Favourites for takeover are Leeds United (Boo!), followed by Cambridge United, Nottingham Forest, Accrington Stanley, Barnet and Brighton. Four clubs have actually been in touch with the website to discuss the possibility of their takeover.
So what are your opinions on this - the 'democratisation of football' as the brainchild calls it? Is it a novel idea? A cheap stunt? A stroke of pure genius? One thing's for sure: a new fanbase of 50,000 members, sponsorship, media coverage and public interest as well as the 1.4 million pounds is hardly going to be damaging to the club.
I remember reading about this idea and checking out the website a few months back when it had first been launched. Naturally I never imagined that anything would come of it, but apparently they're just about ready to collect members' money and plumb ahead.
If you can't be arsed reading the article, a guy has set up a website asking for 50,000 35 pound donations in order to buy a football club. Your donation will get you one share in the club, so effectively the club would have 50,000 owners. Shareholders get to vote on how to spend their money, who to hire and even the team week-in, week-out.
Long story short, the guy's done it. The lawyers are in, the FSA approve. Favourites for takeover are Leeds United (Boo!), followed by Cambridge United, Nottingham Forest, Accrington Stanley, Barnet and Brighton. Four clubs have actually been in touch with the website to discuss the possibility of their takeover.
So what are your opinions on this - the 'democratisation of football' as the brainchild calls it? Is it a novel idea? A cheap stunt? A stroke of pure genius? One thing's for sure: a new fanbase of 50,000 members, sponsorship, media coverage and public interest as well as the 1.4 million pounds is hardly going to be damaging to the club.