Ownership of the Club - a fresh approach

Yesterday's NOTW article generated a powerful response on here and the other board. Much of that emotion was linked to the fact that fans clearly see themselves as "bankrolling" the club and that this deserves a greater degree of transparency on club finances and management decisions. The club regularly presents the begging bowl, but a meaningful stake in the club is never part of the offer. Why not?

This makes me wonder whether our fans would ever be interested in participating in ownership of the club. The membership/ownership model works at a number of top clubs in other countries (e.g. Bayern, Real Madrid and Barcelona) and I wonder whether such a structure (or a hybrid) could ever work in the top flight here. At the end of the day, the larger part of the club's revenues already come from the fans. I am sure that this has been raised before although I have never seen it discussed on this or other CCFC messageboards.

As an expat, I am not able to attend as many games as I would like, but I would certainly be interested in a form of membership that also permitted a stake in ownership and voting. Even with the most imaginative corporate finance wizardry, it is unrealistic that the fans would be in a position to take control in a single transaction, but we could certainly strengthen our position over time. Of course, such a scheme would require the co-operation of the Club and its existing shareholders (a dream perhaps?).

If management say they have the best interests of the Club at heart, the fans could be positioned to increase their influence through a system of membership and ownership over time.

Or do we just want a wealthy benefactor with no obvious link to seal our destiny?

Any views?

What a great post...this would def be something I would be interested in and would love to hear more business minded people than myself views on this.

Cracking post

The current season ticket offer would have been a good place to start.

The current season ticket offer would have been a good place to start.

Season tickets are revenue streams not share options. That said I do like your idea and if the Academy Foundation Scheme was replaced by a share option scheme I'm sure far more supporters would take it up.

The current season ticket offer would have been a good place to start.

Season tickets are revenue streams not share options. That said I do like your idea and if the Academy Foundation Scheme was replaced by a share option scheme I'm sure far more supporters would take it up.

Indeed, all forms of ticket sale would be a separate revenue stream, but a membership/ownership scheme with rights could be incorporated in the purchasing process and so simplify administration and generate separate income to acquire shares in the club by fans over time.

As an expat, I should like to be a member/owner but not take a season ticket for obvious reasons. Bayern Munich has c.150,000 members and a c. 70,000 seat stadium. Sporting Lisbon has over 100,000 members and a c.50,000 seater stadium. Benfica has c.160,000 members with a c.65,000 seater stadium. Barcelona has c.170,000 members and a c.100,000 seater stadium. In a country where we are encouraged to be mobile, I suspect that the CCFC faithful are as numerous outside Wales as inside. Membership would allow me to follow my club with a more meaningful sense of ownership that goes beyond the proverbial wooly hats and mugs.

Inevitably, the biggest challenge in all of this is organisation. In this respect, given their affiliation to Supporters Direct, I guess that the CCST has some/all of this in mind, but I can't fully make out their offering/objectives from here. Also, the club needs to be fully supportive and engaged in any process that could lead to fans working towards some degree of control over OUR club.

With a decent membership in place, there is the potential to create all manner of tailored products/services targeted at members, but for the benefit of members (i.e. the fans NOT the management). In summary, a drive from pure capitalism to some form of mutualism.

My sense is that this is the last thing that the money grabbers will want to hear.