CASE STUDIES
Examples of fan-ownership models which inspired #FORTHEFANS, and that other football clubs and owners can take inspiration from.
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Information from: https://sqaf.club/fan-owned-football-clubs/
FC BARCELONA
Barcelona are the biggest example of a fan-owned club. Their key decisions are made by the club’s President, who is appointed through a democratic election. In this election, all fans with an interest in the club can vote for their preferred candidate. Currently, the club, which is organised as a registered association, boasts more than 140,000 members.
BATH CITY F.C.
In June 2015, ‘Big Bath City Bid’ was launched by filmmaker Ken Loach to turn the club into a community-owned, ‘one member, one vote’ club so as to develop the club and clear its debts. In September 2016, the appeal reached its £300,000 target, and the following May, the club completed its transition to community ownership, with its major shareholder Bath City Supporters Society Ltd (roughly 55 per cent stake).
BAYERN MUNICH
Bayern Munich are a German fan-owned club, with more than 250,000 members. Introduced in 1998, the ’50+1 rule’ prevents clubs in Germany’s top two tiers from having external investors as majority shareholders. This means clubs’ fans retain a majority of their voting rights. This means running of the club is left primarily in the hands of those who care most about it, and has helped lead to cheaper tickets and membership, more reasonably priced food and drinks at games, and less risk of clubs going into financial ruin.
CANTERBURY CITY F.C.
Reformed in 2007, they are the first football club to start as a community interest company. Under the club’s constitution, membership is ‘open to all’ and includes the right to vote in the election of ‘key members of the board.’