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[Archived] Fans On The Board (Fan Ownership)


Neal

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Right then!

I've finally started to get moving with this idea, it's obviously very early days but in the words of Uncle Jack "Think big".

As I said in the open floor meeting... I personally feel that the only way for the F.A. to fix broken clubs and ensure that 'owners' like Venkys, Cellino, Oyston, Tan, Roland etc... Don't keep coming into football clubs use them for their own personal gain or destroy them and their communities is to enforce a change so that it becomes MANDATORY for fans to be represented at board room level.

Here's how I feel it could work...

A candidate or group of candidates could be voted for through official supporters groups and presented to the club to be represented on the board. The F.A. could give a 1,2,3 year warning to all football clubs that this ruling will come in to affect on a set date and by this time they need to fall in line with the new rules or face a penalty. IF football clubs, their boards and their owners fight against it then it will only further highlight the corruption within the game because if football clubs claim to have the interests of fans at heart... Why would they oppose this idea?

We have been fighting Venkys for 6 years now but as I said, I think it's time we made this issue bigger than Venkys, it's time the F.A. stood up and took some responsibility for how football clubs are being run because not only are unfit owners ruining football clubs, they're also ruining communities. I'm sure you all know that we aren't the only ones to suffer and perhaps under the 'Fans United' banner we can come together with other clubs and bring this issue to light TOGETHER. I feel we need to shame the F.A. and pull them into the spotlight to make them accountable, responsible and force them to take action, after all (being one of the founding member of the football league) they may not even exist without clubs like Blackburn Rovers. The F.A. may not change the rules but this pressure may force them to take some other form of action to help clubs like ours and others.

I firmly believe that fans of clubs like Liverpool (after Hicks and Gillett), Everton, Portsmouth, Coventry, Newcastle, Arsenal, United, Blackpool, Leeds, Charlton would all back this idea, there are probably many many more.

A few people have already come forward to help with this idea, there's only so much I can do on my own so if you have ANYTHING to offer then please get in touch! If you feel you want to help lead this idea/campaign then great! If you believe in this idea or just simply want to support it, head to the twitter account at the bottom of the page and follow it, promote it, retweet it etc.

I have been speaking to Oldjamfan who informed me that what I'm proposing also works in housing, that tenants are represented on their boards to ensure their voice is being heard, so this does exist and we have an example outside of football that proves this. Most of you already know that there are examples of fan representation on boards in Holland, Germany and Spain so this is nothing new in the grand scheme of things and I fail to see why it should be different over here.

Just to finish... Your thoughts, ideas and any support is welcome, this idea isn't about you, me or ego... It's about taking our football clubs back and putting them back in the hands of who they belong to... THE FANS... Because unlike the F.A. WE CARE.

FANS UNITED - VENKYS OUT - OYSTON OUT - ROLAND OUT - FANS ON BOARD

https://twitter.com/TheFansOnBoard

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As I have said to Neal, I would be more than happy to provide the benefit of my own experiences here as well as access to some very good corporate governance brains (lawyers, trainers, facilitators etc).

Scotland's social housing tenant involvement on boards and management committees is seen as an exemplar of vox pop governance and there is no reason why the same principles couldn't apply in football. We also have the German football model to learn from as well.

FANS ON BOARD is a very worthwhile and workable concept, and may be the best thing to come out of the nonsense surrounding various British clubs over the last decade.

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As I have said to Neal, I would be more than happy to provide the benefit of my own experiences here as well as access to some very good corporate governance brains (lawyers, trainers, facilitators etc).

Scotland's social housing tenant involvement on boards and management committees is seen as an exemplar of vox pop governance and there is no reason why the same principles couldn't apply in football. We also have the German football model to learn from as well.

FANS ON BOARD is a very worthwhile and workable concept, and may be the best thing to come out of the nonsense surrounding various British clubs over the last decade.

Was just about to message you! Cheers for the support and I agree... I don't understand why football shouldn't be the same.

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Again, this is something Supporters Direct and Supporters Trusts have been fighting for for years - fan representation at boardroom level. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, the Labour Government even mentioned making this a sporting priority in its last election manifesto. The bigger supporters trust get up and down the country, the bigger Supporters Direct becomes, and the bigger that becomes, the more pressure governing bodies feel to actually make this a legal responsibility of all football clubs.

I'm 100% with you as it pertains to our voices being heard on the board. And considering how many of those seats around that table are free these days, our club doesn't really have an excuse as to why it can't happen.

Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk

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I have been to quite a few St Pauli games, home and away, and it's amazing how much power the fans have over there. Even to the extent of forcing the club to turn off the music 15 minutes before the game to allow the fans to create the atmosphere. It's night and day compared to the rubbish we put up with over here. If the fans don't like something, or feel that they haven't been consulted, they protest..... Loudly.

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I have been to quite a few St Pauli games, home and away, and it's amazing how much power the fans have over there. Even to the extent of forcing the club to turn off the music 15 minutes before the game to allow the fans to create the atmosphere. It's night and day compared to the rubbish we put up with over here. If the fans don't like something, or feel that they haven't been consulted, they protest..... Loudly.

It's great how it works over there, I've been to watch Hertha a few times as I spend a lot of time travelling to Berlin, it's like my 2nd home and the culture and liberal atmosphere on match days is brilliant... Being allowed to drink on the terraces, jumping up and down with the ultras... Even my girlfriend who hates football enjoyed it. I've wanted to go and watch Union but every time I go they're either away from home or it's summer/winter break. Going to plan my next trip specifically to watch Union.

The F.A. our clubs and fans have a lot to learn from Germany and clubs like Union.

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Even to the extent of forcing the club to turn off the music 15 minutes before the game to allow the fans to create the atmosphere.

Music to my ears, if you'll pardon the pun. Nothing worse than ear shattering, sh!te music being played right up to kick off. Gone are the days when the atmosphere used to build before the games.

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Good thread this. Fans participation is the same as workers participation on company boards - the Germans (note to the moderating police, this is not a racist term) do all these things so much better than us. Everyone working towards a common cause and no "them and us" attitudes like here.

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Only problem for us, is that our board is a sham.

Also I can imagine a lot of English Clubs having a meeting with the fan in place then having the ' real ' meeting when the fans aren't there.

Thats the idea of 'Fans On Board'... To bring nothing else but fan ownership into the spotlight because of poor mismanagement, if enough people say they want it then the powers that be will be forced to listen but for them to listen people have to get behind it and make noise about it.

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I totally agree.

Fans should owned some of their club.

Swansea have it the right way.

Good to know Chaddy. I think the time has come for people to show the authorities that they want it, its simply not enough to think it... We need to enforce change.

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