I'm glad you mentioned NED's. That's absolutely the model I'd adopt to ensure the day to day management was supported and/or challenged. 5 NED's with background of finance, legal, marketing/comms, operations and engagement would be a good base to add significant weight to the existing structures without creating a massive cost base. Depending on the NED you can find some who might volunteer and others who you might pay a notional salary.
Ha! I've gone on record a few times on this. I did a lot of work trying to get a CBS off the ground, so I know a reasonable amount about em. It didn't work out for a number of reasons, but I learned a lot. I'd absolutely get involved it if ever materialised, but I'm under no illusion how hard it would be, and I fear it would probably be in circumstances where we were bang in trouble. Explaining CBS/social enterprise to people is not an easy thing to do. That much I definitely learned. It's a completely different mindset, and most people just don't understand it. You tend to have a very small nucleus of people who get it, and they have to be the driving force behind a campaign. It would be a huge undertaking.
Yes, the fact that there is a use case, is very helpful. You would definitely want to get someone from Hearts involved, if only from an advisory point of view. You mention 'the club and stadium grounds are a valuable community asset'. Do you mean that generically, or do you mean they're actually registered as Assets of Community Value (ACV)? I only ask as the words you used sounded very similar. ACVs are often central to social enterprise buy outs...if the Club and Ground were registered as ACVs, that would be very encouraging if fan ownership ever looked like becoming a thing https://mycommunity.org.uk/what-are-assets-of-community-value-acv
You might be right but I wouldn’t want to go through Admin again , think its going to take a friendly reasonably wealthy backer to bring in a Supporter led takeover , if one exists
agree with this. it's really the key thing that gave the Hearts campaign a chance. not just a wealthy backer, but most importantly a philanthropic wealthy backer.
I remember you saying it. Precisely why I "nominated" you. Perhaps with your knowledge, the ST and much of the volunteer status of some of the stuff the club do (not the club, more the fans) in theory it could have legs. Would be painful to start with I assume, getting to an even keel. But becoming a (much like redfearns) by the fans for the fans, is very much something I would support. If that means we languish in league one and two, so be it. But I'd feel more proud of it than I do now. Oh, and I'd be straight into renewing season ticketS to support the club. I'm sure a fan led club would be more successful than this lot. It can't be any worse
No Marc,I meant generically. As 50% is owned by private individuals, I don't know if it's possible. It would be interesting to know the council's views on all of this,not critically but do they enjoy owning something so important and valuable to many people? I wonder if councils are under pressure to sell assets they own by Central government? I agree and would have no objection if the council did apply to make the stadium and grounds a Asset of Community value. I believe the council in York encouraged a community to apply to make a pub a ACV,to protect it from development.
It’s probably not as insurmountable as you think. Say there was a negotiated position of £5m. You’d be looking at benevolent investors coming in with around 50% of that. So that gives you a share offer value of 2.5m. If you targeted 25,000 at average £100, you’re not far off.
There are some great posts already in this thread regarding fan ownership and ultimately I believe it is the best way forward for the club. However, it does feel to me like something currently unobtainable and would probably require a figurehead (like Ann Budge) to orchestrate. I realise I'm not close to the specifics and it might me being a little negative, so happy if I'm wrong. In the meantime, would it be a good interim step for a supporters group to buy into the existing consortium - assuming this is a possibility - so at least the supporters needs are being addressed at boardroom level?
I guess we’ll see how things pan out. If we’re doing okay next season, all the talk of fan ownership will go away. It would be my dream to be fan owned. Probably a distant dream though.
I've always posted a huge no on any suggestions of fan ownership in the past. I still think it would be very difficult to operate at Championship level under that model but I'm coming round to the idea. The club owned by people who actually care about it (the fans) and run by an elected board of directors. Again I always throw my hands up in the air when anyone suggests Mick McCarthy as manager but for him to be involved on a Board I like the sound of. For almost the first time in our history barring the post admin period we're owned by people who have no history with or love for the club. It's not turning out too well is it?
Personally think you’re right. I don’t think a fan owned club can survive in the Championship. I think if it could, we’d have one by now. And for me, this sits at the absolute heart of things. Personally I’m absolutely fine with that, I’m at the point now where I think fk the Championship, and everything it brings with it. I’d rather have a Club I’m proud of, whichever league that’s in. Honestly don’t think we’ll see a serious fan owned option though, unless there are no other alternatives.
There are some intruiging ideas on this thread and a great deal of knowledge. Kudos to those who have the know how and have invested some time to map how a model involving the fanbase might work at BFC. The most realistic option I'd love to see is a 50+1 with a wealthy benefactor or consortium with a connection to the club and knowledge of the game heading up the finance and ideally with the remaining stake. Someone like Ashley Ward or Mick McCarthy perhaps with trusted advisors. I think we may start to see something like the above becoming common in English football. The investor/billionaire plaything model is about to collapse and the same post-1992 boom which attracted them has made a lot of footballers very wealthy. Many of them want to stay in the game in a hands on capacity but aren't cut out to coach... ownership may well suit a few after retirement as a player.
I’m happy to spend a £6 million pound loan against the club to buy the club at no risk to myself, that’s how it works right?