Would you swap places with Portsmouth?

[KenMcnaughtsNuts]

As in, relegated to league two but under fan ownership for next season.

 

[raul]

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yesyes yes.

 

[pommpey]

Yes. If they do what they did today and piss all over us comprehensively.

pommpey

 

[metalblade]

you really need to ask FFS ??? Oh yes

 

[Linz]

When the dust settles though, is it really going to work for them? Fan voting powers are enshrined in the cultures of other leagues, but not so much here, where money is king. Which of those players are going to be turning out for them next season? Where does more money come from? What if the shareholders are split down the middle on an issue - for want of a better term, clappers v. knockers? It's an interesting experiment but one I'm glad we're not the case-study for.

You can dispute it all you want, but we are currently owned by a fan. And it's not bloody worked for us.

 

[Bedrock Blade]

I wouldn't have us swap places with Portsmouth. Too far to travel to home games. I can see why Pommpey voted yes though!

Fan power. Does it work? How are Ebbsfleet getting on?

 

[Selly]

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yesyes yes.

Yes. If they do what they did today and piss all over us comprehensively.

pommpey

you really need to ask FFS ??? Oh yes

And yet at this point in time, YES has only one vote...

When the dust settles though, is it really going to work for them? Fan voting powers are enshrined in the cultures of other leagues, but not so much here, where money is king. Which of those players are going to be turning out for them next season? Where does more money come from? What if the shareholders are split down the middle on an issue - for want of a better term, clappers v. knockers? It's an interesting experiment but one I'm glad we're not the case-study for.

You can dispute it all you want, but we are currently owned by a fan. And it's not bloody worked for us.

Basically this. The model might work until they get back to their natural level, the championship, as Darren has said, the disparity in resources eventually tells at this level and lower.

However when hey are rock bottom in the Championship and have half the fans crying out for "investment" in he team, I suspect it will all come crashing down.

So it's a no from me.

 

[Ballinpigpubs13]

Thread " would you swap places with Portsmouth" ?

Next season we will be swapping places with Portsmouth.
Apart from the fans, there's nothing left.

 

[Linz]

Fan power. Does it work? How are Ebbsfleet getting on?

Down to 1300 actively paying members from the 32000 that started the "project".

 

[StarBlade]

I'm all for fan ownership, but as Linz says, it's money that really controls the game and the clubs themselves. My biggest wish for football is that it collapses completely, money taken out of the game and players contracts torn up. Then, when building up again, the financial rules make more sense and can be universally applied.

Would I prefer Blades to be ruled by fans? Yes and no. Main reason I would say no is that fans, as proven, are short-term creatures. No foresight, no mid/long-term thought, only about what is happening right now, which in my opinion is wrong. Secondly, as proven, people berating KM for not getting his chequebook out everytime we slip up, when as a fan-owned club, would be unlikely. Ok, this may be the "football fan" talking, but is there any other type? Probably not.

I'm going to vote yes, because I believe that fans are the custodians of any club anyway and I'd rather own my own 1 bedroom flat than rent out a 3 bed-semi from a landlord who doesn't care if the taps are leaking, but I'd throw in a few neutrals on a board to act in a position of trust to keep the finances and emotions in order.

 

[Linz]

Going on the above, it seems to be a "yes" in an ideal world where all animals are equal but a "no" in the present system where a big fat chequebook can buy you the league.

 

[cooperblade]

Only if we get the FA Cup win and European games (to be played by a team of £100k a week players who we can't afford) backdated to us as part of the deal.

Pompey fans on twitter got very grumpy last night when I pointed out that they've absolutely took the piss (as a club) in recent years. Pleased they haven't lost their club but, as an absolute minimum, they should've been booted out of the Football League and stripped of their FA Cup win.

Nothing has happened to them to dissuade other clubs from taking a similar, irresponsible gamble on having a few days in the sunshine that they can't afford to pay for.

 

[metalblade]

I didn't vote yes or no, I can't see the Pompey fans way working but for sure the Blades way is definately not working either. Would I be happy to see us drop into League 2 ??? If it meant getting rid of McCabe you bet I'd be happy. Change the name to anything you want, Bates, Mandaric etc but when one man owns a football club the interests of that football club are soon replaced by the interests of the individual owner. Non of these money men have a clue when it comes to football even if they think they do but when it all goes tits up they sure are experts at protecting their investments. Give me a proper boardroom with no one in overall control so the majority can moderate the extremes of individuals and work out what is actually best for the club as a whole. Unless a club gets investors like Man City they will never win much, the best we can hope for is to be a yo yo club for a few years much like West Brom get established in the premiership and hopefully win a cup every 20 years or so and possibly flirt with Europe now and then.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

It's an unusual state of affairs for this country, to have a professional club owned and run by the fans. It happens elsewhere quite regularly, and fan involvement is compulsory in places like Germany, but here it has never been tried successfully. Ebbsfleet was trumpeted at the time, but has faded to nothingness. Until the culture changes and clubs are truly a representation of their fanbase then the only way to go for a club of our size is like metal says, a genuine boardroom (with a fan rep on it??) without the dominating individual, making sensible, strategic decisions based in the medium and long-term to further the club.

Pompey will blast league 2 next season, maybe do well the season after and then the whole thing will hit the buffers big style!

 

[boo radley]

How did their 100 million + debt get sorted?

 

[grafikhaus]

How did their 100 million + debt get sorted?

Probably in the same way that they got their ten point deduction on Friday. Already relegated. Start next season with a clean sheet. Fucking outrageous.