There’s no doubt that today more than ever, football is a business. What started as a people’s sport has developed into a commercial industry, and with more and more billionaire takeovers of top-flight clubs in recent years, it’s easy to feel like football is the playground of the uber-wealthy.
The Premier League is the most notable example of this and is increasingly seen as a target for billionaire investors. Most Premier League clubs are controlled by private shareholders, many from overseas like Chelsea’s Todd Boehly, or Manchester City’s Sheikh Mansour. Of course, private owners often bring great investment for clubs – placating fans in the short term with shiny new signings and refurbished grounds. But more often than not, these investors aren’t motivated by love for the game but by profit, and in the short term that often means hiking up prices. Football wouldn’t be anything without its fans but they often struggle to be heard.
There is another way to run football clubs, one that prioritises the fans and puts the integrity of a club first. The fan ownership model is vastly different to most Premier League models and arguably vastly better for the game. Spain is a frontrunner in this respect, with clubs like FC Barcelona and Real Madrid owned by the fans, who elect Presidents to make major decisions. Likewise in the German Bundesliga, the ‘50+1’ rule means fans must retain 50 percent – plus one vote – of voting rights in a club, stopping external investors from owning a majority. These models put fans first and give them real power over the running of clubs.
There’s no doubt that this model would benefit English fans. Luton Town are an exception to the Premier League’s dominant private ownership and smaller clubs like AFC Wimbledon and Exeter City are fan-owned too. But major clubs are still privately owned, and while some clubs seem to flourish under private ownership, in many cases fans aren’t happy. Take Manchester United, owned by the Glazer family. Many fans have vocalised their dissatisfaction with the leadership, citing issues like debt, with ‘Glazers Out’ a common chant at games.
There is no real solution to the private ownership dominance in the Premier League – billionaire owners are unlikely to give up their stake in such a profitable industry – leaving fans with little choice but to stand by and watch. For a sport that started out as the people’s game, fans are increasingly devalued.
“Manchester City Football Club: “Superbia in Proelio”, which is Latin for “Money CAN buy you trophies”)” by dullhunk is licensed under CC BY 2.0