prof101

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebbsfleet_United_F.C.<A HREF="http://...United_F.C." TARGET=_blank>Outlines the deal with Eurostar :thup: </A>

retired_cwells

I personally don't think this is a good idea. The average football fan doesn't have a good enough idea of how to run or manage a football club, so I don't see this working. Not only that but how many of the members know anything about the players at the club? If it were fans going week in week out picking the team it might be different. When chairman get too involved in tactics and team selections, people jump on it and attack the chairman and I don't see this as being much different.

It would be nice if it does work out to benefit the club, and it will in some ways, as it will benefit them financially for however long it lasts, and for the initial coverage they'll get.

My_Evo

Ebbsfleet already have a Supporters Trust involved in the club, which is the best option for allowing supporters to contribute.

My biggest personal issue, outside of all the practicalities I've already raised, are that few if any of the 20,000 are Ebbsfleet fans.
They've no commitment to the club, and no real investment in the club being a success. The second they get bored, the club could be in real trouble.

retired_halfshell69

I won't deny that I'm not interested in seeing how this works, but I honestly can't see how it will.

First off, the original plan was to get at least 50,000 members to sign up and pay. In the end, only 20,000, thats less then half of what was intended. That shows that a massive number of people have already lost interest in this project, and I think it wouldn't be unfair to guess that at least half of the board are likely to lose interest by the end of the season. Lets not forget that it's unlikely to more then a handful of those involved know even the slightest thing about Ebsfleet.

Then we have the team selection process. How can 20,000 people vote on who they think should be playing each match when pretty much all of them will have never seen the team play? You can't just pick a team based on hear say. You need to know who's playing well, and who isn't, and also, who probably isn't in the best condition, or mentallity to play. The team are playing well at the moment, but this could all be ruined by a bunch of know nothings making the decisions.

My honest opinion is that within a couple of seasons, this will have crumbled, and been a massive failure, possibly ruining Ebsfleet in the process. Whilst I would like to see this succeed, as it would make a nice change to have football fans running a club rather then money grabbing tyrants, I just don't see how it can possibly work with so many people with no connection, and probably little interest in the club, running it. </BLOCKQUOTE>

i think the initial plan is for the existing coaching staff to give feedback on who is doing well etc, and let fans make decisions as and when they have enough information to base them on.

thank you so much for a well thought out response though! the "it's crap because it i said so" type posts make me weep lol

retired_halfshell69

Ebbsfleet already have a Supporters Trust involved in the club, which is the best option for allowing supporters to contribute.

My biggest personal issue, outside of all the practicalities I've already raised, are that few if any of the 20,000 are Ebbsfleet fans.
They've no commitment to the club, and no real investment in the club being a success. The second they get bored, the club could be in real trouble. </BLOCKQUOTE>

fair point, but tbh the same could be said about the glazers, the russian trying to take over arsenal, thaksin the criminal, and any other number of billionaire owners who either have the club as an investment opp or just use it as a plaything, so i'm not sure it will be THAT much worse off than other clubs.

prof101

Ebbsfleet already have a Supporters Trust involved in the club, which is the best option for allowing supporters to contribute.

My biggest personal issue, outside of all the practicalities I've already raised, are that few if any of the 20,000 are Ebbsfleet fans.
They've no commitment to the club, and no real investment in the club being a success. The second they get bored, the club could be in real trouble. </BLOCKQUOTE>

But then they have paid their money so surely they will stick around? I am not 100% up on this at all I just like the concept so therefore it is a good idea to see the other side to to speak.

Thanks for your informed replies Dave

mattly

how exactly do you know this?
has it happened before? NO
does anybody KNOW how it will turn out? NO

there's a thread in the OTF for you </BLOCKQUOTE>


I know this because, unlike the thousands of people who are paying towards the maintenance of a club whose stadium they have never seen, I have some common sense.

I also know that apart from being on a hiding to nothing, these people are being ripped off. 7.50 out of the 35 that everyone pays is creamed off by the guys who came up with the idea for "website maintenance". Considering the detail of the website, which I have seen, I hardly think it warrants taking over 375,000 of the money. This was a great idea for the guys who started it because at the current rate it's going to make them rich.

Unfortunately thanks to my crystal ball, or the amount of time I've spent studying business, and football and sociology I can have a pretty good guess that the ultimate losers in this will be Ebbsfleet. As soon as people realise they aren't having half as much influence (or fun) as they thought they would thats the end for another small town football club.

My_Evo

Ebbsfleet already have a Supporters Trust involved in the club, which is the best option for allowing supporters to contribute.

My biggest personal issue, outside of all the practicalities I've already raised, are that few if any of the 20,000 are Ebbsfleet fans.
They've no commitment to the club, and no real investment in the club being a success. The second they get bored, the club could be in real trouble. </BLOCKQUOTE>

fair point, but tbh the same could be said about the glazers, the russian trying to take over arsenal, thaksin the criminal, and any other number of billionaire owners who either have the club as an investment opp or just use it as a plaything, so i'm not sure it will be THAT much worse off than other clubs. </BLOCKQUOTE>

But most of them can make money back from the club. And that provides an incentive for success. The MFC people can't, that's the nature of the agreement. And the huge chasm-like difference fromt he examples you cite.

My_Evo

Ebbsfleet already have a Supporters Trust involved in the club, which is the best option for allowing supporters to contribute.

My biggest personal issue, outside of all the practicalities I've already raised, are that few if any of the 20,000 are Ebbsfleet fans.
They've no commitment to the club, and no real investment in the club being a success. The second they get bored, the club could be in real trouble. </BLOCKQUOTE>

But then they have paid their money so surely they will stick around? I am not 100% up on this at all I just like the concept so therefore it is a good idea to see the other side to to speak. </BLOCKQUOTE>

It's 35 quid annually, hardly some great commitment financially speaking.
I've written off more than that on computer games that I've become bored with after a month. I've drank more than that in a night (more than that on a round).
That's not meant to make me sound rich and frivolous, it's just to illustrate how easy it is to walk away.

retired_halfshell69

how exactly do you know this?
has it happened before? NO
does anybody KNOW how it will turn out? NO

there's a thread in the OTF for you </BLOCKQUOTE>


I know this because, unlike the thousands of people who are paying towards the maintenance of a club whose stadium they have never seen, I have some common sense.

</BLOCKQUOTE>

"I know because i have common sense" if only i could have used that in my degree it would have saved me sooo much effort. Please, you're embarrassing yourself.
Ebbsfleet already have a Supporters Trust involved in the club, which is the best option for allowing supporters to contribute.

My biggest personal issue, outside of all the practicalities I've already raised, are that few if any of the 20,000 are Ebbsfleet fans.
They've no commitment to the club, and no real investment in the club being a success. The second they get bored, the club could be in real trouble. </BLOCKQUOTE>

fair point, but tbh the same could be said about the glazers, the russian trying to take over arsenal, thaksin the criminal, and any other number of billionaire owners who either have the club as an investment opp or just use it as a plaything, so i'm not sure it will be THAT much worse off than other clubs. </BLOCKQUOTE>

But most of them can make money back from the club. And that provides an incentive for success. The MFC people can't, that's the nature of the agreement. And the huge chasm-like difference fromt he examples you cite. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Fair point again, but i fail to see how the team will be in troube if people DO lose interest and leave, there will always be someone wiling to buy that which is being sold (well probably, i'm sure some smart arse on these forums can give me an example from 1922 when a malaysian club couldn't be sold for a penny....), so all that will happen is that the people will not renew their interest, the founders of MFC will lose their income and sell the club; or at least that is what i THINK will happen (just realised i was talking with the certainty of some of the people i've complained about lol).