Ebbsfleet United

[DJT75]

Will be interesting to see how this idea pans out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/foot...et/7089473.stm

With 20,000 Shareholders (I'm assuming 5,000 real fans each with 3 additional family members involvement) & a say in the running of the club, team selection (to a certain degree) they've at least guaranteed themselves consistant crowds of 5,000+ I would've thought. Plus now news of 50,000 members means maybe even more.

I just need St.Albans City FC to do the same now.

[Sicknote10]

Really can't see this working, they may get a few high attendances to start with, but when they realise the football isnt that good they won't want to pay £15+ every week to go watch them

[overkill]

Originally Posted by Sicknote10

Really can't see this working, they may get a few high attendances to start with, but when they realise the football isnt that good they won't want to pay £15+ every week to go watch them

Why not? People spend a fortune on sky, and 20,000 - 40,000 fans turn up week in week out to watch rubbish served up in the prem? And they are a totally divorced irrelevance to most of their clubs.

[RMCF]

Its a crazy idea but it might just work.

They play in a rubbish league, and if only a quarter of these people watch them then they will become a force in it, especially finacially if they continue to contribute.

Plus the fans will have more heart for their team, because it is THEIR team unlike a lot of the fully professional teams out there who, as overkill says, couldnt care less about their fans, who only provide a small proportion of their income now.

[Sicknote10]

Originally Posted by overkill

Why not? People spend a fortune on sky, and 20,000 - 40,000 fans turn up week in week out to watch rubbish served up in the prem? And they are a totally divorced irrelevance to most of their clubs.

They will get bored when they see what Conference football is really like, the club may have £700k to spend this season, but I very much doubt they will get anywhere near that next year when people don't renew their subscription to the website
I feel sorry for the real Fleet fans, having spoken to a few of them they seem really annoyed/upset by this
The head coach won't know the team until the day by the looks of it, so he won't have any real time in training to work on formation/tactics with the starting 11, he has no real say in transfers either - it's a receipe for disaster

If the new 'owners' really want the club to be successfull they need to vote so that they have no say what so ever about who plays and who they buy, and leave it up to the professionals

[DJT75]

I must admit - I have my doubts, especially after hearing some supposed real fans on the radio who apparently don't even know anyone amongst them that have actually bought a share? All seems a bit weird & the actual football side of it won't work (which they'll no doubt agree to bin in no time at all).

Forgetting the £700K for a moment. Even if the local interest generates an extra 100% to gate receipts for just this season, it's a huge revenue booster they wouldn't get elsewhere in non-league football. That alone could be enough to push them up the table & attract more investment leading to promotion.

Business wise they have nothing to lose. Footballing - that whole selection process wouldn't work. At the end of the day, the manager picks who he wants anyway so it's just an online gimmick. Transfers - I see no reason why that can't go to vote, it's non-league non-pros/semi-pros after all.

[Sicknote10]

Originally Posted by DJT75

it's non-league non-pros/semi-pros after all.

Actually most of the players in the Conference are full time professionals, and any good player that comes along is normally ex-league or a league player coming back from injury who needs some playing time
These sort of players are signed on the quiet so that the other clubs don't try and steal them away
Clubs need good scouts/directors who have been in the game a long time so that they have the contacts to arrange these things

[DJT75]

Originally Posted by Sicknote10

Actually most of the players in the Conference are full time professionals, and any good player that comes along is normally ex-league or a league player coming back from injury who needs some playing time
These sort of players are signed on the quiet so that the other clubs don't try and steal them away
Clubs need good scouts/directors who have been in the game a long time so that they have the contacts to arrange these things

Actually yes, Conference are mostly Pros, I was thinking this was the next div down...

[overkill]

Originally Posted by Sicknote10

They will get bored when they see what Conference football is really like, the club may have £700k to spend this season, but I very much doubt they will get anywhere near that next year when people don't renew their subscription to the website
I feel sorry for the real Fleet fans, having spoken to a few of them they seem really annoyed/upset by this
The head coach won't know the team until the day by the looks of it, so he won't have any real time in training to work on formation/tactics with the starting 11, he has no real say in transfers either - it's a receipe for disaster

If the new 'owners' really want the club to be successfull they need to vote so that they have no say what so ever about who plays and who they buy, and leave it up to the professionals

Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell. Why are the EbbsFleet fans annoyed? It was **** or bust time, so money being invested, wherever it comes from, and as long as it's not some hostile takeover bid by a greedy yank, has to be good?

I agree totally on the selection issue. They should vote on it, and that vote should conclude that the manager/coach picks the team and everyone else keeps their nose out. That way it would definitely be an improvement on certain premiership sides.

[raigraphixs]

FA Trophy winners Ebbsfleet United on the club's first trip to Wembley, will be parading on a open top bus through Gravesend, Kent on Thursday 15th 6.30-6.55pm ending up at the civic centre. Also be given a 'Taking A Pride in Gravesham Civic Award' which i guess may be handed to them on thursday.

[DJT75]

Originally Posted by raigraphixs

FA Trophy winners Ebbsfleet United on the club's first trip to Wembley, will be parading on a open top bus through Gravesend, Kent on Thursday 15th 6.30-7.30pm ending up at the civic centre. Also be given a 'Taking A Pride in Gravesham Civic Award' which i guess may be handed to them on thursday.

It panned out alright then didn't it I watched the last 30mins of so of the final on Sky..

[overkill]

Originally Posted by DJT75

It panned out alright then didn't it I watched the last 30mins of so of the final on Sky..

Exactly.

It makes you laugh when you think how much muck was thrown at them (by the football establishment) when the idea was mooted.

That's a great way to answer your critics.

[StevoAVFC]

You know i wish i had bought some shares now

If there glory continues and they get promoted would a takeover bid come in and make a fair few people a good profit?

[Sicknote10]

Winning the FA Trophy doesn't really mean much, won't even get you much money as last years finalist still haven't been paid I believe
Not many have won it and then gone on to get promoted, most of the time the top teams don't try too hard in it as they're concentrating on the more important league matches

Still think the test will come when the subs are up for renewal


And nope, it's non-profit