Lots of talk about fan ownership models lately, and UK Government talking about implementing the German model over here, but I’m not sure it’s impacts are fully understood. So, here goes a rather simplistic thread! The link below has more details:
https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/german-soccer-rules-50-1-fifty-plus-one-explained-466583.jsp

1/10

This model means that 50% + 1 of the voting rights are held by the members of the club. This means that fans have boardroom control of their clubs, and thus the ultimate say in what goes on.

2/10

What does that mean in practice? Well, covers everything really. Fans control the budget, which determines what things are spent on, such as transfer pot or whether to have an academy. It also covers ticket pricing, even cost of beer. Everything you care about is covered

3/10

What about other 50% -1 of the shares? Those can be bought by outside parties. However, as we see in Germany, these are generally held by local concerns rather than parties with no local links. Why? Well, there isn’t the potential to prioritise profit without fan agreement.

4/10

Sounds great? Absolutely. However, we should note it would be a seismic change, not just to how clubs are run but also the mindset of fans. Remember how excited some of our fans were about the prospect of “investment” in 2016 as a shortcut to success?

5/10

Clubs would effectively rely on themselves and their members. If you’re spending £20m on a player, it’s coming from the club’s money, or the members’ money, or you’re borrowing it. That forces clubs to be run in a more sustainable manner, but it’s a big mindset change.

6/10

Does it guarantee good governance? Not by itself. Some clubs, such as Dortmund, do still have high levels of debt. Clubs have, and continue to, go bust. There is stronger regulation in Germany, but clubs have still managed to bypass or challenge.

7/10

So what’s the point? Well, look at last week. German clubs didn’t even bother entering discussions on ESL. Project Big Picture doesn’t happen. Clubs are run in the interests of their members. Generally run on a more sustainable basis. The competition is fairer as a result.

8/10

I hope the Govt are genuine in their comments on wanting to implement change here. It’s easy to be cynical but this fan-led review is a good first step, assuming fans will genuinely lead it. Organisations like the FSA, and Swans Trust, need to be heavily involved in that.

9/10

Most importantly, we as fans need a conversation about what we truly want. The Premier League has been successfully largely because of the money it spends. Fan Ownership impacts that, but in many very positive ways (which IMO far outweigh their issues) . Fin.

10/10