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Posts tagged ‘fans’

Jun 15

Stockport Fans S'PORT
2 Comments

Supporters’ Directive

An ultimatum and directive have resulted from a perceived mis-use of social media by the then Chief Executive of Supporters’ Direct (SD). It is the overseeing organisation formed by the Government (with cross-party agreement) to provide support to ‘supporters’ trusts (fans) to secure a greater level of accountability and democracy within football clubs and more recently in other sports.  

The alleged remarks, reported in The Guardian, made his position untenable and has resulted in his, only this week, using the hashtag on the same platform, Twitter, #gizzajob.

£1.2M funding has been pulled (SD’s enabling fund for the next three years).  This decision courtesy of the Football Stadia Improvement Fund (FSIF), a grant-giving body the Premier League wholly finances. The FSIF board stated the withdrawal of funds was in response to insulting comments, including swearing, by the Chief Executive after AFC Wimbledon won promotion to the Football League.  Naturally some of our clients are pro-greater supporters’ involvement as was much of our recent Turkish conference.  I have only worked on projects in consultation with former SD employees Brian Lomax (earlier Managing Director) and Simon Binns who conducted themselves professionally (others less so) – and a former Director, Sean Hamil now at Birkbeck College, who was credible as a guest speaker at our aforementioned conference also.

May 26

Football Fans
1 Comment

In the 83rd minute…….

Stockport County FC is an English football club based in Cheshire.  The Club was formed in 1883.  So where am I going with this?

There’s more than an occassional reference to Turkey in my blogging, though don’t think for one minute that this is divorced in anyway from a connection with football. Well there’s another story.

What are the first images that are conjured up by a reference to ‘communal fan celebrations’ on a matchday. The ‘poznan’ now symbolises Manchester City after mimicking the trade mark of some Poles. Bouncing ‘boing boing baggies’ watching West Bromwich Albion. Derby County doing the ‘conga’ when 4-0 down at Cardiff City. These are just a few. Why not post your own comment about those that come to mind?

One of the clubs that I’m helping is FC United. They promote a 90:90 protocol. That is 90% of the supporters, sing for 90% of the match.

Trabazonspor (ex-club of striker, Kevin Campbell) in Turkey, celebrates every match on 61 minutes. There is a frenzy, irrespective of the scoreline where the fans just go mad in a tribal fashion. Something to behold – flares, chanting, streamers, animation, movement, nobody stands still etc etc. The 61 in this case relates to that region’s allocated code number. I just wonder if an English club might adopt this stance, not as a regional denomination but say a commemoration to the birth of the club that its supporters follow. Maybe “County” would dance to the 83rd minute in testimony to the history of this famous club (and perhaps a recognition as it tries to return to the Football League). I’ll leave you to ponder on this with a video clip of Trabazon’s fans in………….guess which minute!

May 14

Oldham Athletic 2004

Get your houses in order!

Today, Terry Venables (ex-England Manager) suggests in a ‘red top daily’ newspaper, that the current system of protocol and penalty against teams that enter financial administration is in need of an overhaul.  He goes on to stress that the only people that suffer are the fans.  In my experiences the suffering of supporters would always be an objective to minimise.  After all, it is not they who are usually to blame (unless perhaps they have been the owner running the club at that time). 

However, a stringent and rigorous punishment needs to prevail.  All too often I have witnessed mis-management by supporters that have been elevated to a Boardroom setting without having the skills or commercial acumen.  It takes more than just keeping the faith to succeed, football is a business not just a game.  The alternative misdemeanour, to poor supporters’ stewardship of these businesses, is that the wrong ‘white knight’ has been in place, whom should never have ridden over the hill nor even perhaps have got on the steed in the first place – or a similar ego driven appointment where an owner has passed his/her shelf-life and maybe lost interest – something that fans don’t often do. They say after religion that football is the next strongest ‘brand’ for loyalty. 

Barry Hearn who runs Leyton Orient has indicated rather than a ten points deduction for clubs that go into administration that demotion by two leagues be more appropriate.  Whilst, I don’t agree entirely, the sentiment I share is that ‘these clubs’ have failed and should face more severe sanctions than present.  At least this may go someway to ensuring that more football clubs get their houses in order.

If only, the likes of Stockport County, Chester City, Oldham Athletic had had better leadership the financial woes may not have materialised.  Maybe well run, fans-owned clubs will continue to be another way for the future aka FC United of Manchester, City Fans United (phoenix for Chester City) and AFC Wimbledon.  Certainly, this is a philosophy that Supporters Direct subscribes to.  Watch this space………..

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