This is not, of course, a surprising headline given the pessimism and negativity that often seems to characterise football fans. However, Supporters Direct have carried out an interesting survey which finds that 18 per cent of fans thought their club was well run financially and 41 per cent did not.
This is not, of course, a surprising headline given the pessimism and negativity that often seems to characterise football fans. However, Supporters Direct have carried out an interesting survey which finds that 18 per cent of fans thought their club was well run financially and 41 per cent did not.
This, of course, leaves over 40 per cent of respondents who were not able to express a definite opinion which is rather high for a survey and it was also reflected in answers to some other questions. Many fans may not feel sufficiently well informed to take a view.
Supporters Direct will want to rectify that as they campaign for greater fan involvement in running clubs. A lot depends on what exactly that would entail. In practice, it would still mean having a board of professionally qualified people but with greater transparency and answerability to fans. Unfortunately, meetings might degenerate into ‘why did you/didn’t you sign x?’ or ‘why didn’t you play y?’
There is also an issue about how fans might raise the capital to buy a club, or even if they could do that, subsidise the losses that most clubs make. I am far from sure that these will be eradicated by financial fair play.
Alternatively, one could argue that what football needs is a better regulatory framework or, in some cases, a more rigorous application of existing rules. Fit and proper person tests for directors remain an area of concern, but when there is only one viable buyer for a club in trouble it becomes difficult to turn down that offer.