The Conservatives have dismissed Labour’s proposals to give fans a 25 per cent stake in clubs as a pre-election gimmick. This may well be the case, but a more serious objection is that there are significant company law problems with the proposal. The Conservative proposal to give supporters a seat on the board also faces such obstacles and clubs which did have such schemes such as Charlton Athletic ha
The Conservatives have dismissed Labour’s proposals to give fans a 25 per cent stake in clubs as a pre-election gimmick. This may well be the case, but a more serious objection is that there are significant company law problems with the proposal. The Conservative proposal to give supporters a seat on the board also faces such obstacles and clubs which did have such schemes such as Charlton Athletic have withdrawn them. In any case, supporters were not usually on the main decision-making board, reflecting the fact that companies controlling clubs often have complex structures.
However, supporters’ organisations have taken heart from the debate. Supporters Direct Chief Executive Dave Boyle said, ‘The two parties – one of which will form the basis of the next government – both agree fans should have a stake in the clubs they support and are pledged to work to make it happen. That’s great news for the trust movement and long-overdue recognition that clubs aren’t businesses like any other.’
He added, ‘We look forward to the next government – whoever it is – putting fans at the heart of the game.’ A certain amount of finger crossing may be in order, as this is an issue political parties tend to lose interest in once the election is over.