Fan ownership, why won't it work? (1 Viewer)

Ian1779

Well-Known Member
It could be funded by the fans and player sales. So basically the same as it is now. Minus the hedge fund.

So what we need is someone to come up with a proper breakdown of how it could be funded. What's our budget - where will the money come from etc. If that detail is all clear and realistic then I think most people with reservations would be swayed to buy into it... perhaps even literally.
 

Ian1779

Well-Known Member
Rushden and Diamonds was never a viable team though. IIRC correctly it was basically the folly of Mr. Dr Martin. When he went it fell on it's arse because it was basically a true non league club with a nice ground that flattered there natural place in the world which is really a Rugby Town or Racing Warwick. Also, it was back in private ownership when it went to the wall.

It was exacerbated by the timing of his initial withdrawal from the club. He took him (and his funding) out at the time when the ITV digital deal collapsed... so they got hit on a double whammy and by the time he tried to rectify it the position become almost irretrievable.
 

Irish Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
I said that AFC Wimbledon was started by some of their supporters. But look back at what was said. The majority of their supporters didn't follow on to AFC. They picked up supporters as they went through the non league levels.

The same would happen with our club if it folded. I would give up. I would not spend a 4 figure sum each year to watch a club I didn't grow up supporting. I wouldn't feel the urge to spend so much time travelling up and down the motorway or spend so much time away from my family.

If you think that most of us would follow an AFC club if our club folded try doing a poll. Look how many have already stopped going to our proper club now. Look at how many we will have next season. Then consider how many we would have about another 5 levels lower at a reincarnated club.

Following an AFC club would be a matter of choice. I am sure that many would fall away. For me, a Phoenix club that is built in the image of CCFC, sky blue and all of the traditions, would be the continuation of our club. If CCFC folded that would be down to Sisu, not the fans. A viable, successful club representing the city of Coventry has been successful in the past and can be again. It is unthinkable that a city the size of Coventry would not have a league club. ( Don't think it will be Coventry Utd or Sphinx).
With regard to Wimbledon and Rushden, without conducting a poll or in fact knowing all of their fans personally, how do you know what their fans football watching habits were previously. I get that your mate was a Wimbledon fan. You and I support CCFC but couldn't really accurately comment on other City supporters, how long they have supported us or where they came from.
My son used to play for Nuneaton Town youth team. Shortly after AFC R and D were formed the Nuneaton youth played R and D youth at Wellingborough's ground (The Dog and Duck stadium!). At that stage R and D had not reformed a first team and so focus of the fans was on the youth. It was a friendly fixture, played on a midweek night. The amazing thing was that the attendance was about 300 almost all of them R and D fans desperate to watch any incarnation of their club. If you are that committed to go and watch a mid week youth team friendly I am pretty sure you are going to stay around for when the first team get going again. I think R and D still ground share with Wellingborough with their first team up and running.
 

Broken Hearted Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
I did. You mentioned Wimbledon with other clubs. You said that you know about them. But you never said what you know. So how can I comment about something you never said?
I said I worked with one R and D fan and a Wimbledon fan although haven't been to work for five weeks don't think they've changed
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
Following an AFC club would be a matter of choice. I am sure that many would fall away. For me, a Phoenix club that is built in the image of CCFC, sky blue and all of the traditions, would be the continuation of our club. If CCFC folded that would be down to Sisu, not the fans. A viable, successful club representing the city of Coventry has been successful in the past and can be again. It is unthinkable that a city the size of Coventry would not have a league club. ( Don't think it will be Coventry Utd or Sphinx).
With regard to Wimbledon and Rushden, without conducting a poll or in fact knowing all of their fans personally, how do you know what their fans football watching habits were previously. I get that your mate was a Wimbledon fan. You and I support CCFC but couldn't really accurately comment on other City supporters, how long they have supported us or where they came from.
My son used to play for Nuneaton Town youth team. Shortly after AFC R and D were formed the Nuneaton youth played R and D youth at Wellingborough's ground (The Dog and Duck stadium!). At that stage R and D had not reformed a first team and so focus of the fans was on the youth. It was a friendly fixture, played on a midweek night. The amazing thing was that the attendance was about 300 almost all of them R and D fans desperate to watch any incarnation of their club. If you are that committed to go and watch a mid week youth team friendly I am pretty sure you are going to stay around for when the first team get going again. I think R and D still ground share with Wellingborough with their first team up and running.
One question for you if you think that my mate is wrong. What sort of gates were AFC Wimbledon getting when they started up?
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
One question for you if you think that my mate is wrong. What sort of gates were AFC Wimbledon getting when they started up?

Around 3,000
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Average attendance was 3,002. Two years before when they didn't know what was going to happen average attendance was 17,156.

But that's not really a valid stat is it - that's attendance in the premier league at a big stadium against crowds in the midlands counties league.
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
Remember when you talk about the AFC Wimbledon dream that they don't play in Merton and took Kingstonian FC's ground from under their noses due to the latter's financial difficulties - the latter who are now playing outside of Kingston 10 miles away in Leatherhead as AFC Wimbledon cashed in on the ground by selling it to moneybags Chelsea.

The idea of a phoenix club is a non-starter if / when CCFC goes imo.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
But that's not really a valid stat is it - that's attendance in the premier league at a big stadium against crowds in the midlands counties league.
Why isn't it a valid point?

Some are trying to say that most of us would continue to go if there was an AFC Coventry. I made the point of how many supporters we have lost with each relegation. If we started again we would be about 5 lower again. You mentioned the difference in the grounds. The one they played in held well over the average of 3,002. And are you saying that if we started again we would still be at the Ricoh?
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
I don't know what I would do. But I certainly wouldn't drive hours each way for an AFC club. I might give up on football all together. Or I might start taking my youngest lad to the local club to give him interest in that. I wouldn't be going for me though.
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
I don't know what I would do. But I certainly wouldn't drive hours each way for an AFC club. I might give up on football all together. Or I might start taking my youngest lad to the local club to give him interest in that. I wouldn't be going for me though.

Same as that. I would have no emotional tie with the phoenix club, even less so now living outside of Cov. I'd give up on football as the game is practically ruined anyway.
 

eedyut

Well-Known Member
The Phoenix will always be The Campbell to me. So I'd support a Campbell club.
Club Campbell was always a good Saturday night, drowning the sorrows of another skyblue failure and I once took a piss next to Vic and Bob's Uncle Peter in their lavs...

On topic, have any of you seen the Swansea documentary Jack to a King? It's a quite incredible story of fan reclamation. Our situation is rather unique in the fact that we are owned by a hedge fund and all that their M.Os entail, but we're also hamstrung by our city council who have, for decades, showed us no respect as an institution and used us to boost their coffers, macro and micro.

We're surrounded by crafty bastards. We need crafty bastards of our own, passionate Cov fans who know how the world really works.
 

skybluetony176

Well-Known Member
It was exacerbated by the timing of his initial withdrawal from the club. He took him (and his funding) out at the time when the ITV digital deal collapsed... so they got hit on a double whammy and by the time he tried to rectify it the position become almost irretrievable.

ITV digital collapsed in 2002, the supporters purchased R & D for a quid in 2005 so not quite.

Fact is it was always a manufactured misplaced club. I went to Nene park to watch VS play them when they were non league and I swear there was more people there from Rugby than there was in the home crowd. Their situation is very different to ours in terms of demographic and history (CCFC have a long and illustrious one, R & D barely had any at all). There's no comparison to be made with CCFC being fan owned and R & D being fan owned for that point alone.
 

Ian1779

Well-Known Member
ITV digital collapsed in 2002, the supporters purchased R & D for a quid in 2005.

Yes that is true - but the club were hit two-fold by them losing the proposed revenue from ITV (which they may well have already committed in contracts and spending) as well as Griggs no longer funding the club. They had a fire sale (we bought Onandi Lowe IIRC) and still were relegated 2 years on the spin.

My point is that a fan ownership model is possibly more vulnerable to external factors than being owned by a single person or company.
 

COVKIDSNEVERQUIT

Well-Known Member
Fan ownership works for firefighting, not for progression.

Not as the systems are set up in this country, anyway.

So, if worst comes to the worst and no new credible owner steps forward whenever the time comes, the fans absolutely must take over, but they should also, IMNSHO, be looking for new credible owners from that point on.
Are Club is a Raging inferno ,
We don't have enough firefighters !

I am the God of Hellfire and I bring you... FIRE , I'll take you to burn ... FIRE , I'll take you to learn . I'll see you burn !
Lyrics by Arthur Brown . :wacky:
 

Womble

Well-Known Member
Not every club owned by fans is the same. If you owned CCFC due to the size of the potential, the trust ownership board would appoint an executive board to run the football club and they would run it but be answerable to the trust. Technically a rich oligarch could be that person.. unlikely.. but no reason why it couldn't happen. But you'd have control if things went badly.

If we assume Coventry are to be a league two side soon.. it makes the possibility for fan ownership more financially possible. After all with SISU in charge, having removed your key assets (land) the asset of a league two side and its players is barely worth a million or so. Should be achievable to oust SISU with continual militant action in a lower league and then offer a price. Personally I'd be outside joys house leaving her presents from my lower intestines...
 

Womble

Well-Known Member
Pompey fans not seeming so keen on fan ownership at the moment!
Because they are stalling a bit on the field. Those fans not so keen are those who demand prem football and glossy tv coverage. They get good crowds for the level, but how many of those are the ones who were romanticised by the premier days and the fan ownership spark. Not prepared to face the possibility of spending what you can afford and climbing up the league is not a god given right.

Some Wimbledon fans demand we sell out to someone with money so we can climb. Instantly ignoring that hard work it has taken to get there. So I hope Pompey soldier on and achieve success under their own steam. I see the Notts County trust who years ago sold out to the promise of big money are doing really well.....
 

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