The Big Idea: Fan Co-operatives
Yorkshire, 25 November 2010
We all know how much football means to some people. The power that the beautiful game wields is almost unparalleled. It can be a great force for good and at other times reflects some of the worst elements in society. It can reduce grown men to tears, and it can inspire our children.
Over the years the European Union has had quite an impact on football. The free movement of workers enshrined in the Treaties has had a huge influence on the way the players and clubs interact. The 1995 so called "Bosman" ruling of the ECJ, which laid down that players should be free to move once their contract with a club had come to an end, should have made the market place fairer than it was. We know that hasn't happened. As a consequence, player power has increased and the odds are stacked against clubs not subsidised by wealthy owners.
But for me the fundamental problem now facing the game is the growing disconnect between supporters and their clubs. A lot of fans are being left behind. They can no longer afford to watch their teams play. I can't help feeling that they are being squeezed out.
Lately, a number of British clubs have been subject to takeovers by wealthy foreign investors. For every fairytale there's a horror story: I was aghast at the situation at Portsmouth, where over the course of a recent season the club changed hands no less than 4 times!
UEFA are looking to introduce a set of Financial Fair Play Rules, but I believe that a simpler and more effective solution might be just around the corner.
During the elections in May, the Conservative Party manifesto outlined David Cameron's plans to foster individual responsibility of citizens within their communities as a central theme of his campaign. He set out why Conservatives believe in small government and a "Big Society".
The plans resonate especially in the area of sport because they are designed to encourage people to take an active role in helping to run their local schools and sports clubs.
The Conservative Party manifesto suggested that fan co-operatives should be given an option to buy into their club if shares come up for sale. It follows the example of FC United, set up in 2005 by disillusioned Manchester United fans. The new club has done so well that it may soon be playing its famous cousin in the FA Cup.
The Labour Party had the same idea - one of the rare occasions when the parties agreed. So this is not party politics, it just makes sense. But now that the Conservatives are in power, we are in a position to do something about it.
That is why I would support Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt's initiatives which would reform the governance of football so that co-operative ownership models can be established by supporters. These initiatives can co-exist with the Premier League's free market approach, which has been hugely successful. Other countries like Spain and Germany have similar systems which we can learn from and improve on.
On the whole, I'm not in favour of political interference in professional sport. The European Parliament's Culture and Education Committee has realised this, and I am glad to see that initiatives focus mainly on grassroots sport. However, with an issue like fan ownership, a committed and enlightened national Government can make a positive impact.
