My Football Club buys a team - in principle

[Flasch186]

They bought in Principle Ebbsfleet United!!

Woohoo

This is so exciting

http://members.myfootballclub.co.uk/index

[Toddzilla]

that link sucks

[Flasch186]

good start, the site crashed :)

[SirFozzie]

www.myfootballclub.co.uk is a better link once it comes back up (if you're not a paid up member, like me.. I WANTED to pay em, but they wouldn't let me!)

[Young Drachma]

Hmm..interesting. I wonder how it'll work out. They need to appoint someone to represent them or is the guy who setup the site already doing that?

[Abe Sargent]

One of the collest thigns I've ever seen

[Flasch186]

the member voted and over 95% approved the purchase of Ebbsfleet of the Blue Square North division!

Come March of this year we will be choosing starting lineups and approving transfers.

Very exciting.

MyFootballClub members have voted overwhelmingly to purchase a 75% stake in Ebbsfleet United football club.

As of 12.00pm (UK time) on 23 January, MyFootballClub had 27,278 members. The results of the two votes at this deadline are as follows:

18,112 members voted on whether to approve the deal to takeover Ebbsfleet United FC. Of those that voted, 95.89%, or 17,368 members, are in favour.

And 17,891 members voted on whether to enable Liam Daish to carry out any plans he has for the January transfer window. Of those that voted, 95.86%, or 17,152 members, are in favour.

Within the next two weeks we will begin the process of electing the Trust Board and members will also get to decide whether or not to employ a new kit manufacturer for the 2008/2009 season.

Whilst the general response we have had has been extremely positive, we note that there were some members who expressed concerns about the communication between members and the Web Team, notably in relation to the way the article was presented. We have taken those comments on board, and will try to address them in future - this is a learning process for us all.

[Critch]

Ebbsfleet manager Liam Daish was one of the must-buy bargains in some of the early CM/FM games. If that's not a good omen, I don't know what it.

[Flasch186]

here is the ad Eurostar took out in the papers over there...

Im on line 14
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f109/Flasch186/memberad.jpg

[Apathetic Lurker]

70 bucks to become a fat cat cigar smoking union hatin' pro team team owner? I'm in

[Flasch186]

they just initiated free streaming TV for ALL 16 games left this season and for 10pounds more you can get Hi-Res streaming. I bought the Hi-Res as we have a huge FA trophy replay game tonight against Burton Albion so it'll be nice to be able to watch the game!

[Flasch186]

we beat Burton Albion 1-0 in ET and now we play Aldershot in March in a double legged Semifinal, I think. Winner goes to Wembley for the FA Trophy!!!!

[Flasch186]

In case people are thinking of joining and forgot or missed it, check out this update from today!!

It’s two weeks since completion and things are beginning settle. Last week, a number of the Web Team worked three days at Stonebridge Road. Being at the ground two or three days a week will continue for the rest of the season at least. As was stated in the programme article, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the club and website needed to work more closely. Emails and texts only get you so far. There’s no substitute for face-to-face communication.

Everyone who has become a MyFootballClub member, whether on August 1 2007 or 10 minutes ago, is helping to create something unique. There’s no blueprint for the journey we have begun and we’re off to a great start. The website continues to grow in every sense and we appear to have had a positive impact on the football club. As Liam Daish has pointed out on numerous occasions, there is a "buzz" around the place.

But I’m not going to pretend that everything has been perfect. Trying to ‘bring to life’ the whole takeover process was particularly awkward. And I sympathise with those who felt the merchandise and ‘player contract and loan’ votes were unsatisfactory.

A small team building a high-profile community website while overseeing the takeover of a complex business hasn’t been easy. Each task is a full time job in itself. A website cannot be bolted onto a football club overnight, however, we are acutely aware of how and where things can be improved. The appointment of our Trust Board will be a great help in this process.

Now that the dust is beginning to settle, I thought I’d try to cover a number of key areas discussed on the forums:



MyFC Trust Board and pressing issues
We are a little over two weeks away from appointing the MyFC Trust Board. There are a number of key areas, some pressing, where members will need to have their say. This list isn’t exhaustive and is in no particular order:
- Season ticket and ticket pricing for next year
- catering at Stonebridge Road (manage ourselves or contract out as is the case now?)
- Building links between the football club and the PASE, youth & ladies teams
- Taking advantage of all grants and funding the club is entitled to
- Building links in the local community and increasing gates
- Getting UK members and overseas members to Stonebridge Road

Team selection
In the next few weeks, members will find out which will be the first game where team selection will take place, as well as how the process will work.

Financials
We have had an accountant at the club over the last few days working alongside the club’s current bookkeeper. We are developing a system for showing the club’s finances on the website. It is a priority to have this up as soon as we can.

Club funds
This figure will be shown as soon as our work on the Financials is complete.

Chief Executive
Applications are still coming in. And we have spoken to several candidates. An appointment isn’t imminent, and we want to discuss candidates with the Trust Board.

Youth and Ladies
We have met with a number of the key figures in the PASE and youth set-ups. They were seeking assurance as to MyFC’s intentions. We echoed the sentiments of the forums, that they are seen as an integral part of the club. We intend to have a section on the website dedicated to these areas of the club. We have also asked them to investigate the Gothia tournament in Sweden this summer, a suggestion that came from members. They will come back to us with what is required. We are yet to meet a representative from the Ladies set up, but this will happen in due course.

Eurostar
In recent weeks, we have seen that in Eurostar we have a proactive and supportive club sponsor. I have met with them several times, and it’s clear that they want their involvement to extend beyond their name on the shirt. They have just sponsored the MyFC Podcast until the end of the season. Corporate policy prevents them disclosing how much they spend on advertising and sponsorship. However, they have agreed to tell the newly elected MyFC Trust Board.

EA Sports
Their name will appear on the back of the shirts in the next week or so. Very shortly, we expect to be in a position to disclose how much EA Sports are giving the club. EA Sports are very enthusiastic about what the members are trying to achieve and they appear keen to offer ongoing support.

Nike
Nike will be delivering 30 sets of training kit and bags to the club within two weeks. This is because the players are currently using last season’s training kit. For next season, Nike will supply another new set of training kit, as part of the new Ebbsfleet United 08/09 range. We plan to launch the new home and away shirts in style. The home and away designs as voted for by members will be revealed then.

TV
Free 90 minutes of every league match for every member was always a must. We also wanted to give the option of viewing on higher resolution (clearer picture) plus being able watching interviews and features. This has considerable bandwidth, filming and production costs. The uptake and feedback on HiRes TV for the rest of the season will help shape the TV offering for next season.

We are looking into the possibility of doing live commentaries. We are also looking into offering live match broadcasts from Stonebridge Road next season (though for 3pm Saturday kick-offs this might only apply for overseas members).

MyFC Mall
We will continue to add popular websites to the MyFC Mall. Everything you buy on these websites via the MyFC Mall will be exactly the same price, with the members’ Trust earning 100% of the commission. Thousands of members using the MyFC Mall every month could earn thousands for our club.

New functionality
In addition to the forums and chat pages, we are hoping to add verbal communication to the website with Skype-like functionality. This will enable members to talk one to one, or in groups of up to eight. In addition, up to 20,000 members will be able to listen to live interviews as well as contribute as if it were a radio phone in. We hope to trial this in the next few weeks.

Text alerts
This is something else we want to trial before the end of the season. For those unable to go to games or access the radio, it will send text alerts for the team line-up, half time score and full time scores. Just as importantly, it will earn funds for the club.

Us trying to field queries on the forums each day has been hit and miss, so I hope this gives a better idea of the state of play, and that more questions are answered than raised. With the help of our soon-to-be-elected Board, we will be looking at ways of putting a structure in place for the regular flow of information from the football club to its new owners (you!).

[Flasch186]

well we played the team at the top of the table, Aldershot Town, in the Semi-Final of the FA Trophy tournament. We played them at home, Stonebridge Road, in the semi's first leg and beat 'em up!

Woohoo, 3-1 I listened via realplayer and now we go there next week and if we hold them off we will go to Wembley for the first time in team history!

It's crazy what's going on. Nike is sponsoring the kits this season, next and who knows how long after that. Nike is going to take over the club shop and apparently EA Sports is doing something behind the scenes.

Check out some of the videos on youtube but its kind of crazy that the team we took over is having a Cinderella run in year one....Apparently we havnt lost since December of last year!

[k0ruptr]

This is a very interesting thread, I appreciate the updates Flasch

[Zelig]

It has been pretty strange. We purchased them new balls and new field equipment; better accomadations on the road, ect. Maybe they feel different about themselves now.

I was starting to worry; I had signed up well over a year ago, and was wondering if we were ever going to get a team. Seems like it may have been a solid choice. Road trip to Wembley.

[Critch]

I'm sure it mentions this somewhere on their website, but is the 35 pound "membership fee" an annual thing, or a one off?

[BigDPW]

I'm sure it mentions this somewhere on their website, but is the 35 pound "membership fee" an annual thing, or a one off?

Annual I believe with no obligation to "renew".

[Flasch186]

Annual I believe with no obligation to "renew".

yup

[Marc Vaughan]

Annual I believe with no obligation to "renew".

This is to be honest why I didn't cough up after initially signing up as 'interested'.

The advertising was about owning part of the club - not renting an interest in it ... its still a very interesting idea, but if you're paying a yearly membership fee then you aren't really owning part of the club its more a clever move by an individual to get other people to purchase a club which he'll run and try to make a profit from (great idea and well marketed so far - will be interesting to see what happens long term).

[Flasch186]

supposedly the bylaws of the trust disallow any individual from profiting from the endeavour, AFAIK.

[Marc Vaughan]

supposedly the bylaws of the trust disallow any individual from profiting from the endeavour, AFAIK.

(cynic)

I'm sure the chap who came up with the scheme now has a full-time job running the trust these days ... imho thats a profitable endeavour but I'd be surprised if its seen that way under the regulations.

(end cynic)

It IS however an interesting idea and the club should in the short term be fairly successful which will sustain interest and momentum behind the club - however once they are promoted they may find things somewhat harder as the revenue stream behind them isn't 'that' substantial.

[Flasch186]

Ebbsfleet just won the FA Trophy today and convinced the FA and SKY Sports to stream the game over the web for all of the internationals to see so it was pretty awesome watching the game in great quality. Good to see the team win it in the first season of MYFC ownership and should bring some attention to the team and possibly a spike in membership. Good stuff.

[Zelig]

It was so fun screaming at my PC. I felt I was there, but the bathroom was much easier to get to.

[Young Drachma]

Home*-*OwnMyTeam - The Fans Will Own The Basketball Franchise (http://ownmyteam.com/)

Some guy is trying to same concept in the US for a minor league basketball team. I think it'd be way smarter to stick with soccer, but here in the US. But meh.

[Critch]

Fortuna Dusseldorf in the German Third Division are doing the same thing too.

[Young Drachma]

People romanticize the Packers ownership model all of the time. I think the only way it could work really well here is to do it in a major league sport people care about. But soccer is the only real sport that's "cheap" enough comparably to make it work.