It is a grim irony that one of fan ownership’s greatest moments in football could, through no fault of its own, end up severely crippling the movement that helped create it. When then Supporters Direct Chief Executive Dave Boyle sent a few ill-judged Tweets following AFC Wimbledon’s promotion to the football league, few could have predicted that a few weeks later, Supporters Direct would be fighting for their very survival.
If Supporters Direct were to go under, then many fan-owned clubs would lose a source of help at a time when fan ownership is high on the political agenda. Without the organisation, it’s questionable if the likes of Chester or Exeter City would be where they currently sit today.
Boyle’s Tweets, some of which were highly abusive, were predominantly aimed at MK Dons owner Pete Winkleman and Raj Parker, the lawyer who sat on the FA panel that sanction Wimbledon’s move to Milton Keynes. Boyle also Tweeted, “The Bible can f*ck off, this is the greatest story ever told,” following Wimbledon’s promotion.
These Tweets in themselves, while ill-judged, have ended up threatening the future of Supporters’ Direct as a whole. The organisation that has provided much-needed help to around 50 football and rugby league clubs, and has helped form up to 130 more, currently stands on a financial precipice.
The issue comes down to funding from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, a body that is entirely financed by the Premier League. The FSIF was due to grant Supporters Direct £1.2m to continue their work assisting clubs, which would have secured the organisation’s future for another three years.
But following Boyle’s Tweets, the FSIF appears to have pulled the plug on this funding, and was particularly unhappy that Supporters’ Direct did not suspend of discipline their Chief Executive. Boyle subsequently resigned, with Brian Burgess, a former supporter-elected vice-chairman at Brentford replacing him. This does not currently appear to have appeased the FSIF.
In some respects, it is unsurprising that Boyle has landed in hot water for comments on Twitter. His feed is highly political and the former chief executive does not hold back on his views. But spend a few minutes in his company, and it’s also clear he knows the issue of fan ownership inside out and there’s very few questions on football finance he can’t provide guidance on.
But despite Boyle falling on his sword - and the tweets having little to do with the day-to-day work Supporters Direct undertakes - it currently seems the FSIF are unwilling to reconsider their position.
Indeed, at a time when fan ownership in Britain is at its highest peak, taking a move that could potentially kill off the leading body involved in this seems perverse.
Premier League new boys Swansea City are 20% owned by their supporters’ trust, who, along with Supporters Direct, played a large part in saving the club from serious financial problems over ten years ago. They remain one of the prime examples of how fans and owners can work together and succeed.
Further down the pyramid, Exeter City, who are majority-owned by their trust, have just reached their best ever post-war finish, one point off the play-offs in League One. Fan-owned AFC Wimbledon, AFC Telford and Chester FC all secured promotion.
York and Bury, although not fan owned, owe a large part of their continued existence to Supporters Direct, while higher up the leagues, the Arsenal Supporters Trust launched their innovative fanshare scheme earlier this season, aimed at increasing supporter respresentation on the board, while there was even talk of Manchester United’s Supporters Trust being a key player in any bid for the club.
The issues that Arsenal and Manchester United face are very different from, say, fan-owned Hendon FC, but the advice and help Supporters’ Direct give to the smaller clubs is often invaluable.
There is a model set of rules and framework the organisation supplies to new trusts, while many trusts and fan-owned clubs have found the free legal advice essential at their hour of need. It’s not an exaggeration to say that many of the fan owned or part-owned clubs wouldn’t be the same today without Supporters’ Direct. Some may not even be in existence at all.
And for an organisation born from Labour’s Football Taskforce in 2000 that can, at times, be very political, they’ve also transcended the same political boundaries.
Both Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Sports Minister Hugh Robertson have spoken in favour of fan-ownership in football, often citing the Bundesliga as an example, while there appears to be plenty of hope in varied quarters that the Conservative Party may deliver some substantial, meaningful reforms in football, including strengthening fan involvement within the game.
With Supporters Direct often criticising the Premier League and its ownership models, cynics may suggest that by removing the funding for the organisation, the Premier League has removed a thorn from its side, although the Premier League have denied this.
It’s unclear exactly what will happen from here. Finances have been tight at Supporters Direct and although they receive funding from other areas, such as UEFA and the Scottish government, losing the £1.2m means they would not be able to carry on with the main body of their work.
There has been suggestions that individual trusts or clubs could apply for grants, but there would be nowhere for newly-formed trusts to turn to for help, especially with costly legal fees, while the fan movement as a whole would benefit from a large umbrella group battling for their rights rather than taking on the might of the system individually.
The overall template may not always be appropriate for every trust, with Arsenal being the most ready example of this, and a trust may not always be the best option, while not every trust succeeds - Stockport and Notts County being notable examples.
But given the relative successes of fan-owned clubs in the English football pyramid and the growing concern over ownership and the disenfranchisement of supporters in general, the organisation is still important and has a place in the game. To lose Supporters Direct would set fan-ownership in this country back years.
Tags: AFC Telford, AFC Wimbledon, Arsenal, Arsenal Supporters Trust, Brentford, Chester FC, Dave Boyle, Exeter City, Fan Ownership, Football Stadia Improvement Fund, FSIF, Premier League, Supporters Direct, supporters' trusts
[...] still is what faces the many small clubs which rely on the funding. As football blog, two-footed tackle, explains: “To lose Supporters Direct would set fan-ownership in this country back [...]
Certainly Chester F.C. would not be in the position it is today had Supporters Direct not been involved. Their help, advice and realistic optimism were invaluable throughout the whole process of reforming the club. We have called upon those representing the Premier League to reverse this poor decision.
Chester F.C. will be hosting Supporters Direct AGM on the 15/16th July at the Exacta Stadium, including a friendly match v. FC United of Manchester, to which all are warmly invited.