Ebbsfleet United gets a makeover from the fans

‘Own the club, pick the team’ – this is the slogan for MyFootballClub, a website that is selling a share of a UK football team to members. Ebbsfleet United was recently chosen as the guinea pig in this experimental scheme. 50,000 football fans from across the globe have already signed up. Their membership fees, £35 each, will help finance the club and buy members a collective 51% share. 

Members vote on major club decisions, getting to pick the team before each match, decide on formation, and discuss buying and selling players. 

In answer to the recent phenomenon of millionaire businessmen taking over football clubs as an investment, MyFootballClub puts the fans in charge, for passion not profit. Despite fears that ordinary supporters are not qualified to pick the team or decide transfers, the idea has had a lot of support, even from the Professional Footballers’ Association. 

The club manager Liam Daish, whose new job title will be head coach, welcomes the decision and assures that it can only help Ebbsfleet FC, which has seen some financial difficulties of late.