If as seems widely expected myfc membership levels fall by the end of February to a number that cannot sustain the current levels of funding given to the club, Then a complete restructuring of the running of the club will need doing urgently, As has been mentioned before the likelyhood of one individual coming forward is virtually zero, Therefore, the 75% ownership of the club with myfc will need a complete overhaul, I am not sure about the legal aspects of this, but, Should the worst happen could the society board recommend to the remaining members that the 75 % share owned by myfc be handed over to say Fleet Trust who would offer the shares for say £200 each or a figure to be decided, These shares being available to whoever wanted to buy.....former myfc members, Fleet fans and followers local and far afield. To fund future years all those buying an initial share(s) would undertake to pay a similar amount to their initial payment each subsequent year, A bit like myfc annual subscription but the shareholders would actually 'Own' the club and like any other club the owners have to invest as and when required to sustain the club over and above its income, again similar to myfc pledges and donations, The shareholders would elect representitives to sit on the EUFC board annually, And this board would run the club and report back say monthly/quarterly to the 'Shareholders' I am not sure who owns the remaining 25% of the shares in EUFC and whether the above would result in there being another controlling shareholder, which may be of some concern to many.
One of my main concerns about the existing myfc system is the transparency it gives, Anyone can join and everything that is done is common knowledge to all ........Finances, player deals etc etc, all other clubs (Competitors in any other business expression) can find out what is going on within the club.
If changes have to be made at the club then running it like a normal business with an elected board to handle the day to day affairs I feel is a neccessity.
I feel the current board of EUFC and staff are doing an excellant job, Its the income source currently from myfc that will almost certainly need restructuring, which circumstances will very likely dictate happen sooner rather than later, I don't know if the above would work or can be done legally, But one thing is certain if myfc membership falls as expected we have to do something, The Manager and players are doing all they can to keep the club in the BSP, We have to do whatever is neccessary for the club to survive.
If the 1000 or so regular local fans and maybe up to a couple of thousand of the 'supporters' who have followed the club via myfc over the last few years commit themselves to the cause we could be well on the way to making this club truely 'Owned by it's Fans'
