4. Business Advantages of Supporter Community Ownership in Football

“It is clear that supporter community ownership creates long-term, deep and sustainable partnerships with key strategic partners.”

This paper is based on the practical experience of those who run supporter community owned clubs and supporters of those clubs; and provides both qualitative and quantitative evidence as well as case study material, on the business advantages that supporter community ownership of football clubs can bring. The purpose of the report is to inform owners of clubs and local partners such as local authorities, as well as the game’s administrators, about how supporter community ownership can contribute to the sustainability and prosperity of football clubs. It will also provide evidence, precedence and arguments for supporters’ trusts in their work to achieve partial or full ownership of their clubs and share good practice.

This work gathers together knowledge developed from the extensive experience of Supporters Direct working in this field as well as from previously commissioned research undertaken by Supporters Direct (The Social and Community Value of Football).

Briefing Paper 4