Wimbledon v MK Dons

Hon the Wombles!

2-2 get the f**k in! 

Hoepfully Akinfenwa comes on and hammers in an equaliser, taking as many mk players out as possible

Come on you Wombles!

I think the only way the bubble will burst is if clubs get selfish and try and go it alone with TV rights. As long as they stick together with the premier league, the money will be there from both domestic and international TV rights.

Clubs are more powerful now than ever, as you can see from FIFA getting rid of that stupid international friendly in August from 2014 to keep them happy.

I'll disagree with you on lower attendance = lower TV money. Stadiums could be empty and the TV money would still come in. What does someone in Malaysia care if the stadium is empty or full, they want to watch the team they support.

The companies that advertise on pitch side aren't Boddingtons or Harvey Norman, they are global brands like Nike, Carlsberg, Heineken, Sony, Samsung, etc. They don't give a sh*t about someone at the stadium seeing their brand, their target audience is someone in the likes of Tanzania or Asia.

If we're both still on ybig when it comes pace maker times, you can have my heart if it's still up to it!

The value of United was too high for fans to buy it about 15 years ago. United are not going to go through a very bad financial spell as the Glazers commercial department are getting in ridiculous deals. Having bad results on the pitch, like not qualifying for the knock out stages of the Champions League last season hasn't had a major bearing on the debt.

Any sort of a boycott on a major scale is not going to happen at a large English club simply because there is too many individual interests rather than a group mentality. One United fan from Manchester or Mayo might want to still go to OT each season and support his/her team while another will boycott it. Is the person who boycotts a better supporter? No, but neither is the guy who goes, it's an individual choice. Isn't that what MUST preaches too? Your point is based on there being a boycott but it's not realistic at all.

Clubs in England can go on the way they are because the Premier League is a money making machine and there is no law to stop anyone buying a club. Do you also really think United or Liverpool will have low attendances in ten years? The world is in economic crisis but they are still selling out games and making unbelievable deals at a premier league level with TV rights and at a club level like United's deal with Chevrolet, Arsenal's with Emirates, etc.

It's all good and well saying fans like United's should show some backbone or that there should be a rule brought into English football like the one in Germany but it's not going to happen and fans who go on about boycotts, or inviting FC United's board up for talks and the like should realise that.

Wheelo wrote:   I think it’s a new ideal creeping into the game, and its going to take time for supporters to ditch a lifetime of what they’ve had to put up maybe? Theres an increasing number of supporters owned clubs creeping up in the lower leagues. You are right, Liverpool supporters should have done that!   Rangers were in the best position when it looked like they might make a stab at it. They should’ve boycotted the new club and set up themselves as a supporters run club.   Maybe theres not enough people with the back bone or balls to actually say ‘f*** it, lets do it’!   Think you hit the nail on the head there, people are lazy. United fans should have bought shares in '91 when the club first floated but hindsight is a friend of few people. I presume you would agree that German football has some pretty big clubs? While not been fully owned by supporters,they have a huge involvement in the running of their clubs and it works well, with german football thriving. The difference there though is that it's a league regulation that football companies must be majority owned by it's member association so at least 50% plus one of the shares. That rule isn't in England so you can't really compare like for like here. I was talking about England when I asked the question. By the way, Hannover tried to change the rule a few years ago and were voted down by something like 32 votes to their one. Also the Bundesliga is only about 50 years old too compared to the English football league and their 125 years of tradition (right and wrong), etc.   Looking closer to home, the supporters run model at shamrock rovers has worked well for a number of years now (as has the one at drogheda united over the last couple of years – though both should lower the annual fees to a tenner or something imo)   I think you’re wrong in stating that they’d let their heart rule their head – I know in drogheda and fc, they certainly don’t anyway! (that’s not to say ye wont get the odd one – like bohs!!). They’ve seen the actions that nearly killed their clubs (or other clubs) and don’t want to put their clubs in that position ever again by over spending to chase the dream (well no need for the ‘again’  with fc!!)   No reason at all, why supporters run clubs cant be a success in England –and hopefully we see it sooner rather than later! Take the game back to the people, make it affordable to everyone,etc It could be a success in England, or anywhere really, but realistically by the time a clubs fanbase gather and mobilise some other businessman will come in and buy an attractive club like United, Liverpool, etc or the only way will be in the Pompey scenario where no-one else will touch them or in a new club like FC United and AFC Wimbledon. When the Glazers do finally leave Old Trafford, can you really see a situation where MUST or someone like them could afford the club? Same with Liverpool and Fenway, it won't be a fans group that buys them, it will be another business person who is out to make a profit.

Of course there’ll be differences of opinions – that’s the way of the world no matter who runs a club ,be it businessmen or supporters.

 

I’m a shareholder/part owner of 2 clubs, fc united and drogheda united.

 

Pleanty of differences of opinions at fc united at the moment on certain things, but everyone is happy enough to go with the majority once a democratic vote is taken on it – even if they don’t agree with it themselves. It’s human nature that not everyone is going to agree.

 

I think it’s a new ideal creeping into the game, and its going to take time for supporters to ditch a lifetime of what they’ve had to put up maybe? Theres an increasing number of supporters owned clubs creeping up in the lower leagues. You are right, Liverpool supporters should have done that!

 

Rangers were in the best position when it looked like they might make a stab at it. They should’ve boycotted the new club and set up themselves as a supporters run club.

 

Maybe theres not enough people with the back bone or balls to actually say ‘f*** it, lets do it’!

 

I presume you would agree that German football has some pretty big clubs? While not been fully owned by supporters,they have a huge involvement in the running of their clubs and it works well, with german football thriving.

 

Looking closer to home, the supporters run model at shamrock rovers has worked well for a number of years now (as has the one at drogheda united over the last couple of years – though both should lower the annual fees to a tenner or something imo)

 

I think you’re wrong in stating that they’d let their heart rule their head – I know in drogheda and fc, they certainly don’t anyway! (that’s not to say ye wont get the odd one – like bohs!!). They’ve seen the actions that nearly killed their clubs (or other clubs) and don’t want to put their clubs in that position ever again by over spending to chase the dream (well no need for the ‘again’  with fc!!)

 

No reason at all, why supporters run clubs cant be a success in England –and hopefully we see it sooner rather than later! Take the game back to the people, make it affordable to everyone,etc

Edited by Wheelo - 03 Dec 2012 at 3:25pm

Tbh I knew the above 2 facts, but as for the council holding on to the trophy, it was good enough for wimbledon to accept so was happy enough to say it was given to them, even though it technically wasnt (wouldn’t have been good enough for me if I was in their shoes) – should have said taken away from mk to be more accurate

 

I would have suspected wimbledons views were asked re: calling off the boycott – but I am only speculating.

 

Why can’t every club be run by supporters? Its not as if businessmen are doing a great job running football clubs in england. There was a crazy stat given at some supporters conference in Manchester a few weeks ago, about how many clubs are in debt in the football league in England. I cant remember the figure and it was on a video I saw of the event so cant google the figure – but ill try watch it again from home when I next get a chance and post it up here

 

Supporters certainly wouldn’t do any worse than businessmen. In fact, supporters are the only ones that care about their club and not out to make a quick buck out of it! At least then clubs would be in the hands of people that actually care about the club.

 

I think you’re 100% wrong on that view re: supporters run club! I think they’re going to get more and more popular especially when a couple of bigger ones are in danger of going bust and a supporters trust save them!

 

And lets be honest, out of a few thousands supporters at clubs, the expertise would be in there to run a stable football club

Edited by Wheelo - 03 Dec 2012 at 2:21pm