MyFC Operator offers to part company with the club

[WilliamR]

Via thefleettweet on Twitter:

 

"MyFC news - The MyFC Operator offers to part company with the club... Get on www.myfootballclub.co.uk for more."

 

 

See for yourself: Here

 

It's not April 1st is it?

[apache]

Operator Offer to Sell the website to the members.

 

 

 

After a discussion with Will on Monday evening, in which terms were discussed and amended, Will has made the following offer to the Society to buy the MyFootballClub website. This includes rights to 100% of membership fees plus any other income (banner ads and site sponsorship), and to assume all rights afforded to the operator in the operating agreement, such as appointing EUFC Directors.

 

Should members wish to buy the website, Will will sign a document to confirming the ending of the operating agreement and the handing over of all associated rights to the members.

 

Will and the Web Team are aiming to have the new site ready before 1 December 2009. It is being designed to make it easier for technically able members to be involved in its running.

 

The SB believes that 2 decisions need to be made by 1 December 2009. Firstly, whether to buy the website. And secondly, what the membership fee should be.

 

If members do no wish to own the website, Will will continue in his role as operator and continue to collect the operator fees.

 

The following offer is final, and Will has decided not to field questions on the thread. It is hoped the SB will be able to answer all questions, if not, we will refer to Will.

 

 

 

From Will:

 

\"For the Society to own the website, take 100% of fees and to end the operating agreement, the price is £15,000.

 

The fee is based on the fact the operator is currently investing in building a new site (to be delivered before 1 December 2009) and would then have to forgo any subsequent income from the four biggest months for renewals (December to March).

 

£15,000 reflects the reasonable assumption that 2,000 membership years will be bought between December 09 and March 10 - 2,000 X £7.50 = £15,000.

 

To help the Society/Clubs cashflow, the £15,000 would be in 11 installments. £7,500 on the hand-over of the new and functioning website with rights, and £750 with every £10,000 the Society makes from new membership renewals and recruitment (a total of 10 £750s when £100,000 is collected.)

 

There seems to be a consensus that the membership fees should rise, however, the operator being entitled to 21% of fees and any increase is a sticking point for many.

 

Removing this issue will hopefully enable the Society to come to a decision on fees more quickly. And if the site is 100% member run while taking 100% of fees, it could significantly boost income while strengthening the member retention and recruitment messages.

 

I hope this offer will provide an opportunity for the Society to start making decisions and move forward. And should members decide to buy the website, if asked, Id be happy to assist in its relaunch and the drive to retain and recruit members.\"

 

The SB has been provided with the following facts and figures:

 

- in the last financial year 9574 membership years were purchased

 

- since September 07, the MyFC shop has grossed over £25K with £11K donated to the Society

 

- since September 07 the website has had sponsorship worth just over £20K

 

- in one year of banner ads (Aug 09 to July 10) there has been an income of just over £2K

 

- hosting costs £100 a month (previously, this was £1200 a month, and the £100 a month package appeared fine until the server issue 2 weeks ago. Currently discussing a free hosting option with a member)

 

- there are small costs associated with domain renewal and ICO registration (£35 a year so you can hold data)

 

After a few days of discussion, we would like the VC to put this to a vote.

[Loose]

I think it would be a shame for Will Brooks who started this all off not to see it through. Should we not have faith in him to continue to supply the website and be a part of seeing Ebbsfleet through this period in particular?

 

I know things might look a little uncertain from the funding of the club via MyFC members but there are already over a thousand who have already signed up for the next year, these people obviously had faith in not just Ebbsfleet but also in Will Brooks and his website to manage the clubs business. After all, they have already paid into the club and the element that Will Brooks takes for the work.

 

On top of that I would worry that in time to come, hindsight may make it look as if Will left the project too early.

 

To use an analogy much loved by various supporters online it might seem a bit like the Captain of the Titanic (Capt. Edward J. Smith) leaving with the lifeboats rather than risk going down with the ship, taking with him by the way any money that passengers may have paid upfront for the return trip. Something Capt Smith obviously didn't and wouldn't have done.

[billy nick]

When the going gets tough, what does Brooks want to do? run off back to Fulham with a payout. You couldn't make this story up.

Over 30,000 football fans signed up to the wonderful concept of running a football club by the fans for the fans, to do something different. Yet the reality was the fans were always kept in the dark, no different to any other club there.

 

He run the website like a dictator employing his anonymous cronies to dish out the bannings to any dissenters. Registered as an Idustrial & Provident Society yet run as his private plaything, a totaly shocking way to treat those that bought into his tagline.

 

An opportunity missed to use the enormous wealth of talent present in the membership, some great idea's were floated by the members to bring in more revenue for the club, sadly most were ignored. But a them and us culture was allowed to florish on the forums which could well be a major factor in the demise of MYFC.

 

Mr Brooks has made a good few quid out of this venture, everyone else was a giver, so why does he not do the decent thing and just hand over the running of the site to the society? Christ the club could do with that extra £15k about now! Its the only decent thing to do if he believed in his own concept.

 

Ebbsfleet United is bigger than will Brooks or MYFC give the club a fighting chance.

[Loose]

Brooks has had all the money and hes off! Trying to take even more with him if possible.

 

Hes milked the cow dry and hes selling a pup. Just when the Fleet need every last penny. The question surely is - How desperate are the owners to get rid of him? At the cost of the club?

[lesbos]

All the best to Ebbsfleet during this difficult period, sorry but i still see you as Gravesend and Northfleet and wish you would revert back to your old name, ive met a few individuals who were involved with MYFC and they certainly arent non league people, our game is for people who stand on the terraces week in week out not internet geeks.

[Hempstead Gaz]

It seems the deal is now done. MYFC is now wholly owned and run by fans and supporters. 100% of the money goes directly into the club.

I presume this will see the slow and lingering death of freemyfc , they now haven't anything to whine about.

If that happens, perhaps this forum will become a troll free zone, as is was before the morons wrecked it.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

..........Er, don't the old board still own 25% of the shares? If so the fans do not own 100%of the Club!

If FreeMyFC go away, you will have nothing to whine about. It will be refreshing, not having you posting the same old crap!

[Hempstead Gaz]

I'm surprised you haven't changed your allegiance to the Liverpool of Bedfordshire, Les. Your 4 chums are apparently still alive their, well hidden in the secret little club.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

I'm surprised you haven't changed your allegiance to the Liverpool of Bedfordshire, Les. Your 4 chums are apparently still alive their, well hidden in the secret little club.

 

 

Once again the same old sh!t. If these people are my chums, at least it shows I have some. Unlike you in your lonely, sad little world ,wondering which way out to wear your coat this week!

[Hempstead Gaz]

To this day you still don't get it, Les. I don't suppose you ever will.

The club was bankrupt, within weeks of being wound up.

MyFC, for all their faults stepped up to the plate, paid off depts of over £800,000 which needed paying at once, and like them or loathe them, they saved the club, at least gave us a decent stay of execution.

The problem was there were a coupel of individuals who were ambitious, and saw the opportunity to take over the running off EUFC. Fortunately, the good people at the club saw through this and blocked the move.

It was then that FREEMYFc took off.

By the same two people who waged a war against not only MYFC, but also against EUFC and it's supporters.They even roped in gullible allies such as yourself to help in their dirty work.

You did them proud Les, and to this day your name is infamous on the terraces when my mates and I talk about the bad old days.

They did this by hijacking this forum to air their own points of view, banishing anyone who opposed them. Many of us had posts changed and altered to give the juxtaposed view. When we protested , we were banned.

The same person then abused his position as moderator on this forum given to him when the Admin (Ian) was at a domestic low.

that was shameful, and it is clear now that this person was clearly unsuitable to run a professional football club.

I am pleased that those people now have a team to run, it means they can leave us alone.

I'm sure they still harbour grudges and there are plenty of hard feelings, and behind the secretive club and forums I am sure there is still an underlying dislike of all things Ebbsfleet, but so be it.but Fleet and MYFC have moved on.

MYFC is now the model it should have originally been, run by the supporters, for the club, every penny raised going into the club.

No PTT.

I was never a supporter of PTT, neither am I a fan of Liam , but I always defended his right to pick his team.Rejoin the ranks of supporters, Les, be a fan of Ebbsfleet Utd, join MYFC and help the club, fans are fed up with the continued sniping from afar.

[apache]

To this day you still don't get it, Les.

 

I was never a supporter of PTT, neither am I a fan of Liam , but I always defended his right to pick his team.Rejoin the ranks of supporters, Les, be a fan of Ebbsfleet Utd, join MYFC and help the club, fans are fed up with the continued sniping from afar.

 

Actually from where I am sat AFF was one of the few who very early on forecast the consequences of getting into bed with Brooks.

 

 

Being a fan of any club can involve more than entertainment, beer and burgers Gaz. Sometimes, those with the intelligence and/or experience have to speak out against directions and policies, which will harm their club. So it was with MyFC. Not with the average Joe, paying his £35, no, with the dictatorial leader, milking off his cut, running his own agenda of football manager with other peoples money. Now he is off when it becomes obvious that administration beckons, the month that the wage bill cannot be met.

 

The people that you denigrate Gaz are the very ones who tried to warn.

[Hempstead Gaz]

From what I hear Apache, the people I denigrate appear to be making a hash of running what is little more than a minor Saturday club side - it looks like they were trying to win Olympic Gold before they could even walk.

Rumour has it that UU has pulled the plug on his 'sponsorship', leaving those in charge a bit strapped for cash.

As you said, the original MYFC model was flawed - I opposed a few things, which is why I didn't buy into it.

That has now changed, it is now a fans run thing, with all proceeds going back into the club, with no PTT.

It isn't too far adrift of an AFC setup - no bad thing, you'll agree.

[apache]

From what I hear Apache, the people I denigrate appear to be making a hash of running what is little more than a minor Saturday club side - it looks like they were trying to win Olympic Gold before they could even walk.

Rumour has it that UU has pulled the plug on his 'sponsorship', leaving those in charge a bit strapped for cash.

As you said, the original MYFC model was flawed - I opposed a few things, which is why I didn't buy into it.

That has now changed, it is now a fans run thing, with all proceeds going back into the club, with no PTT.

It isn't too far adrift of an AFC setup - no bad thing, you'll agree.

 

Football in Europe (The US may be different) doesn't make money for its owners. It normally relies on a small group of wealthy owners bankrolling a club. In return the owners get position, power, ownership, a warm glow - whatever, but they get a return. MyFC was supposed to be the same except many owners putting in a little, but they were still supposed to get an input, a return. In reality Brooks grabbed most of the power, decided upon which club, hid the financials and claimed the glory. He was ably assisted by the board, who frankly were about as much use as a chocolate teapot. The result was that the average "owner" got no input, no return. The numbers renewing last Feb demonstrated that perfectly.

 

Even now, the only idea the board have, is to entice members to renew early. So it is not even a case of spending next years money this year, but the year afters as well. The holistic grocer feels that selling equity will be a good idea. Well, wake up call Arithon. The ground is an asset that people will invest in, the club is worthless so we are back to the old "What's in it for me?" answer- nothing, therefore don't hold your breath.

 

So where does this lead Gaz? Well the MyFC model will not work whilst a few grab the glory. Either change MyFC and hope that the brand is not terminally damaged or look around for some heavyweight sugardaddies. I am not even convinced that Eurotunnel will sponsor next season. I guarantee that being a supporter's club will not be enough for sufficient people to save your club.

[Hempstead Gaz]

I too do not know whether a supporters led MYFC will keep us up, but I do know that without the financial input from them the club would havd folded a year ago.

I agree money has been squandered, mistakes were made and too many played politics, with the team as piggy in the middle.

Time will tell, but our finances, ie, little or no real debt, are the envy of a large number of conference clubs.

Watch this space, but I reckon we will see a growing number of conf. clubs going part time next year, as this league is unsustainable on gates of less than 2000.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

I too do not know whether a supporters led MYFC will keep us up, but I do know that without the financial input from them the club would havd folded a year ago.

I agree money has been squandered, mistakes were made and too many played politics, with the team as piggy in the middle.

Time will tell, but our finances, ie, little or no real debt, are the envy of a large number of conference clubs.

Watch this space, but I reckon we will see a growing number of conf. clubs going part time next year, as this league is unsustainable on gates of less than 2000.

 

 

 

I seem to remember saying at the start of the Season, the Club should bite the bullet and go back part-time, if that would save money. I was shouted down by the usual ostriches, that the picture was not as black as the realists amongst us were painting.It will take a miracle to keep the Club in the Premiership and with MyFC asking for early renewals now(so they can spend the money in advance), is not the way to secure even a Southern position, come the next renewals, people will have already payed! What then?

But never mind Gary, you can just turn your coat(with the tide) yet again and bask in your own ineptitude as the Club disappears in the mire!

[Hempstead Gaz]

I'm afraid you now come across as just a disembodied, disaffected voice out of touch with the club you once supported, Les.

At least Myfc contribute financially, and some of them througn the turnstiles too.

Continued bleating about how damaging myfc are is pointless.

They are here to stay, as is the name Ebbsfleet.

If you cannot live with that, perhaps you need to reconsider whether you are still a fan and supporter.

It's a good thing we didn't listen to the 'wise' words of that financial guru UU, It seems that not only was he wrong, he may have buggered up yet another club.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

I'm afraid you now come across as just a disembodied, disaffected voice out of touch with the club you once supported, Les.

At least Myfc contribute financially, and some of them througn the turnstiles too.

Continued bleating about how damaging myfc are is pointless.

They are here to stay, as is the name Ebbsfleet.

If you cannot live with that, perhaps you need to reconsider whether you are still a fan and supporter.It's a good thing we didn't listen to the 'wise' words of that financial guru UU, It seems that not only was he wrong, he may have buggered up yet another club.

 

For how much longer?

 

You arrogant sh!t. What makes you think you have the right to tell somebody whether they are a fan or not?

The Club was in existence long before you(or me) were supporters, I am only afraid they won't be a Club for anyone after you and the Ostriches have screwed everything up!

[Hempstead Gaz]

Jeez, that hit a nerve!

Nothing wrong with admitting the club you once supported has changed so much that you do not recognise it as the club you once loved.

I know a few people like that, and I whilst I disagree with them, I respect their choice.

For every fan that no longer supports Fleet, there are new people who step in.

I really cannot see your arguement, Les, you made your point, along with plenty of others.

You are pretty much a voice on your own.

Move on.

Bite the bullet and grudgingly come along for the bumpy ride.

With or without you Fleet are still Fleet, and will still be playing at Stonebridge Road.

Alternatively, come up with a better solution to Myfc,

[apache]

Regardless of the ins and outs of MyFC, Brooks has once again reneged on a deal. The new website to be available on 1st Dec, yet it is not ready and Davoloid reports no progress in the last two weeks. Further, despite getting his grubby little paws on the society's money he still hasn't completed the handover of website codes nor bank accounts.

 

If Brooks does actually have EUFC as a priority, why didn't he defer his acceptance of the website fee, so that it could be used for real and more pressing debt?