Views from a fan

[Robbo]

I must of started following the fleet about 6 years ago. Loved the fact they were my local team, that we were free from the growing corporatising of football in the higher tiers. We were a stable, well run little club.

 

But in the last year or two, I'm not sure what's happened. We've changed our name for the purpose of sponsorship revenue, and now we've been sold out by the board to a [****!!****] website. Do you myfc members have any idea about non-league? The reason non-league fans support their team is because they like the fact they feel the clubs theirs.

 

The way football is going, letting stupid ideas like this website thing destroy the soul of little clubs like ours is disgusting. I hate the fact that the club that once belonged to me and the other 900 there on saturdays, has become part of the growing plasticness of football today.

 

To the EUFC board:

You should be ashamed of yourselves for the way you've treated your clubs fans over the past year. You never owned the club, only fans own their clubs.

[Live4ever]

If you sign up as a member the club will be more yours now than it ever was before.

[kaizen]

I've followed the 'fleet for 37 years and agree totally

[Live4ever]

You must have been praying that your team never got promoted. You wouldn't be a non-league team anymore then would you?

[AF_Fulham]

Originally Posted By: Live4ever

If you sign up as a member the club will be more yours now than it ever was before.

Can't agree more.

[doheochai]

Originally Posted By: Robbo

I must of started following the fleet about 6 years ago. Loved the fact they were my local team, that we were free from the growing corporatising of football in the higher tiers. We were a stable, well run little club.

But in the last year or two, I'm not sure what's happened. We've changed our name for the purpose of sponsorship revenue, and now we've been sold out by the board to a [****!!****] website. Do you myfc members have any idea about non-league? The reason non-league fans support their team is because they like the fact they feel the clubs theirs.

The way football is going, letting stupid ideas like this website thing destroy the soul of little clubs like ours is disgusting. I hate the fact that the club that once belonged to me and the other 900 there on saturdays, has become part of the growing plasticness of football today.

To the EUFC board:
You should be ashamed of yourselves for the way you've treated your clubs fans over the past year. You never owned the club, only fans own their clubs.

I can understand many of you feelings - many MyFC members are supporters of non-league clubs - many others, like me, have no affinity with a club but are passionate about football (my local team in the West of Ireland folded in the mid-1980's as a result of mass emigration) and all the members of MyFC don't like the growing corporatising of football - thats why we joined and thats what we want to change.

MyFC is about giving fans control - existing Ebbsfleet fans and existing football fans. Will it work - I don't know - but every member of MyFC is committed to making it work for the club and the fans.

[Alan W (GNFC)]

Now, let me see....

 

Whilst I have reservations about the idea and certainly cant see a voting system running effectively, the fact that the money is coming into the club is positive.

 

The big complaint here seems to be the basic idea & the fact that the money has come from 20000 people who have no real link with the club (until now) for the most part.

 

Perhaps you would all have preferred just 1 stranger to walk in and buy out the club, a la Roman Abramovich? A much greater risk to achieve similar funding potentially and although he now seems committed to the club, he probably just wanted a plaything when he started out.

 

Unfortunately having the extra funding will change the club - thats clear - but if it changes it in a positive manner, then I'll be prepared to accept that - if we only get a few years of the high life, I'll enjoy that while it lasts - look at the supporters (however few) of Gretna, who have seen their side progress in the Scottish Leagues with money behind them (ok, its going pear shaped in the SPL, but they've at least had the chance to be there)

 

Like most things that change dramatically, it will take time to get our heads round this - we all have mixed emotions, I think, about where we want the club to be in 10 years - its great having the possibility of high level league football, but at the same time, its hard losing that "Non League" mentality, where we all enjoy the friendly nature of the crowds etc.

 

Lets give it a chance & if it works great - if it doesnt, as long as it doesnt drag the club down out of existence, then it will be back to "as you were".

 

 

[Robbo]

Originally Posted By: Live4ever

You must have been praying that your team never got promoted. You wouldn't be a non-league team anymore then would you?

Of course I wanted success. But I'd rather we earnt it. It will mean nothing if after your cash and plastic fans we win successive promotions And I would say the same if we had a large bankroller.

[Hannah]

Originally Posted By: Robbo

Originally Posted By: Live4ever

You must have been praying that your team never got promoted. You wouldn't be a non-league team anymore then would you?

Of course I wanted success. But I'd rather we earnt it. It will mean nothing if after your cash and plastic fans we win successive promotions And I would say the same if we had a large bankroller.

I share the same view, Robbo.

[Robbo]

And as for all you myfc people that keep saying we were a going nowhere conference team, you're wrong. The clubs seen a steady rise since the late 90s. We only won promotion to the conference in 2002. In that time we've cemented our place as a conference team, after a couple of tough seasons battling it out in the lower parts of the league. We had our highest finish since like the 80s last season. And we're now generally thought of as playoff contenders by most of the league. So don't say we've been nowhere for the last 10 years!

[toddybad]

As I've said elsewhere it's the one great shame of this project that the small club mentality may be lost forever. There's no way of knowing just yet - if none of the mYfC members show up at kick-off then I'm not sure how it will feel any different apear from you might notice better quality grub and have a few extra pages in the programme. If we/they do then we'll have to see but there's no way around that now - neither I nor you asked for our paths to meet but now they have we have to equally take responsibility for making it work - we need your support as much as you need us to get the key decisions right. I don't expect a fanfare on day one for the MyFC project but hope that once it sinks in you can maybe agree to disagree and let time takes it's toll before forming a definitive opinion.

 

PS please ignore the tossers ive seen who claim to be myfc members - maybe they are maybe they're not (i dont recognise the names) but i can only presume they havent read the forums lately because huge amounts of time have been dedicated to discussing you fans.

[1 F in Fleet]

Robbo - well said . Which makes the decision by OUR board to SELL OUT harder to understand , given the solid , steady platform they've worked so hard to achieve for all us TRUE fans .

[Hannah]

I'm surprised that so few share our views with this.

 

 

[eufckev]

I must say Robbo has made some good points there.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Originally Posted By: Alan W (GNFC)

Now, let me see....

Whilst I have reservations about the idea and certainly cant see a voting system running effectively, the fact that the money is coming into the club is positive.
The big complaint here seems to be the basic idea & the fact that the money has come from 20000 people who have no real link with the club (until now) for the most part.

Perhaps you would all have preferred just 1 stranger to walk in and buy out the club, a la Roman Abramovich? A much greater risk to achieve similar funding potentially and although he now seems committed to the club, he probably just wanted a plaything when he started out.

Unfortunately having the extra funding will change the club - thats clear - but if it changes it in a positive manner, then I'll be prepared to accept that - if we only get a few years of the high life, I'll enjoy that while it lasts - look at the supporters (however few) of Gretna, who have seen their side progress in the Scottish Leagues with money behind them (ok, its going pear shaped in the SPL, but they've at least had the chance to be there)

Like most things that change dramatically, it will take time to get our heads round this - we all have mixed emotions, I think, about where we want the club to be in 10 years - its great having the possibility of high level league football, but at the same time, its hard losing that "Non League" mentality, where we all enjoy the friendly nature of the crowds etc.

Lets give it a chance & if it works great - if it doesnt, as long as it doesnt drag the club down out of existence, then it will be back to "as you were".

Is it a fact, I like many others have grave fears about this scheme.Some of their"supposed" members that have posted on here seem to know far more than a mere member would know!
I fear we could all wake up tomorrow, or very soon, to read the headlines this is scam, that football supporters genuinely bought into, and the money and the Owners of Myfc, have vanished like a dodgy Double Glazing Company!

Just work out how much money Myfc Ltd, a Profit making organisation would make if this was to happen!

[DA11]

Well the good news is that a couple of weeks after the deal has been rubber stamped Jason Botley will hold a consultation evening.

[eufckev]

That should be interesting.

 

Maybe us Fleet fans should take into account what formed Man Utd fans did when the Glazers took over........FC United of Ebbsfleet!

[1 F in Fleet]

And letters will drop onto our doormats the morning after ...

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: American FLEET FAN No1

to read the headlines this is scam, that football supporters genuinely bought into, and the money and the Owners of Myfc, have vanished like a dodgy Double Glazing Company!

To be fair, AFF, I've been reading for months about this being a scam, but there are lawyers on board, companies like Deloitte and EA and the whole setup of the company/organisation's constitution would seem to prevent any double-glazing shenanigans.

[DA11]

Originally Posted By: Stu M

Originally Posted By: American FLEET FAN No1

to read the headlines this is scam, that football supporters genuinely bought into, and the money and the Owners of Myfc, have vanished like a dodgy Double Glazing Company!

To be fair, AFF, I've been reading for months about this being a scam, but there are lawyers on board, companies like Deloitte and EA and the whole setup of the company/organisation's constitution would seem to prevent any double-glazing shenanigans.

Robert Maxwell had some pretty good lawyers as well.