The people's game?

Abstract

Football clubs are ostensibly uncomplicated organisations: they exist to facilitate participation in, and the spectating of, organised football. But beyond this plain statement there is a complex and contested debate about the objectives and purpose of these clubs. In England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland most football clubs are constituted as private limited companies with private shareholders. Yet they rarely make a profit their owners seeming more intent on `utility’ maximisation and despite a huge increase in revenues over the last 15 years the football industry remains financially unstable (Deloitte 2008; PriceWaterhouseCoopers, 2007). In fact clubs are effectively regarded as social and cultural institutions by their supporters – their key community or stakeholder This raises the question: if football clubs are effectively not-for-profit institutions then would it not be more appropriate to structure them as such, as explicitly not-for-profit community benefit mutually owned organisations controlled by their supporters?