Ownership
Birmingham City FC is 70th on a list that ranks the top 92 clubs in England according to their fan engagement. The list was produced by Fan Insights, a fan engagement consultancy. Our low position on the list didn’t surprise me. I don’t understand our owners and I don’t think they understand fans like me, who have questions we want answered.
The impression I have of our owners and top officials at the club is that they feel they have bought the club and therefore have the right to run it without fans asking too many questions on commercially sensitive topics. They think they own the whole club and don’t understand why I feel I also have ownership. It’s true that they own the players, the boardroom and the best seats. I, together with other fans, own the traditions, the history and the passion. We fans are also owners of Blues.
Allegiance to our club is something that is passed from parent to child in families. Of course, we want to win the game we are watching and do well this season. But we also want the club to be here for our children and their children, so we care about its future. We want to know if our club is being run in a financially sustainable manner. We don’t want to become homeless like Coventry City, so we want to know if our stadium is sold to a different company. That’s why we ask questions and want answers.
Margaret Decker
6 Comments
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It’s all talk by the Trust who are by and large toothless… Enjoy your tea and biscuits ….you don’t speak for me and my family and friends .
The owners cannot sell the ground why do you who call yourselves Blues trust not know this there is a covenant preventing it happening
Thanx to the Trust for trying hard and I share concerns about Blues ownership. The finances are desperate and the ground was “sold”. I think Blues fans should support the trust and not engage in silly comments about it. The owners love to see fans all disagreeing with each other. Lets stay together and then we will be stronger…..
If the finances are desperate (as you say they are) what is your solution? Do you advocate selling players? Do you advocate bringing in league 1 and league 2 players instead on reduced wages? If not, then i don’t understand what you are speaking about because the money spent (roughly £100m) at the club has been on transfer fees and big wages. Would you be happy if the board began selling all our best players and began recruiting players with less ability?
The issue is stakeholder engagement. Fans are stakeholders. No legal rights but an morale interest.
You have to give them a reason to engage. To do that you have to rid your hostility of them. Then you have to form a relationship with Edward or Rendong. The rest will follow of their is mutual trust
When the trust first came about I thought finally a group that would grow in membership and eventually provide a platform to organise peaceful protests and give the owners a visual message. Sadly it’s not the case and writing blogs and letters to the club saying you are concerned is not going to be of any use. If you wonder why your membership is so low in comparison to other groups you will find it is apathy. £90m debt in 3 years, wages doubled in the blink of an eye, the club needs £15m+ sales every season just to hope to break even. If this doesn’t cause protest then why bother???
Took me a half hour chat with a member and one meeting to realise you wouldn’t represent a clear anti board movement.