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Buy a football club?


MikeMcKenna

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The team closest to me did quite well a couple of years ago out of wolves being relegated. My understanding is there was a WWFC corporate sponsor with a box at the Custard Bowl who got completely fed up watching them lose that he took his sponsorship money and invested it an 8th tier team, AFC Wulfrunians. I've heard that from another fan so not sure of the accuracy but no reason to doubt it, they definitely had the biggest boards around the pitch.

Without bringing this back to Villa, I've had a lot more enjoyment going down to AFCW over the last few years than I have going to VP. Five quid in, cans at the bar for a couple of quid, nearly always a highly competitive game being played. We went to watch them at Shepshed last season on the Non League Day and that was a good example of what it could be too, good facilities, good crowd, although my understanding is Shepshed were on their way down the leagues as we were going up.

Credit to AFCW too as they do a lot around the community, and also host the England ladies (I think) and schoolboys for some games.

All the best with it mate, very interested in hearing how you get on, if I had another zero on the end of the ISA balance I'd like to think I'd be looking at such a fantastic and exciting opportunity too.

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I'm chairman of an American football club here in the UK now but have experience of the same role within a club in the Welsh pyramid.

We weren't spending my own cash, so slightly different to your scenario, but that of a group of small businesses who'd invested.

As mentioned above - expect to be fined for everything and anything. The leagues joke that its how they make their money but its true - a significant gain for them - I was fined £150 for being late to a meeting. When I say late, I was in the room but hadn't signed a form at the front!

You will get fined for anything they feel like, and as new guys on the block, you'll not be told an awful lot by other teams on how things are done - so expect the fines early to be higher than the ones after you learn the ropes!

But good luck - there's lots of little bits I can help with should you wish, drop me a DM if you'd like or ask on here - just quote me so I see it :)

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Now i really want to win 150m on the euro millions and buy Halesowen Town and get them to the conference.

I'd make it a youth project and invest in good coaches. Become a feeder club, signing the likes of joe lolley.

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... we will have to put in relatively small amounts from time to time, but not money that would damage us personally. 

 

It doesn't matter which club it is, prepare initially to be welcomed with great fervour. When the honeymoon period is over expect to be slaughtered on social media for your lack of ambition and unwillingness to "invest" in the club, and be harrangued on the public highway.

My advice - avoid. At best you might get a year of fun, followed by the stress of how you'll ever dispose of the millstone.

Edited by gordoncharles
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... we will have to put in relatively small amounts from time to time, but not money that would damage us personally. 

 

It doesn't matter which club it is, prepare initially to be welcomed with great fervour. When the honeymoon period is over expect to be slaughtered on social media for your lack of ambition and unwillingness to "invest" in the club, and be harrangued on the public highway.

My advice - avoid. At best you might get a year of fun, followed by the stress of how you'll ever dispose of the millstone.

Hi mate, having researched similar clubs and this specific one via social media, we realise that no matter how small the club or the fervour of any initial welcome eventually there will be negatives and fallouts. It goes with the territory, we are pretty thick skinned.and can take it. As I said my business partner was Chairman of quite a large junior league club for five years. The committee, players, parents and coaching staff to respected him a lot overall but there were times when he was not flavour of the month. Anyone who sticks their ahead above the parapet is likely to get shot at eventually. We realise it will not always be fun but nothing is. 

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Mike McKenna out!!! "Sack the board, sack the board, sack the board....."

haha exactly - who would want to it eh? must be mad to even think about it!

I could become a mini Ellis/Lerner without the roller or private jet! Banners, Protest Marches, Abusive Chants and **** through the letterbox could all be on the horizon. Maybe I could "sack the fans" :-)

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... we will have to put in relatively small amounts from time to time, but not money that would damage us personally. 

 

It doesn't matter which club it is, prepare initially to be welcomed with great fervour. When the honeymoon period is over expect to be slaughtered on social media for your lack of ambition and unwillingness to "invest" in the club, and be harrangued on the public highway.

My advice - avoid. At best you might get a year of fun, followed by the stress of how you'll ever dispose of the millstone.

Randy? Is that you?

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Now i really want to win 150m on the euro millions and buy Halesowen Town and get them to the conference.

 

I'd make it a youth project and invest in good coaches. Become a feeder club, signing the likes of joe lolley.

I'd do the same with Sutton Coldfield Town FC. Think they are in the same division as Halesowen plus Stourbridge and Rushall Olympic. Amazing to think that these clubs are as old as Villa, small heath and other professional teams in the region

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