English fans pool cash to buy their own soccer team

As more billionaires buy out clubs, raising ticket prices, fans are gathering online to take back the game.

from the June 8, 2007 edition

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This is where Brooks fits in. "The atmosphere at these games is petering away because there's a different type of supporter now. It's often corporate. The people who sing at games don't go any more," he says.

He cites friends, die-hard fans of Manchester United or Arsenal, who now "feel left out. People are ready to adopt a new club, and what better than a club where you can have a say in picking the team," he says.

There have been several cases in recent years of lower-tier clubs being rescued by supporters banding together in a trust. But decades of history helped spur those fans into action.

Miller says decisionmaking could be tricky. "The key thing, which applies to a big US investor or a group of fans, is who is going to choose the team manager and have you got the knowledge to do it," he says. "Because if you can't choose the right manager and your results deteriorate, you face the threat of relegation and a loss of revenue."

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