Your opinion of our owners/other teams owners

[Devonfox1884]

I am currently in my second year of A-levels, and as part of this second year we have the opportunity to do an 'extended project' to get ourselves some extra UCAS points. For my project, I am looking at the different types of football ownership, for example, clubs owned by the fans (like Portsmouth), foreign ownership (us/Man city etc...), local ownership (for me that's Plymouth, Exeter etc...) and British ownership (Newcastle etc...). Part of the project is getting opinions from others to use as part of my 5000 word essay, so I was hoping my fellow foxes could give me a hand!

1. What is your opinion of our owners?

2. What is your opinion on foreign ownership at British clubs in general?

3. What is your opinion on fan-owned clubs?

4. What is your opinion on British ownership in Britain-do they understand our culture better than foreign owners?

5. Which type of ownership do you think is the best, and most sustainable, and why?

This will really help me in my quest for UCAS points, so the more of you that can give your opinions, the better! Thanks, in advance, and if you have any constructive criticism regarding my questions, or the project in general, let me know as that will also help!

[kingcarr21]

Whats in it for us? Look at you trying to get us to do your work for you so you have a copy and paste job

[TOMBlcfc]

**** me I'd love to do that. I'm also in second year of a levels but I'm doing my epq on ****ing maths. I know you can pick anything but I felt I ought to, now I'm seriously regretting it

[Vicki Vixen]

It's a very difficult question.

You see what has happened at clubs like Blackpool and Torquay and it is terrible for the fans to endure.

I don't think you can generalise about the foreign vs British ownership debate, there are examples of where both have succeeded and where both have failed. It is very much down to the individual owners, their personality and willingness to support their club through the difficult times as well as the good times.

I would like to see a greater role for independent non-exec directors at football clubs to put a stop to the likes of the Oystons.

[Devonfox1884]

Whats in it for us? Look at you trying to get us to do your work for you so you have a copy and paste job

The project requires me to gather opinions from other football fans. The quotes i take from this thread will only equate to 75-100 words, so that is a very small part of my 5000 word limit. Without these quotes, the other 4900 words will be more difficult to write. I was hoping that being fellow Leicester fans, you would be more willing to help than those on the Man city, Stoke forums. Sure you'll make those 100 words easy for me, but the other 4900 will be all me!

[Devonfox1884]

It's a very difficult question.

You see what has happened at clubs like Blackpool and Torquay and it is terrible for the fans to endure.

I don't think you can generalise about the foreign vs British ownership debate, there are examples of where both have succeeded and where both have failed. It is very much down to the individual owners, their personality and willingness to support their club through the difficult times as well as the good times.

I would like to see a greater role for independent non-exec directors at football clubs to put a stop to the likes of the Oystons.

Cheers bud. Stuff like this is helpful.

[Freesolo]

I can't answer them all but I feel that our owners showing real ambition and are looking for real success, the only negative of them being foreign i see is them not understanding the culture of English culture and our players and staff not understanding Thai Culture, with us already seen some serious fallout from disrespectful players and a manager who thought he was bigger than the club (at least that is my take on it).

 

British owned clubs I feel sometimes the CEO thinks he can pull all the strings its his little baby and buys the players he wan't instead of taking advice although this can be true with foreign owners too specifically chelsea buying Torres for £50m was a Abramovich buy as far as i know. But obviously British owned clubs their is a better culture understanding.

 

With Fan owned clubs I can never see this working it is usually a last ditch attempt to save a club from falling into the abyss

[bluesbrothers]

EPQ is the bomb. I wrote a half-arsed essay on the "history of pop music in the UK" as an excuse to spend the year making an album in the music rooms. So much terrible music, but the best few months of school ever.

[Captain...]

To be honest you can't really come to any concrete conclusion. There are good and bad on all sides. The main difference between successful ownership or failure is not where they are from or how the club is owned but how much money they were prepared to sink into the club (particularly before financial fair play restrictions came into it).

Personally I would prefer the club to be owned by a local Leicester born or based billionaire, but then that is so what hypocritical as I no longer live there.

As long as they respect the club and city and their traditions and don't do anything to jeopardise the stability and future of the club it doesn't matter where they are from.

[Livid]

1. What is your opinion of our owners? Generally they're great. A rocky start with Sven and most of the merchandise seemed to point to us being King Power FC rather than Leicester City. They have provided a level of investment unparalled in the history of this club.

 

2. What is your opinion on foreign ownership at British clubs in general? Great for the clubs involved, horrid for the national team. It's all about performing in the PL/CL and the riches it brings.

 

3. What is your opinion on fan-owned clubs? Nice Idea but can't see any of them really being able to compete at the top level.

 

4. What is your opinion on British ownership in Britain-do they understand our culture better than foreign owners? The obvious answer here is yes but then there is Mike Ashley and Owen Oyston. Enough said.

 

5. Which type of ownership do you think is the best, and most sustainable, and why? It all comes down to the individual club and the owners involved. Our foreign owners are great but then there's Vincent Tan and Assem Allam. There's great British owners, Gold and Sullivan at West Ham seem decent and then there's Owen Oyston who seems to be trying to destroy Blackpool.

[Voll Blau]

1. I'm not displeased but remain generally suspicious over the slow but sure increase of the amount of King Power branding now prevalent at the stadium.

 

2. I find it a little bit sad that foreign owners don't want to invest in football in their own countries. It's a sad indictment of English football's bullying commercialist mentality and the stranglehold that has across the globe that the amount of money which foreign owners think they can make here should be at the expense of expanding the game globally at grass roots level.

 

3. The ideal model by which every club should be run. Hopefully it'll happen at Leicester one day. Preferably the German 50+1 rule would be introduced, though I can't see that happening.

 

4. No. You've only to look at Mike Ashley and the Oystons to see it's not an "us and them" situation when it comes to the nationality of people running football clubs and their competence at doing so.

 

5. Supporter ownership, without a doubt. When thousands of people who care about a club can have a say in its running and future, it makes for a more sustainable organisation.

[Sharpe's Fox]

Good that they put money into the club and generally seem to distance themselves from the footballing operations, however according to the Private Eye Tax map thingy the company the club is part of in the UK (King Power Holdings Ltd?) has been relocated to the British Virgin islands, meaning the owners pay much less tax on their earnings. Frankly I think its pretty shitty that they will take the money of fans but won't give back to the state a small slice to pay for those fans healthcare, welfare and pensions in return. I might be wrong because I know international tax laws are a minefield but on the surface it isn't great.

[gerrytaggart]

You might not want to include my irrelevant view but here goes.

Football clubs should all be run as non-profit charities. Wages should be brought right down in line with the rest of society and the lord mayer of each town or borough should get final say on team selecton.

[filbertstreet]

You might not want to include my irrelevant view but here goes.

Football clubs should all be run as non-profit charities. Wages should be brought right down in line with the rest of society and the lord mayer of each town or borough should get final say on team selecton.

imagine boris picking chelsea, arsenal, spurs, west ham squad etc

[Xen]

**** me I'd love to do that. I'm also in second year of a levels but I'm doing my epq on ****ing maths. I know you can pick anything but I felt I ought to, now I'm seriously regretting it

Out of interest, what's your topic? Id imagine a maths epq is probably a lot more interesting than the final year stats dissertation on a topic which wasn't one of my choices... Wouldn't mind lending a hand if you wanted...

[Captain...]

Good that they put money into the club and generally seem to distance themselves from the footballing operations, however according to the Private Eye Tax map thingy the company the club is part of in the UK (King Power Holdings Ltd?) has been relocated to the British Virgin islands, meaning the owners pay much less tax on their earnings. Frankly I think its pretty shitty that they will take the money of fans but won't give back to the state a small slice to pay for those fans healthcare, welfare and pensions in return. I might be wrong because I know international tax laws are a minefield but on the surface it isn't great.

 

Have you got some evidence to back that up?

 

I am a big fan of the owners but would be  very disappointed to see that they are doing something dodgy, especially as it seems almost redundant considering we have been operating at a loss for a long time, if you make no money you pay no tax as businesses are taxed on profit, or am I missing something?

[Mintef]

1. I believe our owners are integral to how we have made strides over the last 5 years. They operate with a level-head and appear to know what they want and where they want the club to go. I feel they have learnt from other owners mistakes and they seemingly have good advisors due to how well they have performed in a business they know little about. 

 

 

2. It’s good for the clubs and the fans supporting them. The name of the premier league attracts investors from all around the world which means more money at is bought to it in from afar the more entertainment we get to see. It doesn’t always go smoothly (Cardiff, Hull) but that’s business. If there were no foreign owners there would be a lot less money being pumped into the league. 

 

 

3. It might work in lower leagues but if you want to aspire i feel you need to have a dictatorship role that big money owners bring. It might work in Spain with their major clubs but that has been implemented over many years and came about due to political reasoning.

 

 

4. Some do, some don’t. I think it changes from CEO to CEO and this is the same for British owners. Does mike Ashley really understand British football culture? 

 

 

5. Not too sure how to answer this one mate, I’m very conflicted on "what is best" and "Most sustainable" as in football the two struggle to work well together. Can you imagine if Sheikh Mansour pulled the plug on Man city, would a business man or a consortium be able to come in and provide them with the kind of backing they currently have? I doubt it and i struggle to imagine where they would be after a few years.

 

 

 

 

 

Please remember guys this is just my opinion and I’m not looking to be slated for shit facts. Its just for this lads A levels which I thought would help him out. However wrong I am..

 

Edit; Grammar

[Rob1742]

You have to be a little different to want to own a football club. It's at the high end of risk, comes with many thousands of people who will either like you or hate you, and you are dealing with footballers and agents.

I think the very nature of the sport will attract people that are, shall we say, a little different to the norm.

[Great Boos Up]

Owners generally take on clubs to promote their global brands and increase their market share.

They do not buy football clubs to make money; it's always at a net loss but the advertising is worth every penny.

Sponsorships are set up with marketing partnerships for goods such as beer, food goods and air flights ect; and they make money.

 

Sometimes the fans get free stuff like beer, pies and a T-shirt with an airline motif. 

[promised land]

imagine boris picking chelsea, arsenal, spurs, west ham squad etc

Being pedantic now, The Lord Mayor of London is Alan Yarrow not Boris.

[filbertstreet]

Being pedantic now, The Lord Mayor of London is Alan Yarrow not Boris.

next you'll be telling me john major isn't prime ministerifying any more

[Devonfox1884]

Big thanks to those that have contributed so far-much appreciated

[Guest MattP]

Have you got some evidence to back that up?

 

I am a big fan of the owners but would be  very disappointed to see that they are doing something dodgy, especially as it seems almost redundant considering we have been operating at a loss for a long time, if you make no money you pay no tax as businesses are taxed on profit, or am I missing something?

 

http://www.private-eye.co.uk/registry

Address

The King Power Stadium, Filbert Way, Leicester, LE2 7FL

Proprietor

K POWER HOLDINGS CO LTD

Country

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Date registered

19/03/2013

Price paid

£16,656,829

title

LT336303

[Captain...]

 

http://www.private-eye.co.uk/registry

Address

The King Power Stadium, Filbert Way, Leicester, LE2 7FL

Proprietor

K POWER HOLDINGS CO LTD

Country

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Date registered

19/03/2013

Price paid

£16,656,829

title

LT336303

 

 

How thoroughly disappointing, who are the guys who have meetings with the club, any chance they can bring this up?

[Frank to be]

I think you're touching some huge issues there, particularly around xenophobia and nationalism, that you'll struggle to adequately explore without delving into the background and history.

It's clear from this forum alone that there's a general dislike among some of anything foreign or non-white. You've got a serious job on your hands explaining the depth of social and historical issues behind that.

Maybe it would be better just to focus on the question of whether clubs should have owners at all or whether they should be owned by the community, thus avoiding the minefield of British vs foreign.