Personally I believe that all football clubs, just like all businesses, must move with the times or risk falling behind their competitors. It is all well and good having tradition in the first place, but what’s the point if you cannot have enough success in today’s game that would create more history for your club. Take Woolwich Arsenal for example. I’m sure there were a few people unhappy about moving the team to north London, seemed to work out alright though. I’m not saying that the renaming of Newcastle’s ground is going to be the catalyst for greater success, but the progressive thinking behind the idea could be.
Similarly the Chelsea Pitch Owners were unhappy about Abramovich’s plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge. They are one of the few fan bases that have the sort of power that they do. The reason the Chelsea Pitch Owners was set up was for precisely this reason: so that they could stand up to wealthy owners. However, do they really have the right to a) block the attempts of a man who has turned their club from a decent side in to one of the top clubs in the world and b) hinder the progression of Chelsea FC for future generations? What is exceptionally hard for fans is to separate emotional attachment and sentimentality from their ideas on the future of the club.
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Perhaps it is precisely because the owners may have less emotional attachment to the clubs then, as long as they are not an idiot or incapable of running a business, they are able to view the direction of the club more objectively. Without the emotional attachment they can make those sacrifices that may prove too difficult for the supporters to ever do. I’m sure there were many Arsenal fans that did not want to leave Highbury, and even more who didn’t want their new stadium at Ashburton Grove to named after an airline company. However, both of those decisions have undeniably helped the club to secure its future.
So how much power is too much for football fans? That is a question with a variable answer. Fans should not be looking to influence every decision made by their club. Yes, they can have their say and make suggestions. However the primary role should be to act as united sovereign of the club. Providing accountability for the owners of the club rather than helping to run it. The fans should be there to step in ‘as one’ in truly desperate times, apart from that their power should be limited to voting at AGMs and influencing public opinion through media.
Written by Hamish McKay for FootballFancast.com. Follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay
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The problem with the St James’ renaming is that it has been renamed by Mike Ashley without any fee being paid. Therefore there is no benefit to the club, only to Sports Direct for the free advertising.
Look you plastic arsenal fan, Newcastle got nothing from renaming the stadium so how is that a good deal for us fans? You think big companies can’t imagine their name on a stadium? Or do you think that the 8 million he ‘wants’, not got, for it will put us into the champions league when 35 million isn’t being spent? Give your head a shake
The only problem with comparing newcastle and chelsea is, abramovich bought chelsea and splashed the cash to make them great and win titles. Ashley has spent as far as we can work out “nothing” all his money tied up in the club is loans which he’s being paid back. we’ve sold way more than we’ve spent. and His ability to piss off the fans is pretty much his only skill. Also rebranding the stadium, he hasn’t paid a penny for it he’s just destroyed our stadium to put his shitty pound store sports shite on our stadium. He’s a liar who’s gambled on our future and has so far got lucky.
also just to point out the great timing of him rebranding our stadium… when it was St james park we averaged 2 points per game and conceded 8. Since we’ve averaged 0.4 points and conceded 11.. that may be purely coincidental but his timing to change the name of the stadium could not have been worse considering the run the team had coming up… He’s a fucking moron and he will likly sell Cabaye and Tiote in January and hope our scouts can replace them for pennys….