Nashville FC - 100% Supporter Owned

I think MFC's problem was it was an influx of people from abroad investing and subsequently pulling their patronage after realizing promotion/relegation isn't as simple as it sounds and that they weren't able to watch "their" team play. This seems a bit more regional. It'd be pretty cool to see them succeed.

 

Heresy.


Also, the original San Diego Flash went public (in a reverse way, their holding company "merged" with a shell company that was already public), but that didn't go particularly well for them. I don't know what the current Flash has done or has been doing.

As to the general point, it's romantic and all, but as long as you're going to insist on cross-posting it everywhere as a Flavor Of The Week, I'm going to continue to respond that it's all well and good...the first year. But there's a reason this isn't regularly done (actually several reasons).

You want to really fund a team and keep it sustainable? Buy season tickets. The idea of you being an actual investor is fraught with problems, and the idea of having to poll hundreds of people to make decisions is unwieldy and counter productive. Buy things the club is selling, get them to hire an experienced person who can run a business like this, and then go stand in the end zone. Because you really don't want to make the decisions that have to be made to run a club, you just want to think you're an owner and decide on the badge and fire the coach every two weeks.

 

That's largely how MFC was run. There was even a period where the "owners" got to vote on the starting 11, taking it out of the manager's hands. Although there was an option to vote for manager's choice.

 

I don't mind being a bit naive here, but I would have had zero interest in this story if I didn't have the chance consider myself an owner. I live in North Dakota, have supported DC United for nearly two decades, but I have family in Nashville and so this set up gives me an actual stake. I have plenty of scarves, but just because I have an 1860 Munich scarf doesn't make me invested. Now I really care what happens with Nashville FC, which never would have happened otherwise.

 

Because it sounded like you were refuting his point. It sounds like the model that Nashville is going to use is more of the way of what MyFootballClub did, which is voting on all major club decisions. Much like what kenn described.

 

The difference between the two is that Green Bay offer stock options to raise revenue. These stocks cannot be traded, do not generate any dividends, and can only be transferred to immediate family. Basically once you bought in, you bought in. There has been 5 periods of stock sales. The way that Nashville is set up is an annual membership which you have to renew every year, much like MFC. So technically they're only set up like the Packers in that it is owned by a community. In the case of Nashville FC, the community and amount of owners can change year to year.

The Packer's allow three community members on its board. The thing that peaks my interest is several times on the website and in the mlssoccer article it says: "Members vote on all major decisions of the club." That's why I am skeptical about how its actually going to be run. If it'll be run by the board of governors, or if a lot of the decisions will be left up to the "ownership community" at large. Obviously it is still speculation at this point but I think it is the latter.

 

Yeah I think the starting 11 thing was just stupid and a bit dramatic but I just wanted to point out how dramatic these community owned things can get. I was just wondering/commenting how specific the "major" issues extend.

 

See Kenn, THIS is why you're awesome. You are 100% correct, and you delivered your point with clarity and minimal anger/ insults. I really wish you'd take in a few NPSL matches this year because your perspective can offer real value to people (rather than just coming across as, "your league sucks and you should all just give up").

 

Oh wow.

Where to begin?

In one place they say:

MEMBERSHIP 2013-2014
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Membership runs annually from the 1st of August to the 30th of July. Memberships purchased in July of each year will still be for that current membership period unless you state otherwise on your paypal transacation under "Note." This Membership will expire on the 30th of July 2014.

And in a few other places they say things along the lines of:

The U.S.'s First ever supporter-owned soccer club located in Nashville, TN; and

WHY COMMUNITY OWNED?
We want to be the Green Bay Packers of soccer in a nutshell. With community ownership it's your club…an owner can't just up and leave the city high and dry OR better yet, leverage leaving to get tax payers to buy them a new stadium, etc. We don't want to just be a team in Nashville…we want to be Nashville's team.

First of all, there's no ownership, or stock share, that EXPIRES.

Second, and most importantly, once they use any of the words: own, owner, owned, ownership ... they're soliciting investment, which has a whole set of rules they're not following.

Third, transacation is not a word.

Fourth, because they use the word owner - once they get a certain number of these membership or ownership things sold then they can no longer be a private company. They must become a public company, which - again has a whole new set of rules and increases the red tape and cost of operations ASTRONOMICALLY.

Look there's nothing wrong with them forming a club, selling memberships and giving their supporters/sponsors/ticket buyers/waterboys a vote.. but these guys have already broken laws..

So if the guys behind Nashville FC are reading this, and I suspect they are, I suggest you re-structure your offering and remove any hint of people having ownership..

The state of Tennessee MAY leave you alone, or they may not.. But if ONE disgruntled "owner", "member", member of the media, or even someone you've pissed off at any point in your lives contacts the Attorney General's office and files ANY kind of complaint then some fresh, first-year lawyer at the AG's office WILL be tasked to investigate you, they WILL massively disrupt your lives and enjoy doing it, and the AG's office WILL let their new lawyer do it all just to gain experience.

They won't be angry at you.. You won't be thrown in jail.. but they'll fine you, and they'll force you to re-organize and use the proper verbiage anyway.

So why not avoid the hassle?

 

"Transacation" COULD be a word if we all agreed on it. You know, like, the opposite of a 'staycation.' A vacation where you only travel and never arrive at a destination (which might end up being an apt metaphor for Nashville FC).

 

Yes many do drop out after the first year but enough stay on in the long run. I know this from experience with Cork City FC. Same story with AFC Wimbledon, Shamrock Rovers and many more. They seem to be getting a lot this year. I haven't heard any numbers but at a guess about 500 maybe more. If 100-200 stay in the long run then they should be ok. Only takes 10-20 to run a small club + one or two full time employees. Not all supporters will join but they will buy tickets merchandise etc.

All depends on how profitable the club is and how well the club is run.