Football Belongs to the Fans
The looming Qatari takeover of Manchester United underlines how football clubs are now the playthings of oligarchs and repressive regimes. It’s time to reclaim the game and fight for fan ownership.
9 Articles by:
Will Magee
Will Magee is a football journalist who has written for Vice and the i newspaper.
The Radical Spirit Of Doctor Sócrates
In the 1970s and 80s, Brazilian footballer Sócrates used his sport as a vehicle to challenge a military dictatorship and speak out for democracy. As this year’s tainted World Cup continues, it’s clear we need more like him.
The Qatar World Cup Shows Money’s Chokehold On Modern Football
Qatar’s World Cup is the culmination of decades of football capitalism – a victory for big corporations and repressive regimes, and a tragedy for the fans and workers who make the game.
Fan Ownership Is the Alternative to Football’s Oligarchs
This week’s chaos at Chelsea exposes football’s complicity in providing cover for unscrupulous billionaires and brutal regimes – the only way to save the game is to fight for fan ownership.
Borussia Dortmund Fans Are Beating Back Corporate Football
Last month, Dortmund fans voted to prevent their club changing its name, playing home games outside the city or leaving the Bundesliga – a reminder that fan power can stand up to modern football.
England’s Fan-Owned Clubs Show that Another Football Is Possible
From Enfield Town to FC United and AFC Wimbledon, fan-owned clubs are succeeding across the English game – and offering a model for supporters who want to reclaim football from the corporate elite.
Fan Ownership Is the Future of Football
German football’s 50+1 model gives supporters a real say in their clubs and a better culture in the stands – if English fans want to be treated as more than consumers, it’s time to build a movement demanding the same.
How Football Fans Organised to Fight Hunger
Before Marcus Rashford’s free school meals campaign, football fans were bridging age-old rivalries to support foodbanks – and shame the government over its failure to tackle Britain’s hunger epidemic.
A Manifesto for Football
Labour’s bold plans to reform football – redistributing wealth from the richest clubs, and empowering fans to buy shares and sack directors – could save the beautiful game from the oligarchs.