Tony Dallas talks sport … and  he knows what he’s talking about

I WANT to share with you, the readers, a simple, but remarkably effective idea. In fact, having heard it, I’m urging you to cut this article out and share it with as many people as possible in the hope that we can start a movement and make what would be a formidable change.

It’s time for parents and communities to own, or at least part own, the sports clubs and projects around them. 

Why?

Because no one wants their child to succeed more than a parent! How magnificent would it be to be able to fundraise, sponsor and bank role sports facilities controlled by local people?

We could put more pressure on councils not to sell off open spaces to property developers, instead giving them to community backed enterprises for a nominal fee.

And we can promote marginalised sports such as archery, fencing, badminton, squash and table-tennis.

If parents and communities were encouraged to buy into, or were even given, a share of their local sports facilities, wouldn’t they be more prone to using and supporting them? 

When I think of the playing fields in Edgware and Barnet that once facilitated holiday sports schemes and football leagues, but were then left to become overgrown and derelict when the cuts hit, I see opportunities for change waisted.  There’s a team called FC United of Manchester who, through local businesses and supporters, raised £1.6million to help finance a new football ground and community facility in Moston, north Manchester.

Founded in 2005, it is a semi-professional football club playing in the Northern Premier League and attracts crowds of more than 2,000, which is several times the league average. Now imagine the possibilities?

Did you know Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid are both fan owned? Did you know in Sweden, other than the fans, no other club ownership is allowed? No matter what it says in Companies House, the fan is the true custodian of the football team. Financially elected chairman will come and go but supporters will be there for generations to come.

I’d like all sports clubs to have a mission statement like American football team the Green Bay Packers do. It states: “This association shall be a community project, intended to promote community welfare. It’s purpose shall be exclusively charitable.”

What better purpose could there be than buying into something that puts the wellbeing of the whole community first?

I’m not naïve enough to think that all of English football will make it compulsory that the ordinary fan should own a piece of the dream: but if they did, what a wonderful world this would be.

• Is it time to rid football of fat cat owners? Tell us what you think – email sports@camdennewjournal.com