Photo by infomatique (William Murphy) flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/infomatique/4673209714/
More and more football clubs are changing ownership in the modern era of football, and fans are finding themselves involved in the rigours of the boardroom.
There have been various different methods, situations and reasons behind moves for all of these clubs, from Ebbsfleet to Swansea, Arsenal to Cambridge.
And it’s an option many other clubs may look to undertake, especially with discontented fans unhappy with the way their clubs are being run, watching the debt mount up. The issue spreads across all divisions of professional football, with the likes of Newcastle, West Ham and, before their latest takeover, former European greats Liverpool having faced issues of large debt and believed mismanagement in the boardroom.
But how are these supporter ran sides managed by fans? And is it a viable alternative?
Chris Wilkerson asked fan-businessmen involved with Cambridge United, FC United of Manchester and Arsenal.