FC United of Manchester Manchester’s Leading Cooperative Sports Club April 2012

Outline Background Approach Future

Background The State of the Game Revenue Top 4 Divisions £3.5bn PL = 80% PL clubs debt = £3bn 14/20 PL clubs made a loss professional clubs - 56 insolvency events since 92 Portsmouth £137M debt

An Alternative? Fan-owned clubs Cooperatively managed clubs Fan Centred clubs Community Focused clubs Football Clubs as - CLUBS

Background Origins Formed June Glazer takeover Core Principles: –Democratic, not for profit, one member one vote –Creating access and participation through football –Community Commitment –Youth focus –Manchester focus –‘Accessible & benefit to all the communities of Greater Manchester’

Development Fans c.3,200+ members Average attendance – 2,000 Up to 25% Under 18 High female participation Accessible to low income families - £8, £2 Atmosphere – 90/90 culture Over 1000 season tickets Club Elected board of 11 people General Manager, Secretary and 4 FTE 2 general meetings a year Up to 300 Volunteers Democratic decisions on name, badge, board, shirt, prices, rules

Community Commitment Partnerships established with City Council & other Local Auth. Key areas: education, social inclusion, health, community cohesion Initiatives include: –Schools tournaments, coaching, classroom –Estate based delivery –Education initiatives –Match Day events – People United Day, Youth United Day Turnover £150k Volunteer Coaches Manchester College Sponsored Minithon charity fun run

Facilities Developing own ground £4.8m Ability to host on-site community activities New 3G pitch and sports facilities Junior Football Club links Fit with local regeneration/sport development plans Potential for health, education facilities Club offices

Finance Grant Funding £2.4m Club Funds £2.4m –Community Shares £1.7m –Donations £0.7m

Community Shares Programme Two-year action research programme, funded by Cabinet Office & DCLG, delivered by DTA and Co-operatives UK, working with 10 organisations raising community investment completed April 2011: Ashington Minors – childcare nursery Cybermoor – rural broadband services Brixton Green – community land trust and urban regeneration FC United of Manchester – building new stadium Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust – development trust Hurst Green Village Shop & Centre Oxford Cycle Workshop Training Sheffield Renewables – urban renewable energy schemes Slaithwaite Co-operative – community-owned greengrocers Tutbury Eco Power – renewable hydro energy

A unique form of capital Shareholder democracy: One-member-one-vote not one-share- one-vote Honesty not speculative gain: Withdrawable shares cannot increase in value (but they can decrease in value) £20,000 maximum holding of withdrawable shares: but agreements can be reached Flexible cap on share interest rates: No more than is “sufficient to attract and retain” the investment – 2% above base rate

Punk Football – Punk Finance Statutory asset lock HMRC – Enterprise Investment Scheme Support of Local Authority Support of grant bodies

FC United Experience Launched 2010 Ten Acres: £1.5m –Feb 2011 £1.3m Relaunched Nov 2011: £1.6m –March 2012 £1.7m Number of FC United Members3241 Number of Adults2810 Number of shareholders1351 Average holding: Mean£1192 Average holding: Median£400

Moving Forward ‘An alternative model for football club ownership that puts people and community first.’