Football scarves adorn the fence of Gigg Lane stadium (Picture: Getty Images)

The expulsion of Bury FC from the English Football League – alongside Bolton Wanderers’ previous woes – highlights a worrying trend for English football clubs.

It poses challenging questions on financial sustainability and shows how smaller clubs are pressured to match the financial clout of ‘big money’ in the modern game.

It’s leading fans to not trust their club’s owners – sceptical about their motivations and greed – so much so they are taking matters into their own hands, just like we did at Clapton CFC.

There’s a burgeoning network of supporter-owned clubs through supporters’ trusts – formal democratic organisations run by fans – under the umbrella of the newly-founded Football Supporters Association.




The current football climate has changed dramatically since a group of Chesterfield fans, as part of the Chesterfield Football Supporters Society, saved their club back in 2001 – with trusts adopting different methods and models.

As Clapton fans, we’re familiar with how greed is corrupting the beautiful game.

No situation is the same, but the message from these clubs was clear: there’s another way of running a football club (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Some of us have links to the club going back to Clapton’s first Isthmian League Title in 1911, but our historic club (and its equally historic ground – the Old Spotted Dog in Forest Gate) has faced serious threats to its existence.

After years of closed membership, a lack of transparency, queries of misplaced funds, the dilapidation of the ground, complaints by the players and staff of inadequate facilities and ticket price increases, the fans attempted to engage with the chief executive to see how they could help. These conciliatory efforts were tentatively welcomed – but then came the familiar wall of stony silence.

The fans agreed, unanimously, on a boycott. With the situation behind the scenes becoming more dire, Clapton fans voted Clapton Community Football Club into existence by its open membership, as a cooperative, in February 2018.

Supporters Direct, a government founded organisation that helps fan-owned clubs, were invaluable to us. From listening to our concerns to providing us with options and advice, as well as access to a support network of other fan-owned clubs.

No situation is the same, but the message from these clubs was clear: there’s another way of running a football club.

While the fans were united by our concerns about how the club and ground were being run, we were apprehensive about the intimidating task of running a football club. We were taken aback by how much support we received, and know-how that, as a fanbase, we probably didn’t realise that we had.

Members came forward with skills including writing fundraising applications, graphic design, and even constructing a new terrace at our adopted ground in Walthamstow, London.

As fans, we can often feel powerless (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Since February 2018, our membership has grown to over 1400 – unprecedented at our level of the football pyramid. Each member has an equal share (a nominal £1 share certificate is received upon joining) and, most importantly, an equal vote. This accessibility, in addition to our commitment to transparency (you can read our income and expenditure on our website), has been partly why we’ve grown so much.

We also share ideals about who football should be open to. Our club adopts anti-sexist, anti-homophobic and anti-fascist ideals, while trying to proactively engage with issues that affect our local community: from collecting for foodbanks and providing free sanitary products at our home ground, to running a drive for blood stem cell donations – our grassroots, community-funded club exists for its fans.



None of this would have happened if we’d followed the traditional football path.

We should be jaded football fans by now – our experiences of modern day football (from dodgy owners to racism, homophobia and sexism on the terraces) should have ground us down. But owning our own club has returned to us what football should be: a real community asset where we can enjoy football, socialise and give back to our community.

Decisions are made for the fans, by the fans, and transparently. We’re still learning – and that process won’t ever finish. What we have learnt is that we, as fans and as volunteers, can be more powerful that we’ve been led to believe.

This isn’t just a grassroots fairytale. There are examples of supporters-owned clubs in the Football League, including AFC Wimbledon, Newport County and Wycombe Wanderers.

I hope we’ll see a growth in fan-owned clubs over the coming years – as the word spreads and fans become more connected, and companies realise that football outside of the Premier League wasn’t going to be the cash-cow that some hoped it would be. It’s easier than ever for fans to come together and take control.

On Wednesday morning, football fans woke up with a heavy heart thinking about the plights of Bury and Bolton. We’ve seen clubs in peril before – including, but not limited to, clubs like Maidstone, Leeds, Derby County, Crystal Palace and Hull.

As fans, we can often feel powerless, but being fan-owned would give an almost early-warning system for fans. You’d know about potential issues at early opportunities and you can deal with them. Being fan-owned connects you to other fans that ‘get it’ – we’re not in it for the money, but for the love of the game and the teams that represent our communities.


Our clubs become more sustainable, more ethical – because we all care and they represent us.

Of course, it’s highly unlikely that the Glazers will wake up tomorrow morning and agree that Manchester United should be returned to the fans – but the trend for fan-owned clubs is growing in the UK, and that can only be an exciting thing.

The future looks promising for Clapton CFC. Our mens’ team were promoted at the first attempt last season, into the Middlesex County Premier Division, won a league cup, and came runners-up in another. We’ve entered a womens’ team that will start their FA Cup campaign this weekend and we run free training sessions for our young supporters and women of all abilities. Our aim is to eventually get back to the Old Spotted Dog, our spiritual home.

There is hope in bleak times, and a new, fan-owned future is possible.

MORE: We rebuilt our football club – here’s what Bury FC must do

MORE: Why have Bury FC been expelled from the English Football League?

MORE: Metro Sport’s guide to becoming the ultimate football hipster