Supporters set to decide transfer
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A football transfer is to be decided by an internet vote of thousands of supporters for the very first time.
Members of myfootballclub.co.uk (MFC), who own Ebbsfleet United, will decide if they should accept a £140,000 offer from an unnamed club for John Akinde.
"It's quite historic," MFC founder Will Brooks told BBC Sport.
"The summer has been full of talk about Gareth Barry and Cristiano Ronaldo, but this transfer allows fans to have a say in whether it is right for the club."
The 30,000 plus members have 48 hours to decide whether they should sell the highly rated 19-year-old striker, who has played fewer than 20 games for Ebbsfleet.
He has already been watched by Chelsea scouts and the club have turned down an offer for Akinde from League One side Peterborough.
The non-league side's manager Liam Daish and board has recommended the striker should be sold to allow him to play at a higher level.
Players who have recently turned professional like Akinde are unlikely to be earning more than £200 a week.
"The fans are legal owners of the club," added Brooks. "Whereas transfers at other clubs are decided by a few board members this decision will be taken by 30,000 board members."
Earlier this year over 20,000 MyFootballClub members, who had each paid £35 to provide a £700,000 takeover pot, took control of Ebbsfleet, to give each fan an equal share in the club.
Since then members have voted on a number of major decisions affecting the club, including the price of season-tickets to watch Ebbsfleet, but this is the first time a transfer will be decided by the team's fans.
MFC's membership now stands at over 30,000 people, with members living in 122 countries.
"It has become very apparent that members are taking the responsibility of ownership very seriously and considering decisions made so far."
In July MFC members helped raised £20,000 to enable Daish to buy striker Michael Gash from Cambridge.
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this is nice. fans are able to make decisions for the club. if only liverpool or any top clubs work this way..... how nice ya? lol
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Originally posted by limpper:
this is nice. fans are able to make decisions for the club. if only liverpool or any top clubs work this way..... how nice ya? lol
they are able to vote becoz the club is owned by a supporters' trust, liverpool all that not owned by supporters mah.. so cannot..