Scapegoat Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 In a moment of boredom during a meeting at work the week before we sacked SR and appointed JS I started to think about options for a revolutionary idea in football. Rather than appoint a new manager - why not let the supporters manage the team? Coaches would be required for the day to day preparation of the team, and probably a director of football to help with the acquisition of new players, but would it be possible to set up a process for allowing supporters to control their own team? Using website / mobile apps, registered supporters would select their preferred formation and players to fill the starting line-ups and subs bench - majority decision making process for each would be the manner in which the team was selected. Substitutions during the game would follow the same process - supporters click to say they want to make a substitution and again a majority approach to determine when it happens and who swaps out. Position / type of players that we wanted to be signed could be done via similar processes / or ones we want to get rid of. The information used to inform the coach / DoF where to look. To be part of the process there would have to be some form of system to prevent it being abused. Maybe only open to ST holders? Or you an pay an extra £5 per match to be able to influence the game (paying gets you a code to enter on the site / app). Potential upsides for this approach: (1) It would get the club that does it an immense amount of media interest (2) The revenue that it could make could be helpful (3) Fans would feel directly connected to the club - right help attract and retain new supporters Downsides: Loads I am sure, but would include: (1) Would the players feel like they lacked leadership? Would the coach be enough? (2) Could opposition fans 'hack' the system and influence the outcome? (3) We couldn't have 'sack the manager' threads on OWTB Bored and interested in views - certainly would be a revolutionary approach. Could sell the 'rights' to the TV? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcfluff1985 Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Could vote for the name of the club too. Footy McFootface anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryBosch Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Didn't Ebbsfleet do something like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newyorkbagel Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 They did. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyFootballClub Didn't Ebbsfleet do something like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie_J Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Doesn't this thread belong slap bang in the middle of pre-season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusoe Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Sell rights to what? We'd still be a relegation threatened League One side with average/poor players. Ebbsfleet tried it to a degree - not picking the team - and abandoned it. Some thoughts on problems (yeah, I'm taking the glass half-empty approach, sorry): - coaches/DoF won't be keen - no authority, decisions at the whim of fans, very little reason for them to want the job - players probably not keen - as you say - how are fans supposed to know the best team? who's injured? unfit? training badly? hungover on match day? - how are fans supposed to react to the opposition? what formation will they play? what's their style? who's in their lineup? - how can the team be effectively coached if the players and tactics will be decided and changed at any time by vote on a whim? - signings - how are fans supposed to know whether a player is any good? or whether we can afford them? or their contract demands for signing? I can't see many professional players or staff wanting to work under such restrictions and uncertainty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scapegoat Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 Doesn't this thread belong slap bang in the middle of pre-season? Perhaps, but given that we've just changed manager I thought it might warrant posting (and I'd forget about it by the closed season) Sell rights to what? We'd still be a relegation threatened League One side with average/poor players. Ebbsfleet tried it to a degree - not picking the team - and abandoned it. Some thoughts on problems (yeah, I'm taking the glass half-empty approach, sorry): - coaches/DoF won't be keen - no authority, decisions at the whim of fans, very little reason for them to want the job - players probably not keen - as you say - how are fans supposed to know the best team? who's injured? unfit? training badly? hungover on match day? - how are fans supposed to react to the opposition? what formation will they play? what's their style? who's in their lineup? - how can the team be effectively coached if the players and tactics will be decided and changed at any time by vote on a whim? - signings - how are fans supposed to know whether a player is any good? or whether we can afford them? or their contract demands for signing? I can't see many professional players or staff wanting to work under such restrictions and uncertainty. Not that I disagree, but not sure that DK/DD/SR added much above a web-based voting system. Any evidence of tactics, coaching, knowing the best team etc has been absent for the most of the last 2 years. re: Signings. I'd limit it to supporters indicating the position we need i.e. striker, winger, right-back etc and then let the DOF work out who is available / affordable. Could look at the Moneybag approach? re: updates on players fitness / form etc. This could take the form of reports available from the coach / DOF a few days before the game, supporters read and make their judgements re: Opposition - again scouting reports could be made available for supporters to read and take account in their views on the formation / players etc. Hadn't realised Ebbsfleet had done something, will have a read. Just think that the technology is available to do something, and the first professional football club to experiment will be of interest (hence why you might find a TV station wanting to do a documentary on it). Finally, it might be a way to engage with the fans, and grow the fanbase in a way that Latics are failing to do. Not sure that its a serious suggestion, but as I said, was a bit bored and started to mull the idea over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scapegoat Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 Read a reasonable article on Ebbsfleet. Seemed in the end to focus more on the running of the club rather than the team, and that the people that joined the scheme were more generally interested in the process than being fans of the team (the club wasn't selected until a way through the process). A little different to my view, which was more a interactive team selection / substitution one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusoe Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/front_page/newsid_8967000/8967067.stm http://thesefootballtimes.co/2016/03/09/the-ebbsfleet-united-fan-ownership-experiment/ http://twohundredpercent.net/ebbsfleet-united-i-told-you-so-part-two/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusoe Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 ...just some more background reading. It's a fun idea but, for me, massively impractical and hard to sell to anyone who'd have to live by those rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philliggi Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Tbh honest I don't think many fans would go for it never mind players. If arguments on here are anything to go by nobody would agree what's best and you would end up with something half baked in the middle ground. To be successful takes 1 leader in my opinion who can make snap decisions. Who can be provided active whereas fans would be reactive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disjointed Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 The current model is working just fine, why change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deyres42 Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 It's crazy enough that someone will almost certainly try it again in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scapegoat Posted January 23, 2017 Author Share Posted January 23, 2017 The current model is working just fine, why change. Change is not good ;-) Not sure I'd describe the last 20 years as working fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlayItLivo Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 This relies on the belief that the majority of fans know best. Unfortunately that couldn't be further from being the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disjointed Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 Change is not good ;-) Not sure I'd describe the last 20 years as working fine. Sarcasm, I should have learnt by now it doesn't work on the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philliggi Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 Tbh honest I don't think many fans would go for it never mind players. If arguments on here are anything to go by nobody would agree what's best and you would end up with something half baked in the middle ground. To be successful takes 1 leader in my opinion who can make snap decisions. Who can be provided active whereas fans would be reactive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Burns Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 What a fantastically :censored:e idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scapegoat Posted January 24, 2017 Author Share Posted January 24, 2017 Sarcasm, I should have learnt by now it doesn't work on the internet. Sorry - missed that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeslover Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 We'd be limited by only ever signing ex players, going round in circles until John Eyre came back in 2033 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macca Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 With recent votes for Brexit and Trump we'd end up with Connor Ripley upfront. If you want to make the decisions, play Football Manager.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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