SUPPORTERS DIRECT
Financial woe is probably the most common factor for a club becoming supporter owned, with Portsmouth being a major example.
"At Portsmouth, the club had been spiralling downwards for three or four years. The ownership was passing from one person to the next. No one wanted success for the club, it seemed; it was all just about the repayment of debts, attempting to sell Fratton Park to raise the funds", says Mathie
Portsmouth currently play in League 2. They were in the Premier League in 2010 and won the FA Cup in 2008. But after entering administration and a series of relegations to the bottom of the Football League, Portsmouth had to resolve the situation. It was partly thanks to to the Supporters Direct that Portsmouth survive as the original club they are today.
"I suppose in recent times Portsmouth have been a success story for us. Because the supporters were kept in the dark, we decided to help set up a Supporters Trust for the fans. So we supported their bid to take a majority shareholding of the club. The Supporters Direct helped raise around £2.5m with the help of local authrities and donations; we managed to gain some really good investment from the right people. And now the supporters own Portsmouth Football Club and they are debt free. They have a long term lease on Fratton Park and they'll start going up the leagues again now."
"I think what happened at Portsmpuuth was a landmark for us at the Supporters Direct because the situation got a lot of media attention and it's great to see the club back on it's feet again".