We have discussed the possibility of supporters owning clubs in South Africa for some time now in Supporters Club. Some in Mzansi believe it will give the supporters a sense of ownership, which will then lead to fuller stadiums on match day. Today, we hear from a supporter who thinks the model is too unrealistic.
"Supporters can never own a club in SA, reason being there are no proper structures combining clubs with supporters, only these things of PROs who are clueless in terms of doing their jobs," Soccer Laduma website reader SISCO725 said.
"Branches also have chairpersons but they're not given sufficient information about what is happening behind the scenes, hence have no proper platform to convey their own views about how they feel the team should be run. Teams are selling left, right and centre without supporters being told, club owners/directors do whatever they feel is right only for them.
"Supporters in SA are only important during match day when they pump their hard-earned cash to fill the stadiums, but they'll never have a voice on how they wish the club will run because club bosses are ignorant and autocratic. That is why we see PSL allowing clubs to buy statuses and easily relocate teams from one place to another without supporters consulted to voice their concern."
Where do you sit on this debate? Could fan ownership work in this country, or not?