Press Releases | Exeter City FC: Showing the power of fan-ownership over 20 years
Exeter City FC: Showing the power of fan-ownership over 20 years
29 September 2023
FC United would like to congratulate Exeter City on the twentieth anniversary of the Supporters' Trust becoming majority shareholders. Tuesday September 5th 2003 was the date that the trustees handed over a cheque for £30,000 to take control of the club from its previous owner. Just as they did with FC United two years later, Supporters Direct, now under the umbrella of the FSA, gave invaluable help and practical advice especially in the setting up of a CBS (Community Benefit Society). Exeter’s model differs from ours, in that where ours consists of direct ownership by the fans, Exeter has a Supporters' Trust which is a separate entity from the football club that deals purely with operational matters. So the club considers itself trust-owned but not trust-run and has a board comprising four Trust members and four club directors. The Trust currently has around 3,600 members, who pay £24 a year.
Although supporter ownership within football began in earnest in the 1990s, the trailblazing clubs like Northampton Town, Brentford, Bournemouth and Stockport County have all reverted into private ownership. The oldest continually supporter-owned club is now Enfield Town (est. 2001) who FC United played home and away in 2019 and 2021. Wimbledon (2002), Exeter (2003) and FC United (2005) are the next oldest. As at September 2023, there are currently forty two supporter-owned clubs in England*.
FC United took a team down to play Exeter in 2012 losing the tie 3-1 in front of a crowd of 1464. Exeter’s match report at the time celebrated our 400 travelling fans as a “well voiced section from the visitors”. Like FC United, Exeter have a system of recording volunteer hours. In the year 2015, it was estimated that volunteers had done £310,000 worth of work, spread over 28,000 hours. Last year, FC United estimated that our volunteers had saved the club over £200,000. The two clubs were in close contact during the pandemic through their reps on the National Council and that contact has been maintained in the FSA’s community-owned clubs network. Here’s to the next twenty years!
By Nick Duckett (FSA rep)
To find our more about Exeter City Supporters’ Trust click here.
To become an FC United co-owner and join the supporter-ownership movement click here.
To find out more about the Football Supporters' Association click here.
Exeter City FC: Showing the power of fan-ownership over 20 years
29 September 2023
FC United would like to congratulate Exeter City on the twentieth anniversary of the Supporters' Trust becoming majority shareholders. Tuesday September 5th 2003 was the date that the trustees handed over a cheque for £30,000 to take control of the club from its previous owner. Just as they did with FC United two years later, Supporters Direct, now under the umbrella of the FSA, gave invaluable help and practical advice especially in the setting up of a CBS (Community Benefit Society). Exeter’s model differs from ours, in that where ours consists of direct ownership by the fans, Exeter has a Supporters' Trust which is a separate entity from the football club that deals purely with operational matters. So the club considers itself trust-owned but not trust-run and has a board comprising four Trust members and four club directors. The Trust currently has around 3,600 members, who pay £24 a year.
Although supporter ownership within football began in earnest in the 1990s, the trailblazing clubs like Northampton Town, Brentford, Bournemouth and Stockport County have all reverted into private ownership. The oldest continually supporter-owned club is now Enfield Town (est. 2001) who FC United played home and away in 2019 and 2021. Wimbledon (2002), Exeter (2003) and FC United (2005) are the next oldest. As at September 2023, there are currently forty two supporter-owned clubs in England*.
FC United took a team down to play Exeter in 2012 losing the tie 3-1 in front of a crowd of 1464. Exeter’s match report at the time celebrated our 400 travelling fans as a “well voiced section from the visitors”. Like FC United, Exeter have a system of recording volunteer hours. In the year 2015, it was estimated that volunteers had done £310,000 worth of work, spread over 28,000 hours. Last year, FC United estimated that our volunteers had saved the club over £200,000. The two clubs were in close contact during the pandemic through their reps on the National Council and that contact has been maintained in the FSA’s community-owned clubs network. Here’s to the next twenty years!
By Nick Duckett (FSA rep)
To find our more about Exeter City Supporters’ Trust click here.
To become an FC United co-owner and join the supporter-ownership movement click here.
To find out more about the Football Supporters' Association click here.
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