This is a partial list of professional or semi-professional sports teams that are owned by fans (via either a collective organisation or where the assumption of majority ownership by a small group is prohibited by the club's constitution or governing documents) from all over the world sorted by home country. Teams playing at every level in each country are shown. In some cases the line is blurry between these teams and
teams whose ownership is publicly traded.
Association football
Argentina
All association football clubs in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
are owned by their members. Every club is organised as not-for-profit organization according to Argentinian law (''asociación civil sin fines de lucro'').
There are a few number of teams that are privately owned such as
Crucero del Norte.
Australia
*
Melbourne Knights
Melbourne Knights Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in the suburb of Sunshine North, Melbourne. The club currently competes in the National Premier Leagues Victoria, the second-tier of the Australian soccer league ...
*
South Melbourne
South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at ...
Austria
*
FC Pinzgau Saalfelden, a fan-owned club that is owned, in majority, by fans who have invested into the club through the American company Fan Owned Club. A company that promises to provide fans with an ownership experience that surpasses that of traditional fan-ownership models.
Protest Clubs
*
SV Austria Salzburg
SV Austria Salzburg is an Austrian professional football club, based in the city of Salzburg. The club was formed in 2005 by some supporters of the original SV (Austria) Salzburg after it was renamed FC Red Bull Salzburg by its new owners, who al ...
– Founded in 2005 by supporters of
the original SV (Austria) Salzburg in protest to the takeover and rebranding of the club by
Red Bull GmbH
Red Bull GmbH () is an Austrian private company known for its range of energy drinks of the same name. It is also known for its sponsorship of a range of sporting events and teams. The headquarters of Red Bull GmbH are located in Fuschl am S ...
.
Phoenix Clubs
*
FC Blau-Weiß Linz
FC Blau-Weiß Linz or BW Linz are an Austrian association football
club playing in the Second League in the current 2020–21 season.
History
In 1997, FC Blau-Weiß Linz was founded, which adopted the traditions of the defunct club FC Li ...
– Club was founded in 1997 and adopted the traditions of the defunct club FC Linz, which due to financial difficulties had to finally dissolve, by merger with their long-time rivals LASK Linz.
*
Grazer Athletiksport Klub – was refounded in 2012 as Grazer AC after the former Grazer AK was dissolved. On 14 March 2014 Grazer AC was considered to be a continuation of the original "GAK" in agreement with its umbrella association.
Clubs controlled by their members
*
First Vienna FC 1894
*
SK Rapid Wien
Sportklub Rapid Wien (), commonly known as Rapid Vienna, is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid has won the most Austrian championship titles (32), including the first title in the season 1911–12, ...
*
SK Sturm Graz
Sportklub Sturm Graz is an Austrian association football club, based in Graz, Styria, playing in the Austrian Football Bundesliga. The club was founded in 1909. Its colours are black and white.
In its history, Sturm Graz has won the Austria ...
*
Wiener Sport-Club
The Wiener Sport-Club, sometimes abbreviated as WSC, was established in 1883 in Vienna, Austria and is one of the country's oldest athletics clubs. Their traditional home is in the Dornbach quarter of the city ( 17th district).
History
At vari ...
Belarus
*
FC Torpedo Minsk
FC Torpedo Minsk ( be, ПФК Тарпеда Мінск, ''PFK Tarpeda Minsk''; russian: link=no, ПФК Торпедо Минск) is a Belarusian football club, playing in Minsk. The team plays their home games at the Torpedo Stadium in Minsk, ...
*
FC Partizan Minsk
FC Partizan Minsk ( be, ФК Партызан Мінск) was a Belarusian football club based in Minsk.
History
The club was founded as MTZ-RIPO Minsk in 2002 as a merger of two Minsk teams from the Second League ( Traktor Minsk, a club wit ...
*
FC Krumkachy Minsk
NFC Krumkachy Minsk ( be, HФК Крумкачы Мінск, russian: НФК Крумкачы) is a Belarusian professional football club based in the capital city of Minsk.
History
The club was founded in 2011 by a group of football fans. T ...
Belgium
*
YB SK Beveren
*
K. Lyra-Lierse
Bosnia & Herzegovina
All football clubs in
Bosnia & Herzegovina are registered as not-for-profit associations of citizens. However, in practice, only one club allows its members to democratically participate and vote in its General Assembly.
*
NK Čelik Zenica
Nogometni klub Čelik Zenica ( en, Football Club Čelik Zenica) is a professional football club based in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The name ''Čelik'' means ''Steel'' in Bosnian and it symbolizes the strength and power of the club in a ...
- member-run since 2017
Brazil
Although since 1993 Brazilian law allows for privately owned sport clubs, most of the hundreds of professional association football clubs in Brazil are owned by their members as not-for-profit organizations. These include many of the traditionally considered 12 major clubs in the country:
*
Atlético Mineiro
Atlético, Spanish for ''athletics'', or Athletico in English, may refer to:
Sports Teams Athletico
*Athletico SC (Lebanon), a Lebanese football academy
*Athletic Bilbao, or Atletico Bilbao, Basque students athletic club (also forming Athletic Cl ...
*
Corinthians
The First Epistle to the Corinthians ( grc, Α΄ ᾽Επιστολὴ πρὸς Κορινθίους) is one of the Pauline epistles, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-aut ...
*
Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...
*
Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club (), known as Fluminense, is a Brazilian sports club best known for its professional football team that competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the first tier of Brazilian football and the Campeonato Carioca, th ...
*
Grêmio
*
Internacional
Sport Club Internacional (), commonly known as Internacional or simply Inter, is a Brazilian professional football club based in Porto Alegre. They play in the Série A, the first division of the Brazilian league, as well as in Campeonat ...
*
Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes. Palmeiras is one of the most popular clubs in South America, with around ...
*
Santos
*
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
Bulgaria
*
FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia
Lokomotiv 1929 ( bg, Локомотив 1929) is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia, which currently plays in the First League, the top tier of Bulgarian football.
Founded as Railway Sports Club in 1929, and refou ...
*
PFC Botev Plovdiv
Profesionalen Futbolen Klub Botev, commonly referred to as Botev Plovdiv ( bg, „Ботев“ Пловдив, ) or simply Botev (within its associated city), is a Bulgarian professional football club based in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, that competes in ...
Canada
*
TSS FC Rovers – Minority fan-owned. Fan input is formally organized through the Spirit of the Rovers supporters' trust.
*
Valour FC
Valour Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The club competes in the Canadian Premier League and plays its home matches at IG Field.
The team is coached by Phillip Dos Santos and community owned thr ...
– Began play in 2019 as a charter member of the
Canadian Premier League
The Canadian Premier League (CPL or CanPL; french: Première ligue canadienne, links=no) is a professional men's soccer league in Canada. At the top of the Canadian soccer league system, it is the country's primary national soccer league compe ...
. Indirectly a fan-owned club; owned by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, a Canadian football team.
*
Victoria Highlanders F.C. – majority owner Alex Campbell Jr. publicly announced that the purchase of season tickets will give supporters "an ownership share in the club and a voice in its direction". Season ticket holders are members of the Victoria Highlanders Supporters Society, which owns 30% of the club and holds two seats (of nine) on the club's advisory board. The club however disbanded in 2014 and when it was re-founded a year later in 2015, it did not involve fan-ownership.
Chile
*
Curicó Unido
Curicó Unido is a football club based in Curicó, Maule Region, Chile. They currently play in the Primera División, the first level of the Chilean football system. They are currently managed by Damián Muñoz.
History
Curicó Unido was fo ...
Costa Rica
*
L.D. Alajuelense
Colombia
*
Deportivo Cali
Croatia
*
HNK Hajduk Split - Fan association ''
Naš Hajduk (Our Hajduk)'' owns 28.25% of the club shares. That enables fans to control and preserve historic symbols like club name, hometown, crest etc. It also enables the association an inside view of the functioning of the club. In accordance with the city of
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, entertai ...
which owns 65.92% of the club shares, ''Naš Hajduk'' organizes democratic elections for the club's supervisory board. All active members can participate. ''Naš Hajduk'' has been having 30-40,000 yearly active members for the past decade. On top of shares owned by ''Naš Hajduk'', more shares are also owned by the individual fans.
*
HNK Trogir
HNK Trogir is a Croatian football club, based in town of Trogir on the Croatian coast. Trogir plays home matches at Igralište Batarija.
History
HNK Trogir was founded in 1912. In 2009 the club fell into financial difficulties and resigne ...
– Club owned since 2009.
Protest clubs
*
NK Varteks – founded in 2011 by disgruntled supporters of
NK Varaždin, whose financial situation had caused it to be suspended by the
Croatian Football Federation
*NK Zagreb 041 – founded in 2014 as fans were dissatisfied with the situation in
NK Zagreb.
Cyprus
Protest clubs & clubs controlled by their members
*
PAC OMONOIA – PAC Omonia was founded by fans of Cypriot club AC Omonia & Gate 9, following the undemocratic decision to privatise it. PAC Omonia is a supporter-owned football club that continues the tradition and essence of Omonia as a democratic one-member, one-vote organisation and as a social organisation that cares about its community.
Czech Republic
*
Bohemians 1905
Bohemians Praha 1905 (previously named FC Bohemians Praha) is a Prague-based football club, which was founded in 1905 as AFK Vršovice. The club won the 1982–83 Czechoslovak First League, its only league championship. Its colours are green a ...
Ecuador
*
Barcelona SC
England
Community created
* Camden & Islington United F.C. – Registered as a community benefit society in June 2020.
*
City of Liverpool F.C. – Registered as a community benefit society in October 2015.
*
F.C. Isle of Man
Football Club Isle of Man ( gv, Club Sockyr Ellan Vannin) is a semi-professional football club based in Douglas, Isle of Man, that competes in the , the 9th tier of English football.
Founded in 2019, the club joined the NWCFL for the 2020–21 ...
*
Maine Road F.C.
Supporter Buyout/Takeover
* Atherton Town F.C. – Registered as a community benefit society in May 2020.
*
Aylesbury United F.C.
Aylesbury United Football Club is a football club based in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England. They are currently members of Division One Central of the Southern League and play at Chesham United's Meadow ground, having been evicted from their ...
– In July 2009, The Aylesbury United Supporters Trust was able to gain control of the club, which thus became a fan-owned football team.
*
Bamber Bridge F.C.
Bamber Bridge Football Club is a football club based in Bamber Bridge, near Preston, Lancashire, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium. The club is fully owned by a community organisation that repres ...
– The club is fully owned by a community organisation that represents supporters of the club.
*
Banbury United F.C.
Banbury United Football Club is a football club based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Spencer Stadium.
History
The club was established in 1931 as Spencer Sports Club, a works team of the Sp ...
– In August 2015, a supporter-led
Community Benefit Society took formal control of the club.
*
Basingstoke Town F.C.
*
Bath City F.C.
Bath City Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset, England. The club is affiliated to the Somerset FA and currently competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football. The club have ...
- In June 2015 "Big Bath City Bid" was launched by filmmaker and Bath fan
Ken Loach
Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty ('' Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessn ...
to turn the club into a community-owned, ‘one member one vote’ club, in an effort to develop the club and clear its debts. The community ownership received backing from around the world, including ex-Manchester Utd footballer, Eric Cantona.
*
Berwick Rangers F.C. – The Supporters’ Club are the majority shareholders of Berwick Rangers Football Club. Note: this club plays in Scottish football, despite being located in England.
*
Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C.
Bradford (Park Avenue) Association Football Club is an association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in , at the sixth tier of the English football league system. The name derived from their former h ...
*
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Chesterfiel ...
– Bought by Chesterfield Football Supporters Society in 2001 from Darren Brown, who had run the club to the brink of insolvency (and was later jailed for crimes committed during his tenure at the club). The CFSS had held a meeting to discuss the parlous state of the club in March 2001, and a collection for funds yielded £6,000, which was used to buy the club several days later. The club entered insolvency as a result of the Brown-era financial mismanagement. CFSS struggled to escape that legacy and lost control of the club to a consortium of former directors in 2003. Bought back by Chesterfield FC Community Trust in August 2020.
*
Congleton Town F.C. – The clubs shareholding was passed over to a newly formed supporters Trust in 2014
*
Dorchester Town F.C. – from 2013 the Supporters Trust own a joint majority shareholding in the club.
*
Dunstable Town F.C. – Announced its transition to a community benefit society on 9 August 2021.
*
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third tier of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to ...
– Following relegation to the Conference in 2003, the club was taken over by the
Exeter City Supporters' Trust.
*
Grays Athletic F.C.
*
Hendon F.C. – Over the summer of 2010, the club was bought out by the Hendon FC Supporters Trust, an Industrial and Provident Society.
*
Hull United A.F.C.
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship
* Submarine hull
Mathematics
* Affine hull, in affi ...
– Registered as a community benefit society in July 2020.
*
Hyde United F.C. – Buyout from former owner John Manship occurred on 2015-06-27.
*
Kempston Rovers F.C.
*
Lewes F.C.
Lewes Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Lewes, East Sussex, England. The men's first team are currently members of the and play at the Dripping Pan.
History
The club was established in a meeting at the Royal Oak pu ...
– On 9 July 2010 "The Rooks" became a member-owned club with six founder members of the new Rooks125 group forming the inaugural Board of the new Lewes Community Football Club ownership body. In April 2011, the club announced details on how fans will be able to become owners of Lewes FC. From July 2011 shares in the club have been available from £30 per annum. Shareholders are entitled to vote and stand for election to the board of directors. The first of these elections took place in October 2011. As of December 2011, the club has over 800 shareholders. In 2011, the club introduced the "Support and Save" scheme whereby shareholders are entitled to discounts from participating local businesses.
*
Litherland REMYCA F.C.
*
Newark Town F.C. – "Newark Town Football Club Limited was registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965. It is known as an Industrial and Provident Society (IPS) or a Community Benefit Society and is regulated by the Financial Services Authority."
*
Newport (IOW) F.C.
Newport (Isle of Wight) Football Club is a semi-pro football club based in Newport on the Isle of Wight, England. They are currently members of the and they currently groundshare at Ryde Saints` Smallbrook Stadium.
History
The club was esta ...
– In 2008, ownership of the club was fully transferred to the supporter's trust.
*
Northwich Victoria F.C.
Northwich Victoria Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Northwich, Cheshire, which compete in the . They play home games at Wincham Park, in a groundshare agreement with nearby rivals Witton Albion. They had played at th ...
– Supporters assumed control of the club from the Rushe family in June 2017, almost five years after the creation of fan-owned breakaway club
1874 Northwich F.C.
*
Peacehaven & Telscombe F.C. – In June 2016, the club was purchased by a community group representing fans of the club.
*
Pilkington F.C. – Registered as a community benefit society in March 2020.
*
Prescot Cables F.C. – The summer of 2005 saw a change in organisation, with a new football committee formed from the Supporter's Club taking over the reins of the club.
*
Rochdale A.F.C.
*
Saffron Walden Town F.C. – On 4 July 2012, members voted to convert the club into a Community Benefit Society.
*
Tonbridge Angels F.C. – During the 2014–15 season, steps were taken by supporters to purchase shares in the club to make it majority owned by supporters. They will contest the 2015–16 pre-season
Supporters Direct shield, with their first match against
Fisher F.C.
Fisher Football Club is a football club based in Rotherhithe, Southwark, England. The club was established in 2009 after Fisher Athletic folded. Affiliated to the London Football Association, they are currently members of the and play at t ...
on 25 July.
*
Worcester City F.C.
*
Wythenshawe Amateurs F.C. – Became a community benefit society in March 2017 (Wythenshawe AFC Limited, Community Benefit Society No.7250).
Phoenix clubs
*
AFC Croydon Athletic – The club was formed by fans of
Croydon Athletic F.C.
Croydon Athletic Football Club was an English football club based in Thornton Heath in the London Borough of Croydon, London, England. It was founded in 1986 and initially named as Wandsworth & Norwood until 1990. The club progressed through va ...
after that team folded in the 2011–12 season. Structured as a company limited by guarantee.
*
AFC Rushden & Diamonds
A.F.C. Rushden & Diamonds is an English football club based in Rushden in Northamptonshire. They played their opening season at Kiln Park, the home of Raunds Town, in 2011–12 and subsequently shared the Dog & Duck ground with Wellingboroug ...
– The club was formed in July 2011 by supporters after
Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Nicknamed "The Diamonds", the club played at Nene Park. The club's main rivals were county neighbours Kettering Town F.C., Ke ...
were expelled from the
Football Conference
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
and subsequently liquidated.
This occurred as a result of the club's stadium (Nene Park) being possessed by Conalgen Enterprises S.A. (registered in Panama) via a fixed charge negotiated by outgoing owner Keith Cousins. A mere 4 months passed between Cousins selling a "debt free" football club, and its inability to continue as a going concern. After expulsion from the football pyramid and eviction from Nene Park an open meeting chaired by a supporters group called SaveRDFC, a mandate was agreed upon to create a
phoenix club,
fully owned and controlled by its supporters.
*
Bury AFC – Established in December 2019 by fans of
Bury FC
Bury Football Club is an English association football club based in Bury, Greater Manchester, whose team last played in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football, in the 2018–19 season. The team are known as "The Shakers", and ...
after its expulsion from the
EFL. Operates on the one member one vote principle.
*
Canterbury City F.C.
Canterbury City Football Club is a football club based in Canterbury, Kent, England. They are currently members of the and currently play at Sittingbourne's Woodstock Park ground. Affiliated to the Kent County Football Association, the club r ...
– Reformed in 2007, they are the first football club formed as a
community interest company. Under the club's constitution, membership "is open to all" and includes the right to vote in the election of "key members of the board."
*
Chester F.C.
Chester Football Club is an association football club based in Chester. They are currently members of and play at the Deva Stadium.
The club was founded in 2010 following the liquidation of Chester City. In its inaugural season it competed ...
– Phoenix club formed in 2010 and owned by City Fans United after
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an association football team from Chester, England that played in a variety of leagues between 1885 and 2010. The club played its home games at Sealand Road from 1906 to 1991 and moved to the Deva Stadium in 1992 ...
wound up
*
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is an association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team competes in the National League North, at the sixth tier of English football.
The club was founded in 1 ...
– Darlington FC Supporters Group (registered as Darlington 1883 Supporters Society Limited, a community benefit society) held 82.3% of the share capital of the club (Darlington 1883 Limited), as of May 2018. DFCSG was established due to a 2015 merger between three fan groups: Darlington FC Community Interest Company (which represented approximately 800 fans), Darlington Supporters Club and Darlington Supporters Trust.
*
Fisher F.C.
Fisher Football Club is a football club based in Rotherhithe, Southwark, England. The club was established in 2009 after Fisher Athletic folded. Affiliated to the London Football Association, they are currently members of the and play at t ...
– The club was formed in 2009 by members of the 'Fisher Supporters Trust' when
Fisher Athletic Football Club was wound up in the High Court due to financial problems and closed down.
*
Hereford F.C. – The club's majority owner is a group of four benefactors (the Jon Hale group). The Hereford United Supporters Trust is currently a minority owner, although it aims to "own an equal 50% stake" through future fundraising. As of January 2021, HUST held a 44.8% shareholding in the club, and hope to achieve 50% by the end of May 2021.
*
Hinckley A.F.C. – Replaced
Hinckley United. Formed by fans in 2014. Structured as a community benefit society.
*
Runcorn Linnets F.C.
Runcorn Linnets F.C. are an England, English association football, football club based in Runcorn, Cheshire. The club currently plays in the , and is a full member of the Cheshire County Football Association. The club is run by a trust which is ...
– The club is run by a trust, which is an
Industrial and Provident Society
An industrial and provident society (IPS) is a body corporate registered for carrying on any industries, businesses, or trades specified in or authorised by its rules.
The members of a society benefit from the protection of limited liability ...
, and is registered with the
Financial Services Authority.
*
Scarborough Athletic F.C. – Following the
liquidation of Scarborough, Scarborough Athletic was founded as a continuation or rebirth of the previous club by a supporters' trust named ''The Seadog Trust''. They took on the same red kit, nickname, motto and official club logo from the original club.
*
South Liverpool F.C.
Protest Clubs
*
A.F.C. Liverpool
Affordable Football Club Liverpool is a semi-professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club were formed in 2008 by 1,000 supporters of Liverpool Football Club; a not-for-profit organisation, it is run on a one-member, one-vote ...
–
Cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-contro ...
. Formed as a protest against high ticket prices in the Premier League.
*
AFC Wimbledon – Fully owned by The Dons Trust, a Supporters' Trust., formed as a breakaway club in the surrounding controversy of the
Relocation of Wimbledon F.C. to Milton Keynes.
*
Clapton Community F.C. – Established in early 2018, in opposition to how the owner of
Clapton F.C. was ignoring the club's membership.
*
F.C. United of Manchester
Football Club United of Manchester is a semi-professional football club based in Moston, Manchester, England, that competes in the , the seventh tier of the English football league system, and plays home matches at Broadhurst Park.
Found ...
– A
Community Benefit Society. One member, one vote basis. Formed by
Manchester United fans in protest of the
Glazer takeover.
*
Enfield Town F.C.
Enfield Town Football Club is a football club based in Enfield, Greater London, England. Established in 2001 as a fan-led breakaway from Enfield, the club are currently members of the and play at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium. The club b ...
– The club was founded on 23 June 2001 by the Enfield Supporters' Trust due to disaffection with the owners of
Enfield F.C.
Enfield Football Club is an English football club that is currently a member of the . The club plays its home matches at Woodside Park in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, which it shares with owners Bishop's Stortford F.C. Traditionally b ...
*
1874 Northwich F.C. – The club was founded on 15 November 2012 following a vote by former
Northwich Victoria supporters, who were members of the Northwich Victoria Supporters Trust. They voted almost unanimously, 141 to 4, in favour of breaking away from the club they supported and forming a new team in their town. The club is fully owned by its supporters, and is run by a democratically elected board.
Minority Supporter Owned
*
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete histor ...
– Accrington Stanley Supporters Fund owns 12%
*
Cambridge City F.C. – As of September 2011, the Cambridge City Supporters' Trust (CCST) owned 10% (a minority) of the club. According to the CCST secretary, CCST now only has appointment power for one director position.
*
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United Football Club ( , ) is a professional association football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England. The team compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They have played their home games at Brunton Park s ...
– The United Trust (also known as the Carlisle United Official Supporters' Club) owns a 25.4% stake in the club. At least one elected member of the trust sits on the board of the club.
*
Chesham United F.C. – As of the 2014/15 season, Chesham United Supporters' Trust (CUST) held only a 2.69% shareholding in the club, and has "no direct responsibility for running the parent club."
CUST had previously acquired at least 43.25% ownership of the club as of September 2011. CUST's previously-stated ambition was to earn no more than 49.9% of the club, "a safeguard so that no one party has an overall majority stake in the club".
*
Dial Square F.C. – Established "in response to
rsenal F.C.fans who were disillusioned by the business-orientated approach that is beleaguering the majority of Premier League clubs." 86 fans purchased a share in the club during its initial share issue, which ended 31 March 2021. Stuart Morgan remains the majority shareholder as of April 2021, controlling "75% or more" of shares and voting rights, and having the "right to appoint and remove directors". On 19 April 2021, in light of Arsenal's decision to join the so-called European Super League, Dial Square announced that its second share issue would begin earlier than originally scheduled.
*
Dulwich Hamlet F.C.
Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in East Dulwich in south-east London, England. They are currently members of and play at Champion Hill.
History
The club was formed in 1893, by Lorraine 'Pa' Wilson. T ...
– Dulwich Hamlet Football Community Mutual Limited (registered society number 29531R), commonly known as the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters' Trust, owns "more than 25% but not more than 50%" of the club's shares. Two of the club's five board members are appointed by the trust, and all board members are trust members.
*
Gateshead F.C.
Gateshead Football Club is a professional football club based in Gateshead, England. The team compete in and play at the Gateshead International Stadium.
Established in 1977 after Gateshead United folded, the club are known as the "Tyneside ...
– The Gateshead Soul Supporters Trust (registered as the Gateshead Soul Supporters Society Limited) purchased a minority club shareholding in February 2021.
*
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is a professional football club based in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England, that in the 2022–23 season will compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system, following the victory in t ...
– Mariners Trust owns 14.13%
*
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Lincoln, England, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England. The team compete in , the third tier of the English football league system.
Nicknamed the "Imps" aft ...
– The Red Imps Community Trust (legally known as the Lincoln City Supporters' Society Limited) owned 18.9% of the shares of the club's holding company, as of August 2017. The Trust also elect one member to sit on the club's board of directors.
*
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
– As of 2012, the
Luton Town Supporters' Trust owned 50,000 shares in the club's holding company, Luton Town Football Club 2020 Limited,
and holds the right of veto over any changes to the club's identity, including name, nickname, colours, club crest and mascot.
*
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the ...
– The Canaries Trust are the 12th-largest shareholder of Norwich City, as of June 2021.
*
Wealdstone F.C. - The Wealdstone FC Supporters Club owns 11.4% of shares, making it the second largest shareholder in the club.
*
Wycombe Wanderers F.C. – On 30 June 2012, the Wycombe Wanderers Supporters Trust formally took over the club. which resulted in financial stabilization and ended a transfer embargo. In February 2020
Rob Couhig completed his takeover purchasing a 75% share, leaving the Wycombe Wanderers Supporters Trust with a 25% share and former chairman Trevor Stroud keeping a seat on the club's board.
*
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team compete in the National League, at the fifth tier of the English football league ...
– York City Supporters' Society owns 25%. Became owned by the York City Supporters' Trust in 2002 after a period of insolvency caused by then-Chairman Douglas Craig's separation of the club from ownership of the stadium at
Bootham Crescent
Bootham Crescent in York, England, was the home of York City football club and York City Knights rugby league club. With a capacity of 8,256, it is near the city centre, just over a mile from York railway station.
York City leased land at B ...
and subsequent ownership under John Batchelor. The Trust negotiated a deal to buy back their old stadium using a loan provided by the
Football Foundation but the strain of Batchelor-era debt servicing and repayments to the Foundation saw the Trust become minority shareholders with the majority stake owned by the McGill Family.
Former Supporter Owned
*
AFC Telford United
AFC Telford United is a football club based in Telford, Shropshire, England. The club was formed in 2004 after the original Telford United, founded in 1872, folded due to financial problems. Currently members of the National League North, they ...
– Sold out to private ownership 24–10–16.
*
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club is a professional football club in Brentford, West London, England, which competes in the Premier League, the highest tier of English football, having gained promotion via the playoffs at the end of the 2020–21 Champi ...
– Bees United (the Brentford FC Supporters Trust) used to own 60.3% of the shares of Brentford FC;
Matthew Benham, himself a fan, owned 30.7% of the shares of Brentford FC; with other supporters owning 9.0% of the shares of Brentford FC.
The Supporters' Trust eventually sold their entire shareholding to Matthew Benham who also acquired all other minority shareholding to own 100% of the shares.
*
Bromsgrove Sporting F.C.
Bromsgrove Sporting Football Club is a football club based in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England. The club was founded in 2009 and played their first season, 2010–11, in Midland Football Combination Division Two, where they ended third. T ...
– Founded in 2009 as a supporters consortium with the plan to buy Bromsgrove Rovers and take them out of administration. When another owner was found for Rovers it was decided to create a new club instead. The Bromsgrove Sporting Supporters' Society, a registered community benefit society, owned 42% of the club as of May 2022. Despite majority ownership, the club is run by a megalomaniac chairman and his cronies - the club market themselves as fan owned but this could not be further from the truth.
*
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an English association football club based in Bury, Greater Manchester, whose team last played in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football, in the 2018–19 season. The team are known as "The Shakers", and ...
– Came under supporter ownership in 2002 after the club entered administration, split between ''Save Our Shakers Trust'' (63.8%) and ''The Bury F.C. Supporters Society Ltd (Forever Bury)'' (11%) Property entrepreneur Stewart Day bought the fans' stake in 2013 following financial difficulties for the club, which had necessitated taking out a PFA loan to pay players' wages and the club being placed under a transfer embargo.
*
Notts County F.C.
*
Portsmouth F.C. – Portsmouth became the largest fan-owned football club in England, after the Pompey Supporters Trust (PST) successfully gained possession of Fratton Park in April 2013. However, in May 2017, the PST members voted in favor to sell its ownership to former
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
chief executive,
Michael Eisner
Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942) is an American businessman and former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company from September 1984 to September 2005. Prior to Disney, Eisner was president of rival film st ...
; this value estimated to be at £5.67 million.
* Scarborough Town F.C. – This was a second supporter-owned "phoenix" club formed after the
liquidation of Scarborough, and essentially competed with the larger
Scarborough Athletic F.C. for former Scarborough F.C. fans, though focused more upon a youth team rather than a senior one. It eventually folded. The club was run on a democratic basis by a management committee. Membership was open to everyone by payment of an annual fee. All adult members had an equal vote and were encouraged to use this vote at every AGM and EGM. It had two complete seasons, the first in the
Wearside Football League
The Wearside Football League is a non-league football competition based in northern England. It consists of three divisions which sits at steps 7 to 9 (or levels 11 to 13) of the National League System and is a feeder to the Northern League Divi ...
, then being promoted to the
Humber Premier League
The Humber Premier League is a football competition for clubs in the East Riding of Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire areas of England.
History
The league was formed in 2000. Reckitts won the league five times in the first six seasons of its ex ...
, Division One. The club were champions of both leagues and were very well attended. Despite this success, financial problems overcame the club during its final year, resulting in its records for that season being expunged.
*
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club are a professional football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they were renamed Stockport Co ...
– Purchased in 2005 by the
Stockport County Supporters' Co-operative but was sold to an investment group in 2009 after near-bankruptcy. A long-term goal of the Supporters' Co-Operative is to buy the ground and to buy back the club.
Finland
*
HIFK Fotboll
HIFK Fotboll or IFK Helsingfors is an association football section of HIFK, a sports club based in Helsinki, Finland. The men's football team competes in the highest tier of Finnish football, Veikkausliiga. Their home ground is the Bolt Arena. ...
*
Tampere United
Tampere United is a Finnish football club from the city of Tampere. The club plays in Kakkonen, the third highest level of football in Finland.
The club had a team in Veikkausliiga, the premier football league in Finland, until the end of the ...
*
TamU-K
France
*Ménilmontant FC 1871
Germany
In Germany a majority control by a single entity (person, or company) is not permitted by the
Deutsche Fußball Liga
The DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga GmbH, or simply Deutsche Fußball Liga ("German Football League"), and often shortened to DFL, is a wholly owned subsidiary of ''Die Liga – Fußballverband''. The DFL is responsible for entire operating business o ...
, and is the German law for clubs. The law suggests a registered club should have minimum seven members.
The league
''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football leagu ...
requires that either a club, or a limited company which is controlled by a club with 50% + 1 vote can get a license to participate in the German
first
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
or
second league. In the
lower leagues, it is required to be a club.
An exception to the 50+1 rule allows a company or individual investor that has substantially funded a club for at least 20 years to gain a controlling stake in that club. This exception most notably applies to
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, t ...
and
VfL Wolfsburg
Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg () or Wolfsburg, is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of W ...
. Both were founded as sports clubs for employees of major corporations (respectively
Bayer and
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-W ...
) long before the 50+1 rule was established. More recently,
SAP
Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant.
Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separ ...
co-founder
Dietmar Hopp
Dietmar Hopp (; born 26 April 1940) is a German software engineer and billionaire businessman. He was one of the founders of SAP SE in 1972 with other former IBM employees Hans Werner Hector, Klaus Tschira, Claus Wellenreuther and Hasso Platt ...
has gained control of
1899 Hoffenheim
Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft 1899 Hoffenheim e.V., or simply TSG 1899 Hoffenheim or just Hoffenheim () is a German professional football club based in Hoffenheim, a village of Sinsheim municipality, Baden-Württemberg.
Originally founded in 189 ...
—where he had been a youth player—after having funded the club's rise from the lowest reaches of German football to the Bundesliga.
RB Leipzig
RasenBallsport Leipzig e.V. (), commonly known as RB Leipzig, and colloquially referred to as Red Bull Leipzig, is a German professional football club based in Leipzig, Saxony. The club was founded in 2009 by the initiative of the company Red Bul ...
have been accused of
bypassing the law through legal loopholes, essentially not being fan-owned and undermining the system.
Shares of
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional fo ...
, a German
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
Club, are traded on the German stock market and are largely held by fans.
TC Freisenbruch, a club which was founded in
Essen in 1902, is managed completely by the fans. The team currently plays in the ninth division of the
German football league
The German Football League (GFL) is an American football league in Germany and was formed in 1979. Playing rules are based on those of the American NCAA. In 1999, the league switched its name from ''American-Football-Bundesliga'' to ''German Foot ...
. Since July 2016, the club is managed via a webpage, where the fans can make their decisions about, for example, the starting line-up or the prices for the jersey.
Greece
*
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris FC ( el, ΠΑΕ Άρης), commonly known as Aris Thessaloniki FC, AFC or simply Aris, is a Greek professional football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece. Created in 1914 as ''Aris Thessaloniki Football Club'', t ...
– From 2006 to 2014 Aris F.C. was fan-owned through Aris Members club .It went bankrupt and was relegated for the first time in its history to
3rd Division.
*
Panathinaikos F.C.
Panathinaikos Football Club ( el, ΠΑΕ Παναθηναϊκός Α.Ο. ), known as Panathinaikos, or by its full name, and the name of its parent sports club, Panathinaikos A.O. or PAO (; ''Panathinaïkós Athlitikós Ómilos'', "All-Athenian ...
–
Vardinogiannis Vardinogiannis ( gr, Βαρδινογιάννης) is a Greek surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Giannis Vardinogiannis (born 1962), Greek entrepreneur
*Vardis Vardinogiannis (born 1931), Greek oil and shipping tycoon
*Yiorgos Vard ...
family agreed in 2012 to transfer its 54.75% stake of the club to the "Panathinaikos Alliance" group. Each member will have one vote in decision-making procedures, regardless of how many shares each individual holds. As of 2016 Panathinaikos Alliance shares have been reduced to (15,12%).
Indonesia
*
Borneo FC
Borneo Football Club Samarinda (commonly known as Borneo Samarinda) is an Indonesian football club based in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. They currently compete in Liga 1. Their nickname is ''Pesut Etam'' (Our Dolphin).
History
Bor ...
– Borneo FC or formerly known as Pusamania Borneo FC was formed in 2014 by a group of
Putra Samarinda FC supporters, the "Pusamania," who are unhappy with Putra Samarinda's lack of achievements for the past few years. With the financial backing of Nabil Husein of Pusamalaya, the Malaysian branch of Pusamania, Borneo FC rose in the ashes of the financially distressed
Perseba Super Bangkalan, moving the East Java club to Samarinda and re-branding the team.
India
*
Travancore Royals FC – The club which was formed in 2018 by a group of passionate football lovers of
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
City,
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
is the first and the only fan owned professional football club in India. The club competes in
Kerala Premier League
Kerala Premier League is a state-level top football league organized by the Kerala Football Association and played in the state of Kerala, India. For sponsorship reasons it is officially known as the Scoreline Kerala Premier League.
Structur ...
, a fourth division state league in the country with a dream of making it to the top flight, the
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
.
Ireland
*
Athlone Town
Athlone Town Association Football Club () is an Irish football club from Athlone who are playing in the League of Ireland. The club is the oldest in the League as it was founded in 1887. First elected to the League of Ireland in 1922, they pl ...
*
Bohemians
*
Cobh Ramblers
Cobh Ramblers Football Club (CRFC) ( ga, Cumann Peile Chóstóirí Chóbh) is an Irish football club. The club, founded in 1922 and elected to the League of Ireland in 1985, hails from Cobh, County Cork and play their home matches at St. Colm ...
*
Cork City
Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city's ...
*
Derry City
*
Drogheda United
Drogheda United Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Dhroichead Átha Aontaithe) is a semi-professional Irish association football club based in Drogheda, County Louth playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. They play their home matches ...
*
Finn Harps
Finn Harps Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Chláirsigh na Finne) are an Irish football club that play in the First Division of the League of Ireland, as of 2023. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. However, it was te ...
*
Galway United
*
Shamrock Rovers – After falling into examinership, the club became members' owned in 2005. In 2016, a hybrid members-private ownership model was adopted, in which Shamrock Rovers Members Club Ltd retained a 50% shareholding in the club.
*
Sligo Rovers
*
Wexford FC
Israel
*
Hapoel Jerusalem F.C. – The club conceived and founded in 2007 by Hapoel Jerusalem fans unhappy with the team's management. The club currently plays in the
Israeli Premier League
The Israeli Premier League ( he, ליגת העל, ''Ligat Ha`Al'', ), is a professional association football league which operates as the highest division of the Israeli Football League – the state's league of Israel. The league is contested b ...
(first tier in Israel) and is based at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. When it was founded, the club was registered in the bottom tier as
Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem and became the first fan-owned football club in Israel. In 2020 the club finally managed to take over the original name, when the original Hapoel Jerusalem went bankrupt and ceased to exist. By doing so, the club fulfilled its original aim of taking over the club.
[Hapoel Jerusalem – Who Are We](_blank)
hapoeljerusalem.co.il/pages/The-Club?lang=en
*
Hapoel Petah Tikva F.C. – The club purchased by the fans in 2019.
Protest Clubs
*
F.C. Haifa
F.C. Haifa Robi Shapira ( he, מועדון ספורט חיפה רובי שפירא), also known as Hapoel Robi Haifa ( he, הפועל רובי חיפה) is an Israeli football club based in Haifa. The club was formed in 2014 by Hapoel Haifa suppo ...
(Hapoel Rubi Shapira Haifa) – The club was founded in 2014 by
Hapoel Haifa
Hapoel Haifa Football Club ( he, מועדון הכדורגל הפועל חיפה, ''Moadon HaKaduregel Hapoel Haifa'') is an Israeli football club located in the city of Haifa. The club won one championship (1998–99) and 4 Israeli cups (1 ...
fans, after years of protesting against the team's management. The club is operated by the fans' association called "Ir HaPoalim" (city of workers).
[Who Are We](_blank)
hapoalim-city.com The club entered the
Israeli football league system
The Israeli football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Israel. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels, and allows even the smallest club to dream ...
at its lowest level,
liga Gimel
Liga Gimel ( he, ליגה ג', lit. ''League C'') is the fifth and bottom division of Israeli Football League, a position it has held since 2009. From Liga Alef and downwards to this, each league is separated by region as well.
History
Liga Gimel ...
in 2014 and promoted to
liga bet
Liga Bet ( he, ליגה ב', lit. ''League B'') is the fourth tier of the Israeli football league system. It is divided into four regional divisions.
History
League football started in Israel in 1949–50, a year after the Israeli Declaration of ...
at the end of 2014/15 season. The team promoted to
Liga Alef
Liga Alef ( he, ליגה א', , League A) is the third tier of the Israeli football league system. It is divided into two regional divisions, north and south.
History
League football began in Israel in 1949–50, a year after the Israeli Declar ...
at the end of this season.
*
A.S. Nordia Jerusalem
Agudat Sport Nordia Jerusalem ( he, אגודת ספורט נורדיה ירושלים), also known as Beitar Nordia Jerusalem ( he, בית"ר נורדיה ירושלים) is an Israeli football club based in Jerusalem. The club was formed in 2014 ...
– The club was founded in 2014 by
Beitar Jerusalem
Beitar Jerusalem Football Club ( he, מועדון כדורגל בית"ר ירושלים, Moadon Kaduregel Beitar Yerushalayim), commonly known as Beitar Jerusalem () or simply as Beitar (), is an Israeli football club based in the city of Jerus ...
fans, in protest against the racist tones of other Beitar fans in the previous years.
[Nordia – Who Are We](_blank)
betarnordia.co.il The club entered the
Israeli football league system
The Israeli football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Israel. The system has a hierarchical format with promotion and relegation between leagues at different levels, and allows even the smallest club to dream ...
at its lowest level,
liga Gimel
Liga Gimel ( he, ליגה ג', lit. ''League C'') is the fifth and bottom division of Israeli Football League, a position it has held since 2009. From Liga Alef and downwards to this, each league is separated by region as well.
History
Liga Gimel ...
in 2014.
*
Maccabi Ironi Ashdod FC was re-established after 16 years and opened the 2015/16 season as "fan-owned" club in the
Liga Gimel South which they managed to finish on first place and get promoted to
liga bet
Liga Bet ( he, ליגה ב', lit. ''League B'') is the fourth tier of the Israeli football league system. It is divided into four regional divisions.
History
League football started in Israel in 1949–50, a year after the Israeli Declaration of ...
.
*
Hapoel Ashdod F.C.
Phoenix Clubs
*
Maccabi Kabilio Jaffa – The club was re-established in 2008 after a period of 8 years since the original club Maccabi Jaffa has gone bankrupt. Since the club was re-established it won two consecutive Championships (Liga Gimel, Liga Bet) and it currently plays in Liga Alef South- The third league in its importance in Israel. The club's greatest achievement was qualifying to 'The Round of 16' in the Israel State Cup. A vast majority of the fans are Israeli with Bulgarian roots since the Original club was founded in 1949 by Jews from the Bulgarian community. The club is named after the great Goalkeeper- Herzl Kabilio.
*
F.C. Tzeirei Tamra The club was re-established in 2013 after a period of 3 years as a successor club, to
Hapoel Bnei Tamra, which was dissolved in 2010.
Italy
*A.S.D. Brutium Cosenza
*A.S.D. Calcistica Popolare Trebesto
*A.S.D. Ovidiana Sulmona
*C.S. Lebowski – Protest club formed by former Fiorentina fans.
*Calcistica Popolare Trebesto
*Cava United FC – Protest club established by former
Cavese 1919
Cavese 1919 S.r.l., commonly known as just Cavese, is an Italian football club based in Cava de' Tirreni, Campania, that currently plays in . The first city club was founded in 1919 as Unione Sportiva Cavese. It was refounded as Pro Cavese in 1 ...
supporters who disagreed with bankrupt predecessor S.S. Cavese 1919 taking over U.S.D. Pro Cavese 1394 and rebranding it to avoid restarting from the bottom of Italy's club football pyramid. Some Cava United supporters claim to still technically support Cavese 1919, but became disenfranchised by modern football and wanted to create a fan-operated club as an alternative. Two-thirds of Cava United's board members are appointed by the Sogno Cavese supporters' trust, who operate under the slogan ''Il Calcio è della Gente'' ("football belongs to the people"); the remaining third of board members are financing members.
*Palermo Calcio Popolare – Established as a protest club in February 2015, when fans of former
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
club
Palermo opposed the actions of then-chairman Maurizio Zamparini. The new club does not accept shirt sponsorship, and unusually for Italian amateur clubs, does not pay anything to its players or coaches.
*
U.S.D. Città di Fasano – Established as a phoenix club in 2012 and taken over by the supporters' trust Il Fasano siamo noi in 2016.
Japan
*
Fujieda MYFC
are a Japanese J2 League football club based in Fujieda, Shizuoka. It is funded by online subscribers and is the first of its kind in Japan.
The club spent two seasons in the Japan Football League before having their application accepted in 20 ...
– Previously supporter owned. Following in the footsteps of
Ebbsfleet United
Ebbsfleet United Football Club is a professional football club based in Northfleet, Kent, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the club competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football.
The club was formed in 1946 fr ...
, supporters could vote online on matters such as team tactics, management, personnel, etc. However, due to a low number of people willing to pay a membership fee for voting rights, the online owner aspect was discontinued in 2015.
*
Yokohama F.C. – The club was formed in 1999, following the merger of the city's two
J. League
The , officially is Japan's professional football league including the first division J1 League, second division J2 League and third division J3 League of the Japanese association football league system. J1 League is one of the most successf ...
clubs,
Yokohama Flügels
was a Japanese football club that played in the J.League between 1993 and 1998. The club was an original member ("Original Ten") of the J.League in 1993. In 1999 the club was officially merged with local rivals Yokohama Marinos and the two te ...
and
Yokohama Marinos
is a Japanese People, Japanese professional association football, football club based in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club competes in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in Japan, football in t ...
the previous year. Flügels supporters, whose club was essentially dissolved, rejected the suggestion that they should start supporting Marinos, their crosstown rivals. Instead, with money raised through donations from the general public and an affiliation with
IMG img or IMG is an abbreviation for image.
img or IMG may also refer to:
* IMG (company), global sports and media business headquartered in New York City but with its main offices in Cleveland, originally known as the "International Management Group ...
, the talent management company, the former Flügels supporters founded the Yokohama Fulie Sports Club. Following the ''socio'' model used by
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Found ...
, the Fulie Sports Club created Yokohama F.C., the first professional sports team in Japan owned and operated by its supporters. However, unlike most socio-based clubs in other countries, Yokohama FC members do not have formal input regarding the makeup of the club's board of directors.
Mali
*
Jeanne d'Arc FC – At the end of the 2006/07 season, a group of
Stade Malien supporters broke away to form their own football club, taking the "Jeanne d'Arc" name with them. The name is a reference to one of two defunct clubs which combined to form Stade Malien, Jeanne d'Arc du Soudan (founded 1938) in 1960. In late 2007 this group formed Jeanne d'Arc FC Bamako, which competed in lower division football during the 2007/08 season.
Nigeria
*
Mighty Jets F.C.
Northern Ireland
Minority Fan-Owned
*
Crusaders F.C.
Crusaders Football Club is a professional Northern Irish football club, playing in the NIFL Premiership, highest level of the Irish League. The club, founded in 1898, is based in north Belfast and plays its home matches at Seaview.
Crusader ...
Norway
All association football clubs in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
are owned by their members.
Poland
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AKS ZŁY – Alternative Sport Club ZŁY was found in summer 2015 by community of independent Warsaw football fans. In 2016 club entered official league competitions of PZPN/MZPN with two teams – male & female – both starting from lowest divisions. Club adopted as its home-stadium infrastructure of DOSiR Praga Północ (ul.Kawęczyńska 44), which is better known among fans of ASK as 'DON PEDRO ARENA'. AKS ZŁY is very unique in sense of equal treatment of male and female football, as well as in sense of fans-culture free of any violence and hatred. In spring 2019 both AKS ZŁY teams are on the top positions in their leagues. The association of fans which own this club has about 200 members (March 2019) and the club has several thousands of sympathisers around the country
*
Górnik 1979 Łęczna – a club founded in 2011 by
Górnik Łęczna Gornik may refer to one of the following.
* Gornik, Pleven Province, a village in Chechen Republic
* April Gornik, an American painter
*Górnik (means " Miner" in Polish) is a common name of Polish sports teams:
**Górnik Konin
** Górnik Łęczna
...
fans who were unhappy with the name change to GKS Bogdanka. The club eventually changed its name back in 2013 but the fan owned counterpart has continued to operate in amateur football leagues. On 22 August 2014 the club withdrew from all competitions and ceased to operate, the reason cited were the lack of funds and the fact that the original Górnik Łęczna team went to back to its original name scrapping the GKS Bogdanka name.
*
Hutnik Nowa Huta – Hutnik Kraków fans who were unhappy with the club management decided to take the club into their own hands and try to restore the club's former glory, after the team was dissolved due to its debts. It was refounded as Hutnik Nowa Huta in 2010 and was admitted to the
fifth tier.
*
KKS Wiara Lecha KKS could refer to:
* KKS 1925 Kalisz, a football club in Poland
* Giiwo language (ISO 639-3 code), an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Nigeria
* Kankesanthurai, Sri Lanka
* Kinin–kallikrein system, a hormonal system
* Kirk Sandall railway stati ...
– club founded by
Lech Poznań supporters in 2011. Only active supporters can play in the team and they have to have made a contribution to the supporter scene in order to be admitted to the squad.
*
KSF Zielona Góra – football club founded by fans of
speedway
Speedway may refer to:
Racing Race tracks
*Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta
*Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana
Types of races and race cours ...
team
Falubaz Zielona Góra
Falubaz Zielona Góra is a Polish speedway team based in Zielona Góra who currently races in 1. Liga. The club has won Polish Speedway League seven times (latest in 2013). It is commonly known as ''Falubaz'' due to one of its former names.
Sta ...
.
*
TMRF Widzew – club created by
Widzew Łódź
RTS Widzew Łódź () is a Polish football club based in Łódź. The club was founded in 1910. Its official colours are red and white, hence their nicknames ''Czerwona Armia'' (Red Army) and ''Czerwono-biało-czerwoni'' (Red-white-reds).
Histor ...
fanatics. The club was created because fans of the original Widzew have been in a long conflict with the club board. Only Widzew supporters can play in the team.
*
Zawisza Bydgoszcz
Zawisza Bydgoszcz () is a sports club from Bydgoszcz, Poland, founded in 1946. Its name commemorates a legendary Polish 15th-century knight, Zawisza Czarny (Zawisza the Black). The club holds many sections: football, track and field athletics, ...
– After the controversial owner Radosław Osuch disbanded the club after
months of warring with the fans, the fans reformed the club in 2016 and had to start the new season from the lowest level on the
football pyramid
In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...
.
Portugal
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Os Belenenses
Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses, commonly known as Os Belenenses (), is a Portuguese sports club best known for its football team. Founded in 1919, it is one of the oldest Portuguese sports clubs. It is based in the 25,000-seat Estádio do Rest ...
– split from the Liga Portugal 2 side
B-SAD
B-SAD is a Portuguese football club from Lisbon founded on 30 June 2018 as an independent entity. A rebel offshoot of Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses, they last played in the Primeira Liga, being relegated to Liga Portugal 2 for 2022–23. They ...
Romania
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ASU Politehnica Timișoara – an amateur phoenix club formed after the dissolution of
FC Politehnica Timișoara.
ACS Recaș was moved to Timișoara and was renamed
ACS Poli Timișoara but some fans decided to create and support an amateur team, stating that ACS Poli Timișoara is not the moral successor of the old club.
*
FC Vaslui 2002 – formed in 2014 after dissolution of
FC Vaslui
CS Sporting Juniorul Vaslui (), commonly known as Sporting Vaslui, Juniorul Vaslui or simply as Vaslui, is a Romanian professional football club based in Vaslui, Vaslui County, founded in 2002 and re-founded in 2014. The club is currently pla ...
in 2014
*
LSS Voința Sibiu – formed in 2012 as a phoenix club of
CSU Voința Sibiu
CSU Voința Sibiu was a Romanian football team from Sibiu, Sibiu County, founded in 1965 and dissolved in the autumn of 2012. In the summer of 2007, to continue the football tradition of Sibiu after the dissolution of Inter Sibiu in 2001 and FC ...
*
AS Atletic United Ploiești – formed in 2016 as a phoenix club of
Atletic Club United Ploiesti
*
ASC Oțelul Galați – formed in 2016,
phoenix club of
FC Oțelul Galați
FC may refer to:
Businesses, organisations, and schools
* Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India
* Finncomm Airlines (IATA code)
* FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC
* Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Pakis ...
*
Farul Constanța – fans refounded the team which was dissolved in the summer of 2016.
*
Petrolul Ploiești – fans refounded the team which was dissolved in the summer of 2016.
*
Olimpia Satu Mare
Fotbal Club Olimpia MCMXXI Satu Mare, commonly known as Olimpia Satu Mare or simply as Olimpia, is a Romanian professional football club from Satu Mare, Satu Mare County, Romania, founded on 5 May 1921, re-founded in 2010 and 2018. The club pla ...
fans refounded the team which was dissolved in 2018.
Russia
*
FC Kuban Krasnodar
FC Kuban (russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб "Кубань" Краснодар) was a Russian football club based in Krasnodar. The team began playing in the Russian Premier League in 2011, after it was promoted for winning the R ...
– fans refounded the football club that was dissolved in 2018.
Scotland
Majority Fan-Owned
*
Annan Athletic F.C.
Annan Athletic Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish association football club based in the town of Annan, Dumfries and Galloway. The club was founded in 1942 and competes in Scottish League Two as a member of the Scottish Professional Football ...
– Annan Athletic Community Football Club Limited is 100% owned by its fans, and is registered as a community benefit society.
*
Clyde F.C.
Clyde Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football club who play in Scottish League One. Formed in 1877 at the River Clyde in Glasgow, the club host their home matches at New Douglas Park, having played at Broadwood Stadium from 1994 ...
– 100% owned by its fans.
*
Gretna F.C. 2008
*
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. Motherwell have not dropped out of the top-flight of Scottish football since 1985, and have l ...
– In March 2016, 76% shareholder Les Hutchison handed his shares over to the Well Society for £1, making Motherwell the first top-flight club in the United Kingdom to become majority supporter owned.
*
St Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire, that competes in the Scottish Premiership after winning the 2017–18 Scottish Championship. Founded in 1877, the team has two nicknames, ''the ...
– In July 2016, former club director Gordon Scott and the St Mirren Independent Supporters Association had a joint bid accepted for a majority stake in the club. The club became majority supporter owned on 27 July 2021.
*
Stirling Albion F.C.
*
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club, commonly known as Hearts, is a professional football club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team competes in the Scottish Professional Football League. Hearts, the oldest and most successful football club in the S ...
– In 2014, when the club were in administration, the Edinburgh club was bought over by the
Ann Budge Ann Cochrane Cook Wallace Budge (born 21 February 1948) is a Scottish businesswoman and company director.
Career
Budge graduated with a psychology degree, and became the first woman appointed to a senior position in Scottish & Newcastle after start ...
-fronted Bidco group. The 2014/15 away strip featured the fan-backed Foundation of Hearts as its chief sponsor, and the 2015/16 third strip featured the names of 8000 supporters who donate to the foundation. On August the 30th 2021, Ann Budge officially transferred the clubs shares to Foundation of Hearts and now is officially the biggest fan owned club in the United Kingdom .
Soon To Be Fan-Owned
*
Greenock Morton F.C. – In April 2019, a group of supporters created Morton Club Together (MCT), which would financially contribute to the first team playing budget. An innovative deal was struck with the club's majority shareholder which resulted in a commitment to link fan funding to a significant debt reduction scheme and also a commitment to transfer shares in the club to the fan group. By autumn 2019, MCT was able to provide sufficient financial input that lead to the club's majority shareholder and creditor to write off £500,000 in debt and transfer a 15% shareholding in the club to MCT. The club is due to become majority supporter owned during the summer of 2021.
*
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional football club from Glasgow, Scotland. Despite their name, the club are based at Firhill Stadium in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908. The club have been mem ...
– Euromillions winner and former club owner Colin Weir passed away in November 2019; it was his wish that the club become fan-owned. A working group is currently figuring out the logistics.
Minority Fan-Owned
*
Celtic F.C.
The Celtic Football Club, commonly known as Celtic (), is a Scottish professional football club based in Glasgow, which plays in the Scottish Premiership. The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the immigran ...
– The Celtic Trust held 30,000 shares in Celtic PLC, as of March 2021.
*
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland, founded in 1893. The team are nicknamed "The Dark Blues" or "The Dee". The club plays its home matches at Dens Park.
The club was formed after a merg ...
– As of February 2019, Dundee FC Supporters Society Limited held 12.7% "ordinary" shares and 7.7% "A ordinary" shares, which amount to a total shareholding of 20.4%, making the DFCSS the second-largest shareholder in Dundee Football Club.
*
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in ...
– ArabTRUST owned 3.27% of the club, making it the second-largest shareholder, as of July 2020.
*
Dunfermline Athletic F.C. – Pars United Community Interest Company (PUCIC), the holding company of Dunfermline Athletic Football Club Ltd, obtained a 93.6% stake in the club in October 2013, and has a supervisory role over DAFC. PUCIC has six directors: two appointed by the Pars Supporters' Trust (PST), two are "patrons", and two are appointed by all shareholders. As of September 2020, there were more than 30 shareholders of the club, the largest of which was the PST (which held a 28.3% stake in the club, as of March 2015). DAFC is made up of seven directors, one of whom is appointed by the PST. In September 2020, the club announced its intention to sell a 75.1% (supermajority) shareholding to German firm DAFC Fussball GmbH, which would end the club's fan-owned status.
*
Hibernian F.C. – In December 2014, the club publicised plans to sell up to 51% ownership of the club to Hibernian Supporters Limited. The fan shareholding in June 2017 stood at 34%, but had declined to 15.4% by 2019.
*
Kilmarnock F.C. – As of December 2020, Kilmarnock Supporters' Society Ltd owned 5.36% of the club.
*
Livingston F.C. - The Livi for Life Supporters Trust owned roughly 5% of the club, as of April 2021.
*
Raith Rovers F.C. – Raith Supporters Trust and Raith Rovers Supporters Club held a combined 5% of the club, as of March 2021.
*
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the Govan district of Glasgow which plays in the Scottish Premiership. Although not its official name, it is often referred to as Glasgow Rangers outside Scotland. The fou ...
–
Club 1872, a supporters' group, owned 10.71% of the club, as of 2017.
*
Ross County F.C. – Various supporters' clubs held a 0.49% shareholding, as of May 2020.
*
St Johnstone F.C. – The St Johnstone Supporters' Club held a 0.48% shareholding, as of September 2020.
*
Stenhousemuir F.C. – The Warriors Supporters Trust (legally the Warriors Sports Society) owned 20% of the club, as of August 2020.
The club is structured as a community interest company.
Formerly Fan-Owned
*
East Stirlingshire F.C.
East Stirlingshire Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish association football club based in the town of Falkirk. The club was founded in 1881 and competes in the , in the fifth tier of the Scottish football league system. The club's origins ca ...
– The club was owned by Shiretrust (East Stirlingshire Supporters Society Limited) between 2011 and 2017.
South Korea
*
Seoul United FC –
Cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-contro ...
Spain
In Spain, most professional clubs in the top two tiers have been converted to
public limited sports companies (
sociedad anónima deportiva'', or ''SAD''). However, four clubs have thus far resisted such a legal restructuring:
*
Athletic Bilbao
*
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna (, ''Osasuna Athletic Club''), or simply Osasuna, is a Spanish professional football club in Pamplona, Navarre. Founded on 24 October 1920, the club currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at the 23,576-capacity El S ...
*
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Found ...
– The club is organised as a registered association and its 143,855 members, called ''socis'', form an assembly of delegates which is the highest governing body of the club.
*
Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
– The club is run by ''socios'', fans that pay an annual membership due, in exchange for benefits, such as the right to vote on issues and more accessibility to tickets. The fans are represented by a Club President.
Florentino Pérez
Florentino Pérez Rodríguez (; born 8 March 1947) is a Spanish businessman, civil engineer, former politician, and the current president of Real Madrid as well as Chairman and CEO of Grupo ACS, a civil engineering company. He was also the first ...
is the current Club President.
Many teams in the third tier and below are structured as members' clubs. However, a movement known as "popular football" (''
fútbol popular'') began in 2007, consisting of clubs "that want to return to the democratic, social and community roots of the sport." As of February 2021, there are 19 such clubs:
*
Atlético Club de Socios – Former Atlético Madrid fans, disillusioned by the club's increasingly commercial nature, who formed a breakaway club in 2007.
*
Avilés Stadium CF
Avilés Stadium Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Avilés, Asturias. Founded in 2015, it plays in Regional Preferente de Asturias, holding home games at ''Estadio Muro de Zaro'', with a capacity of 4,000 people.
History
Avilé ...
– Founded in 2015 by
Real Avilés
Real may refer to:
Currencies
* Brazilian real (R$)
* Central American Republic real
* Mexican real
* Portuguese real
* Spanish real
* Spanish colonial real
Music Albums
* ''Real'' (L'Arc-en-Ciel album) (2000)
* ''Real'' (Bright album) (2010) ...
supporters disillusioned with unpopular chairman José María Tejero.
*
CD Independiente de Vallecas
*
CF Reus Roig-i-Negre – Phoenix club established in 2019 to replace
CF Reus Deportiu, which was dissolved in 2020.
*
CAP Ciudad de Murcia – Phoenix club established to replace
Ciudad de Murcia
Club de Fútbol Ciudad de Murcia, usually abbreviated to Ciudad de Murcia, was a Spanish football club based in Murcia, in the namesake autonomous community. They played at the 16,000-seater ''Estadio de La Condomina''.
Ciudad Murcia was reloca ...
, which relocated to Granada in 2007 and was dissolved in 2010.
*
CFP Orihuela Deportiva – Phoenix club established to replace
Orihuela Deportiva CF
Orihuela Deportiva Club de Fútbol was a Spanish football team based in Orihuela, in the Valencian Community.
Founded in 1944 and dissolved 50 years later, it managed to play two seasons in Segunda División, the first in 1952. After finishing f ...
, which was dissolved in 1995.
*
CP Almería
Club Polideportivo Almería is a football club based in the city of Almería, Andalusia, in Spain. It currently plays in División de Honor, holding home matches at ''Estadio Juventud Emilio Campra'', which holds a capacity of 2,000 people.
His ...
– Established in 1983, became fan-owned in 2012.
*
CD Cuenca-Mestallistes 1925 – Former
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol (, ca-valencia, València Club de Futbol ), commonly referred to as Valencia CF (or simply Valencia) is a professional football club based in Valencia, Spain, that currently plays in La Liga, the top flight of the Spa ...
fans, disillusioned by the club's increasingly commercial nature, who formed a breakaway club, based on the history of the former
CD Cuenca.
*
FC Tarraco – Established in November 2012.
*
Huracán de Castellón – A football club established as a rejection of the commercial nature of
CD Castellón
Club Deportivo Castellón, S.A.D. is a professional Spanish football team based in Castellón de la Plana, in the Valencian Community. Founded on 20 July 1922, it currently plays in Primera División RFEF – Group 2, holding home games at '' N ...
.
*
Ortuellako Jendea – Only local residents may play for the men's team. The club also has a women's team, which is not restricted to local players.
*
Rosal FC – Established in 1929.
*
SD Logroñés
Sociedad Deportiva Logroñés is a Spanish football team based in Logroño, in the autonomous community of La Rioja. Founded in 2009, it plays in Primera División RFEF – Group 2. Team colours are white-and-red shirts and black shorts.
Hist ...
– Phoenix club established to replace
CD Logroñés
Club Deportivo Logroñés, S.A.D. was a Spanish football team based in Logroño, in the autonomous community of La Rioja. Founded in 1940, it last played in '' Regional Preferente de La Rioja''.
Due to financial problems, since 2009 the club has ...
, which was dissolved in 2009.
*
UC Ceares
Unión Club Ceares is a Spanish football team based in the neighbourhood of Ceares, Gijón, in the autonomous community of Asturias. Founded in 1946, it plays in Segunda División RFEF – Group 1, holding home games at ''Campo de La Cruz'', whic ...
– Established in 1946, became fan-owned in 2011.
*
UD Ourense
Unión Deportiva Ourense is a Spanish football club based in Ourense, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Founded in 2014, it currently plays in Tercera División.
History
UD Ourense (''Unión Deportiva Ourense)'' was founded on July 10, 20 ...
– Phoenix club established to replace
CD Ourense
Club Deportivo Ourense, S.A.D. was a Spanish football team based in Ourense, in the autonomous community of Galicia. Founded in 1952 after the dissolution of old UD Orensana, it played in Segunda División B – Group 1, holding home games at ' ...
, which was dissolved in 2014.
*
UD Aspense – Established in 2016.
*
UP Palencia – Phoenix club established to replace
CF Palencia, which was dissolved in 2012.
*
Unionistas de Salamanca CF
Unionistas de Salamanca Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club in Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Founded in 2013, the club plays in Primera División RFEF – Group 1, holding home games at ''Campo de Fútbol R ...
– Phoenix club established to honor
UD Salamanca
Unión Deportiva Salamanca, S.A.D. () was a historical Spanish football team based in Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castile and León.
Founded on 9 February 1923 and nicknamed ''Los Charros'', the club played in white shirts and blac ...
, which was dissolved in 2013.
*
Xerez Deportivo FC
Xerez Club Deportivo, known simply as Xerez, is a Spanish football team based in Jerez de la Frontera, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Xerez currently plays in Tercera División RFEF, the fifth tier of Spanish football.
Founded on 24 ...
– Phoenix club established to replace
Xerez CD
Xerez Club Deportivo, known simply as Xerez, is a Spanish football team based in Jerez de la Frontera, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Xerez currently plays in Tercera División RFEF, the fifth tier of Spanish football.
Founded on 24 ...
, which was nearly dissolved in 2013.
Sweden
All sports clubs in Sweden are owned by its members. The
Swedish Sports Confederation allows clubs to create limited companies together with investors as long as the club controls a majority of the votes.
Ukraine
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Metalist 1925
*
Veres Rivne (until 2019)
United States
* Bearfight FC of Wilmington
*
Chattanooga FC
Chattanooga Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 2009, the team began play in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) in Spring 2020. Prior to joining the NIS ...
– Minority fan-owned, based on purchased equity (shares).
* AC Chehalem Valley – A women's club based out of Newport, Oregon. Membership-based. Fans elect the non-profit club's board.
*
DeKalb County United
Dekalb County United is a semi-professional men's soccer club based out of DeKalb, Illinois. The team currently competes in the Midwest Premier League, and plays home games at the NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex.
History
DeKalb County Unit ...
*
Detroit City FC
Detroit City FC (DCFC) is an American professional soccer club based in Detroit, Michigan, that competes in the USL Championship. The club played in the National Premier Soccer League from 2012 to 2019 and the National Independent Soccer A ...
– 10% of the club's "units" are owned by individual fans, purchased in less than five days during the "Be An Owner" campaign in August 2020.
* Himmarshee FC – 100% fan-owned club, based on membership. Located in Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Created after the
Fort Lauderdale Strikers (2006–2016)
The Fort Lauderdale Strikers were an American professional soccer team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida founded in 2006, that last played in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American soccer pyramid in 2016. The ma ...
folded.
* Lansing Common FC – Structured as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Supporters elect the board of directors and have the final say on major club decisions.
*
Minneapolis City SC
Minneapolis City SC (known informally as Mpls City SC or The Crows) is an American soccer club based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 2016, the team plays in the USL League Two, the top national league at the fourth tier of ...
*
Minnesota Aurora FC
Minnesota Aurora FC is an American women's soccer club based in Eagan, Minnesota that plays in the Heartland Division of the USL W League. The club began play in the league's inaugural 2022 season as a founding club. The club is community-owned by ...
*
Oakland County FC – The OCFC Supporters' Trust owns a minority shareholding of the club. An initial share issue made 400 shares available for purchase, the equivalent of 10% equity of the club. When the share issue closed on April 1, 2019, 157 shares (at $60 each) had been purchased by fans, or the equivalent of 3.925% of the club's equity. Subsequent share issues are planned for the future.
* Palm Beach Breakers AFC (formerly known as Gold Coast Inter AFC) – Minority fan ownership, as of September 2019.
*
PDX FC
PDX Football Club is an American soccer club from Portland, Oregon, United States. The club was established in 2017 and currently plays in USL League Two. The club previously played in the National Premier Soccer League's West Region, Northwest C ...
– Located in Portland, Oregon. Fan ownership is based on purchased equity (shares).
*
San Francisco City FC – Supporters own 51% of the club through a member-elected, non-profit board; investors control 49% of the club and sit on an investors' board. The chair of the non-profit board, investors and operational staff meet monthly to discuss club matters.
*
Seattle Sounders FC 2
Tacoma Defiance, formerly Seattle Sounders FC 2, is an American professional soccer team based in Tacoma, Washington, U.S. that competes in the MLS Next Pro, the third tier of the national soccer pyramid, as the reserve team of Seattle Soun ...
– The reserve team of
Seattle Sounders FC was 20 percent owned by non-profit Sounders Community Trust. However, the team was relocated to Tacoma for the 2018 season and was rebranded as
Tacoma Defiance
Tacoma Defiance, formerly Seattle Sounders FC 2, is an American professional soccer team based in Tacoma, Washington, U.S. that competes in the MLS Next Pro, the third tier of the national soccer pyramid, as the reserve team of Seattle Sounde ...
ahead of the 2019 season. The Sounders Community Trust became inactive in 2019, and the status of its ownership stake in the team is unclear.
* Snohomish County FC – Minority fan-owned. A 26-member "founders club" have one representative on the club's board.
* Union Dubuque FC – Fans "participate in club meetings and board member elections".
*
Club Xolos USA U-23
Uruguay
*
Club Atlético Peñarol
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises ...
*
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football (, ''National Football Club'' or simply as Nacional) is a Uruguayan professional sports club based in Montevideo.
The club was founded on 14 May 1899 as a result of the merger between ''Uruguay Athletic Club'' and ''Mon ...
*
Defensor Sporting Club
Defensor Sporting Club is a sports club based in Montevideo, Uruguay. Founded in 1913, Defensor has several sports sections, with football and basketball being the most important and the ones in which the club has achieved significant achievemen ...
*
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate, commonly known as River Plate, is an Argentine professional
sports club based in the Núñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Founded in 1901, the club is named after the English name for the city's estuary, Río de la ...
*
Liverpool Fútbol Club
*
Montevideo Wanderers Fútbol Club
*
Centro Atlético Fénix
Centro Atlético Fénix is a Uruguayan sports club from Montevideo. The football team currently plays in Primera División. Fénix is one of the most popular and traditional teams of Uruguay's 2nd Division, along with Racing Club de Montev ...
*
Club Atlético Juventud de Las Piedras
*
Racing Club de Montevideo
Racing Club de Montevideo is a football club from Montevideo in Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to i ...
*
Club Atlético Cerro
*
Danubio Fútbol Club
Wales
*
Bangor 1876 F.C. – Founded in 2019.
*
Merthyr Town F.C. – a
phoenix club founded by the fans of the liquidated
Merthyr Tydfil F.C. in 2010.
*
Newport County A.F.C. – taken over by fans in 2015
*
C.P.D. Y Rhyl 1879 – Founded by the fans association of the old
Rhyl F.C. in 2020 following the former club being wound up as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
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Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club (; cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Cymdeithas Dinas Abertawe) is a professional football club based in Swansea, Wales that plays in the Championship, the second tier of English football. Swansea have played their ho ...
– Th
Swansea City Supporters Society Ltdowns 20% of the club, with their involvement hailed by
Supporters Direct as "the most high profile example of the involvement of a supporters' trust in the direct running of a club".
*
Ton Pentre F.C. – Registered as a community benefit society in April 2016.
Australian Rules football
AFL:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
These clubs all operate sides in the
AFL Women's
AFL Women's (AFLW) is Australia's national semi-professional Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules football league for women's Australian rules football, female players. The 2017 AFL Women's season, first season of the league ...
league.
State Leagues
Tasmania
=TSL
=
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Burnie
Burnie is a port city on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. When founded in 1827, it was named Emu Bay, being renamed after William Burnie, a director of the Van Diemen's Land Company, in the early 1840s.
, Burnie had an urban popu ...
*
Clarence Clarence may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division
* Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow
* Clarence River (New South Wales)
* Clarence Strait (Northern Territory)
* City of Clarence, a l ...
*
Devonport
*
Glenorchy
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Hobart City
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Lauderdale
Lauderdale is the valley of the Leader Water (a tributary of the Tweed) in the Scottish Borders. It contains the town of Lauder, as well as Earlston. The valley is traversed from end to end by the A68 trunk road, which runs from Darlington to ...
*
Launceston
*
North Launceston
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Tigers
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...
Tasmanian Lower League Clubs
North West Football League
The North West Football League is an Australian rules football competition in North West Tasmania. The league was previously known as the "Northern Tasmanian Football League" from its inception in 1987 until the end of the 2014 season.
History ...
* Circular Head Giants
* Devonport Magpies
* East Devonport Swans
* Latrobe Demons
* Penguin Two Blues
* Ulverstone Robins
* Wynyard Cats
Northern Tasmanian Football Association
Division One
* Bracknell
* Bridgenorth
* Deloraine
* George Town
* Hillwood
* Longford
* Rocherlea
* Scottsdale
* South Launceston
Division Two
* Bridport
* East Coast
* Evendale
* Lilydale
* Meander Valley
* Old Launcestonians
* Old Scotch Collegians
* Perth
* St Patrick's Old Collegians
* Tamar Cats
* University Mowbray
Southern Football League
* Brighton
* Claremont
* Cygnant
* Dodges Ferry
* Hobart
* Huonville Lions
* Lindersfarne
* New Norfolk
* Sorell
King Island Football Association
* Currie
* Grassy
* North
Baseball
*
Auburn Doubledays
The Auburn Doubledays are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) that is located in Auburn, New York. From 1958 to 2020, they were members of Minor League Baseball's New York–Penn League (NYPL ...
*
Bethesda Big Train
The Bethesda Big Train is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bethesda, Maryland. The team is a member of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League (CRCBL), and derives its name from the nickname of Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson, wh ...
*
Burlington Bees
The Burlington Bees are a collegiate summer baseball team of the Prospect League. They are located in Burlington, Iowa, and have played their home games at Community Field since 1947. Founded in 1889, the Bees played in Minor League Baseball' ...
fan-ownership is not clear
*
Rochester Red Wings fan-ownership is not clear
*
Rockville Express
The Rockville Express is a collegiate summer baseball team based in Rockville, Maryland. Most of its players are drawn from the college ranks. The team is a member of the Maryland Collegiate Baseball League (MCBL) and a former member of the Cal ...
fan-ownership is not clear
*
Silver Spring–Takoma Thunderbolts fan-ownership is not clear
*
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...
fan-ownership is not clear
*
Vermont Mountaineers
Basketball
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Hapoel Ramat Gan B.C.
Hapoel Ramat Gan Givatayim B.C. is a professional basketball club based in Givatayim, Israel. The club currently plays in the Israeli National League, the second division in Israel.
History
The team was founded in 1957. In 1960 the team was prom ...
– The team played European level in the 80's and was shut down in 1986, was re-opened as a fans owned team at 2011, now plays in Israel's second division.
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Hapoel Haifa B.C. – In the 2011/12 season, the fans re-formed the club.
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Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C.
Hapoel Tel Aviv Basketball Club ( he, מועדון כדורסל הפועל תל אביב) is an Israeli professional basketball club, based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Historically the second-most successful side in Israeli basketball with five nationa ...
*
Pallacanestro Varese - owned by fan consortium "Varese nel cuore" ("Varese in the Heart")
*
Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna
Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Segafredo Bologna, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna.
The club was founded in 1929, which makes it the oldest club in Italy and one ...
*
Townsville Crocodiles
The Townsville Crocodiles were an Australian professional men's basketball team based in the North Queensland city of Townsville. They competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at the Townsville Entertainmen ...
– in August 2013, the Crocodiles announced that Barrier Reef Basketball Pty Ltd was relinquishing its
National Basketball League license, putting the Crocodiles' 2013–14 season in doubt. In September 2013, the Crocodiles re-entered the league as a community owned club under head coach, Shawn Dennis.
Futsal
*
MNK Futsal Dinamo MNK may refer to:
* m,n,k-game, an abstract board game
* Marine Nationale Khmère (Khmer National Navy, the navy of the Khmer Republic)
* Mandinka language, a Mandé language spoken in western Africa
* MAPK-interacting kinase, a signalling protei ...
– club owned by supporters of association football club
GNK Dinamo
Gridiron football
American football
*
Green Bay Packers: the only fan-owned team in any of North America's
four traditional major leagues, the Packers have been owned by a community-based corporation since 1923. The
NFL currently bans such an ownership structure, but
grandfathered
A grandfather clause, also known as grandfather policy, grandfathering, or grandfathered in, is a provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases. Those exempt from t ...
in the Packers ownership.
Canadian football
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Edmonton Elks
The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at the Brick Field at Commo ...
: Ownership shares are sold, but are not available to the general public, requiring approval from existing shareholders to be sold; there are currently 80 individual owners.
*
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division.
The Roughriders were founded in ...
: Since 2004, the Roughriders have sold shares of the team in four runs of limited share offerings, dubbed as "series". Prior to 2004, the Roughriders operated as a non-profit with no owner or share capital.
*
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...
: operates as a "community-owned" non-profit with no owner or share capital.
Ice hockey
Canada
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Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The Rangers have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL ...
''(
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...
)''
*
Lethbridge Hurricanes
The Lethbridge Hurricanes are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team currently members of the Eastern Conference (Central Division) of the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team is based in Lethbridge, Alberta, and play their home games at the ...
(162 shareholders representing 175 shares as of 2019
) ''(
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
)''
*
Moose Jaw Warriors
The Moose Jaw Warriors are a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The Warriors play in the East Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Moose Jaw Events Centre ...
''(
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
)''
*
Prince Albert Raiders
The Prince Albert Raiders are a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. The Raiders play in the East Division of the Eastern Conference. They are based in the city of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada. The team plays its hom ...
''(
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
)''
*
Swift Current Broncos ''(
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...
)''
Poland
*
Stoczniowiec 2014 Gdańsk
Rugby League
Australia
NRL:
*
Bulldogs
The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.[Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugby leag ...]
*
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League.
The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and their ...
*
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith that competes in the NRL. The team is based west of the centre of Sydney, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Penrit ...
*
St. George Illawarra Dragons
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Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won fifteen Ne ...
*
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football team, based in the Inner West and South West Sydney. They have competed in the National Rugby League since being formed at the end of the 1999 NRL season as a joint-venture ...
United Kingdom
RFL:
*
Rochdale Hornets
The Rochdale Hornets are a professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, competing in the Championship, the second tier of European rugby league. The Rochdale Hornets are one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs ...
*
Hunslet Hawks
Hunslet R.L.F.C. is a professional rugby league club in Hunslet, South Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, who play in Betfred League 1. The club was founded in 1973 as New Hunslet, they became Hunslet in 1979 and the club were the Hunslet Hawks ...
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Hemel Stags
Hemel Stags are an amateur rugby league club based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. They were semi-professional and played in Betfred League 1 from 2013 until 2018. They withdrew from the professional system when their licence was purchased ...
See also
*
List of protest clubs
References
{{Reflist, 30em
Fan Owned
fan-owned