Business Advantages of Supporter Community ... - Supporters Direct

12 ConclusionsThe aim of this briefing paper is to provide supporters’ trusts as well as theirpartners and potential partners with evidence that supports the businesscase for supporter ownership. Both qualitative and quantitative evidencehas been presented which outlines a number of areas of business benefit forsupporter community ownership of football clubs.In several areas there are some fairly clear messages:Sustainable Strategic RelationshipsIt is clear that supporter community ownership creates long term, deepand sustainable partnerships with some key strategic partners. This isespecially so between clubs and local authorities, where the communitybenefit objectives of supporter community owned clubs can align closelyto the public benefit objectives of local authorities, other public bodiesand charitable, voluntary and community organisations. This can deliver arange of business benefits, from help with development of new facilities toassistance in saving club assets such as their ground.SponsorshipFrom the experience of supporter community owned clubs, we can alsosee an increasing desire of sponsors to be associated with the principlesFrom the experience of supportercommunity owned clubs, we canalso see an increasing desire ofsponsors to be associated with theprinciples of supporter communityownership as well as the communitybenefit obligations inherentin community benefit societyownership.Finance and Incomeof supporter community ownershipas well as the community benefitobligations inherent in communitybenefit society ownership. This alsoassists with development of localbusiness relationships; and marketingclubs as supporter owned – ‘the cooperativeadded value’ – was felt to bea major advantage, especially in thewider context of football’s corporatedevelopment.Although supporter community owned clubs face an uphill struggle due tothe ability of other clubs to spend beyond their means, they do have someadvantages, notably in relation to raising finance. As explored in moredetail in Supporters Direct’s Briefing Paper No.3 on financing supporter48 Supporters Direct Briefing Paper No.4