Breaking: Liverpool fans to launch their own club, AFC Liverpool
By Tom Dunmore • Feb 13th, 2008 • Category: News & Notes • 6 responses
Like Manchester United and Wimbledon fans before them with FC United of Manchester and AFC Wimbledon, Liverpool supporters aim to start their own grassroots supporter-run club, AFC Liverpool, in non-League football.
The AFC Liverpool website explains the venture:
As yet it is just an idea but YOU can make it a reality. The plan is to create a new independent football club owned by Liverpool fans and run by Liverpool fans. It will be an Industrial & Provident Society where everyone can buy into it and get an equal vote. A genuine grassroots, not for profit football club.
Judging from this forum, this is an idea that emerged a few days ago, hot on the heels of the protests against the American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet, and following Rogin Taylor’s Share Liverpool FC supporter-ownership plan.
I have contacted those behind the site, and will update this page if and when I get more details for you. Any thoughts on whether this is the right move?
Update: Ian from 200% has suggested elsewhere that AFC Liverpool could prospectively groundshare with Marine F.C., who play in Crosby, Merseyside. Their ground, Rossett Park (actually, now the Arriva Stadium for sponsorship reasons), has a capacity of 2,800 that would be an excellent starter for AFC Liverpool. Their ground is quite unique, a brilliant reminder of the unique nature of non-League football and a far cry from the billion dollar plan for a new Anfield, as this picture shows: it’s hemmed on one side by houses literally on the side of the pitch.
Update, 13/2/07: Pitch Invasion interviewed Alun Parry, the man behind this idea, earlier today. Click here to read it.
Tom Dunmore is the editor of Pitch Invasion.
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Fan-powered activism is always the right move. I think I predicted this a few weeks ago in a comment here.
Will this fizzle out just like the ‘fan-based takeover’? That would be funny …
If a section of the support feels so passionately about this new direction, then they should go through with it. it remains to be seen whether a significant proportion of Liverpool fans will link arms with them. My guess is no.
As an FC United fan I really hope that this takes off, an AFC Liverpool V. Fc Utd game would be………interesting! To any uncertain Liverpool fans out there all I can say is that it is the best thing I ever did, giving up Old Trafford for FC Utd, totally reigniting my enjoyment of watching football on a Saturday again.
If you do get things off the ground hopefully the North west Counties league will be happy to accept you…. you will have some fantastic days out and a warm welcome in many non league grounds. GO FOR IT!!!
Initially I thought this was a strange idea that I would never be interested in - then I thought about it and, actually, I think it would be amazing. I don’t think this is just a reaction to the US debacle going on at the club at the minute but also a reaction to the fact that Premiership footy these days is usually dull and going to the games has become such a samey, sanitised experience that getting back to grass-roots and what the game should be all about is a natural ‘progression’ for true fans.
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