They might be on their way to Wembley in the FA Trophy, but the idea of running a football club and picking the team through the magic of Web 2.0 looks doomed just months after MyFC took over Ebbsfleet United. Their tagline reads “Own the club and pick the team”, but many now feel that for the ordinary members, neither is really true.
Last week, we reported that MLS had balked at the idea of offering the name Sounders as one of the choices in the online poll to pick the name of Seattle’s new MLS team. Fan pressure, though, seems to have contributed to a decision to allow a write-in choice, and a movement has started for Sounders as the choice. Max Rosenthal explains why.
The prospective owner of Mansfield Town wants to rename it after a team in an English soap opera. No, really.
Seattle’s MLS team, due to launch in 2009, had enjoyed a dream start in recent months due to publicity over their supporter-friendly identity. Then they had to choose a name, and suddenly, the conflict between global branding and local history drove a wedge between fans and MLS.
After a week that’s seen huge media controversies in the Premier League over abuse of the referee, Brian Phillips wants to hear the supporters’ take on the issue. When you see seven Chelsea players throng around Mike Dean like a school of aggrieved piranhas, do you think “Serves him right for getting the call wrong” or “Someone toss them a poisoned cow”?
Time to catch up on some links, isn’t it?
New York, New York? There might already be an MLS team with “New York” in the name, but today we look at the prospects for a new franchise within the five boroughs. Who’s behind this bid?
Melbourne Victory supporters were perhaps too successful. The style and size of their support and a move into a larger stadium brought them into conflict with the authorities that reflected a larger issue about the perception of football in Australian culture. Eric Daams explains the clash, and how supporters finally won the day.
