List of fan-owned sports teams
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 are owned by their members. Every club is organised as not-for-profit organization according to Argentinian law (asociación civil sin fines de lucro).
Australia
Protest Clubs
- SV Austria Salzburg – The club was formed in 2005, by some of the supporters of the original SV (Austria) Salzburg after it was renamed FC Red Bull Salzburg by new owners, which caused a group of supporters, known as the "Violet-Whites", to want to preserve the 72-year-old traditions of their club, which they felt had been ignored by Red Bull.
Phoenix Clubs
- FC Blau-Weiß Linz – 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
Belgium
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 - member-run since 2017[1]
Brazil
Although since 1993 Brazilian law allows for privately owned sport clubs, most of the hundreds professional association football clubs in Brazil are owned by their members as not-for-profit organizations. These include all the traditionally considered 12 major clubs in the country:
Canada
- 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".[2] 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.[3] The club however disbanded in 2014 and when it was re-founded a year later in 2015, it did not involve fan-ownership.
- Valour FC – Began play in 2019 as a charter member of the Canadian Premier League. Indirectly a fan-owned club; owned by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, a "community-owned" non-profit team (with no owners or shareholders) in the Canadian Football League, the professional league for the country's indigenous gridiron code.
Costa Rica
Colombia
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.
Other
- HNK Hajduk Split
- HNK Trogir – Club owned since 2009.
Czech Republic
Ecuador
Community created
Supporter Buyout
- Aylesbury United F.C. – 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. – The club is fully owned by a community organisation that represents supporters of the club.[6]
- Banbury United F.C. – In August 2015, a supporter-led Community Benefit Society took formal control of the club.[7]
- Chelmsford City F.C. – The club is currently registered as a company limited by guarantee (CLG) and claims to be owned by its members. However, as of 2015, the club intends to convert to a community benefit society.[8]
- Congleton Town F.C. – The clubs shareholding was passed over to a newly formed supporters Trust in 2014[9]
- Dorchester Town F.C. – from 2013 the Supporters Trust own a joint majority shareholding in the club.[10]
- Exeter City F.C. – Following relegation to the Conference in 2003, the club was taken over by the Exeter City Supporters' Trust.
- Hendon F.C. – Over the summer of 2010, the club was bought out by the Hendon FC Supporters Trust, an Industrial and Provident Society.[11]
- Hyde United F.C. – Buyout from former owner John Manship occurred on 2015-06-27.[12]
- Lewes F.C. – 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.
- 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."[13]
- Newport (IOW) F.C. – in 2008 ownership of the club was fully transferred to the supporter's trust.
- Peacehaven & Telscombe F.C. – In June 2016, the club was purchased by a community group representing fans of the club.[14]
- 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.
- Saffron Walden Town F.C. – On 4 July 2012, members voted to convert the club into a Community Benefit Society.[15]
- 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. on 25 July.[16]
Phoenix clubs
- AFC Croydon Athletic – The club was formed by fans of Croydon Athletic F.C. after that team folded in the 2011–12 season.
- AFC Rushden & Diamonds – The club was formed in July 2011 by supporters after Rushden & Diamonds were expelled from the Football Conference and subsequently liquidated.[17][18][19] At an open meeting chaired by a supporters group called SaveRDFC, a mandate was agreed upon to create a phoenix club,[18][20] fully owned and controlled by its supporters.
- AFC Telford United – Sold out to private ownership 24–10–16.[21]
- Bury AFC – Established in December 2019 by fans of Bury FC after its expulsion from the EFL. Operates on the one member one vote principle.[22]
- Canterbury City F.C. – 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."[23]
- Chester F.C. – Phoenix club formed in 2010 and owned by City Fans United[24] after Chester City F.C. wound up
- Darlington F.C. – The club was to be initially 10% owned by 1883 Community Interest Company (1883 CIC) and for 1883 CIC's shareholding to increase as additional donations were received.[25] The club's constitution states that no person may own more than 15% of the club; however, entities such as charities, community amateur sports clubs, industrial and provident societies, community interest companies or other not-for-profit organisations may be able to acquire greater than 15% of the club. (Conditions for 15%+ ownership include the objective of community ownership.).[26]
- Fisher F.C. – 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.[27]
- 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.[28]
- Hinckley A.F.C. – Replaced Hinckley United formed by fans in 2014.
- Runcorn Linnets F.C. – The club is run by a trust, which is an Industrial and Provident Society, and is registered with the Financial Services Authority.[29]
- Scarborough Athletic F.C. – Following the liquidation of Scarborough, Scarborough Athletic was founded as a continuation[30] 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.[31]
- South Liverpool F.C.
Protest Clubs
- A.F.C. Liverpool – Cooperative.[32] Formed as a protest against high ticket prices in the Premier League.
- AFC Wimbledon – Fully owned by The Dons Trust, a Supporters' Trust.,[33] formed as a breakaway club in the surrounding controversy of the Relocation of Wimbledon F.C. to Milton Keynes.
- Bromsgrove Sporting F.C. – 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 30% of the club as of January 2014.[34] Three supporters serve on the club's board of directors.[35]
- F.C. United of Manchester – A Community Benefit Society. One member, one vote basis.[36] Formed by disaffected Manchester United fans.
- Enfield Town F.C. – The club was founded on 23 June 2001 by the Enfield Supporters' Trust due to disaffection with the owners of Enfield F.C..
- 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 Supporters Fund owns 12%[37]
- 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. – The United Trust (also known as the Carlisle United Official Supporters' Club) owns a 25.4% stake in the club.[38] At least one elected member of the trust sits on the board of the club.[39]
- 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."[40] CUST had previously acquired at least 43.25% ownership of the club as of September 2011.[41] 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".[42]
- Grimsby Town F.C. – Mariners Trust owns 14.13%[43]
- Wycombe Wanderers F.C. – On 30 June 2012, the Wycombe Wanderers Supporters Trust formally took over the club.[44] 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.[45]
- York City F.C. – 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 and subsequent ownership under John Batchelor.[46] 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
- Brentford F.C. – 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.[47][48] The Supporters' Trust eventually sold their entire shareholding to Matthew Benham who also acquired all other minority shareholding to own 100% of the shares.[49]
- Bury F.C. – Came under supporter ownership in 2002 after the club entered administration,[50] split between Save Our Shakers Trust (63.8%) and The Bury F.C. Supporters Society Ltd (Forever Bury) (11%)[51] 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.[52]
- Chesterfield F.C. – 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.[53]
- 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 chief executive, Michael Eisner; this value estimated to be at £5.67 million.[54][55][56]
- 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.[57] 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.[58] It had two complete seasons, the first in the Wearside Football League, then being promoted to the Humber Premier League, Division One.[59] 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. – 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
Germany
In Germany a majority control by a single entity (person, or company) is not permitted by the Deutsche Fußball Liga,[60] and is the German law for clubs. The law suggests a registered club should have minimum 7 members. The league 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 or second league. In the lower leagues, it is required to be a club.[61][62]
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 and VfL Wolfsburg. Both were founded as sports clubs for employees of major corporations (respectively Bayer and Volkswagen) long before the 50+1 rule was established. More recently, SAP co-founder Dietmar Hopp has gained control of 1899 Hoffenheim—where he had been a youth player—after having funded the club's rise from the lowest reaches of German football to the Bundesliga.[63]
RB Leipzig have been accused of bypassing the law through legal loopholes, essentially not being fan-owned and undermining the system.
Shares of Borussia Dortmund, a German Bundesliga 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. Since July 2016, the club is managed via a webpage,[64] 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. – 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.[65]
- Panathinaikos F.C. – Vardinogiannis 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.[66] As of 2016 Panathinaikos Alliance shares have been reduced to (15,12%).[67]
Indonesia
- Pusamania Borneo F.C. – Pusamania Borneo FC was formed in 2014 by a group of Putra Samarinda 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, 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. The team is now playing in the 2014 Liga Indonesia Premier Division, and is aiming for the Indonesia Super League, a goal that they've achieved by winning the 2014 Liga Indonesia Premier Division.[68]
India
- Travancore Royals FC – Travancore Royals FC[69] was formed in 2018 by a group of passionate football lovers of Thiruvananthapuram City.
Ireland
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 Liga Leumit (the second 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.[70]
- Hapoel Petah Tikva F.C. – The club purchased by the fans in 2019.
Protest Clubs
- F.C. Haifa (Hapoel Rubi Shapira Haifa) – The club was founded in 2014 by Hapoel Haifa fans, after years of protesting against the team's management. The club is operated by the fans' association called "Ir HaPoalim" (city of workers).[71] The club entered the Israeli football league system at its lowest level, liga Gimel in 2014 and promoted to liga bet at the end of 2014/15 season. The team promoted to Liga Alef at the end of this season.
- A.S. Nordia Jerusalem – The club was founded in 2014 by Beitar Jerusalem fans, in protest against the racist tones of other Beitar fans in the previous years.[72] The club entered the Israeli football league system at its lowest level, 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.
- 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
- Aquilotto Cavese,[73] one of the phoenix club of S.S. Cavese 1919
Japan
- Fujieda MYFC – funded by online subscribers and is the first of its kind in Japan.
- Yokohama F.C. – The club was formed in 1999, following the merger of the city's two J. League clubs, Yokohama Flügels and Yokohama Marinos 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, the talent management company, the former Flügels supporters founded the Yokohama Fulie Sports Club. Following the socio model used by FC Barcelona, the Fulie Sports Club created Yokohama F.C., the first professional sports team in Japan owned and operated by its supporters.
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
Norway
All association football clubs in Norway are owned by their members.
Poland
- AKS ZŁY – Alternative Sport Club ZŁY was found in summer 2015 by community of independend 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 infrastracture 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[74]
- Górnik 1979 Łęczna – a club founded in 2011 by 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.[75]
- 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 – 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 team Falubaz Zielona Góra.
- TMRF Widzew – club created by Widzew Łódź 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 – 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.[76]
Portugal
- Os Belenenses – splitted from the Primeira Liga side Belenenses SAD
Romania
- 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 in 2014
- LSS Voința Sibiu – formed in 2012 as a phoenix club of CSU Voința Sibiu
- 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
- 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 fans refounded the team which was dissolved in 2018.
Russia
- FC Kuban Krasnodar – fun refounded the football club the was dissolved in 2018.
Scotland
- Clyde F.C.
- Dundee United F.C. – ArabTRUST own the single largest share of the Dundee United Football Club Company LTD. and the majority of seats on the board[77]
- Dunfermline Athletic F.C. – Taken over by community group Pars United in October 2013.
- East Stirlingshire F.C.
- Greenock Morton Football Club - In April 2019 a group of supporters created Morton Club Together (MCT) who would financially contribute to the first team playing budget. An innovative deal was struck with the clubs 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 clubs majority shareholder and creditor to write off £500,000 in debt and transfer a 15% shareholding in the club to MCT.
- Gretna F.C. 2008
- Heart of Midlothian F.C. – In 2014, when the club were in administration, the Edinburgh club was bought over by the Ann Budge fronted Bidco group. Although fans do not control any shares currently, the Bidco group plan to hold the club for a possible five years before the fans backed Foundation of Hearts supporters group take control. The 2014/15 away strip featured Foundation of Hearts as its chief sponsor, and the 2015/16 third strip featured the names of 8000 supporters who donate to the foundation.[78]
- Hibernian F.C. – 34% owned by fans. In December 2014, the club publicised plans to sell up to 51% ownership of the club to its supporters.[79] The fan shareholding in June 2017 stood at 34%[80]
- Motherwell F.C. – In March 2016, 76% shareholder Les Hutchison handed his shares over to the Well Society for £1
- Rangers F.C. – Club 1872, a supporter's group, owns 10.71%.[81]
- Stirling Albion F.C.
- St Mirren FC 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.[82]
South Korea
Spain
In Spain 99% teams of Third Tier and below are fan-owned. The fan-owned pro teams are:
- Athletic Bilbao
- CA Osasuna
- FC Barcelona – 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 C.F. – 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 is the current Club President.[83]
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.[84]
Turkey
Almost all sports clubs in Turkey are owned by its members.
Ukraine
- Metalist 1925
- Veres Rivne (until 2019)
United States
- Bearfight FC of Wilmington
- Chattanooga FC
- DeKalb County United
- Detroit City FC – 10% owned by individual fans
- Palm Beach Breakers Association Football Club (formerly known as Gold Coast Inter AFC) – minority fan ownership, as of September 2019
- Himmarshee FC
- Minneapolis City SC
- Oakland County FC – Partially owned by a supporters' trust
- Club Xolos USA U-23
- San Francisco City FC – 51% majority supporter owned
- Seattle Sounders FC 2 – 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 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
Uruguay
Wales
- 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
- Swansea City – The Swansea City Supporters Society Ltd owns 20% of the club,[85] 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".[86]
- Wrexham A.F.C. – In September 2011, the Wrexham Supporters Trust took over the day-to-day running of the club just a month after fans raised £127,000 to pay a bond to the Football Conference to prevent the club from being expelled from the league. On 12 December 2011, the WST's ownership of the club was finally ratified.
Australian Rules football
AFL:
- Carlton
- Collingwood
- Essendon
- Geelong
- Hawthorn
- Melbourne
- North Melbourne
- Richmond
- St Kilda
- Sydney
- Western Bulldogs
Of these clubs, six will operate sides in the AFL Women's league in 2019—Carlton, Collingwood, Geelong, Melbourne, North Melbourne and Western Bulldogs. Richmond and St Kilda will add AFL Women's sides in 2020.
North West Football League
- 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
- Bethesda Big Train
- Burlington Bees fan-ownership is not clear
- Rochester Red Wings fan-ownership is not clear
- Rockville Express fan-ownership is not clear
- Silver Spring–Takoma Thunderbolts fan-ownership is not clear
- Syracuse Mets
- Toledo Mud Hens fan-ownership is not clear
- Vermont Mountaineers
- Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Basketball
- Hapoel Ramat Gan B.C. – 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.
- Hapoel Haifa B.C. – In the 2011/12 season, the fans re-formed the club.
- Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C.
- Trefl Sopot
- Pallacanestro Varese - owned by fan consortium "Varese nel cuoro" ("Varese in the Heart")
- Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna[87]
- Townsville Crocodiles – 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 – 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 in the Packers ownership.
Canadian football
- Edmonton Football Team: 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.[88]
- Saskatchewan Roughriders: Since 2004, the Roughriders have sold shares of the team in four runs of limited share offerings, dubbed as "series".[89] Prior to 2004, the Roughriders operated as a non-profit with no owner or share capital.
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers: operates as a non-profit with no owner or share capital.
Ice hockey
Canada
- Kitchener Rangers[88] (Ontario Hockey League)
- Lethbridge Hurricanes (162 shareholders representing 175 shares as of 2019[90] (Western Hockey League)
- Moose Jaw Warriors (Western Hockey League)
- Prince Albert Raiders (Western Hockey League)
- Swift Current Broncos (Western Hockey League)
Poland
Rugby League
Australia
NRL:
See also
References
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