Football Governance

by

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible.

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

ABSTRACT

The governance of Football has seemed to be rarely out of the news over the past decade and issues such as ownership, corruption and financial mismanagement continue to grab the headlines. Football, run as it is currently is no longer sustainable and for this to change issues such as foreign ownership, leveraged buyouts, high levels of debt and soaring wages need to be addressed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Problem Statement4

Research Aims5

Objectives5

Research Question5

Hypothesis6

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW7

History of Football Clubs7

Football Club Ownership8

Investment in Football Clubs10

First Premier League Club12

Buying a Football Club13

Regulation of Football Owners14

Mutual Solution for Football Governance17

Power to the people18

An unusual example of 'fan' ownership19

The interesting case of FC St Pauli & the Fanladen20

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY22

Classification of Research Methods22

Multi-Method Studies23

Mixed Method Studies23

Research Design23

Literature Search24

Research Process24

Participants24

Research Instrument24

Confidentiality25

Reliability25

Credibility25

Research Validity26

Ethical Considerations26

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS28

Participants28

Hypothesis 133

Hypothesis 234

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION35

Recommendations36

APPENDIX41

Focus Group Interview Questionnaire41

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Every professional sports league in the world, regardless of the sport or the location of the league has a specific governance structure that each team or club must function under. A Governance structure can have either one, a few, or many governance options under which teams or clubs must operate. Therefore, professional sports leagues can either employ a standardized approach, which consists of teams with one homogonous governance structure, or a mixed approach where teams or clubs can choose from various governance structures (Dietl and Egon 2011 662).

There are three traditional governance structures in which a team can operate under: privately owned firm (true capitalist), public football corporation, and a non-profit firm (member association). The pros and cons of each form of club ownership will be discussed and analyzed later in this paper. The form of governance a team or club employs is very significant insofar as it determines who has the residual control and residual claim of the club (Hanford and Greenberg 2003 10).

The German Bundesliga, the major football (soccer) league in Germany, employs a mixed club ownership approach where clubs can choose their governance structure. Currently each of the three governance structures is utilized by clubs in the league.

Background of the Study

The landscape of professional football is always evolving. In the last 20 years, commercialization and globalization of the game have led to some significant developments. Such developments are both general and specific in manner; the former pertaining to football globally and the latter relevant only in the context of German football.

The transformation of football into a lucrative industry has occurred rapidly in the modern era as a result of technological advancement, most notably the internet and ...