Article 2 from the Feb 2024 Rights of Fans Lewes FC fanzine.
By Francesca
“One Owner, One Share, One Vote” from the Club’s website. Sounds like the stuff democratic dreams are made of. The Club rules also talk about the Club conducting business for the benefit of the community served by the Club and not for the profit of its owners. These are all powerful words and makes a fan truly believe they are a part of an inclusive, welcoming footballing community.
Many of the words and rhetoric on the Lewes FC website and in the rules, suggest that the world of Lewes FC embodies a type of football socialism, fan owners sharing the ownership and oversight of the infrastructure and teams that they are investing in. If you’re someone who believes in community spirit and power of the people, this is a wonderful sense of idealism and something good to be a part of.
Most fans who turn up week in and week out to watch Lewes FC, men or womens’ teams, are people enjoying the football and having a day out. They are individuals or families who enjoy the atmosphere and being part of a community. They are people coming to watch a match, buy a pint and some cheesy chips using hard earned cash – for some spending money at The Pan it is a conscious financial decision sacrificing something else in return. But it all seems worth it for a good day out and being part of that community.
What doesn’t sit right in this world of football socialism for everyday folk, is when club representatives tout themselves at what can only be called ‘elitist’ events, fancy award ceremonies, trips abroad including the women’s world cup and more recently entertaining multi-millionaire (possibly even billionaire) investors. Seeking and welcoming sponsors who offer high end luxury items out of reach for most average folk.
Some of these ‘elite events’ may have been self-funded, but the advertisement and association of them in conjunction with the wonderful community brand of Lewes FC is ingratiating and unnecessary.
This is not jealousy speaking, this is a personal reflection that in this day and age, when the average family is struggling financially, but may still want to be a part of the Lewes FC community, they don’t need to have their Club being surrounded by designer clothes, luxury health supplements, expensive travels and glittering star studded events.
The Club should be more grounded and inclusive than this – after all the Club Rules and all the spiel on the website talk about bringing people together, and existing for the community, not about creating barriers and making people feel that they are on the outside looking in on the elite world of football. There is enough of that in Premier league football, WAGs and all. Let’s keep football at Lewes FC Real.
The Rights of Fans. 