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Ebbsfleet takeover poses more questions than it answers; it's an interesting one…

13th November 2007 By Tom Haylett Leave a Comment

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As news broke this morning of the expected takeover of Blue Square Premier club Ebbsfleet United by MyFootballClub, I couldn't help thinking what a momentous day this may be for the beautiful game.

MyFootballClub ? an organisation set up by former journalist Will Brooks ? now have over 20,000 members, who have all paid a ?35 fee, and each will have a say on day-to-day matters such as team selection and transfer decisions for the Kent club.

The move will boost the club's coffers by some ?700,000 but it all seems a bit crazy doesn't it? Opinion is divided and I can see arguments for and against why it may or may not pay dividends for the club formerly known as Gravesend and Northfleet.

But if I was a betting man, I would have to say this one is destined for failure.

Manager Liam Daish ? the former Birmingham City and Coventry defender ? has had his job title 'downgraded' to Head Coach. But he seems completely unfazed by it all and was even quoted as saying: “My job won't change that much. As a club, we'll select the starting 11 players and formation together.”

Now this is all well and good when you are riding high at the top of the league but can you imagine such a scenario at Carrow Road at the moment?

It would be utter carnage and when the chips are down, which is quite obviously the case at City right now, I believe you need a figurehead; someone who can take the bull by the horns and make those all-important decisions ? let's hope that Glenn Roeder is that man.

For fans ? or shareholders, as you might want to call them – picking the Canary team at the moment wouldn't be too difficult as City only have around 18 fit professionals, but do they see training every day to assess players' physical and mental state?

There will be a select few that have the inside knowledge on all things Ebbsfleet but the overwhelming majority will be in the same position as every other fan and punter.

Unless you are taking a trip down to Fleet Leisure to see the boys in training day in, day out, isn't it all guess work?

Imagine being Daish. You've had a good week's training, the lads are buzzing and you've got your team clearly in your mind. Everything is ready to go, then, an e-mail lands telling you who should and shouldn't be playing. Once the novelty has worn off, how long until Daish gets the hump?

You need everyone pulling in the same direction and anything else would prove counter productive.

But on the other hand, which club ? with spiralling costs continuing to send many to the verge of financial meltdown ? would turn down a fresh injection of funds, capital that could prove the difference between staying afloat and going under.

Gates will undoubtedly rise, as will their profile – with huge interest already being generated by the MyFootballClub phenomenon.

Ebbsfleet currently sit ninth in the old Conference, just six points off a play-off place and if all starts well and they carry the momentum forward, the 'feel-good' factor just might carry them all the way to the Football League.

But when the inevitable slump happens, that is when the real test for this venture will begin.

All of which brings me on to a hot topic amongst the City faithful at the moment ? the possibility of fresh investment at Carrow Road.

With the Smiths publicly stating that they would be willing to sell up to someone with the club's 'best interests at heart', many feel the time has come for them to step aside.
The Turners would be the obvious successors but they seem to be biding their time, getting a feel for the vibe behind the scenes before deciding whether to 'go for it' and add to their initial ?2million loan.

Many fans feel that the board are not being proactive enough in seeking new investment and are just sitting and waiting for the perfect candidate ? someone who is, ideally, a supporter and will stick around for the forseeable future, to achieve City's long-term ambition of being an established Premier League club.

Whether this is true or not, time will tell but can the Canaries wait forever? Much has been said of Ipswich Town's recent takeover talk, with Marcus Evans on the verge of taking control down the A140 but I don't really want to go there.

What intrigues me more is the supposed interest of Birmingham City co-owner David Sullivan in the Blues. I just wonder if ? having been knocked back by the Suffolk club ? he has entertained the idea of a bid for the struggling Canaries?

By all accounts, he wants an investment nearer to his Essex home and City would surely fit the bill.

Whether the powers that be would want someone who has made his fortune in the pornography business is another question but with the horrible prospect of a cash-rich Town being two divisions higher than their East Anglian neighbours next season, can City afford to get left behind?


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Filed Under: Tom Haylett

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