"'Who the hell are Ebbsfleet United?'"
"When the big reveal came, everyone went Who?' explains the education consultant, of his brush with ownership in 2008. A few months earlier, Ebbsfleet had officially become the new name for Gravesend & Northfleet, a Conference outfit who had never been beyond the fifth tier of English football. The club had been given its new moniker to align with the opening of nearby Ebbsfleet International, a Eurostar station in Kent, leading to uproar among Fleet fans."
"That didn't put off MyFootballClub founder and former journalist Will Brooks armed with the relative riches of more than 28,250 subscribers, he teed up a 625,000 deal to buy a 75 per cent stake in the club. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Aerial photograph of Kuflink Stadium, Northfleet, home to Ebbsfleet United Football Club (Image credit: Getty Images) Ebbsfleet was a club that lived month to month, and it was getting tough for the directors, explains ex-Birmingham and Coventry defender Liam Daish, who had been Fleet manager since 2005, and had nevertheless led the club to an encouraging seventh place in the Conference in 2007 at the time, their highest ever finish in that division."
Fans worldwide pooled money via MyFootballClub in 2008, each pledging £35, to purchase a 75% stake in Ebbsfleet United for £625,000 after the club rebranded from Gravesend & Northfleet. The rebrand tied to the new Ebbsfleet International station caused local uproar, and many subscribers did not know the club. Despite prior on-field progress under manager Liam Daish and substantial subscriber backing, the club lived month to month and directors struggled financially. Rapid fan ownership encountered limited due diligence, operational realities, and waning momentum, leaving supporters disillusioned.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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