Business Advantages of Supporter Community ... - Supporters Direct

1 Strategic Partnerships
Key Question:
Has community ownership helped with the club’s development of its
strategic partnerships
Top Three Findings:
i) Clubs all felt that supporter community ownership enables them to
develop deeper and more long term strategic partnerships.
ii) Strategic partnerships were strongest with their local authority, but also
in many cases with club sponsors (see 2.3 below for further details on
sponsorship).
iii) The ownership structure helps to build trust between organisations and
means that outside organisations believe supporter community owned
clubs when they talk about benefiting the local community or their local
‘reach’. As such it is easier for supporter community owned clubs to
align agendas with public or public benefit oriented strategic partners.
Perhaps the most important impact
Perhaps the most important impact of supporter community ownership
of supporter community ownership on strategic relationships is with local
on strategic relationships is with authorities, but it also goes beyond
local authorities, but it also goes this to other businesses, residents and
beyond this to other businesses, community partners. The ownership
residents and community partners. of the clubs and transparency involved
helps to cement and underpin clubs’
position as a focal point for a range of partners, including other businesses,
public agencies and local authorities.
One example, Brentford FC, identified their local authority, Hounslow,
as their main strategic partner and were adamant that it has been their
community ownership structure that has helped them to get as far as they
have with the development of a new stadium. Donald Kerr, Chair of Bees
United said
‘The Local Authority believes us, when we say that we want to build a community
asset, in a new community hub, with a stadium at its heart. In fact, they’re now
asking us when we’re going to put in a planning application; at a time when other
local authorities are saying they won’t give land or planning permission, Brentford
have been encouraged and supported in this for about the last 7 years.’
10 Supporters Direct Briefing Paper No.4