Yesterday “My Football Club”; today, “The People’s Club”

For those of you who have read Bill Simmons over at The Worldwide Leader in [American] Sports’ electronic version – a.k.a. espn.com – recently and for the 53,051 already aboard, MyFootballClub.co.uk is old news.

Believe it or not, this virtual project is exactly what it sounds like. My Football Club has attained controlling share in British football club Ebbsfleet United.

After ponying up £35 (approximately €47, $69), you’re a co-co-co-(53,000 thousand times more or so)-co-owner of the prospective majority share. After paying the membership fee, “you will become a member of the MyFootballClub Trust. Your Trust will purchase a controlling interest in the football club, in effect making you a joint owner of your football club.”

And check this out: A second website is attempting the same thing. Opened in August, The People’s Club has more or less the same goal and similar operation to My Football Club and boasted some 1,800 members as of 1 January.

The People’s Club is looking to get 40,000 members at £39 each and believe they can raise £1,000,000 before the end of the 2007-2008 season.

The best part about People’s? Probably commercial manager Simon Lassam’s quote: “…this is a chance for the fans to take control again and show the Russian billionaires and the big conglomerates that they cannot keep buying up football clubs and ignore the fans just to make a quick buck.”