The Life of a Blogging Team Owner Isn't All it's Cracked Up to Be

When I'm not busy solving our nation's healthcare problems or continuing Frank Dux's legacy of winning the Kumite year after year, I take some time off to follow the professional soccer team I own in England.

You might ask, am I wealthy? Yes! Wealthy with knowledge! As for money, no, I'm quite broke. But nonetheless, I own a piece of a soccer team (or a football team, if you're British or a douche).


About 20,000 people joined former sports journalist Will Brooks' MyFootballClub, in which fans can buy part of a to-be-determined soccer club for £35, or about $17 Million USD (OK, about seventy bucks). , creating a pool of roughly $1.5M from which MyFC will buy Ebbsfleet United FC once due diligence is complete, hopefully by the end of this month.

Ebbsfleet (or "The Fleet" as they are affectionately known) currently reside in the Blue Square Premier Conference. This is basically the 5th rung of the English soccer system, and the highest "non-league" division. So for the novice, there are roughly 100 teams separating Premier League leaders Arsenal with the Fleet.

Anyway, I got in at the ground floor last summer, and have been following "The Fleet," as they're affectionately known, since November's announcement of the planned takeover. Since this point, they've played 11 games between the Conference and various cup competitions, and have won 7 and drawn 2. Not too shabby. With this past Saturday's win over Weymouth, Ebbsfleet now only sits 3 points out of 5th place (which would earn them a spot in the promotion playoffs). In other words, "league" soccer is not out of the realm of possibility.

The really interesting thing once the process is complete will deal with the decision making process. Decisions such as player acquisitions, ticket prices, and even the starting lineup will be decided by a vote on the website. Games will be available for downloading for scouting purposes, head coach Liam Daish will provide his opinions, and members/owners will vote.

Such an endeavor has been called a breath of fresh air, a much needed change to the corporate forces in soccer, and a disaster waiting to happen. Nonetheless, I'm excited to be a part of the process, and I will provide updates on the Fleet whether you like it or not.