4.3. How football clubs manage and communicate with
their stakeholders
4.3.1. Fans
Football clubs are very committed into communicating with
their fans. Despite managers are confronted to this crowd every week on match
day and can feel fans' mood there, they always try to improve communication
with them. Clubs now have an efficient tool, to get their fans' opinion: they
use Internet forum on the clubs' website. It is an expression place where
managers can easily discuss with fans, according to Mr Weathley of Liverpool
F.C.
R.C. Lens has employed a fans' association member to deal with
its supporters, when Liverpool F.C. created an association with ex-players for
the same job. Nevertheless managers, coach and players often meet fans to talk
with them and feel their desire. Liverpool F.C. organises dinners with fans
from the mass, not fans' represents, and they often consult them through
surveys like for the creation of the new stadium. The group `Anfield 4 Ever'
opposed to the stadium move was invited to a meeting to discuss this
How stakeholders influence football clubs' strategy ? September
2003
matter with the clubs' managers. At R.C. Lens, the president of
the club, the coach and some players organises meetings with the fans'
represents every three months.
Fans expect to access to good games for reasonable prices, and
they also expect their team to recruit the best players to win. According to
Mendelow and Archer's models, the clubs should have a protectionist attitude
towards them because they are key players. In a certain way clubs do, they try
to keep them. It is even truer in Liverpool City where two clubs of Premier
League share the same stadium. Liverpool F.C. benchmarks the Everton club about
its pricing policy, in order not to loose its fans by fixing pricing not
accessible to the community. Liverpool F.C. also improves regularly its
structure to welcome fans as comfortably as possible in Anfield Road stadium.
Thirty-five percent of the tickets are sold on match day to allow anyone to go
to the games, not only season members. The waiting list to become a season
member is booked for the next three years! To avoid its fans frustration and to
develop commercial potential, Liverpool F.C. will play, in 2006, in a brand new
stadium which capacity is about 60,000 to compare with the current one: 44,000
seats. Although Mintel (2002) reports that Liverpool F.C. does not really
exploit its commercial potential, the club organises stadium tours, developed
online merchandising and set up a club's museum. It also considers very
important to train its stewards for the games. Stoke City F.C. also eradicated
violence from its stadium by creating a `green card' to allow fans to enter its
stadium. But the most important measure is to keep tickets at an accessible
level. R.C. Lens is also proud not to have increased prices of season tickets
for the last three years.
4.3.2. Shareholders
British football clubs do not communicate as frequently with
shareholders as with fans. Shareholders are invited to attend the annual
general meeting and the clubs publish their accounts every year or
twice-a-year. Most of shareholders attend home games, where they can meet the
clubs' managers.
Shareholders expect a certain satisfaction for their investment
and also personal privileges to access games. Theorists recommend finding a
compromise with these key players.
How stakeholders influence football clubs' strategy ? September
2003
English clubs have put in place special shareholders' lounge at
the stadium, to attend games. They have to endorse the club's strategy, what
they can do at the annual general meeting. Moreover, they often appoint key
employees. Liverpool F.C. never paid any dividend to its shareholders. In
counterpart, the club invests impressive amounts of money in the team, to
increase the shares' value through victories on the pitch.
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