Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Germans champion ownership rule
GERMAN fans say their model for the game could save English football from future Super League-style breakaways.
Bundesliga rules put in place in 1998 mean commercial investors can hold no more than a 49% stake in clubs.
Borussia Dortmund fan ambassador Toby Westerfallhaus backed calls for a similar move in England.
He said: “The heart of each supporter is with the club, not with the money. At Dortmund, around 65% of the club is owned by the fans.
“So they could not have made a decision on the European Super League without us. They need to go to the members for approval.
“The passion we feel is because of the club’s history, that’s why this club is famous. The message to fans is to own your club, don’t give it away.”
The Mirror visited Borussia
Dortmund’s ground eight years ago to experience its famous “Yellow Wall” of fans.
It was easy to see why they are part of the best attended league in the world.
Back then, you paid around £8.95 for a match ticket. Now, it will cost you around £12, a snip compared to Premier League prices.
Supporters pay £60 a year to have their say on the club as “members” and a season ticket is little more than £170. You can still watch the game with a beer in your hand. Terracing and standing areas remain.
I was among 80,720 fans at the magnificent Signal Iduna Park as Dortmund beat Hamburg 4-2. Away supporters are guaranteed a percentage of the cheapest tickets available.
Alexander Fischer is from Bayern Munich’s Club No.12, an organisation representing fans, which he recommends for English clubs. “It is a good start to bring back football to the people,” he said.
Markus Sotirianos, from Darmstadt, is the vice chair at Unsere Kurve, which represents around 300,000 fans. He said: “Granting fans a stronger role in governance is an important step towards more sustainable professional football.”
They could not have made that decision without us DORTMUND FAN TOBY ON THE ESL BREAKAWAY