Fit and Proper People: The Lies and Fall of Owna FC

by Martin Calladine

OwnaFC promised fans the chance to buy and run their own football club. Fit and Proper Persons tells the story of the business that was supposed to revolutionise football, the people who lost out when it collapsed and the violent consequences suffered by those who tried to hold OwnaFC to account.

Genres: Football

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2022

Reviews

[Brendan Crowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting book. The importance of football and sports clubs to their community examined through the story of one man’s cynical attempt to exploit the desire for fans to feel involved. Also a reflection on what it means to own a football club, the damage rich owners do and the failings of the British justice system. Full review to come.

[Yorben Geerinckx · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fit And Proper People zou een heel goed boek zijn, als het een pak korter was. De auteurs schetsen goed het tumultueuze bestaan van Owna FC en de sfeer die errond hing, zowel bij betrokkenen als bij het bredere publiek. Dat doen ze door veel interessante en verschillende personen aan het woord te laten: gedupeerden, de pers, voorzitters van clubs, andere initiatiefnemers in fan ownership, ... Stemmen die elk een ander perspectief en nieuwe inzichten bieden. Bovendien laat het de auteurs toe om ook bredere tendensen uit de voetbalwereld te bespreken.
Echter komen er zo veel personen en voorbeelden aan bod, dat het boek langdradig en repetitief wordt. De meerwaarde van een zoveelste case is namelijk erg beperkt naar het einde van het boek toe. Het mocht dus gerust allemaal wat beknopter.

Tot slot stoorde ik mij aan de romantische kijk van de auteurs op de hedendaagse voetbalwereld. Die visie strookt niet echt met de mijne, waardoor het wat vervelend was om die herhaald opgedrongen te krijgen in het boek.

[Jonny Brick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to make you angry and hopeful in equal measure. Brave to write and unafraid to tell the truth about a scandal which got shockingly little attention at the time.

[Daniel Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a remarkable story. I have known the Caves for a long time and therefore was aware of some of the story beforehand but when James excitedly told me that he and Martin had found a publisher I immediately added it to my "to read" pile and waited for a time of year that I could give it the due attention it deserved. Without exaggeration, I could not put this book down and read it from cover to cover within a single day. Some doing for a book of over 350 pages!
It was a task made much easier however because it was a thoroughly good read, on an incredibly important subject. You never quite know when you're own club is going to fall into the hands of someone it ought not to and therefore I would highly recommend this to any football fan!

[Matt Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published early last year, this is a timely tale from Martin, written in his reliably eviscerating style about the tawdry procession of carpetbaggers showing ‘how easily venerable clubs can become vulnerable clubs’. Blessed with a stinging turn of phrase, he cuts to the chase and stays there:

'You do not need the blockchain to ensure the authenticity of player of the year votes. It’s like cracking down on shoplifting by giving security guards machine guns’
.
He shares the cautionary tale of Ebbsfleet FC, taken over by MyFootballClub in 2008 where, ‘a welter of publicity had drawn thousands of participants, but numbers had dwindled in just a few years and the experiment collapsed, with the club eventually being handed over to its supporters’ trust’.

If you don’t already, follow Martin on Twitter where he pursues contrepeneurs with a forensically ferocious eye for detail. But before you do, inhale this book and heed his warnings. The face of football is increasingly pockmarked with Crawley crypto bros, amoral nation states and clubs already doomed to history through negligence. Martin has a strategy for pre-empting these disasters, too:

‘The first sign of being unsuitable to own a football club is wanting to own one’.

[Conor Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful first hand account of the OwnaFC project/disaster and useful commentary on issues surrounding governance in modern football.

Some earlier chapters regarding Stuart Harvey could have possibly been combined as it seemed distinct chapters were covering the same ground.

[Ray George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great in depth look at how few controls there are over football ownership (via the OwnAFC debacle). Only quibble is multiple chapters on the harassment when one was likely necessary). But still highly recommend.

[Matt Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy level of detail and insight into what turned into quite a read with many turns - justice served eventually.

[David Macnamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough story but I struggled to get too attached to it. The main guy in it sounds like a right bellend, he deserves locking up.

[Pete Judge · Rating 3 out of 5]

a decent read and a surprising twist in the book. I like books about non-league so this was an enjoyable read.