Leeds United fans hope to join club’s board with £10m fundraising bid

Today a Leeds United supporters organisation launched an ambitious fundraising scheme with an aim of achieving fan involvement on the board of Leeds United.

Leeds Fans Limited Liability Partnership has launched the Leeds Fans Community Benefit Society, the first of three fundraising initiatives, and want to raise around £10m to buy a minority stake in the Yorkshire football club, City am reports.

Starting from April 7, fans will be able to invest between £100 and £10,000 in the newly launched benefit society. Through the advice of lawyers and the executive team/shadow networkers, this initiative is expected to be operational and efficient from the get go.

In the upcoming months, the two other fundraisers will be launched, with one being for fans wanting to invest in the movement of the club and the other for companies and philanthropists to invest into Leeds fans.

The fans’ dissatisfaction in the way their beloved club operates stems from the past 15 years, which has seen Leeds United fall down football leagues, a significant decline in attendance, as well as an array of different owners and managers and the constant threat of financial peril.

Brendan Meehan, finance and legal executive at Leeds Fans Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), told City am: “During the course of April we will put in place the possibility for Leeds United fans to invest directly into a company called Leeds Fans United Limited. In order to invest in that company, fans will already needed to have put £10,000 in the CBS because we believe passionately that’s where it’ll all come together.

“We wanted to ground the community benefit society as the main vehicle for bringing fans together and raising money. We wanted all fans to be a meaningful part of that. In order to stop any fan having too great a say in our relationship with the club and our investments, their votes will be limited to £100,000. So no one person or organisation is going to dominate”

Allen Clarke, Leeds United legend and official ambassador for Leeds Fans CBS, also told Football League World: “This group is made up of fans who want to achieve the goal of fans having a bigger say in how the club is run and I fully endorse what they’re trying to do.”