Why Are Many Lower Non-League Clubs Missing a Trick?

 In recent years one cannot not have missed the ‘support grassroots football’ tag, plastered on social media and elsewhere, extolling the virtues of the beautiful game, played, organised and administered by the supposed good and virtuous, far removed from the apparent greed of the high rollers of the Premier League.

Interestingly, the opening games of this season at the, so-called, ‘grassroots’ level, have seen some clubs have reporting vastly improved attendances, possibly caused by the ‘no fans’ policy at higher levels due to the Covid restrictions, and the desire from some football fans to watch a game, any game

However, it remains to be seen whether this increase is a genuine renewal of interest in lower level non-league football and whether it can be maintained.   This situation presents an incredible opportunity for clubs, particularly those who normally play their matches in front of a sprinkling of die-hards, dim-wits, girlfriends, dads, the curious and confused.

So, “Get involved with your local team” is the rallying call.  Another mantra is “Football is all about of opinions”.  But how much will your view or opinion have in the running of your local club should you decide that you wish to get involved?  Perhaps the contribution you are really being encouraged to make is limited to making tea, cleaning, fund raising, editing a programme, selling raffle tickets, making sandwiches, taking the gate money, rolling and cutting the pitch as, all too often, many of these tasks are left to just a few individuals as it is difficult to recruit new people on a regular and committed basis.

But as these tasks are necessary in the running of a football club, the question is “Who is getting the true benefit?”

Certainly, the players will benefit but their contribution is normally confined to playing a game of football.  With respect to them, many are hardly the hottest ticket in town.  In fact, if they had been actors in a West End production, playing to near empty theatres as many do, Cameron Mackintosh would have closed the show long ago.

Clubs that lose money are commonplace and, unless one can find a benefactor or soccer ‘Sugar Daddy’, the inevitable result can be merger, the sale of a ground and ultimately extinction. 

Football, at all domestic levels, has seen its share of Sugar Daddies, from double glazing salesmen to Qatari Sheiks.  But can they possibly care about the club as much as the man or woman who makes the players’ after match tea and sandwiches?  Investment, whether in cash, or in time and effort, is always welcome, but the former rarely has the longevity and unconditional commitment of the latter.

One should distinguish between these Sugar Daddies and many of the genuine ‘benefactors’ at lower leagues who have, or continue to, contribute financially, and have worked hard behind the scenes in efforts to keep a club going for little or no personal gain.

Some benefactors put money into the club, maybe clearing debts, or contributing to a player’s budget.  Unfortunately, in many cases, there are those who do not part with their money without having strings attached and the inevitable situation is that the club ‘owes’ him/her £xxx,000 and a new position of club ‘owner’ is said to have been created.

Once a person assumes ownership of a club, the legal entity changes from being a members’ club to that of a proprietary club.  This means that all the assets of the club belong to the owner, which is then run for the purpose of making a profit and then owner can make whatever rules he or she thinks fit.  Think of your club as a night club of which you are member.  There are no meetings, it is run by the ‘owner’ and members are just customers.  The pay their subscriptions and enjoy the facilities/entertainment.

Some benefactors have become purported ‘owners’ of a club that was previously run and governed by members, because a real membership no longer existed, sometimes by the new owner excluding/cancelling/suspending membership, or by the remaining members handing over control of the club because of a promise to clear a debt or more funding in the future.  Such significant constitutional changes should certainly involve the Football Association who, unfortunately, have been asleep at the wheel for years, as far as lower league non-league football is concerned.

These situations may be the hurdle by which many clubs are losing out on generating much needed revenue during the present crisis.

Should a club decide to open itself up to customers/clients/fans etc through an annual membership scheme, it could benefit from a sure-fire way to raise funds, not just once, but every year.  For example, if a club had 200 paid up members (which is not beyond a step 5 club with serious intentions of reaching out to its community) at an annual subscription of £20, it would raise £4,000 immediately and continue to do so each year. This income could prove to be a life saver financially, not least with the additional revenue through merchandise, matchday refreshments etc. and would also have the added benefit of inviting new ideas and initiatives into the club.

So why isn’t this happening?

Could it be because that a new influx of membership may, at a properly convened meeting, vote against the wishes of the ‘benefactor/owner’ and thus take control?  Ultimately, they may vote the benefactor out of office.  But isn’t this the way a community club is run, for the benefit of the community?

In some cases, ‘benefactor/owners’ have even tried to protect their position by including in the club rules that anyone owed money by the club cannot be voted off a committee.  Once again, such a rule, if constitutional in the first place, can be easily removed by a members’ vote, but would certainly deter any sensible person from wishing to join that entity.

It would be marvellous if there was greater interest in lower league and local football, but to adhere to their grassroots ‘motif’, the clubs, leagues and the FA should get their house in order.

Would-be supporters may wish to ensure that the club in which they intend to invest their time, goodwill and not least their money, is transparent and open, and that they have a say in its management and decisions made.

The rules of some leagues compel their clubs to publish details of the legal entity by which they trade.  However, this is not as vigorously enforced as one would expect.  Even at level 9/ step 5, some clubs are Limited Companies and, as such, unless a supporter is a shareholder, he/she has no say in the running of the ‘club’.

Surely such exclusion of supporters gives the lie to the statement that grassroots football offers inclusion and the opportunity to be part of the club you choose to support.  

Unfortunately, in such cases, the non-league supporter is really no different to the customers who shop for their entertainment at more upmarket businesses such as Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal Football 'Clubs'.

 

 

Unequivocal Support For A Con Artist

At the news that Clapton Community Football Club had been offered a lease on the Old Spotted Dog Ground there was a flurry of internet activity.  People sent their congratulations to the club and many members of CCFC were obviously delighted with the freeholders' decision.

Amid this activity was a tweet from Hackney Wick Football Club who have played at the Old Spotted Dog since 2012.  They first arrived in Forest Gate in 2012 as London Bari FC and, following a merger in 2017, continued their tenure under the name of Hackney Wick FC.

The tweet, which was posted at 3:43pm on the 17th September 2019 read : 
"So we paid £4k for half the season at the OSD where we've been for the last 3 years and since have had to switch our FA Cup ties, costing more money, pay up front for 2 other home matches elsewhere, and now have to pay for a full season at Coles Park.  It your face don't fit"

So Hackney Wick handed over £4k,  For what, and to whom?

Undoubtedly, HWFC would have been fully aware that the company that previous held the lease of the OSD were in liquidation and thus the ground should be under the control of the liquidator.  So why would they pay this money to anyone else?

Despite the liquidation, the recipient of rent from London Bari/Hackney Wick in previous years has been Vincent McBean and/or limited companies under his control. This, of itself, is theft and the dishonesty continues as HWFC have been conned or misled into paying £4,000 for the specific purpose of playing football at the OSD.

HWFC have not yet made it clear whether the payment was in cash or via a bank, or whether it was paid into a personal or company/business account.  What is clear is that HWFC have parted with a substantial amount of money and that they are extremely unlikely to get it back.  Their options are that they sue, or ask the football authorities to help them.

So, imagine my surprise when I saw that Essex Senior League Chair, Lee Dorling, was present at a meeting called by Vince McBean on Wednesday 18th September.  Mr Dorling addressed the meeting in his capacity as ESL chair, expressing unequivocal support for Vince McBean in the matter concerning the lease.

This support was given, not withstanding the con that has been perpetrated on HWFC, a club that until last season, was a member of his League.

Something is very wrong with the priorities and the moral compass of the Essex Senior League and I wonder how much longer the member clubs will continue to allow the 'Dorling charade' to continue in their name.

NB : It has been suggested that HWFC issue legal proceedings to recover the money.  Good luck with that.  Mr McBean uses false/accommodation addresses, purports to be impecunious and is adept at avoiding bailiffs.

Is This Why the Essex Senior League Are Supporting Vince McBean?

I have read, with some amusement and disbelief, the twitter exchanges between the Essex Senior League account @essexsenior and various others (mainly, but not exclusively, supporters of Clapton) concerning Vincent McBean’s club and I was particularly interested in the exchanges relating to it's actual constitution.

What is apparent that many supporters and indeed, even the Essex Senior League, have very little understanding of what the actual position is.

This is hardly surprising in the case of the former, as Mr McBean has run and collapsed a number of limited companies that purported to have been Clapton FC, since he arrived.

Some years ago, supporters wrote to the Essex Senior League asking for clarification on the legal entity that was playing in their competition as Clapton Football Club.  It was a league rule that clubs should disclose this either on their website or in the match day programme.  Needless to say, at the time, McBean’s club did neither.

The response from the ESL was less than helpful and, in essence, they refused to enforce their rule.   One wonders why this was such a guarded secret.

In the twitter thread, a supporter talks of fans not being able to influence the club because they were not shareholders.  This would be correct if McBean’s club was a Limited Company and, given the on-going confusion on who or what is Clapton FC, this error is perfectly understandable.

It should be said that McBean’s website now describes his entity as an unincorporated association.

But the response from the ESL was quite interesting. "This is one of the main issues - being a fan, paying an entrance fee - does not entitle you to a share in any decision making and/or profits unless you’re a shareholder.”

With respect to whoever is running the ESL twitter account, (said to be ‘the Committee’) ‘shares and shareholders’ are not an issue in the Clapton case.  An unincorporated association would normally have members but, as we know, Vince McBean closed the membership six years ago for “restructuring”.  One may speculate that his was clearly to protect his position within the entity as its been the same old same old, ever since.  (Note : he has posted a written on-line denial that he was the owner of Clapton FC)

But I can fully understand why the Essex Senior League Committee are so confused in thinking that shareholders are an issue as far as Clapton Football Club are concerned..

This is because not so long ago the Essex Senior League were accepting and banking cheques from the Santander bank account of Clapton Football Club Limited. At the time they should have been fully aware that this was not the legal entity of the ‘member club’.

Nonetheless, the Essex Senior League continued to bank cheques from the company after it had been struck off, dissolved and no longer legally existed.

The assets of any struck off/dissolved company immediately becomes ‘bona vacantia’ (property of the Crown) and therefore this money was not theirs to accept.

This use of shell companies, and fraudulent transactions such as this, clearly smacks of money laundering, and is most certainly, false accounting and tax evasion.  A casual inspection of the bank statements of McBean’s Clapton FC Limited, reveals that the company traded quite actively before and after dissolution, although it never actually filed accounts at any time.

Nonetheless the Santander bank account in the name of Clapton Football Club Limited remained active until 2014.

Given the amount of unbridled support for Mr McBean in the Essex Senior League twitter feed, is it just a co-incidence that their determination to keep him afloat, not enforce their own rules, and consistently bat away any criticism of him, is founded more on the concern that their financial transactions with Clapton Football Club Limited, if revealed, may implicate them in future investigations regarding Mr McBean?

One thing is for sure, such behaviour, whether it be naivety, or by assisting or failing to disclose/report such financial misconduct, is not that which should be expected, at the very least, of a Senior League.  (described at page of this season's ESL Handbook as a 'Senior Attitude'.)

One wonders what sanctions and financial penalties the Essex Senior League would have meted out to other member clubs if those clubs had been involved in such financial skullduggery?

BBC 3 on the Ultras. Epic Fail

Justin

Last week a short documentary was released on the BBC3 website that told the tale of a West Ham supporter, Justin, who has turned his back on English football to follow an Italian 3^rd division team which enjoys the support of a vociferous group of Ultras. In listing his reasons for this change of perspective, he mentioned that, prior to the decision, he had concluded that his support was no longer valued by the club and he felt like he was merely a ‘customer’.

Having witnessed the ‘Ultras effect’ at the Old Spotted Dog over recent seasons, I can certainly understand why this young man is attracted to this way of supporting a team. The incredible atmosphere that was created by the Clapton Ultras was not only the envy of many other non league clubs, even those at a higher level, but was also a contributory factor as to why many good players stayed with the Tons rather than move on to other teams where they could possibly earn a few quid. It still amazes me that some players would, for the sake of a few bob, rather play in front of one man and a dog than in front of a real crowd with all the atmosphere. [but that’s for another day]

There is little doubt that, whilst the Ultras were at Clapton, attendances increased, and with it came a lot more income and, consequently, many other non league clubs in the area have been doing their best to attract similarly vociferous supporters in order to form their own version of the ‘Ultras’.

For some time Non League football has presented itself as being the part of game in which supporters can be come actively involved in their club. Despite this, many clubs are still being run by a small group of people or just one individual, and are lacking the requisite numbers and expertise, whether that be in administration, matchday organisation or even in marketing the club.

In recent seasons we have seen the increased number of clubs who have become fan owned, not least Clapton Community Football Club, where supporters decided to change their allegiance from Vincent McBean’s Clapton where they had been clearly and deliberately excluded, to enjoy active participation in a club in which they have a say in how it is run. This, despite they are now watching football that is a number of levels lower in the football pyramid.

So, this brings me back to the BBC3 documentary.

During the film, the young man visits the Dog and clips from various videos are shown in which the Clapton Ultras are seen in full voice, cheering on the lads in their inimitable style. Some of these clips are at least three years old and deliberately mislead the audience. The reality is that McBean FC's home matches have been sparsely attended since the home match boycott and the advent of CCFC. There is, however, a very short clip of a more recent match with McBean’s team playing in their new, non Clapton garb, with red shorts. It is devoid of any fan noise or chanting but is clearly designed to give the impression that the Ultras continue to support McBean FC.

So, imagine my surprise, given his consistent condemnation of the Ultras, when Vincent McBean appeared on the film. Interviewed whilst standing in front of the “famous scaffold stand” (his words), he went on to say about the Ultras, “They’re the heart and soul of the club, Those guys are the ones who make the club.”

As far as I am aware, none of the Ultras have ever been members of Vincent McBean’s club. In fact Mr McBean is on record as having made allegations of racism against the Ultras (all of which were mischievous, totally unsubstantiated and none reported to Kick It Out.)

I am no investigative journalist, but one doesn't have to be Hercule Poirot to assemble enough accurate information so as not to be hoodwinked by the McBean, the Walter Mitty of Forest Gate (and of London SW4 - thank you to my sources).

Unsurprisingly, this film has been criticised by many Clapton supporters including some of the old Ultras. They have a point, as it is an appalling piece of journalism which gives a totally misleading account of the present situation at McBean FC. Instead it gave the false impression that Clapton Ultras were still attending McBean FC matches, did not mention the boycott, the new fan owned club or the ongoing court case that was sparked by McBean’s attempt to liquidate the leaseholding Charity. Even more surprisingly, Justin, or the filmmakers failed to contact the Ultras to obtain their account. So what we were left is an unbalanced and misleading report.

Had they done so, they would have become aware that the legacy of Clapton Ultras continues at the Stray Dog where Clapton CFC are setting an example to McBean, and other 'exclusively run' entities that aree passing off as 'clubs', in non league football. Matchdays are exciting and atmospheric, the players and supporters come together as a group in striving for victory (as they used to do before the boycott at the Old Spotted Dog) Most importantly, membership of the club is open to all, every member own a share in the club and can propose and/or vote on any motions or proposals put forward.

Compare this with McBean's set up. The loudest sounds at matches comes from the dugouts and the players. He is flanked by other individuals who, whilst possibly well meaning, are being totally duped by the false persona he has developed in many years of his dodgy dealings. (Lets not forget the south London Charity from which he took nearly £500k).

I need not mention the litany of failed and struck off limited companies using the name, and other variations, of Clapton Football Club.

I was also interested to read a recent tweet from one the McBean FC team management who insisted the players were playing for them and not McBean. That, is not a club. The fact is that McBean FC amounts to a profit making entity from which only one person benefits (the licensed bar, rents from London Bari FC/Hackney Wick, Filming Shoots, The Tyre Warehouse etc). The players and team management are supporting this regime as they are a cog in that wheel and seem content to play their matches, amid the atmosphere of Sunday team on the Marshes, despite the obvious problems. It is a matter for their conscience alone.

It is therefore very little wonder why Clapton Community Football Club was established. Since its inception it has managed to recreate, and even improve upon, the old, inclusive club that was Clapton Football Club before the arrival of McBean. CCFC has the support of all the Life Members of the old Clapton FC and, coupled with the enthusiasm and vision of the members and owners, there is every reason to be optimistic that they will return Clapton to its old standing in non league football. That standing not only includes matters on the field but, just as importantly, what happens off the field. I salute Clapton CFC on the sterling work they have done to overcome a variety of obstacles whilst remaining true to their principals.  Sport should be for all to enjoy.

The future will be interesting. The High Court case appears to be coming to a head and McBean is been known to bail out just before the axe falls (as he did with the South London charity). This decision will obvious impact upon the ground and its usage and ultimately McBean FC. I have long since given up on the idea that any of the purported governing bodies will intervene of their own volition. The Charity Commission, HMRC, The Essex Senior League, the Football Association etc. have all stood by and done very little. 

Is it that their governance and adminstration is lamentable?  Or do they all stand squarely' McBean? One certainly has a reason to be curious.....

The documentary can be viewed at
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/clip/f41124ba-6b55-401d-a976-be92114e6cdd

The credits for the film, on the website of producer Charles Copsey (www.charlescopsey.com) read as follows :

I Turned My Back On English Football For Italian Ultras - BBC Three

​

Upset with West Ham, Justin turned to Italian club Arezzo to find the passion he believes his old club lost.

​

Director, Producer, Editor: Charles Copsey

BBC Producer and Development: Ally McCrae

Cinematography: Lloyd Cook

Sound Location and Post: Louis Lincoln

​

Commissioned by BBC Three for digital channels. Released and distributed by BBC Three, BBC Sport and Match of The Day social media channels.

Two Months to Save Clapton FC

In the past week or so there have been two prominent pieces of news from the Old Spotted Dog, and neither of them was surprising.

I initially welcomed the end of the Clapton Ultras’ boycott of home games as it signalled a ‘first’ at Clapton FC since the McBean regime took hold of the club; McBean couldn't have things all his own way.

The Ultras had managed to reach a compromise over the price rise, whilst achieving a number of small victories in getting McBean to reduce prices for student, refugees, jobless, youngsters and old chaps like me!  Couple this with spectators’ possessions not being unnecessarily rifled through by McBean's bouncers, and it's a good result.  Thank you lads and lassies of the Ultras!

But how did they manage this, after so many people have tried, and failed before?  One word, Money.

Since the arrival of the Ultras, McBean has become accustomed to pocketing huge amounts of cash though gate money.  Add to this the bar takings from those spectators who remain unaware, or possibly disinterested, in the ‘Clapton situation’ and he was doing very nicely indeed.  However, the boycott has seen those windfalls disintegrate and, doubtless, he was desperate to fill his pockets once again.  No one is quite aware of what other business interest he currently has.

It was therefore strange that, in those negotiations, he chose to position himself as a go-between for the supporters and the ‘Board’.  Now, when a ‘businessman’, who McBean purports to be, speaks of a Board, it can only mean one thing - a board of directors, and Directors indicate the existence of a Limited Company.

Whilst McBean operating his club as a limited company is a possibility, as far as I am aware, Clapton FC, in whatever guise, has never been registered as such with the football authorities.  If there has been a change of entity from the original club, then the FA, County FA and the Essex Senior League would have to have been made aware and would have to have given their approval.  The problem is that none of these ‘governing’ bodies is willing to disclose any information.

During the negotiations, McBean also produced John Jackson as a ‘trustee’ at one of the meetings with the Ultras delegation.  I have referred to Mr Jackson in my blog previously, and still have no idea what he claims to be a Trustee of, but I have seen emails in which he claims to have been made chair of Clapton FC by McBean in 2008, apparently without his actually realising it.  He also claimed that McBean once told him that Clapton FC does not exist. I therefore see very little reason to place any trust (sic) in Mr Jackson, who may be as much a fantasist as McBean himself.  I also wonder if McBean knows what his mate Jackson has claimed to have happened.  What is clear is that when the meeting with Ultras, Jackson was dishonestly passed off as something he is not.

So whilst I am delighted to be watching the team again, the way in which McBean has behaved only underlines what a manipulative and dishonest man he is.

The second piece of news involves an actual limited company, Clapton Football Club 1878 Limited, to which Clapton CF News, a supporters run news page, have referred in their web post of today (14.02.2017).  This company has now been notified that the Registrar of Companies proposes to strike them off because they have failed to file documents as required by law.

Therefore, if Clapton Football Club 1878 Ltd is ‘McBean’s Clapton FC’ then one of the most famous names in amateur football is likely to disappear because if McBean follows his usual modus operandi in managing companies, he will do nothing and the company will be struck off in a couple of months.

Interestingly, I have a copy of a recent Clapton FC letterhead and, there is no reference to a company number or the registered office, as is also required by law.

What is remarkable is that McBean, refers to this dubious and possibly non-existent board, on his own www.claptonfc.com website.

The fact is that Vince McBean has behaved dishonestly and disrespectfully to the Ultras, the supporters who fill his pockets by coming to matches.  This is not only in respect of the Company issue, but also by misrepresenting the club itself and the state of the negotiations which ended up extending the boycott.

Whilst I am delighted to get back and watch this very impressive tam complete the season, Clapton supporters must now decide whether McBean is a person who can be trusted to run our club.

It is clearly apparent is that McBean operates all of his ‘visible’ business autonomously. He consistently puts up family, old friends and associates as his ‘colleagues’.  Have any of the supporters ever met, or seen, the supposed Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer of McBean’s club?

Despite the Ultras’ achievement in bringing McBean to the table, even then, the ‘self styled CEO’ couldn’t help by acting dishonestly during the boycott, even though it was very much in his interest to arrive at a settlement.  In the words of the Ultras themselves, “We’ve just been given a hard lesson in messing about, delaying and rearranging the furniture over what had already been agreed.” 

Couple that with the news that the Charity that holds the lease on the Old Spotted Dog, which he took over from the former regime, is now under investigation by the Commissioner for Charities, their bank account frozen, and under pressure to file documents with Companies House and its ridiculous that McBean continues to operate.  McBean cannot be trusted with the ground, the club. It’s about time something was done.

The real Clapton FC which was founded by supporters and life members of the club.  I have heard many people asking what this group are doing to oust McBean.  But dealing with a specious fabricator of the truth, like McBean, is always difficult, as the Ultras have discovered.  However, I am aware that they have played no small part in unsettling McBean and exposing his activities, not least with regard to the ground, breaches of the lease and, what would appear to be, a very dodgy ground share and rental agreements with London Bari and the Tyre Warehouse next door.

FELLOW CLAPTON SUPPORTERS  -  Time is now very much of the essence, because if Clapton Football Club 1878 Limited is the legal entity of Clapton FC, then we have two months in which to save it.  If it’s not the ‘club’, then its purpose is/has clearly been to defraud some poor sod, as it is £20k in debt according to the last accounts.

I ask you to help remove McBean and save Clapton FC.  Join the real Clapton FC.  Their website is www.claptonfc.info and there is a link to the membership application form.

UPDATE - It appears that Clapton Football Club 1878 Limited has filed its Confirmation Statement today, 15th February 2017, thus the strike-off action has been discontinued. 

According to the GOV.UK guidance on Confirmation Statements, it is a criminal offence to file this document more than 14 days after the review period (in this case 11th November 2016), so the company and its officers could be prosecuted.