Bernard Vere on How Supporters Built Clapton Community FC
About this episode
Bernard Vere discusses the unique model of Clapton Community FC, a supporter-owned football club emphasizing democracy and community involvement.
On this episode of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered , Chris Horwedel is joined by Bernard Vere of Clapton Community FC to tell the remarkable story of one of English football’s most distinctive supporter-owned clubs. Clapton Community FC was founded in 2018 after supporters of Clapton FC became increasingly frustrated with how their club was being run. After attempts to gain a meaningful voice and two separate home-match boycotts, supporters decided to create something of their own: a football club built around one member, one vote, democratic decision-making, affordability and community ownership. Bernard explains how CCFC operates without traditional ownership or a conventional board structure, instead using member-led committees to run virtually every part of the club. He discusses the advantages and challenges of running a football club democratically, how more than 1,500 members across 30 countries can participate and why the club remains almost entirely volunteer-run. The conversation explores CCFC’s commitment to making football accessible through its pay-what-you-can admission system, equal support for its men’s and women’s teams and an explicitly inclusive philosophy built…
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