25 July 2016

Paddy's MoreUnited lesson from non league football

Paddy Ashdown - along with several other Westminster luvvies - have launched MoreUnited a 'new movement setting out to change British politics'.  Using the power of the internet and social media it will crowd fund and provide volunteers for certain candidates that agree with its rather fuzzy centrist -yet progressive - values.

Caron Lindsay on Lib Dem Voice asks some pertinent questions about this project which Paddy and his ilk need to answer quite quickly if many Lib Dems aren't to think this is just a vanity project for an out of touch elite trying to 'get with it'.

But there are also some very interesting parallels with another crowd sourcing project that set out on a similar change prospectus.  That was MyFootballClub - complete with the same annoying mid compound word capitalisation. 

In November 2007 MyFootballClub - which had recruited 32,000 online members - took over Conference side Ebbsfleet United with the stated aim of transferring decision making from the traditional management to its membership.  Teams would be chosen by an on-line vote and transfer and financial deals were similarly subject to crowd sourcing.

Wikipedia reports, however, when the membership came up for renewal people lost interest with just 9,500 renewing for a second year and by 2010, just 3,500 were left and the club was relegated from the conference.  Although they were promoted back to the conference the following season, by 2013 MyFC had sold up to actual supporters of Ebbsfleet. The 950 current remaining members now sponsor Slough Town FC.

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