Website MyFootballClub has achieved its target of recruiting 50,000 fans, only 3 months after launching its bid to take over a football club.
4 clubs have already approached the website, which will now collect £35 from each member towards a £1.4 million takeover fund to buy a club.
Members will have the right to vote on all major decisions affecting the club.
"There was much takeover talk however this has caught the fans' imagination," creator Would Brooks informed BBC Sport.
"The website got over £100,000 in 6 hours."
Currently, Leeds is the club members would most like to take over, followed by Cambridge United, Nottingham Forest, Accrington Stanley, Barnet and Brighton.
After reaching the milestone of 50,000 members, Brooks has now set his sights on surpassing FC Barcelona's 155,000 membership base.
Brooks added, "In 3 months, over 50,000 have registered with MyFootballClub and now hundreds are becoming members every day. In time, we would match FC Barcelona's 155,000 owners."
4 clubs, from the Football League and the Conference, were in touch with Brooks to explore the possibility of being taken over by the website.
"To be in a position where clubs are now coming to us is quite an endorsement," mentioned Brooks.
"A new fan base of tens of thousands will greatly enhance the club's prospects.
"On top of money from the MyFootballClub members, there will also be a significant boost in ticket and merchandise sales, as well as the possible for more lucrative sponsorship and television deals."
FC Barcelona's fans vote on who will be the club's president every 4 years however Brooks' vision for any club taken over by MyFootballClub offers supporters a more radical model of involvement.
"The football club will be run in an extremely prudent manner, with all the requisite personnel and expertise at every level," he revealed.
"Club employees will brief members and all major decisions, on and off the pitch, will be put to the members' vote."
Over the last 3 months the website has negotiated a sponsorship deal with EA Sports and brought in former Fulham managing director Michael Fiddy to provide legal advice.
The Financial Services Authority has also approved the setting up of the MyFootballClub Trust to safeguard members' interests.
"Members will own the football club through the MyFootballClub Trust," mentioned Brooks. "Every member has one share in the Trust and therefore one vote."
06 July 2007
Colchester United sign Leyton Orient midfielder Luke Guttridge on a free transfer, reports BBC Essex.
Guttridge, 25, played 17 times for Orient however discarded a new contract.
Colchester manager Geraint Williams informed BBC Essex, "He's a player I have been watching for a while. He's come via Cambridge and Southend. And I have always felt whenever we have come up against him he's caused us problems. He offers more competition for places in midfield which we need."
However, he left Brisbane Road in the summer after rejecting Orient's offer of a new contract.
He is the 4th new signing to join the U's this week with Teddy Sheringham, Clive Platt and Mark Yeates all agreeing contracts at Layer Road.
29 June 2007
Tottenham sign England forward Darren Bent from Charlton for a club record £16.5 million.
Bent, 23, passed a medical Thursday and signed a deal for up to 6 years with the transfer fee being paid in instalments.
He said, "Tottenham have a lot of young English players and it is a young squad, it is a team going forward and that is the direction I would like to take. It is exciting times for me and Spurs and hopefully I'll show what I can do."
Bent will be out to establish himself in the England team after making only 2 starts and one substitute appearance for his country.
The Cambridge born ex Ipswich player has confidence the move to Spurs will help his cause after he recently turned down a transfer to West Ham.
"It helps a lot that I know several of the lads from England internationals and I am sure they will help me settle in. They appear to be getting better and better every season and I would love to be part of that."
Spurs manager Martin Jol said, "Darren's strength is his stamina. Normally players will make runs 3 or 4 times in 45 minutes, he will do it all the time and if you manage to play balls behind the defence, he will be there. That is what I like about him. He has pace, he links play well and can see a pass, he can exploit the space and play as well. He knows Spurs is the place to be and that is something to be proud of."
Tottenham's sporting director, Damien Comolli, added, "Darren has showed fantastic motivation and wish to join the club and we are absolutely delighted to have him. He recognised we have a project here and as a player he would like to work with Martin Jol and showed that all the way. The 2 transfers we have completed so far in Darren and Gareth Bale offer us massive improvement in terms of the squad, players with good possible whose best days are in front of them."
Tottenham's previous largest transfer was the £11 million paid for Sergei Rebrov from Dynamo Kiev in the summer of 2000.
Ipswich are entitled to 20% of the profit made by Charlton on the player under a sell-on clause agreed with the Tractor Boys, meaning an initial payment of £2.58 million will be heading to Portman Road.
20 June 2007
Scunthorpe United have completed the signing of defender Izzy Iriekpen from Swansea City.
The 25 year old was out of contract at the Liberty Stadium after turning down the offer of a new one year deal with the Swans he described as "an insult".
Iriekpen signed a 2 year deal with the Iron, with the option of a 3rd year, at Glanford Park Tuesday.
He started his career with West Ham, however after loans at Leyton Orient and Cambridge he moved to Swansea in 2003.
The player made 137 appearances for the south Wales club, scoring 8 goals that included 2 in his final match.
20 June 2007
Cambridge United have applied to the FA for a tribunal to set the fee for forward Robbie Simpson's transfer to Coventry.
The U's have discarded an enhanced offer from Coventry for Simpson, 22, who is out of contract at the Abbey Stadium.
Although he has agreed to join Coventry on 1 July, Cambridge are entitled to compensation as he is under 24.
"The offer is still way off our valuation," club secretary Wayne Purser informed Cambridge's website.
"We have now applied to the FA for a date for a tribunal to set the fee."
