Most people accept that investing in football clubs is akin to building a bonfire of ten pound notes and lighting it. Wages are massively out of sync with income and relegation can be crippling for some clubs, such as Portsmouth.
So why do people do it? For foreign owners it’s a hobby.
But for local business-backed groups and fans, it’s because the football club makes a difference to their community. Fans have rescued the previously defunct Chester City FC because, if run properly, a successful football club can bring in fans, complete with cash, create a sense of pride in the area and create a building block from which local businesses can grow.
And while rebuildingsociety.com isn’t advocating spending cash on local football teams (unless you’ve got very deep pockets and skin just as thick), the principle of supporting local businesses remains.
In addition to the average gross yield of 8.4%, helping a local restaurant or factory grow is rewarding because it can lead to the employment of local people, bringing money into the local economy, and, if we’re really lucky in 2012, an increase in value of our homes because as the area becomes a more and more desirable place to live.
rebuildingsociety.com is connecting local businesses looking for competitively priced finance with lenders looking to make a bigger return than those offered by the high street banks, whilst simultaneously adding value to their community.
