The management and supporters of Stationery Stores FC have finalized plans for the establishment of Nigeria’s first supporters’ co-operative.
The co-operative, which will be open to every Stores supporter, will be owned and managed on a ‘one-member one-vote’ basis and will represent the interests of supporters within the club, fundraising to develop new infrastructure and working towards acquiring a share of ownership of the club.
Football supporters globally have a voice within their clubs through formally organized vehicles and Stores are intent to bringing this level of organization to Nigerian football to empower their loyal fans and improve the fortunes of the club. As its first project, the co-operative will raise funds to develop training facilities and a Stores academy.
The Flaming Flamingos have a proud tradition as pioneers in the Nigerian game and this project will establish a revolutionary new vehicle that will become a model for the football landscape in Nigeria. The project supports the LMC’s wider efforts to introduce community ownership into Nigerian football and will provide a blueprint for other clubs to follow.
Stores Chairman Adetilewa Adebajo has committed to providing a seat on the club’s board to the co-operative and to supporting the long-term aims of the supporters to take a share of ownership of the club.
The project is being coordinated by Sandlanders Football – currently working on similar projects in 10 African countries – with support from Nigeria’s Island Sports under a Memorandum of Understanding entered into with the club. Sandlanders works in partnership with Supporters Direct, an organization funded by the English Premier League and UEFA to represent the interests of supporters in Europe whose work has resulted in over $50m of new investment into football.
Supporters interested in joining the co-operative are invited to register their interest on the official Stores supporters Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/flamingtrust Corporate partners will also be sought to work with the supporters to restore one of Nigeria’s finest clubs to the top of the game.
Stationery Stores Chairman Adetilewa Adebajo, said “The Sandlanders affiliation provides us with the right platform and optimal structure to organize our fan base in line with global best practice. The affiliation will also enhance our sponsorship, branding and funding initiatives; enabling us to pioneer a viable and sustainable business model for running football in Nigeria.”
Sandlanders Football Director, Paul Jones, said: “We are incredibly excited to be working with a club with the history and stature of Stationery Stores. Internationally, supporters have a significant role to play in the development of their clubs and there is huge potential for supporters in Lagos to do the same. In Munich, over 200,000 registered members have made Bayern the club it is today. In Barcelona, 180,000 members have done the same and closer to home, Africa’s most successful football clubs are supporter-owned. We want this success to be replicated in Nigeria and Stores is the perfect club to lead the charge. A football club is nothing without its fans and we urge supporters to become a part of this initiative by joining the co-operative.”
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