Hednesford Town fans will have 'final say’ on potential app takeover

OWNA Football Club, which describes itself as a ‘worldwide community of football fans’, is hoping to take control of the Pitmen, who were put up for sale by owner Steve Price last year.

A vote is due to take place tonight among OWNAFC’s 3,500-plus members – who have paid a one-off of £49 to have their say on new signings as well as hiring and firing staff from their mobile phones – to decide if the Keys Park side are a club they wish to continue to pursue.

And if they give it the green light, app founder Stuart Harvey then wants the long-term supporters of 139-year-old club to have the final say.

“If we get the vote in favour, it’d be for Hednesford to ask their fans to decide, or decide directly themselves,” said Harvey.

“I see Hednesford as perfect for our concept, but it would be up to the club to have the final say.”

But Harvey insists Hednesford, who play three tiers below the Football League in the Northern Premier League, are one of a number of teams OWNAFC are in discussions with.

“A few clubs have contacted me for a discussion, even a club from overseas,” he said.

“Hednesford is on the list of the clubs... but we’re still miles away from a deal with them.”

Scott Smith, who supported the Pitmen for more than 25 years, said the takeover would be "disastrous" for the club.

A similar experiment at Ebbsfleet United was unsuccessful, heightening fears among fans.

He said: “This isn’t a model that is sustainable, no matter what one person says. It is something that has been done before and ultimately failed.

“We may only have a core of 350 people but Hednesford Town means everything to those people. It is the lifeblood of the community”

On its website, OWNAFC claims: “OWNAFC offers you the once-in-a-lifetime chance to be at the forefront of a whole new generation of football club owners.

“Become an OWNA, take charge of a real-life football club, and taste the glory of the game at first hand. This is your unique opportunity to be a part of the biggest revolution in football since the dawn of the Sky Sports era in 1992.”

Supporters Direct and the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) have expressed deep concerns about the potential takeover though.

But Harvey has urged people not to write OWNAFC off without giving them a chance.

“I’m a little bit disappointed in Supporters Direct and the FSF. We’ve continually reached out to Supporters’ Direct, but they’ve never taken us seriously,” he added.

“We’d be putting rationality into football by allowing like-minded football fans to have a say.

“We’re all for volunteers and staff. I’d want it to be 100 per cent community-based, but there are not enough people in these towns, so you have to take it nationally and internationally.

“We want to create a community hub. If people don’t embrace technology, you’re going to get left behind.”