Michael Brady, Chairman of Bede Gaming and The Conexus Group, has launched a new football-focused social enterprise alongside former BBC football journalist Will Brooks. The initiative, called FC100,000, offers a novel approach to club ownership by inviting up to 100,000 fans to collectively support and influence the operations of an English football club.
The model follows a £5 monthly subscription format, through which fans will gain a voice in key decisions, such as ticket pricing and matchday experiences. Taking inspiration from Germany’s 50+1 rule, FC100,000 will adopt a fan-first governance model where decision-making is shared between supporters and an experienced executive board.
Brady will oversee club operations, working closely with a team of industry experts that includes individuals with Premier League and Football League experience. The initiative is designed to prioritise long-term sustainability and community engagement over short-term commercial objectives.
Supporters will access exclusive content and participate in club decisions via a dedicated app, which also serves as a communication hub between the fan base and the club’s leadership.
FC100,000 marks a new direction in football governance in the UK, combining technology, community input, and experienced oversight to create a transparent and participatory ownership structure.
Michael Brady, Bede Gaming chairman: ‘I am excited to launch this social enterprise and hope to introduce a new ownership model for football in the UK. The project depends on us attracting thousands of subscribers to the FC100,000 campaign.
The gaming community has repeatedly proven itself to be a positive force for change, and I would appreciate the support of my network.
Please sign up, tell everybody you know, and, importantly, contact us if you can support our quest to attract 100,000 global subscribers to FC100,000. If we can achieve our subscriber target in the next few months, there will be countless sponsorship opportunities, and I’d like to speak to anybody who thinks they can help.”
