The Indie:
Confirmation that the internet-based fans' consortium MyFootballClub has agreed to buy a professional club, Ebbsfleet United, in an unprecedented venture that will see consortium members pick the team, was greeted with a predictable mixture of glee and derision yesterday - and with curiosity so great that it caused two websites to go into meltdown.
After The Independent exclusively broke the story that MyFC would announce the name of its new club, organisers confirmed they had agreed to buy a controlling stake in Ebbsfleet, who are currently ninth in the Blue Square Premier.
The story immediately became the main item on the BBC Sport website, attracting more than 600,000 hits by mid-afternoon. Ebbsfleet's own website crashed mid-morning, due to demand for news. "As you can appreciate, this website has been inundated with traffic," a statement said. It was still down last night. The MyFC website - where fans can register as members for a £35 annual fee, to boost a kitty standing at more than £700,000 - crashed later in the day, limiting functionality.
The announcement that Ebbsfleet could be fully controlled within a month by previously unaffiliated fans drew criticism from Supporters' Direct, even though the club's Supporters' Trust backs the move. Kevin Rye, SD's spokesman, said: "This might be seen as a one-off gimmick and harmless enough by many, however this is a real club, these are real finances and real fans. What happens if the novelty starts to wear off?"
Ebbsfleet's chairman, Jason Botley, said: "We are united in believing this is a great opportunity. This extra finance and support will enable our club to progress." His manager, Liam Daish, also backed the plan, even though control of team selection will be taken from his hands.