Football is a big business and a handful of millionaires now own the biggest footballing clubs in the world. Willie Duncan raises the important question of who should own and control clubs and argues that the cultural and political history of Barcelona FC presents an alternative which can involve the fans in the ownership of their team. 

On May 27 2009, in one of the world's most romantic Cities, the world's most romanticised football club enjoyed the finest hour of its long, illustrious history. As FC Barcelona's players accepted the applause of their adoring fans in Rome, the magnitude of what they had achieved in footballing terms began to sink in. They had just become the first Spanish club in history to win all 3 major honours in one season - the UEFA Champions League, the Spanish League Championship and the Spanish Cup - scoring an incredible 156 goals on the way. Although there is no doubting that the "Class of 2009" is a special footballing side, to many in Spain, particularly in Catalonia, they are much more than that. FC Barcelona (FCB), are regarded by many to be one of the most important cultural, social and political institutions in Spain today. Indeed, the club's motto proudly boasts that FCB are "Mes Que Un Club" - more than a club. What is it about FCB, though, that makes them "Mes Que Un Club"?

One of the most distinguishing features, whilst not entirely unique, of FCB is the club's ownership structure. FCB has over 150,000 members, known as "socios", who all pay a relatively small amount of money and, in return, are granted part ownership of the football club. Whilst it is easy to pour scorn on such a structure, the individuals genuinely believe that they have a significant say in the way that FCB is run. In turn, FCB aim to keep ticket costs low to reward the socios. As a consequence of this structure, FCB is regarded as one of the most democratic, accountable clubs in the football world. For example, the current FCB President was elected to the position for a 5 year term during a campaign which bore close resemblance to a full-scale General Election. There are live, televised debates between Presidential candidates and, in fact, candidates pay for television commercials to support their candidacy so seriously is such an election taken. If the socios are unhappy with a president mid-term, there is an opportunity to have he or she replaced. In fact, in the summer of 2008, FCB President Joan Laporta faced a no confidence vote but the socios fell just short of the 66% required to force an election. Despite that, no fewer than 8 FCB directors felt that they should resign and that was down to pressure from the socios.

Another aspect of FCB's business that makes them stand apart from most of the footballing world is their attitude towards shirt sponsorship. Whilst most clubs are paid vast amounts by local or international companies to have their name emblazoned on the club shirt, FCB is different. From their foundation in 1899, FCB continuously rejected the overtures of sponsors believing that no organisation was "worthy" of being associated with FCB. That changed in 2006 but even when FCB agreed to its first shirt sponsor, it was a unique agreement. In July 2006, FCB agreed a deal with UNICEF that will see the Catalan club donate $1.9bn (US) over 5 years which has been earmarked for use in support for development programs and the UN Millenium Goals project. Additionally, as part of the agreement, FCB will donate $1.5m (US) per year to UNICEF - thus FCB are, in fact, paying UNICEF to sponsor FCB.

However, what is clear is that it is the history of FCB more than any other factor which gives the belief to its members that it is "Mes Que Un Club". To its members, FCB is a symbol of freedom for Catalans. FCB's stadium, the Nou Camp, was seen as a centre of resistance to the brutal Franco regime. It was a venue where Catalans could speak out against Franco and be assured of safety in numbers and, as such, in the 1930s, FCB became a primary opponent of anti-Catalan legislation. Just one month after the start of the Spanish Civil War, FCB president Josep Sunyol, a left wing figure, was murdered by Franco's soldiers and in 1938, the club offices were bombed by fascists. Soon afterwards, the club was under fascist control and the club, suffering from a diminishing membership, was in turmoil.

After the Spanish Civil War ended, the Catalan language and flag was banned. As a result, the club was forcibly renamed Club de Futbol Barcelona and the Catalan flag was removed from the club badge. The badge and name were eventually restored in 1974.

Inspite of these difficulties, FCB's supporters offered small, defiant gestures of resistance. One such example was when fans left the stadium on foot and refused to catch trams in solidarity with a tram strike taking place in Barcelona. For reasons such as this, FCB is widely regarded by many progressive Spaniards as a staunch defender of freedoms and civil rights.

By no stretch of the imagination are FCB a beacon of revolution in a footballing world dominated by capitalists. Football is big business and FCB are no exception. For example, FCB are official partners with many multi-national conglomerates such as Nike and Coca Cola - names which raise moral and ethical questions. However, inspite of that, when you consider the democratic structures in place, FCB certainly compares favourably to other large football clubs like AC Milan (Silvio Berlusconi), Chelsea (Roman Abramovic) and Manchester United (Malcolm Glazer) with their unaccountable owners. When you consider this, added to FCB's unique attitude to shirt sponsorship and remarkable anti-fascist history, it is no surprise that many regard FCB as a left-leaning football club. Even less surprising is that the fans regard FCB as Mes Que Un Club.

When considering the importance of FCB as a social and political establishment, we should remember that the history of FCB provides an important, positive and progressive message that should not be overlooked purely because it has come from the world of sport.