Ebbsfleet update

So far, so good in my co-ownership adventure of the fledgling football/soccer team in Kent, England. Since becoming member No. 28,642, I have voted “yes” to coach Liam’s question about whether he can continue bringing in players on loan as well as extend several players’ contracts. Also, as a co-owner, I am now entitled to watch the rest of Ebbsfleet United’s recorded matches for free on http://myfootballclub.co.uk/, which will help me become more familiar with the players’ strengths and especially come in handy when I need to vote on transfers. Finally, I have subscribed to the club’s podcasts. There are eight so far, and you don’t need to be a member to listen to them: go to iTunes and search for “myfootballclub” in the iTunes Store.

I own a soccer team in England

I became a fan of soccer/football/footie/futbol when I lived in Manchester, England, for a year. That explains how I became a fan of Manchester United, a.k.a. the “Evil Empire” on the other side of the pond. But since then, Becks has gone from Mad-chester to Madrid to simply mad (Hollywood), and the days of Man U’s European treble are long gone.

Therefore, I needed a new English football team to follow, and I think I’ve found it in Ebbsfleet United.

Who?

The club isn’t part of the elite Premier League, in which Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea play. It’s also not part of the first-tier division, or the Football League Championship, which itself contains three divisions. Ebbsfleet United, in turns out, competes below those two divisions in what is called “non-League football” (if you’re just as confused as I am, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_football_league_system for a tutorial). In other words, they’re at the top of the bottom.

So why support Ebbsfleet United? Because I now co-own the team.