Are our football clubs too important to be left in the hands of private individuals?
Vladimir Romanov's interest in Hearts seems to be on the wane, while David Murray's stewardship of Rangers has left the Ibrox club facing a highly uncertain future.
Has the time come for a new form of ownership to ensure the survival of what are effectively community institutions?
Giovanni di Stefano (left) got involved in Dundee before the club suffered financial problems
Placed in administration twice, after ambitions spiralled out of control, the Dens Park club's fans have now taken matters into their own hands to ensure their future with supporter ownership.
Perhaps it's time for fans at other clubs, and also government, to recognise the unique place football clubs occupy in their communities?
At Motherwell and St Mirren, moves are in place to ensure a different type of ownership to that which has gone before.
Less reliance on the eccentricities, limited attention spans, wealth and whims of rich individuals may well be a good thing.
It might ensure that clubs live within their means, adopt realistic ambitions and more importantly, actually have a future.
More supporter involvement would also end the nauseating and immature sight of some fans baying for a rich owner to put more money into "Their Club".
There have been many good, benevolent and prudent owners of clubs over the years, but they have been more than matched by owners who have led their clubs to the brink of oblivion.
In the current economic climate, maybe it's time for new realism to take hold.
If it doesn't, we may soon find that some clubs are beyond saving.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jimspence/2011/11/is_it_time_for_fans_to_take_co.html
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