Community ownership is

Bath City Bid Team member Simon Tapscott believes that community-owned football clubs are regarded as the future of football and that Bath City FC can benefit from it.

Tapscott, the Media, Marketing and Community Engagement Advisor for the Big Bath City Bid, is certain that Bath City being ran by the supporters is best for the club.

"I think community ownership is regarded as the future of football, there are some great examples of community ownership at places like Portsmouth, AFC Wimbledon and FC United of Manchester.

"Bath does a lot of things brilliantly. It has a world class rugby club, fantastic technology and creative sectors - but the football club has become a forgotten wisper in Bath.

"What we want to do is raise awareness of what we are trying to do and sell a dream of what a world class community-owned football club could be like and how the people of Bath could benefit from that.

"At the moment there are some very hard-working, committed, loyal directors who are doing their best for the club, but we think it can survive and thrive under community ownership and that really is about listening to how the football club can serve the community, and respond accordingly.

"We think that the football club is most likely to succeed and eventually get into the Football League through a democratically elected community ownership.

"Community ownership means that the strategy for the club will be set out by the community through a democratic process so ultimately the long-term strategy for the club will come from that."