105x68 Power

Chapter 1 – Ownership Models & Ultimate PowerCore question:Who ultimately holds power in a football club, and why does that override everything else?Episode 7 - Public Companies & Listed ClubsWhat really happens when a football club goes public?In this episode, we explore public companies and listed football clubs, where ownership is fragmented, shares are traded on stock markets, and power appears open, transparent, and democratic. But is it?We break down what a listed club actually is, why clubs choose to go public, and how market logic reshapes governance without ever truly governing football. From the myth of shareholder democracy to the reality of majority control, from transparency obligations to the hidden costs of disclosure, we examine how markets finance clubs without taking responsibility for sporting outcomes.This is an episode about financialisation without accountability, about disclosure replacing decision-making, and about the structural tension between football’s need for speed, secrecy, and intuition—and the market’s demand for clarity, process, and explanation.A deep dive into power that looks public, but rarely is.And a closing question that cuts to the core:Can elite football still compete at football speed when it has to operate at market speed?

Chapter 1 – Ownership Models & Ultimate PowerCore question:Who ultimately holds power in a football club, and why does that override everything else?Episode 6 - Corporate Groups and Holding StructuresIn this episode we unpack corporate groups and holding structures in modern football, where the club is no longer the top of its own pyramid. We explore how “vertical control” works, why a holding doesn’t need multiple football clubs to behave like one, and how group-level boards, budgets, and risk tolerance quietly reshape sporting decisions. A deep look at power as architecture: stability and professionalisation on one side, loss of autonomy and identity tension on the other, ending with one question: can a club keep its meaning when authority sits above it?

Chapter 1 – Ownership Models & Ultimate PowerCore question:Who ultimately holds power in a football club, and why does that override everything else?Episode 5 - One-Man Ownership: Speed, Risk, DependencyWhen one person holds all the power, football clubs can move faster than any institution. This episode explores how one-man ownership delivers speed and risk tolerance, but also builds deep dependency and structural vulnerability. A neutral, system-level look at why football keeps returning to this model despite its costs.

Chapter 1 – Ownership Models & Ultimate PowerCore question: Who ultimately holds power in a football club, and why does that override everything else?Episode 4 - Why Own a Club? (Part 3)Power, Identity, and Non-Financial ReturnsIn the final episode of the series, we focus on the structural consequences of non-financial ownership motivations.We explore how football clubs can function as proxy power spaces within families and organizations, why opportunity allocation and authority placement behave differently in football than in other industries, and how the sport tolerates control without technical competence. We then consolidate all previous insights into a clear framework of non-financial returns: visibility, legitimacy, access, influence, identity control, and historical imprint.The episode closes by reframing the ownership question itself and setting up the next chapter of the podcast: what happens when all this power is concentrated in one individual.

Chapter 1 – Ownership Models & Ultimate PowerCore question: Who ultimately holds power in a football club, and why does that override everything else?Episode 3 - Why Own a Club? (Part 2)Power, Identity, and Non-Financial ReturnsIn the second part of this series, we expand the lens from social positioning to political, strategic, and entertainment dynamics.We look at how football ownership generates political capital without formal authority, how clubs operate as soft-power and geopolitical tools, and why concepts like sportwashing are structurally effective rather than accidental. We then shift to football as show business, comparing clubs to entertainment IP, media platforms, motorsport assets, and U.S. franchise sports, where scarcity and emotional demand drive long-term value.This episode explains why football attracts global capital despite weak financial logic, and how clubs become strategic assets rather than commercial ones.

Chapter 1 – Ownership Models & Ultimate PowerCore question: Who ultimately holds power in a football club, and why does that override everything else?Episode 2 - Why Own a Club? (Part 1)Power, Identity, and Non-Financial ReturnsWhy would anyone own a football club when most of them lose money?In this first episode, we move beyond the naïve idea of football ownership as a financial investment and reframe it as a power instrument. We examine why profit is rarely the primary motivation, how football converts private capital into public influence, and why clubs function as powerful generators of status, visibility, and identity.We also explore how stadiums, VIP areas, and hospitality spaces operate as elite social platforms, and how ownership allows individuals to embed themselves into collective identity and legacy structures that far outlast balance sheets.This episode sets the foundation: football clubs are not owned because they make money, but because they produce leverage that few other assets can offer.

Chapter 1 – Ownership Models & Ultimate PowerCore question:Who ultimately holds power in a football club, and why does that override everything else?Episode 1 – What Does Ownership Really Mean?Ownership is one of the most frequently used words in football, and one of the least defined.This episode explores what ownership actually means inside a club, beyond money, visibility, or personality.It looks at ownership as ultimate authority, as the layer that defines boundaries, absorbs risk, and controls time.Rather than focusing on individuals or outcomes, the episode examines how ownership shapes executive behavior, governance, decision processes, and, ultimately, what happens on the pitch.This is the starting point for understanding clubs as systems of power, not as stories.

This introductory episode explains what 105x68 Power is, why it exists, and how listeners should engage with the project.