Since 1979, the year that the legal framework for the transformation of football clubs to private limited companies was decided, there has been a constant decrease in stadium attendance and a constant decrease in the interest and active participation fans show towards their club.

The presence of a major shareholder at a football club, owner of more than 51% of the shares, whose main goal is to earn money from football through business activity, has led the private limited companies to a dead-end of income from their fans. The reason is that the major shareholder, always has the main responsibility of the strategic options and determines the financial policy of the club, according to his own needs and priorities.

It has been largely observed that, due to financial problems, the fans tend to lose their interest in the club administration, fairly blaming the major shareholder and getting alienated from the club. A justified reaction, yet in that way the fans condemn their club in financial and competitive decline as they do not offer the financial resources that would make the club competitive. For, the main 'customers' of the club, the people who finance the club and make it attractive to sponsors and the TV, are the fans.

2006: For the past 26 years ARIS has been one of the classic cases of this reality. ARIS, one of the greatest clubs in history, fans and achievements, over the last years has experience in the worst way the results of the administration by people without experience, with no clear and clarified goals or specific business plan, people who indebted the club in more than 20 million Euros.

Towards the fear of the financial destructions, the fans of ARIS, put aside the business logic and with self-sacrifice, using the spirit of all the devoted ARIS fans, decided to act. With the interference of ARIS AC the club went into administration (one step before bankruptcy). Taking advantage of a state law and by constant financial support, the fans of ARIS managed to save the club from the coming disaster and obliviation.

The financial contribution of ARIS fans has been a repeated action. Despite the touching interest, the fans of ARIS were not willing to give their money to the people responsible for the dead-ends, the major shareholders. The fans of ARIS rightfully demanded to be able to ensure their financial contribution, by having voice and owning shares. They were hoping to have a say in the election of the administration and the way the club is managed, not to ensure the interest of the owners but to achieve their own expectations and fulfill their own dream.

Now is the time for ARIS and Greek football to re-evaluate the role of the football clubs and their relation with the society, their fans and entepreneurship.

ARIS members Society answer to the request of a member owned football club, a request in line with the modern vision of football, that offers to all stakeholders a decisive role. ARIS members Society is a point of reference in Greece concerning the participation of fans in electing the administration of a football club, the participation in the decision making process and the answering of the administrations to the people.

Business activity should not be in conflict with the society and the fans' demands. Meanwhile, values and practices of the "active fan" must be applied in football as in every other business.

Therefore, modern football marketing and management practices that are rarely applied by the major shareholders demand::

· Encouragement of fan participation in the administration of their club.
· Transparency and answering of the administrations to their fans, regarding the financial status of the club.
· Application of a financial policy for tickets affordable by everyone.
· Encouragement and promotion of market policies that will reflect and express at the same time both the needs of the fans and the market goals.
· Promotion of football players as social role-models in terms of behavior and sportsmanship.
· Elimination of violence, fight against xenophobia and the return of the families and children to the stadiums.