ABSTRACT
The contribution that sport makes to social capital, civil society and the public realm is one of the most important political and policy interventions that have been forged over the past decade or so. Social activities, participation in designing and decision-making processes and the creation of supportive networks within and between groups are supposed to generate social capital. Sport is a site of civic engagement that can help with building a sense of community, belonging and an enlarged public realm and, in some cases, a mutual support system. The issue of ownership of sports clubs is insightful for a number of reasons, not least of which is the relatively few fan-owned or grass-roots-owned professional clubs. The organisational thinking behind increasing community ownership of sports clubs owes much to the principles of mutuality. The cooperative is but one organisational form that is based on the notion of mutuality.
