JOHOR BAHARU: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) Foundation, which will be officially launched in September, will set another landmark of football development in the country.
JDT Foundation Board of Trustee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad said it would give opportunity for JDT fans to actually have a “say” in the football club through proper ownership.
Citing what has been done by European football clubs such as Valencia and Barcelona, he said the fans there actually “owned” the football clubs.
“We should be proposing membership fees but we have yet to decide on the mechanism as well as fees.
“It could be like offering equity kind of ownership or probably through donations,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Apart from that, the funds or income raised through the foundation, could be a reserve funds for the club in the long run, Hasni said.
“After receiving certificate from the Registrar of Companies (ROC), we will be able to embark on business ventures like in creative industry as well as services to generate income,” he added.
He said JDT patron Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim wanted the foundation to be the platform for JDT supporters to be more involved with the team in terms of the team’s future and the development of JDT football programmes.
“The foundation will also be looking at welfare of former sportsmen who have been contributing to the state’s sports development not only in football but also in other sports,” Hasni added.
For a start, about RM1.5 million has been collected from sponsors as well as individuals to kick-off the foundation activities.
Based on Johor Southern Tigers Facebook which have more than 1.5 million followers, the number would definitely help in contributing to the foundation, Hasni said.
“JDT is already a well-known brand in the country as well as the region. We are confident that it can help in strenghtening JDT Foundation and make it a success,” he said. -- BERNAMA