Bath City fans raise £300,000 to take control of club

Bath City's football fans have succeeded in raising £300,000 to take a majority stake in the club and control how it's run.

It will now become a community-owned asset, similar to that of European giants Barcelona.

A crowdfunding scheme for supporters to buy shares reached its target last night, two days before the deadline.

It's hoped the successful 'Big Bath City Bid', which was backed by Manchester United legend Eric Cantona and film director Ken Loach, will put the club on a sounder financial footing.

There are a total of 500,000 shares at Bath City. Over the next few weeks the money will be used to buy a majority stake for the club's supporters, who currently own 87,805 shares.

In the meantime, six new directors will be appointed to run the club - who will be held accountable by the fans.