5 February 2011 - Presto, He's Gone

On 5 February 2011, Ebbsfleet goalkeeper Preston Edwards became an internet sensation after getting sent off in a match after just ten seconds.

Ebbsfleet, who were sitting in second place in the Conference South table, were at fourth-placed Farnsborough, whom they had beaten 2-1 earlier that season. The visitors kicked off and promptly sent the ball down to their left back, who--under pressure from a Farnsborough player after a failed clearance--tried to pass it back to Edwards. But the pass was too slow, allowing another Farnsborough player to get to it instead.

In order to prevent the goal, Edwards brought the attacker down in the box, resulting in a straight red--the fastest ejection in history for a goalkeeper. With no substitute keeper on the bench, Ebbsfleet were forced to replace him in goal with midfielder Tom Phipps, who made a valiant effort, but failed to stop the ensuing penalty kick. It was the first goal toward the final score of 3-0 for Farnsborough.

Video of the incident went viral soon afterward, making Edwards an overnight celebrity. Speaking to BBC Radio Kent, he said "I'd like to be known for better, different reasons, but it's happened. I've got to take it on the chin. At least I've got something in history." He ultimately got payback, however, as Ebbsfleet beat Farnsborough at the end of the season in the promotion playoffs, earning a spot in the Conference National.

23 January 2008 - Football By The People, For The People

On 23 January 2008, the members of MyFootballClub--an online community of football supporters--voted to approve the purchase of Ebbsfleet United, thus becoming the first internet-based group to own a football club.

The brainchild of former football journalist Will Brooks, MyFootballClub ("MyFC" for short) launched on 26 April 2007 for the express purpose of purchasing a club. With an annual membership fee of £35, Brooks estimated that it would take 50,000 members to generate enough revenue to launch a takeover bid for a club. They quickly reached that number, with over 53,000 members by the end of July. The membership is multinational, coming from over 70 countries.

A number of clubs approached MyFC for a purchase deal, including Halifax Town, Mansfield Town, and Leigh RMI. But on 13 November 2007, MyFC announced that they had agreed in principle to purchase fifth-tier Ebbsfleet United for the price of £635,000. The purchase was put to the MyFC members for a vote in January 2008. Although only 50% of the votes were required to approve the purchase (with no quorum requirement), 17,368 members out of 18,112 participating voters favored the sale--an approval rate of 95.89%.

Initially, all club decisions, including sales, purchases, contracts, and even team selection, were decided by majority vote of the MyFC members, but the group later voted to leave team selection to the manager. The format appeared to work, as Ebbsfleet went on to win the 2008 FA Trophy in May. The club struggled in 2008-09, however, and were relegated in 2010 and have since bounced between the Conference Premier and Conference South.

Suffering from declining membership and increasing debts, MyFC sold their interest in Ebbsfleet in May 2013. They do not currently own a team, but do sponsor Slough Town FC.

Since MyFC launched, similar groups have formed, both in the UK and elsewhere.

5 February 2011 - Presto, He's Gone

On 5 February 2011, Ebbsfleet goalkeeper Preston Edwards became an internet sensation after getting sent off in a match after just ten seconds.

Ebbsfleet, who were sitting in second place in the Conference South table, were at fourth-placed Farnsborough, whom they had beaten 2-1 earlier that season. The visitors kicked off and promptly sent the ball down to their left back, who--under pressure from a Farnsborough player after a failed clearance--tried to pass it back to Edwards. But the pass was too slow, allowing another Farnsborough player to get to it instead.

In order to prevent the goal, Edwards brought the attacker down in the box, resulting in a straight red--the fastest ejection in history for a goalkeeper. With no substitute keeper on the bench, Ebbsfleet were forced to replace him in goal with midfielder Tom Phipps, who made a valiant effort, but failed to stop the ensuing penalty kick. It was the first goal toward the final score of 3-0 for Farnsborough.

Video of the incident went viral soon afterward, making Edwards an overnight celebrity. Speaking to BBC Radio Kent, he said "I'd like to be known for better, different reasons, but it's happened. I've got to take it on the chin. At least I've got something in history." He ultimately got payback, however, as Ebbsfleet beat Farnsborough at the end of the season in the promotion playoffs, earning a spot in the Conference National.

23 January 2008 - Football By The People, For The People

On 23 January 2008, the members of MyFootballClub--an online community of football supporters--voted to approve the purchase of Ebbsfleet United, thus becoming the first internet-based group to own a football club.

The brainchild of former football journalist Will Brooks, MyFootballClub ("MyFC" for short) launched on 26 April 2007 for the express purpose of purchasing a club. With an annual membership fee of £35, Brooks estimated that it would take 50,000 members to generate enough revenue to launch a takeover bid for a club. They quickly reached that number, with over 53,000 members by the end of July. The membership is multinational, coming from over 70 countries.

A number of clubs approached MyFC for a purchase deal, including Halifax Town, Mansfield Town, and Leigh RMI. But on 13 November 2007, MyFC announced that they had agreed in principle to purchase fifth-tier Ebbsfleet United for the price of £635,000. The purchase was put to the MyFC members for a vote in January 2008. Although only 50% of the votes were required to approve the purchase (with no quorum requirement), 17,368 members out of 18,112 participating voters favored the sale--an approval rate of 95.89%.

Initially, all club decisions, including sales, purchases, contracts, and even team selection, were decided by majority vote of the MyFC members, but the group later voted to leave team selection to the manager. The format appeared to work, as Ebbsfleet went on to win the 2008 FA Trophy in May. The club struggled in 2008-09, however, and is currently sitting in the relegation zone.

Since MyFC launched, similar groups have formed, both in the UK and elsewhere.