Founder takes fight to Dentons and Commisso — determined to reclaim football for its true owners.
(YourDigitalWall Editorial):- New York City, New York Jul 1, 2025 (Issuewire.com) – Scott “Matchmaker” Michaels, Founder of Football Is For The Fans Ltd, today responded to a legal notice sent by Dentons LLP on behalf of Rocco Commisso and Cosmos Soccer LLC concerning the NY Cosmos 1970 fan-driven project.
“NY Cosmos 1970 is a grassroots initiative built to honour the legacy of the original Cosmos,” Michaels said. “We’re going under our own banner — NY Cosmos 1970 — a tribute to the year the Cosmos launched and the legendary number 10 who embodied its spirit. Every trademark registration and cancellation we’ve pursued is lawful, justified, and supported by real-world use. Our revival of the NY Cosmos name is fair and proper — you can’t silence a club built by its supporters.”
Challenging UK Trademarks
Football Is For The Fans Ltd has already challenged five UK trademarks:
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UK00909540031 — Class 25
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UK00909540031 — Class 41
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UK00913955026 — Class 25
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UK00002304070 — Class 25
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UK00909540238 — Class 41
And lodged revocation applications against UK Trade Marks at the UK Intellectual Property Office on grounds of non-use. According to Football Is For The Fans, they have also secured multiple international trademark applications to protect their Cosmos identity across the UK, EU, and US — filing through the UKIPO, the Madrid Protocol, and the USPTO under classes 025, 041, and 035.
Fan-Driven Support and Funding
Michaels noted that Football Is For The Fans Ltd has already attracted 25 grassroots investors on Wefunder in just a few short weeks.
“Our investors believe in this project,” Michaels continued. “Wefunder was built to empower fan-driven movements like ours — we appreciate their commitment to seeing this campaign proceed fairly.”
A Transparent Fight for Football Tradition
While acknowledging receipt of Dentons’ notice, Michaels confirmed that all actions to date have been transparent and properly documented.
“Our focus is returning football to the people who care most,” Michaels added. “That’s why this initiative exists — to give supporters a voice and continue the NY Cosmos tradition. To that end, we have formally placed Dentons — representing Rocco Commisso and Cosmos Soccer LLC — on notice to withdraw their objection to our Wefunder campaign within seven days so we can resolve this matter without further escalation. Our priority is the fans, not legal distractions.”
“Honestly, I don’t know why Rocco Commisso is trying to block our grassroots startup,” Michaels continued. “This is the same billionaire who recently sued U.S. Soccer over anti-competitive practices — yet now he’s using lawyers to challenge a fan-led revival built on fair play and football tradition. That kind of contradiction is exactly what supporters have had enough of.”
A Commitment to Fight On
“I am representing myself in this matter. Dentons knows where to reach me if they wish to discuss this further,” Michaels said, noting that all correspondence will be preserved as part of a full and factual record if further action is required.
About Football Is For The Fans Ltd
Football Is For The Fans Ltd is a grassroots movement and commercial vehicle for fan-driven football projects like NY Cosmos 1970, dedicated to preserving football’s traditions and putting supporters first.
“You can’t silence a club built by its supporters.” — Scott “Matchmaker” Michaels
Media Contact:
Scott Michaels
Media Contact
Football Is For The Fans Inc
07817623944
Football Is For The Fans, Inc. 701 Tillery Street, Unit 12-3057 Austin, Texas 78702 United States
This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.
