U S Football Investment

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TommyHutch

Well-known member
There seems to be a trend developing where people from the US are investing in football clubs in the UK. It started with the actors at Wrexham, then JJ Watt at Burnley and Tom Brady (ex New England Patriots) at Birmingham City. Perhaps scouting the US for potential investors should be added to the job spec of the recruitment team (if it isn’t already). Our history can match or beat at least two of those, if not all three. JJ Watt said on tv this morning that Americans are becoming increasingly aware of clubs over here and what they mean to their fans and towns.
 
TommyHutch said:
There seems to be a trend developing where people from the US are investing in football clubs in the UK. It started with the actors at Wrexham, then JJ Watt at Burnley and Tom Brady (ex New England Patriots) at Birmingham City. Perhaps scouting the US for potential investors should be added to the job spec of the recruitment team (if it isn’t already). Our history can match or beat at least two of those, if not all three. JJ Watt said on tv this morning that Americans are becoming increasingly aware of clubs over here and what they mean to their fans and towns.
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Started with the Actors at Wrexham,eh?

Glazier- Manchester United
George Gillette followed by Fenway - Liverpool

Etc.

Are you behind the times?
 
manchesterseasider said:
Started with the Actors at Wrexham,eh?

Glazier- Manchester United
George Gillette followed by Fenway - Liverpool

Etc.

Are you behind the times?
Click to expand...
Clearly! I’d forgotten them - but I was thinking more of the younger sportsman type rather than the money grabber who saw more in it for them than the fans.
 
A lot of this new investing is venture capital driven. Most celebrity investors coming in have a bigger investor above them, with the celebrity getting only a small share (like 1%) as an advertising fee.
 
There's US investment in, I think, half of the teams in the Premier League now. The investment seems to be coming from two distinct groups; the more business-minded types such as Boehly (Chelsea), Henry (Liverpool), and Glazers (Man Utd) as well as the more recent trend of US sports / showbiz stars like Michael B Jordan (Bournemouth), Tom Brady (Birmingham) and Ryan Reynolds and the other guy who's name escapes me at Wrexham. The showbiz investors are all, in some way, backed by others but the fact they're involved front-and-centre themselves shows a real desire to do something serious.

It seems the former group go straight for the big clubs who are already global brands whereas the latter group look for the rough diamonds / 'sleeping giants' who they can come on board at, throw money some money around and hope to climb up the leagues. It'll be interesting to see how Birmingham, an undoubtedly serial under-performing team, fare in the immediate seasons to follow now that Tom Brady and his cronies are involved, albeit at a minority level.

I'd certainly welcome a bit of the yankee dollar at Bloomfield Road, though can't imagine Simon wanting his stake diminished so soon..
 
Meanwhile, the Saudis are poaching elite footballers to its desert.
The Prem is becoming more bizarre each season.
Though lower leagues will catch up at some point. (Wrexham as e.g.)
 
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