Tuesday, 1 December 2015

Premier League's richest owners: How much is YOUR club's ownership worth?

The self proclaimed best league in the world, flushed with yet more Sky and BT TV cash, now has more money than ever

The Premier League is the playground of the rich and famous - and that's not just those on the pitch.
While the stars of the show are paid like kings those who own the clubs they play for very nearly actually are.
And with Manchester City announcing fresh investment to the tune of £265m from China there is even more money flooding into England's top flight.
China is a country under represented in the Premier League but this deal could pave the way for move investment from the far east to England's elite.
And as television deals increase almost season by season there has never been as much money in the game, or more reason to get into the Premier League...and stay there.
But which club's owner boasts the most dough?
Here are the Premier League's owners and just how much they're worth:

20. Norwich - Delia Smith/Michael Wynn Jones - £23million

Britain's most famous TV cook is a lifelong Canary and alongside husband Michael were invited to invest in the Carrow Road club in hard financial times.
A wholly positive influence on the club her interest was questioned after her infamous on-pitch "let's be having you" rant in 2005.

19. Swansea - The Morgan family - £32million

Entrepreneur Morgan and his wife launched a travel agency in 1992 and after much success sold it to Thomson seven years later.
A relatively understated owner Morgan was thrust into the limelight in January 2013 when his ballboy son, Charlie - then 17 - was kicked by Chelsea's Eden Hazard.

A general view of the Liberty Stadium

18. Everton - Bill Kenwright - £33million

Kenwright made his money as a West End theatre producer and achieved critical acclaim for high profile shows such as Blood Brothers and Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat.
He is often less acclaimed at Everton where a number of fans regularly query his lack of investment in the club and his perceived reticence in selling up to a richer benefactor.

17. West Brom - Jeremy Peace - £50million*

An established accountant, broker and banker Peace worked his way up through the business world before joining the Baggies board in 2000.
Peace was famous for the rigid structure he put in place at The Hawthorns but has softened that stance since hiring Tony Pulis, amid continued speculation he is looking to sell the club.

16. Bournemouth - Maxim Demin - £100million*

Famous for not being famous Demin is the quiet and unassuming money man behind Bournemouth's fairytale.
The Russian businessman became Cherries co-owner in 2011 and has since helped oversee a meteoric rise all the way to the Premier League.

15. Watford - Giampaolo Pozzo - £120million*

An Italian businessman Pozzo is part of the family who own three football clubs, Udinese, Granada and Watford.
Oft criticised for their use of the loan market and wheeling and dealing players between the three Pozzo has guided the Hornets back into the Premier League and a significant spend in the summer of 2015.

14. Crystal Palace - CPFC2010 - £398million

Palace are owned by a consortium of four local businessmen and Eagles fans, headed by marketing expert Steve Parish. The four fans saved Palace from administration in 2010 when they successfully took over the club after negotiating a deal with creditors.
A vocal supporter of the club Parish is a outspoken voice on all things Eagles and regularly converses with fans on social media.
He is joined in the consortium by wine expert Steve Browett, owner of Churchill Insurance Martin Long and investment expert Jeremy Hoskins, the latter two who prefer to keep low profiles. Browett is the group's main liason with fans, appearing regularly on fan-run podcast the Five Year Plan.
But the four could soon be joined on the board by American investors Josh Harris and David Blizter, who together own hockey side the New Jersey Devils and basketball team the Philadelphia 76ers. They are on the verge of a deal to buy a stake in the club.

Steve Browet

13. Aston Villa - Randy Lerner - £640million

The American entrepreneur made his way in the business world with various investment firms before being handed the Cleveland Browns NFL franchise in 2002 when his father Al died.
Four years later Lerner bought out Doug Ellis at Aston Villa for over £60million going on to help fund a period of wild success under manager Martin O'Neill.
In May 2014 Lerner announced his intention to try and sell the club but as yet has been unable to find a buyer.

Randy Lerner

12. West Ham - David Sullivan - £850million

Alongside partner in crime David Gold, Sullivan took control of West Ham in 2010 acquiring a 50% stake in the club, with Karren Brady joining as vice-chairman.
Previously famous for his porn empire Sullivan has gone to negotiate the Hammers' controversial switch to the Olympic Stadium from the start of the 2016 season.

West Ham's co-owners David Gold (L) and David Sullivan

11. Stoke City - The Coates family - £925million

Peter Coates and the Coates family rose to prominence with the rise of Bet365 but Coates himself was majority shareholder of the club before that.
In two spells as owner, notably the second, Coates has seen the establishment of Stoke as a Premier League club and a European campaign 2011-12.

10. Liverpool - John Henry - £1billion

A prolific sports franchise owner in the US, Henry and the Fenway Sports Group became household names on these shores when they took over Liverpool in 2011.
Not a stranger to controversy Henry sacked club legend Kenny Dalglish as boss in 2012 and kept Brendan Rodgers in a job this summer despite widespread calls for him to go.
Responded to Arsenal's £40,000,001 offer for Luis Suarez with the now infamous "what are they smoking" tweet.

9. Leicester - Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha - £1.4billion

The founder of CEO of King Power Duty Free, Srivaddhanaprabha bought Leicester in August 2010 following a three-year shirt sponsorship deal.
Now chairman with his son, Aiyawatt, vice-chairman he bankrolled the Foxes back into the Premier League before controversially sacking manager Nigel Pearson on the eve of the 2015/16 season.

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson with owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha

8. Southampton - Katharina Liebherr - £1.9billion

Katharina rose to more public prominence when she took over from father Markus in charge in 2010 when he sadly passed away from a sudden heart attack.
Not at all popular in 2014 after overseeing the sale of a number of first team stars fans appear to have warmed to her after the appointment of Ronald Koeman as manager and the impressive 2014/15 Premier League season.

Katharina Liebherr Southampton fc

7. Sunderland - Ellis Short - £2.4billion

An Irish-American businessman Short founded private equity fund Kildare Partners before gaining a controlling interest in Sunderland in 2008.
The fourth American owner of a Premier League club has wielded the axe a number of times but is yet to taste relegation with several narrow escapes achieved under his stewardship.

Ellis Short

6. Manchester United - The Glazer family - £3billion

After the collapse of the Magnier-McManus ownership the Glazers first moved in to purchase shares in United in 2003 and after two years of manoeuvring finally established majority control in 2005.
Not at all popular with fans - some even broke away to form FC United of Manchester - their PR only got worse with numerous refinancing efforts with the club and its assets effectively used as collateral.
Malcolm Glazer died aged 85 in 2014 but his death didn't cause any significant changes in how the club was run with sons Joel and Avram taking control as joint-chairmen.

Manchester United v Sunderland

5. Newcastle - Mike Ashley - £3.5billion

A self-made billionaire Ashley made his fortune in the sportswear industry, specifically the Sports Direct franchise.
Ashley hit the headlines on the back pages when in 2007 he bought a 41% share in Newcastle before going on to acquire a controlling stake when chairman Freddy Shepherd stepped down in 2007.
An intensely private person Ashley has come under fire for his perceived lack of ambition, his reticence to invest fully in the club and his refusal to engage with fans.

Mike Ashley

4. Arsenal - Stan Kroenke - £4billion

An American entrepreneur Kroenke joined Arsenal's board in 2008. Three years later he increased his shareholding to 63% after purchasing the stakes of Danny Fiszman and Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith.
Another who is happy to take a back seat Kroenke rarely gives interviews frustrating Gunners fans with his reticence to talk openly about club business and his intentions.

Stan Kroenke

3. Tottenham - Joe Lewis - £4.9billion

A British billionaire who made his money in currency trading Lewis is the main investor with the Tavistock Group which in turn own a wide variety of concerns including Tottenham.
Lewis is one of the richest men in world, with Forbes ranking him as the tenth wealthiest Briton in 2014.

Tottenham owener Joe Lewis speaks to Chairman Daniel Levy

2. Chelsea - Roman Abramovich - £5.3billion

Perhaps the most notorious owner in British sport Abramovich is one of the world's wealthiest individuals having amassed a gigantic personal fortune from the oil, steel and mining industries in his native Russia.
In buying Chelsea for some $400million in 2003 Abramovich changed the landscape of English football forever and has gone to bankroll the greatest period of success in the club's history.
Equally as famous for his penchant for sacking as he is for his reserved nature Abramovich is yet to be interviewed publicly despite being possibly the single most dominant and influential figure in the game over the last decade.
After a volatile early period in the English top flight Jose Mourinho's return seems to have mellowed him in what perhaps could see a more stable period going forward.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich looks on from the stands prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

1. Manchester City - Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan - £20billion

If Abramovich changed Chelsea then Sheikh Mansour transformed Manchester City in all recognition. In buying them for £200million in 2008 Mansour made City the richest club in English football history overnight.
As chairman of the Abu Dhabi United Group Mansour has overseen a colossal spend which has seen some of the world's finest players move to the Etihad.
That investment has brought unrivalled success to the club with two Premier League titles as well as several Champions League campaigns, albeit up to now not with the success the club are aspiring to.
With no signs of the investment drying up and coupled with the relaxation of UEFA's FFP regulations Mansour is sure to see City continue their assault on the game both at home and abroad in the coming years.
Indeed, Mansour can now count on fresh Chinese investment, having announced a deal to sell 13 percent of the club to CMC (China Media Capital) Holdings for $400m (around £265m).

No comments:

Post a Comment