Interesting. But I think that football fans in the top half of the Nth Island will initially just be happy to have a A League club to support. One that seems like it will be very well funded, and may (MAY) even push for trophies early on.
If later some young striker star signs for Plymouth or Bournemouth/Lorient part way through an ALM season, taking his goals with him well them's the breaks.
If later some young striker star signs for Plymouth or Bournemouth/Lorient part way through an ALM season, taking his goals with him well them's the breaks.
So overseas investment can be helpful.
But, we shouldn't be naive and need to be careful about the motivation and intentions of foreign investors in our football.
See the piece about my club Charlton's disasterous experience with a Belgian billionaire owner of multiple clubs I've added to my post above..
Also Foley's comments in this article relating to his takeover of Bournemouth could raise some concern:
https://www.therealreview.com/2023/04/17/bill-foley-resigns-as-chairman-of-foley-wines/
"Bill Foley told the BBC last year that he led a takeover of the club because he needs to be ‘captain of the ship’—and has described himself as ‘a dictator’."
I see that Foley is a former US military man.
And that he was a financial backer of Trump in both 2016 and 2020.
Interesting article about him here:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12213699/Bill-Foleys-grand-plan-Bournemouth-no-surprise.html
"Gary O'Neil was sat at home on Sunday musing over Bournemouth's plans for pre-season. Come Monday morning he had been sacked over the phone and his successor, Andoni Iraola, appointed within two hours.
The move was a major shock and was, largely, met with condemnation after O'Neil had kept Bournemouth in the Premier League against the odds, given the Cherries' more modest budget.
But, truthfully, it should not have been such a surprise, not with new owner Bill Foley calling the shots.
Working with Foley isn't easy. He makes the decisions and he takes the blame, that's how it goes.
'I have looked at several teams over the last two or three years and they all involved minority investment and someone else is already in charge. I don't like that. I'm a dictator,' he told BBC Radio Solent upon buying the team.
'When I'm involved, I need to be the captain of the ship. I had to wait for a situation where I could buy the team myself, with my partners of course, and control the destiny of the team.'
Bournemouth's upset win at home over Newcastle this morning takes them out of the relegation places (just).
But it's been a mediocre season so far with that only their second win.
The sacking of O'Neil and the appointment ofthe Spaniard Iraola by Foley, who made himself Bournemouth chairman despite no experience in football whatsoever, perhaps displays how his self-confessed "dictatorial" tendancy can lead to trouble.
Iraola came completely out of left field with his only management experience being in the Cypriot league (sacked after a long run of poor results), the Spanish second tier (three seasons) and one season in la Liga coaching Rayo Vallecano (one of the smallest clubs in la Liga).
Whereas O'Neill is going okay at Wolves who sit 11th on the table, despite only taking over the week before the season started after their Spaniard quit.
(O'Neill: "Only the second English manager to ever beat Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.")
On the other hand, Foley does have a lot of business interests in our wine and hospitality industry and has some commitment to this country, unlike Duchâtelet who had no ties to Britain and used Charlton as a plaything and to further the interests of his other bigger clubs he owned.
Also, there is really no dirt or major controversy on Foley to be found anywhere and he seems well-liked.
In recent weeks it has been announced that Foley is bidding for a stake in Hibs in the Scottish Premier League:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-67280027
"It is understood he has wanted to invest in the Edinburgh club for months and has held initial talks with a view to making a non-controlling investment.
...BBC Scotland understands Mr Foley's Black Knight's sport and entertainment consortium is interested in referring players in and out of Hibs to other teams under its control, but would not be involved in the management of the club."