HOW TO BUY A FOOTBALL CLUB
Countless football fans around the world share a common goal: to one day own and operate a football club. Roughly 20 million people play Football Manager, simulating club ownership and operations. The EA Sports FIFA series offers a career mode in which users can act as an owner, manager, or player. There have also been a handful of go-getters who have actually gone out and bought or started a club on their own. Examples of this include Hashtag United, Walton & Hersham FC, and Kahawa Pride FC among others.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s purchase of Wrexham AFC has further increased interest among the general population in buying a football club. So how do you actually buy one? Below, I’ll explore five different ways an individual can make the dream of owning a football club a reality.
1. Have a lot of money and be famous
If you are Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, JJ Watt, or Tom Brady, you can buy a club outright or purchase a significant percentage of one, assuming the club is willing to sell. If you’re not an A-list actor or a professional athlete, however, you likely don’t have the access or funds available to even begin negotiating with clubs like Wrexham AFC, Burnley FC, or Birmingham City FC.
Needless to say, this is the most difficult and inaccessible way to purchase a football club. The good news is that it only gets easier from here.
2. Buy shares in publicly traded football clubs
Some clubs, such as Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, and Juventus, are publicly traded on stock exchanges. This is the quickest and easiest way to get your foot in the door as a partial owner of a major football club.
That said, you won’t have much of a say in club operation, if any at all. Instead, you’ll be resigned to watch the value of your shares go up and down on your brokerage app while telling your friends, “I own 0.00187% of this football club.” We’re all very impressed.
3. Buy equity in a club on Republic
Republic is a fintech platform that allows everyday people to invest in startups, cryptocurrency, and, in this case, football clubs. Hashtag United, the YouTube football club, has previously raised funds on Republic by offering equity to the public.
This approach gets the everyday investor closer to the action and allows for ownership of a more meaningful stake than publicly traded shares. Still, the same limitation remains: you are an investor and not an owner-operator. You may gain limited access or voting rights, especially with lower-tier clubs, but you are not running the club day to day.
4. Build a relationship with a lower-tier club
This is the route JerseyBird CEO Hayes Canupp took with Kahawa Pride FC in Nairobi, Kenya. He and his business partner, Mathias Olander, each acquired a 50% stake in the club with the goal of professionalizing operations and eventually earning promotion to the Kenyan Premier League.
Hayes reportedly put down about $1,000 upfront and has since invested a few thousand more into improvements. In developing football markets like Kenya, that money goes much further than it would in England, Germany, or Spain. Hayes is directly involved in the club’s day-to-day operations and has monetized Kahawa Pride through jersey sales, social media, sponsorships, and direct donations.
The JerseyBird example provides a realistic blueprint. Build a relationship with a club, provide some kind of value, and then make a pitch to buy the club. For many people, this is the most realistic pathway to meaningful club ownership.
5. Find a club on Footy Patrons
Inspired by elements of all the pathways above, we created Footy Patrons, the global marketplace for football finance. On Footy Patrons, supporters and investors can engage with clubs in several ways: donations, monthly memberships, revenue-sharing agreements, and, where legally and structurally appropriate, equity investments.
Donations fund specific club projects like clubhouse improvements, meal plans, and pitch upgrades. They do not include exclusive access, revenue sharing, or equity. Monthly memberships help fund general club operations and give members access to club chats, voting on certain club initiatives, and regular updates and reports. Revenue-sharing participants receive the same access as members, along with a defined share of certain club revenues such as merchandise or sponsorships.
In cases where clubs choose to offer equity or full ownership, Footy Patrons can facilitate introductions and structured negotiations between clubs and prospective buyers.
Join the Footy Patrons Waitng List
Footy Patrons aims to change how football clubs around the world raise capital and how everyday supporters can achieve the dream of owning their own clubs. Our platform will feature clubs you’ve never heard of from places you may never have visited, each with real ambitions and real financial needs.
If you’re interested in being part of this next era of football finance, join the Footy Patrons Waiting List. Early members will be notified as we launch our 20-club pilot program and will receive priority access as the platform rolls out.
