Retired NFL legend Tom Brady has invested in Birmingham City Football Club in England. The team announced the news early on Thursday 3rd August.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner and undisputed GOAT of the National Football League has followed in the footsteps of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, by investing in a lower-league English football team. The two big screen actors have seen huge success after taking ownership of Wrexham AFC, earning promotion to the EFL League Two after a 15 year absence.
Now, Tom Brady will be looking to find similar success with Birmingham City Football Club (BCFC), as he joins the club as a minority owner. He will also become chair of the advisory board and will work directly with the club's leadership team, according to a news release. He joins hedge fund manager Tom Wagner, who purchased a more than 45% stake in the club in July and says they are "setting the bar at world class."
Tom Brady joining the Birmingham city team is a statement of intent. Tom is both investing and committing his time and extensive expertise. As chair of the advisory board Tom will have a direct impact on the club. The men's, women's, and academy teams are going to benefit from the knowledge. The goal that Tom has committed to own is to make Birmingham a respected leader in nutrition, health, wellness, and recovery across the world of football.
Wagner
The club says that BCFC is both investing and committing his time and extensive expertise "across several components of the club, including working alongside the sports science department to advise on health, nutrition, wellness, and recovery systems and programs."
Seven-time Super Bowl champion and entrepreneur, @TomBrady, has entered into a partnership with Knighthead Capital Management to become a minority owner of Birmingham City Ltd.
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) August 3, 2023
Brady will become Chairman of the new Advisory Board.
Birmingham City plays in the second tier of English football, the Championship, and finished 17th last season out of 24 teams. The club has not appeared in the top flight since being relegated from the Premier League back in 2011. But, as with Wrexham, Brady's arrival may signal a new start and a growing wave of optimism for the team after a long stretch of financial struggles.
Birmingham City is an iconic club with so much history and passion and to be part of the Blues is a real honor for me. BCFC is built on teamwork and determination and I’m excited to work alongside the board, management and players to make our Second City club second to none. I’ve been part of some amazing teams in my day, and I’m looking forward to applying my perspective to create that same success here in Birmingham.
Brady
Despite his optimism, Brady has admitted he has 'a lot to learn' about English football, but as with any natural competitor he made it clear that he's here to win.
Maybe you're asking, 'what do you know about English football, Tom?' Well, let's just say, I've got a lot to learn. But I do know a few things about winning. I think they may translate pretty well. I know success starts with the work put in when the world isn't watching. I know that a team is nothing without the city that shows up and stands behind it. Most importantly, I know I like being the underdog.
Brady
Here we go! Proud to be part of the Blues family 💙💙💙 @BCFC pic.twitter.com/lSEbzzpcBk
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) August 3, 2023
Foreign investment in UK football has become a trend over recent years, with the success story of teams such as Newcastle, likely bringing much attention to the opportunities for successful business ventures there.
Reynolds and McElhenney kicked things off with Wrexham AFC, and since then we've seen other Hollywood stars like Michael B. Jordan invest in Premier League club Bournemouth. Meanwhile, another NFL legend by the name of J.J. Watt recently invested in Burnley football club.
Now, Tom Brady, alongside US-based Shelby Companies Limited (SCL), a subsidiary of Knighthead Capital Management, has completed its takeover of Birmingham. As part of that deal SCL became controlling shareholders of the previously Chinese-owned club, with Brady as a minority owner.
This is not the first big business move we have seen from the ex-quarterback since his official retirement in February 2023. Of course, there was speculation he may return once more, especially after his first retirement stint in 2022 lasted just 40 days before his return to the turf. But his minor-stake purchase of BCFC is just another signal of him moving into a new era in his sporting career.
Brady has continued his pursuit of excellence beyond the NFL turf, with multiple highly successful endeavours with Knighthead Capital Management. Alongside the Birmingham City Ltd. partnership, Brady joined Knighthead for a Major League Pickleball team in 2022, and in March 2023, Brady’s lifestyle apparel clothing company, "BRADY™, was announced as the Official Apparel Partner of Knighthead’s World Endurance Championship racing team, Hertz Team JOTA.
It's not yet clear if the BCFC investment will have any impact on Brady's $375 deal to work as a broadcaster on Fox's NFL coverage. But he recently said he was "looking forward" to starting that role in 2024, so despite being chair of the advisory board we still expect him to move forward with his NFL punditry next year.
Wagner expects Brady to play a key role in the development of the club stating:
A commitment to Blues fans was made on Monday May 8 2023, to add experts from the world of sport and football to the team, putting in place the building blocks for future success. With Garry Cook as CEO, Hope Powell as women’s technical director and now Tom Brady we are off to a fast start. Success does not come overnight. It takes time. But when you have great leaders in place everything becomes possible.
Wagner
The Blues will begin their league campaign against Swansea on Saturday 5th August, followed up by an EFL Cup game against Cheltenham on the 8th. With a rollercoaster season last year, they'll be looking to get off to a strong start and show the new leadership what they're capable of.
(Header Image Credit: Kirby Lee - USA TODAY Sports)
