Financing Football: Clubs, Stadiums, and Leagues

Ever wondered how football clubs generate revenue or transform from underdogs to global icons? Want to learn the secrets behind acquiring and revitalizing an underperforming football club, creating a worldwide fan base, and securing lucrative sponsorship deals?
Join us for an exclusive event in the 2024/25 Infrastructure Speaker Series, where we explore the fascinating world of football and stadium financing.

🌟 What to Expect:
Dive into the incredible success story of Wrexham AFC and gain insights into:
• The business of football club ownership and turnaround strategies
• Financing clubs and navigating league regulations
• Unlocking media rights and the economics of stadiums

🎙️ Featured Speakers:
Shaun Harvey – Director of Wrexham AFC, former CEO of EFL and Football Clubs
Ian Dixon – Renowned Football Finance Expert

📅 When: Tuesday, 27 May 2025, 7pm
📍 Where: Sammy Ofer Centre, 117 Marylebone Rd, London W1H 1FP, Room - LT15

The story of Wrexham’s journey from non-League, is documented in FX / Disney’s ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ which is now into its 4th series, having won 8 Emmy awards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3gFkGsWAJM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welcome_to_Wrexham

Shaun is a Director of Wrexham AFC and serves as the strategic advisor to Hollywood owners, Rob McElhenney, and Ryan Reynolds.
Prior to being recruited to join Wrexham, he had 30 years in professional football, spanning all 4 divisions in England with: -
• Scarborough Athletic Football Club – Club Secretary (93-94)
• Bradford City Football Club – Managing Director (94-04)
• Leeds United Football Club – Chief Executive Officer (04-13)
Followed by 6 years: -
• English Football League - Chief Executive Officer (13-19).
The original poacher turned gamekeeper then poacher again with experience in financial of Clubs, League Regulation, ownership models, media rights and more importantly, how they are all interlinked.

Ian is a Global Project and Infrastructure Financing Expert with wide knowledge in project financing and infrastructure from working at: - a bank, a monoline, an investment bank and a credit rating agency.
He has a very wide global experience in many different sectors which includes Sports: –
• At Ambac Assurance, in 2005 structured the Arsenal Stadium Public Bond and very nearly closed similar stadium bonds for Bayern Munich and Newcastle United.
• At Investec, heading the Debt Capital Markets team, in 2015 placed the Wasps Rugby Stadium Retail Bond and advised The Jockey Club on credit rating.
• At Fitch Ratings, oversaw infrastructure ratings, rated several sports transactions including Inter Milan, Tottenham Hotspurs, Barcelona and Real Madrid etc. Also involved in credit ratings for US sports entities and leagues.
• At Football Finance Group, completed the following transactions:- a) £117.5m of debt for EFL with funder MetLife and b) a €30m international player transfer receivable with funder M&G.

Don’t miss this chance to learn from industry leaders and uncover the strategies shaping modern football!

📝 For more information, please contact Radim Radkovsky (EMBA 2023) or Juan Munizaga (MiF 2025).

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