US owners have taken over half of the Scottish Premiership – what’s in it for them? | Scottish Premiership

A The club that plays in red, white and blue was always mature for American investment. The arrival of Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers of San Francisco as the new owners of the Rangers has the potential to shake up an Scottish division which was won by Fierce Rivals des Rangers, Celtic, during 13 of the last 14 seasons.

It is not only at the top, however, where American money reshapes Scottish football. Six of the 12 SCOTTISH Premiership clubs are now belonging to the United States. The purchase by the 49ers of the Rangers was not even the only American takeover of an Scottish club this summer: Calvin Ford, the great-great-grandson of Henry Ford, concluded an agreement to buy Livingston. The upper division of Scotland is just a club to have a majority of American owners.

The trend started in 2013 when Tim Keyes and John Nelms introduced themselves to Dundee. Five years later, Mark Ogren bought Dundee United. More recently, the owner of Bournemouth, Bill Foley, has invested in Hibernian, which has belonged to the Gordon family since 2019, while St Johnstone was bought by Adam Webb. All Americans and all bullies on the unexploited potential of Scottish football.

Of course, American investment in football is not unique to Scotland. Half of the 20 clubs in the Premier League now under the American property after Dan Friedkin’s takeover in Everton in September, adding the name of the film producer to a list that includes Foley, Fenway Sports Group, The Glazers, Stan Kroenke, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Wes Edens, John Textor and Shahid Khan. Nine EFL clubs, including Birmingham City and Wrexham, are also belonging to the United States, offering a ramp less than the ramp to those who have no funds to go out with a sovereign fund.

The ramp in the ramp to enter Scottish football is even lower, partly explaining why so many American millionaires looked north of the England / Scotland border to invest. While the 49ers were able to hang on majority participation in the Rangers for 150 million pounds Sterling (200 million dollars), the owner of New York Jets, Woody Johnson, agreed to pay more than that (190 million pounds sterling / 254 million dollars) for a smaller part (44.9%) in Crystal Palace, a club that end last. Friedkin had to pay more than 400 million pounds sterling ($ 535 million) for Everton who have spent the last seasons flirting with relegation.

The Rangers can only look with the Hadrian wall with the best self -proclaimed league in the world and its associated wealth, but they have access to European football. Indeed, the Govan Club took place in the final of the Europa League three seasons and played in the Champions League two seasons, winning tens of millions of million.

Today, there are more Scottish teams in Europe than ever, largely due to the creation of the conference league. People like Aberdeen, Dundee United, Hearts, Hibernian, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and St Mirren were previously locked in continental competition due to the strength of the Celtic and rangers, all qualified for the conference league in recent seasons, giving them a path to continental football and the associated financial rewards.

This as well as the rise of multi-club property changed the investment landscape in Scottish football. Hibernian is part of the Black Knight Network of Foley which includes Bournemouth, Auckland City and FC Lorient. The owner of Brighton, Tony Bloom, recently acquired participation in Hearts which puts the Edinburgh Club under the same umbrella as the Premier League club and the Union of Belgian Champions Saint-Gilloise. Aberdeen has a partnership with Atlanta United.

And now, with the purchase of the 49ers, the Rangers have a link with Leeds United. But which club is higher in the hierarchy? Scottish fans are not sure of their position in the food chain and the growth of multi-club property has only exacerbated this anxiety.

Not all new American owners have been welcomed with open arms. Motherwell supporters voted last year against Erik and Courtney Barmack, based in the United States, a former vice-president of Netflix and director of Snap inc. Foley also faced questions. Should the hibernian really be a food club for Bournemouth, a team with an average attendance of just over 11,000 people last season which had until recently played most of its history in the lower leagues? Maybe not, but it’s the reality of modern game.

It is also an indication of the way Scottish football needs help. It has been 40 years that a team not called Celtic or Rangers won the title. A study commissioned by the Scottish FA last year said that sport “underperforming considerably” in the potential of young people compared to other countries of a similar size. Only 12% of all minutes in Scottish first last season were given to players aged 21 or under.

And while more Scottish teams are involved in Europe, none exceeded the group phase of the last conference league, a fact made Starker by the Irish team’s race Shamrock Rovers in the direct elimination phase last season. The hope was that the new third level competition would give Scotland clubs a platform to reach new heights. Instead, he has exposed how far they are the required standard.

There is no guarantee that American money will change all of this. Nelms has been in charge of Dundee for more than a decade, but has not yet transformed the club into the talent factory which he originally provided. St Johnstone underwent a relegation for the first time in 16 years last season shortly after the arrival of new owners. Their fans expected it more.

The history of Scottish football and the passion of his fans are part of what makes him so attractive for foreign investors. The same goes for the feeling that the Scottish game, with new ideas and a renewed ambition, could be something more. The American dream has taken on a tartan shade.