Sox Owners Buy Liverpool FC

The trio of John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino are at it again. Since joining forces to buy the Red Sox in 2001, New England Sports Ventures has branched out and been constantly looking for other places to invest their money. In 2007, Henry and his crew bought a 50% share in Roush Racing and created the Roush Fenway Racing team to continue to find new and creative ways to get the Fenway brand out beyond the walls of the Park. Their newest venture? Barclays Premier League team Liverpool FC. After hosting the Celtic FC vs. Sporting Portugal game at Fenway Park this past season, the New England Sports Ventures group has decided to jump into the big time and put in a bid for the club. After the attention given to soccer in the US due to this year’s World Cup in South Africa, this could be a great way to continue and build on that momentum going forward.

Although soccer is a long way from being considered one of the top few most popular sports in the US, it has grown dramatically since the MLS’s first season in 1996. The 10 team league has expanded to 16 teams, with expansion plans up to 19 over the next few seasons, expanding the league’s impact across the US and Canada. There has always been a precident in New England for support of soccer, because Patriot’s owner Bob Kraft was been actively involved in the league formation and has owned the New England Revolution soccer team that plays at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA (and Foxboro Stadium before Gillette was built) since it’s debut season. Over the last 14 or so years, the creation of the MLS has seen a huge growth in high school soccer players, growing much faster than any other major sport according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.

Given soccer’s popularity around the world, it is nice to see the US begin to embrace the sport. I am a convert to the sport, having grown up without a soccer bone in my body and no interest in the boring, low-scoring games. It wasn’t until I was visiting my wife (girlfriend at the time) in Boston and her father suggested we head to Gillette Stadium and check out a Revs game. He was paying, so I was on board from the get-go, even though soccer was foreign to me and didn’t seem that exciting. Having grown up playing soccer, my wife was all about going and watching the game, while I was just excited to see where the Patriots played more than the actual contest. My opinion on soccer changed that day and since that point, my wife and I are partial season ticket holders for the Revs and have been to dozens of games. The sport is exciting to watch, so when I heard about the New England Sports Ventures bid to buy Liverpool FC, it peaked my interest.

The bid has not been formally accepted yet and who knows how the New England Sports Ventures group will decide to market the club in the US, if at all. Given the group’s past experiences with Roush Racing  however, I have a feeling they will not overlook the huge opportunity to market European soccer to a sport-hungry US fan base. This is hopefully a sign of great things to come for soccer here and could be another step towards making soccer a truly major sport in the US. With the MLS expanding and soccer broadcasts growing, it is becoming easier and easier to be a fan of the sport. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, so why not in the US?

UPDATE: Below is the statement from New England Sports Ventures that their bid was accepted to buy the Liverpool FC. The deal is now official.

"New England Sports Ventures (“NESV”) can confirm that their bid for Liverpool FC has been selected by the Club’s Board of Directors and agreement has been reached with the Board to purchase the Club. NESV wishes to extend its appreciation to the Board for their diligence and their efforts on behalf of Liverpool FC and its supporters.NESV wants to create a long-term financially solid foundation for Liverpool FC and is dedicated to ensuring that the Club has the resources to build for the future, including the removal of all acquisition debt. Our objective is to stabilize the Club and ultimately return Liverpool FC to its rightful place in English and European football, successfully competing for and winning trophies.Since 2001, New England Sports Ventures has made successful investments in sports and entertainment properties. Our portfolio of companies, including the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park, New England Sports Network, Fenway Sports Group and Roush Fenway Racing are all committed to one common goal: winning. NESV wants to help bring back the culture of winning to Liverpool FC.We have a proven track record, shown clearly with the Boston Red Sox. The team has won two World Series Championships over the past six years. We will bring the same kind of openness, passion, dedication and professionalism to Liverpool FC.We are hopeful with regard to the pending legal and English Premier League procedures now underway, however, in light of these issues, we will respectfully refrain from comment or further actions at this time."