The foreign owners in English top flight
GRIDIRON boss Shahid Khan last night became the latest foreign owner in the
Premier League Billionaires’ Row.
Khan wrapped up a £150million buy-out of former Harrods chief Mohamed Fayed to
take control at Craven Cottage.
The Pakistan-born car-parts tycoon, who is also top man at NFL franchise
Jacksonville Jaguars, joins NINE other non-British owners in the top
flight.
And to help Khan, 62, settle in, we have put together a guide to his fellow
foreign supremos.
Arsenal — Stan Kroenke, USA
WARM WELCOME ... but Stan has not received blanket support
SILENT Stan owns 67 per cent of Arsenal — but is locked in a multi-national
power battle with Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who wants a greater say
in club affairs.
They both could be on the way out though with a mega-money Arab consortium
thought to be weighing up a £1.5bn takeover bid.
Like Khan, Kroenke is a big noise in US sport and also owns NFL side St Louis
Rams.
Aston Villa — Randy Lerner, USA
LERNING CURVE ... owner, far right, checks in on Villa training
LERNER has seen Villa slip from top-four contenders to relegation fodder since
Martin O’Neill walked out in protest in 2010.
The New York-born former Cleveland Browns owner has shelled out nearly £300MILLION
in his Villa stay.
Cardiff City — Vincent Tan, Malaysia
VIN BONUS ... it's a red-letter day for Tan as Cardiff seal promotion
TAN sparked fan fury when he switched City’s traditional blue kit in 2012 —
due to a superstition in his native Malaysia.
He also changed the club’s nickname from Bluebirds to Red Dragons. But the
gamble paid off and the Welsh side stormed to the Championship title last
term.
Chelsea — Roman Abramovich, Russia
FAN-KS A MILLION ... supporters greet Rom following 2003 takeover
OLIGARCH was the original overseas sugar daddy when he bought out Ken Bates
ten years ago, Red Rom transformed Chelski into Premier League title winners but has come
under fire for revolving-door managerial policy.
Hull City — Assem Allam, Egypt
HULL OF A GUY ... Allam, left, is presented with chairman Russell Bartlett and son Ehab after buying City
ALLAM took the reigns at Hull in 2010 with the club leaking money following
relegation from the Premier League.
The manufacturing magnate, who fled his native Egypt in 1968, pumped
£36million into the Tigers to stave off administration — and last year got
his reward as the club sealed a return to the top flight.
Liverpool — John W Henry, USA
TOP OF THE KOPS ... Henry, right, watches on with wife Linda Pizzuti
YANK Henry, head of the Fenway Sports Group, is another mogul with teams both
sides of the pond.
The Liverpool owner is also in charge of the Boston Red Sox and took control
from Anfield’s hated Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett in 2010.
Split fan opinion when he pushed legend Kenny Dalglish towards the Kop exit
door in May 2012.
Manchester City — Sheikh Mansour, Abu Dhabi
MIDDLE EASTLANDS ... Sheikh Mansour greets City fans on his first trip to the Etihad
ARAB Royal changed Premier League forever when he bought City from ex-Thailand
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Mansour’s family is thought to be SIXTY times more wealthy than
Roman Abramovich.
And he flexed that financial muscle to deliver a first Premier League crown to
City in 2012 — and transform the Etihad side into permanent title
contenders.
Manchester United — Malcolm Glazer, USA
SIGN OF THE TIMES ... United faithful protest against Glazer regime in 2010
AMERICAN’S debt-laden 2005 takeover has left Glazer one of the most hated
owners in English football history.
Yet vicious fan protests were toned down last season as United cantered to a
20th Premier League title.
Sunderland — Ellis Short, USA
SHORT PHEWS ... Ellis partied with fans after relief of Prem survival
POPULAR American owner Short downed drinks with fans after Sunderland beat the
drop earlier this year.
Greeted the President of Tanzania last month wearing a badge with the acronym
FTM — an anti-Newcastle jibe standing for ‘F*** the Mags’.
source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/5011492/Shahid-Khan-buys-Fulham-now-see-other-foreign-Premier-League-owners.html
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