ALL STAR LEAGUE
Move over Ryan Reynolds… the unexpected A-list stars who own football clubs – from Oscar winners to Little Mix singer
One big-name star's investment was such a surprise that some thought it was a joke or a PR stunt for a movie
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FORGET flashy supercars and expensive Prada handbags, the new must-have celeb accessory is a football team.
And the latest star to join the trend could be Robbie Williams, who has reportedly been backed by a consortium to make a bid to take over his lifelong club Port Vale FC.
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The former Take That man, 49, was named club president at the weekend and hinted there could be a lucrative TV streaming series if a deal with him at the helm went through.
If approved, it could follow in the success of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s takeover over at Wrexham and their famous Netflix show Welcome To Wrexham.
Robbie isn’t alone in vying for a slice of a football team - Sir Elton John became the chairman and director of Watford FC in 1976 and bankrolled them until 2002.
Until last year, TV chef Delia Smith and her husband owned 53 per cent - the majority share, which they acquired in 1996 - of Norwich City.
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While in August, American football legend Tom Brady bought a minority stake in Birmingham City.
Here, we reveal the other surprising stars to put their money into the beautiful game, including A-listers and musicians.
Jade Thirlwall - South Shields FC
Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall was among more than 750 fans who invested in South Shields FC, which raised more than £280,000 for the club in 2020.
She was also named as an honorary president - alongside ex-politician David Miliband - and her involvement in the club hasn’t stopped there.
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The Power hitmaker designed a limited edition football strip for the club and joined LGBTQ+ inclusion workshops at the stadium.
The club explained that naming Jade as an honorary president would increase the club’s profile "on a national and international scale, further putting the town on the map".
It’s one of several investments Jade has made in her hometown, including putting money into a bar called Aerbia and the nightclub Industry.
“South Shields means absolutely everything to me, it’s my home… nothing beats the support and the loyalty and the community spirit that you feel in South Shields,” Jade said in 2022.
South Shields FC previously said Jade's investment in the team was “just another example to show how committed such a global superstar is to not just the club, but her hometown”.
Stormzy - Croydon Athletic
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Rapper Stormzy joined a consortium with Crystal Palace’s former striker Wilfried Zaha and kit manager Danny Young to buy Croydon Athletic last year.
Fans were thrilled, including one eager supporter who told news site : “This could be our ‘Wrexham moment.'”
The site reported the team was ‘purchased’ for “a token sum” but they believed Stormzy and his pals would “be providing the kind of investment which the club’s fans, players and backroom staff could, until now, only dream about”.
A statement from the club, which is in the ninth tier of English football, read: “The consortium will own, operate and develop their childhood hometown football club.”
Stormzy and Wilfried were said to have taken over the club to "do what’s right for the local community" after growing up near to the team's ground, Mayfield Stadium.
Natalie Portman - Angel City FC
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Black Swan star Natalie Portman described becoming a co-founder of US women’s team Angel City FC in 2020 as "one of the most extraordinary adventures" of her life.
She joined multiple investors including venture capitalist Kara Nortman and gaming entrepreneur Julie Urhman, as well as celebs pals including Eva Longoria, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Garner, America Ferrera and Uzo Aduba.
The Oscar-winner revealed she had decided to get involved after seeing how her children were inspired watching the US women’s national football team.
“Watching my son idolise players like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan the same way he did Lionel Messi or Karim Benzema, I realised that amplifying female athletes could rapidly shift culture,” she told the .
At a summit last year, Natalie revealed her belief that Angel City FC and other women’s teams could lead to societal change and greater equality.
“If our boys look up to women like that, that’s how everything changes. And that’s what got me really excited,” she said.
The club - LA’s first professional women’s team since Los Angeles Sol folded in 2010 - started playing in the 2022 season.
Last year, they qualified for their first ever playoff, which they lost to OL Reign, and were also the focus of a three-part HBO documentary.
Michael B Jordan - AFC Bournemouth
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Famed for starring in the Creed and Black Panther film franchises, many were surprised when Hollywood star Michael B Jordan invested in AFC Bournemouth.
He’s part of a consortium led by American businessman Bill Foley, who purchased the club from Maxim Demin in December 2022.
The following year, Michael revealed getting involved with the Cherries was “crazy and amazing” but he knew there was “so much potential there”.
The actor admitted he had “wanted to get into sports” for some time and was busy arranging plans to make his first trip to Bournemouth, famed for its stunning beaches.
Michael explained that “the opportunity kind of presented itself” to him and he had been in discussions for “about a year” before agreeing to join the consortium.
He told the Tony Bellew Is Angry podcast: “We thought it through. A team that was in the Premier League and competitive, a great culture and people there in Bournemouth.
"And a franchise we felt like we could add value and try to help get the team over the hump.
“It's cool. It’s a cool team. The players are extremely talented and good people. How can I add to an already amazing club and be a part of that culture?”
Eva Longoria - Necaxa
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In 2021, Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria and the model Kate Upton joined a consortium to buy a stake in Mexican team Necaxa.
They bizarrely teamed up with former Arsenal ace Mesut Ozil, the former managers of Swansea FC and ex-owners of DC United to buy 50 per cent of the Liga MX champions.
A statement from the club said it was “a historic investment” for the team and also in Mexican football. They added: “This will be a turning point for us.”
The backers were said to have “extensive experience in soccer and in management of top clubs at an international level”.
Since the investment, the club has placed 14th in the league two years running.
Back in 2021, Eva - who has Mexican origins - shared a snap of herself in a Necaxa shirt and hat while sipping from a mug with their logo, which she captioned: “How I drink my coffee.”
She claimed to be “feeling so proud & delighted” by her investment and revealed the club would be auctioning its “first-ever NFT” back in 2021.
Will Ferrell - Los Angeles FC
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When comedy legend Will Ferrell was revealed to have an ownership stake in Los Angeles FC back in 2016 many thought it was a stunt for a film or a joke.
On The Late Late Show With James Corden in 2018, the Anchorman star even quipped: “I’m in charge of cleaning the stadium bathrooms.”
However, Will’s investment - part of “a very large ownership group” including Magic Johnson and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley - was very much real.
The star confirmed: “I love watching it generally speaking… It’s played all over the world. So many amazing players and so many top-flight leagues and hopefully MLS can be on par, eventually, with the European leagues.”
Will is regularly seen leading club chants, including in a 2019 video, and is often seen decked out in the team's merchandise at matches.
It's led to success, too, with the club winning their first MLS Cup title in 2022.
LeBron James - Liverpool FC
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Lebron James is considered among basketball’s greatest-ever players, so in 2011, some were surprised by his decision to invest in an English football team.
He was revealed to have purchased a 2 per cent stake in Liverpool FC, reportedly for around £5.1m ($6.5m).
Just over a decade later, LeBron and business partner Maverick Carter exchanged their stake for a part-ownership of Fenway Sports Group (FSG) for an undisclosed fee.
The sportsman is believed to own around 1 per cent of FSG, which owns US baseball team Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park stadium, Liverpool FC and US hockey team the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Matthew McConaughey - Austin FC
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Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey became an investor in his home side Austin FC back in 2019 and revealed his hopes it would become a huge asset for the Texas state.
“Austin FC is more than a quality investment for Austin, it's a quality investment in Austin,” he said at the time.
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“This is about legacy for me, I am at a time in my life where I don't want to spend time or investments or money on things that I don't look forward to dealing with on a Monday morning.”
The star is regularly seen at games and hit the headlines back in 2022 when he hyped up the crowd by performing his signature chant from The Wolf Of Wall Street.
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