October 22 – League of Ireland club Cobh Ramblers has been bought by fledgling multi-club ownership group FC32 for an undisclosed sum.
FC32 says it is building a network of owned clubs to develop talent and “unlock the full potential of athletes across women’s and men’s teams and academies worldwide”.
Cobh Ramblers FC was founded in 1922 and was the club where Irish and Manchester United legend Roy Keane began his senior career, playing 23 matches before moving to Nottingham Forest and then Man Utd.
Cobh Ramblers chairman Bill O’Leary described the deal as transformative for the club.
“We are proud to partner with FC32, who shares our vision for the club’s future. The Board of management and our club members are excited and hugely in favour of this potentially transformative deal. It recognises our history, our relatively strong operating and financial models and positions us for growth in so many areas into the future,” said O’Leary.
FC32 also holds an ownership stake in second tier Austrian club SKN St. Pölten.
With a business proposition based around player trading, EC32 said it is looking to build a pipeline of “world class talent”. They also said they will establish a senior women’s team by 2026.
Australian Paul Francis, founder and CEO of EC32, said: “Our focus is on player development and high performance. We aim to partner with Cobh Ramblers to build a world-class talent pipeline and elevate the club to new heights.”
To do that Deanna Brown EC32 president and co-founder emphasised that “the
community’s support is vital, and we look forward to accelerating growth while honoring
the club’s rich tradition.”
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