Welcome to the Blues, Tom! NFL star Tom Brady announces he is now co-owner of Birmingham City FC – as £400m Super Bowl champion says he wants to turn the club into ‘a respected leader in nutrition, health and wellness’
- Tom Brady has invested in Birmingham and become a minority owner of the club
- The NFL legend, 46, has admitted he has a lot to learn about English football
- Follows several US stars becoming minority shareholders at English clubs
Tom Brady has announced that he is now a co-owner of Birmingham City FC – as the £400m Super Bowl champion says he wants to turn the club into a ‘respected leader in nutrition, health and wellness’.
The NFL superstar, who will be the chairman of a new advisory board at the Championship’s longest-serving club, has an existing relationship with Birmingham’s new American owners and will become a ‘minority owner’.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion, 46, is following in the footsteps of several American stars who have made minority investments in English football clubs in recent months. Former NFL star JJ Watt became a shareholder at Burnley in May, while actor Michael B Jordan invested in Bournemouth late last year.
American golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas have also recently become minority stakeholders in Leeds United along with Olympic legend Michael Phelps – after the 49ers Enterprises takeover was finally approved last month.
Brady will no doubt also want to emulate the success achieved by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney who took over Wrexham in February 2021 following a £2million investment.
Deadpool star Reynolds and McElhenney, who wrote It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, got their Hollywood ending last season – as non-league Wrexham won the National League title to secure promotion to the Football League after a 15-year hiatus.
NFL icon Tom Brady has become a minority owner of Birmingham City Football Club. He wants to turn the club into a ‘respected leader in nutrition, health and wellness’
The seven-time Super Bowl winner will be chairman of the new advisory board at St Andrew’s (pictured)
Brady will be looking for a Wrexham-esque fairy tale with Birmingham – who come into this season after finishing 17th last year. The Blues have not played in the Premier League since 2011.
Although the extent of Brady’s practical involvement remains to be seen, the NFL star – who retired in February – says he is homing to create the ‘same success’ he has had with some of the teams he has played for across 23 seasons in a glittering career.
WHO ARE BIRMINGHAM CITY?
Founded: 1875
Stadium capacity: 29,409
Manager: John Eustace
Last time in the Premier League: 2010-11
Last major trophy: League Cup in 2011
Where they finished last season: 17th in the Championship
Brady said: ‘Birmingham City is an iconic club with so much history and passion and to be part of the Blues is a real honour for me. BCFC is built on teamwork and determination and I’m excited to work alongside the board, management and players to make our Second City club second to none.
‘I’ve been part of some amazing teams in my day, and I’m looking forward to applying my perspective to create that same success here in Birmingham.’
It comes after American businessman Tom Wagner completed a deal to buy Birmingham City after his company Shelby Companies Limited agreed to take control of 45.64 per cent of the club and all of St Andrew’s Stadium in May.
Mr Wagner said: ‘Tom Brady joining the Birmingham City team is a statement of intent. We are setting the bar at world class. Tom is both investing and committing his time and extensive expertise.
‘As Chair of the Advisory Board Tom will have a direct impact on the club. The men’s, women’s, and academy teams are going to benefit from the knowledge. The goal that Tom has committed to own is to make Birmingham City a respected leader in nutrition, health, wellness, and recovery across the world of football.
‘A commitment to Blues fans was made on May 8, 2023, to add experts from the world of sport and football to the team, putting in place the building blocks for future success. With Garry Cook as CEO, Hope Powell as women’s technical director and now Tom Brady we are off to a fast start. Success does not come overnight. It takes time. But when you have great leaders in place everything becomes possible.’
Shelby Companies, named after the popular Birmingham-bases TV series The Peaky Blinders, is a UK subsidiary of Knighthead Capital Management, which Wagner co-founded in New York in 2008. Brady has worked with Knighthead on several ventures in the past.
In a separate video, Brady admitted he has ‘a lot to learn’ about English football, but made it clear he’ll be bringing a winning mentality to his new club.
‘Maybe you’re asking, ‘what do you know about English football, Tom?’ Well, let’s just say, I’ve got a lot to learn,’ he said.
‘But I do know a few things about winning. I think they may translate pretty well. I know success starts with the work put in when the world isn’t watching. I know that a team is nothing without the city that shows up and stands behind it. Most importantly, I know I like being the underdog.’
Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have had great success since taking over Wrexham in February 2021. Here, they are pictured celebrating winning the National League last season
Actor Michael B Jordan (left) became a minority shareholder at Bournemouth FC at the end of last year, while former NFL star JJ Watt (right) invested in Burnley earlier this year
Brady (second right) became a boat racing team owner last month, joining Rafael Nadal and Sergio Perez in taking a keen interest in the sport
The 46-year-old has been building his business empire since retiring from the NFL in 2023
Since retiring from American Football, Brady has taken a keen interest in getting involved in other sports.
Last month, he joined Rafael Nadal and Formula One star Sergio Perez in becoming a boat racing team owner. His new team are due to compete at the E1 World Championship next year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Brady is in the process of investing in the Las Vegas Raiders but it has not yet been given league approval due to a rule blocking the distribution of equity to players and other employees.
The former quarterback, who made $512million (£404million) from the NFL before retiring, also has multiple business ventures, including an eponymous clothing line and a wellness company.
In 2013, Brady launched wellness company TB12, which sells protein powder, snack packs and exercise equipment. Last year, he co-founded the NFT platform Autograph, which focuses on sports and media-related non-fungible tokens.
On January 12, his apparel line Brady Brand, or BRADY, went live online.
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