Welsh football: Red Dragons Den – US sales pitch for Welsh clubs

Welsh football bosses are heading to the United States of America in a Dragons Den-style bid to attract investors to Wales’ top flight.

And there is belief Cymru Premier clubs could benefit from the ‘Wrexham effect’ as they look to make the most of the trend of US ownership in British football.

Football Association of Wales (FAW) officials are attending a global football business conference in Miami this week with the aim of promoting interest in its domestic clubs.

The plan is to use the Soccerex event to showcase ongoing plans to grow the Cymru Premier, including a recent £6m cash injection from the governing body.

But officials will also be attempting to highlight the possibilities of outside investment directly into clubs.

The English Premier League and the EFL have both seen an increase in US ownership stakes in recent years, with the majority shareholding of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Championship Wrexham arguably the most high profile of the lot.

Officials think Wales’ clubs outside of the English system could also be an attractive proposition, especially with the possibility of qualification for European football at a fraction of the cost.

The plan is then to alert clubs to any potential interest – and possibly paving the way for overseas investment.

The FAW have been open to a raft of new ideas in a bid to try and enhance the domestic game.

While Wales have broken new ground on the international stage – with qualifications for major tournaments for the men’s and women’s sides over the past decade – the men’s top-flight is still one of the lowest ranked in Europe.

A new plan to boost the Cymru Premier is being phased in, including an expansion to 16 teams, primarily becoming a Friday night division, and new funding for full-time staff at each club to help improve marketing, commercial and business.

The association has also helped every club prepare new public long-term strategies – the first move of its kind in European football.

But there is an acceptance that clubs would benefit from a further injection of external cash to increase on-the-pitch competitiveness, especially on the European front.

The New Saints – with owner Mike Harris – are the only current full-time club and have dominated the division, breaking ground when they reached the Europa Conference League group stage last year.

More and more American money has made its way into football across Europe, with Italy’s Serie A now with as many as nine ownership groups from the States.

With many investors priced out of the US sports markets, officials believe they could highlight the opportunities in the Welsh top-flight with relatively little cash needed to make an impact.

With Wrexham’s story showing the sporting benefits of investing in football beyond the big leagues, the trip is aimed to gauge interest whether Cymru Premier clubs and their communities could be a viable option.

It would be left to clubs to decide whether they wanted to follow up on any potential opportunities.