Trust Response to Red Bull Partnership with Leeds United
Dear Member,
Yesterday, Leeds United announced that Red Bull has taken a minority
ownership stake in the club, as well as becoming our front-of-shirt
sponsor. There was a mixed response from the fan base with some
welcoming the financial investment, which of course is becoming more
important to delivering on-field success, while others expressed their
concerns strongly on what Red Bull’s future intentions could be, given
their history with other sports clubs. We would be naïve as fans to
assume there isn’t a larger, long-term plan for Red Bull’s initial foot
in the door at Leeds United.
The global energy drink brand owns RB Leipzig in Germany's Bundesliga,
Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg, MLS side New York Red Bulls, as well as
Red Bull Bragantino and RB Brasil in Brazil. In the past, they have made
significant changes to club names, badges and kits, placing their brand
front and centre, overshadowing and in some cases erasing the history of
the clubs they have purchased. This has been met with large protests
from fans, and league-wide protests from fans of other clubs.
To be clear from the outset, any fundamental changes to Leeds United
club's identity and heritage will receive maximum resistance from our
fans, and we will be working closely with football authorities over the
coming years in preparation for any such move by Red Bull.
While the club have been open and proactive in stating that no one from
Red Bull will sit on the board and there will be no change to the name
or logo, this is only a promise while the 49ers maintain complete
control of the club. Nobody can predict what will happen after the
49ers’ custodianship, so we are taking the opportunity at an early stage
to let Red Bull, or any other potential custodians of our club, know
that we will not allow any of these fundamental heritage or identity
changes to happen to our club.
Backing of an Independent Football Regulator
One of the many reasons we are backing the introduction of an
independent football regulator is their ability to install protections
around football club identity and heritage. Although on hold until after
the General Election, the government white paper which was published
after a fan-led review in 2022 proposes that clubs in the Premier League
and English Football League will be held to account on specific heritage
elements.
Among these recommendations are a ‘duty to not relocate without
approval’ and a ‘duty not to change crest, home shirt colours or name
without approval’. That approval will not come without consultation with
supporters, a move which the government says will ‘put fans back at the
heart of how football is run.’ Leeds United Supporters’ Trust is proud
to have been a part of this consultation process with the government and
wholeheartedly support the recommendations. It’s important that we (and
fans of other football clubs) have these types of protections in place
sooner rather than later. We continue to work closely with the FSA on
this to ensure its effective and meaningful implementation.
Your questions to the club
Yesterday, we compiled the most common questions sent to us via social
media and email and put them to the club. To the club’s credit, they
were extremely responsive and understand that fans are likely to have
concerns over the partnership. Some of the below has been addressed via
media interviews but we would like to share the questions and answers in
full, where possible:
Q: Leeds fans are a very passionate and demanding fanbase, it’s
important that our fans know that all new investors and stakeholders
have a clear understanding of our history and heritage - especially
concerning badges, colours, renaming grounds with corporate sponsors
ahead of legacy players/managers etc. How is this being communicated to
our investors, especially those not based in the UK?
A: Absolutely. This decision was not made lightly, and was the result of
many conversations over several months with the Red Bull team to ensure
they shared the 49ers respect for the club’s history and spirit, and
that they were committed to the vision for Leeds going forward.
Q: It has been said that the Leeds United badge will remain unchanged
but how will the shirt look? Will it have the red logo on the shirts and
will the club colours remain the same and unchanged?
A: Correct, the LUFC logo will remain unchanged. In terms of their
branding, Red Bull may choose to use their original logo. Our shirts
have previously featured red logos (Redkite, Bet24, Packard Bell). We
understand supporters may have concerns about this, but we hope the
benefit this partnership brings to on-pitch performance will ultimately
outweigh that unease.
Q: Is Red Bull’s stake/investment linked to the stadium/ground in any way?
A: This deal isn't about Elland Road. Both 49ers Enterprises and Red
Bull are both deeply respectful of the hallowed grounds at Elland Road.
The 49ers have committed in the past that there are upgrades planned to
enhance the fan experience. In terms of any sale of the ground, a
reminder that there is an “Asset of Community Value” in place that would
trigger during any sale conversations.
Q: In terms of the ground, will the board be considering selling naming
rights to stadium or parts of the stadium?
A: Same response as above in that the deal isn’t about Elland Road.
There will be some in-stadium activations, as is already the case for
partners like Hisense. More details on those pieces will be announced soon.
Q: Can we have some commitment from the club that the stadium will not
be renamed or if there any plans you will consult with fans before any
decisions are made?
A: Absolutely.
Q: With a lucrative investment, what is the club’s priority in terms of
how this will be spent? Players or ground/ facilities investment?
A: We can’t go into specific details on this, but the priority is still
to put every pound onto the pitch. There are still more upgrades planned
at Elland Road to enhance the fan experience in the short term.
Q: Do Red Bull intend to increase their stake in the future?
A: Red Bull is happy being a minority investor, and is committed to the
vision and the leadership of 49ers Enterprises. When 49ers Enterprises
purchased a minority stake several years ago, there was an option for
the 49ers to take over from Andrea Radrizanni included from the start.
No option like this exists for Red Bull and the 49ers remain fully
committed to the club.
Q: Will there be a different sponsor for children's shirts?
A: The club intends to keep a sponsor off the front of the kids’ shirts.
It definitely won’t be Red Bull.
Q: Does this deal waiver or impact any transfer fees owned to RB Leipzig
and Salzburg?
A: No
Q: If they don’t want to take control of the club, why are Red Bull
investing, considering their current model?
A: This is the first time they are investing in an English football
team, and that’s because Red Bull is committed to a bright future for
Leeds United. They could have supported any other club, but they have
had an abiding interest in Leeds for years, as supporters know. They
want to be a part of helping this club reach its full potential, and
they share the 49ers vision for how to get there.
Q: Are there any clauses around priority purchases on future sales?
A: No.
Q: Are there any intentions of getting involved in the wider community?
A: Yes absolutely, the community is at the heart of the club and will
continue to be. Our partners play a big part in that and Red Bull is
excited to build a relationship with the Leeds community. More to come
on that soon.
____
There were three questions that we put to the club that we were unable
to receive specific answers on:
Q: What is the size of the Red Bull stake in the club (including
sponsorship)?
Q: If the stake is a small percentage, does this allow for a larger
stake to be taken in the future?
Q: Is the minority shareholding a sale of the 49ers stake or a creation
of new shares?
The club said they are unable go into specifics on these questions, but
that it is a significant minority investment, and a great deal for the
club on the commercial side. The resources they are committing could
mean the difference between saving a player from being sold or signing a
player.
They re-iterated that the 49ers Enterprises will maintain complete
control, and Red Bull is committed to the 49ers’ continued leadership of
the club.
We thank the club for responding to our questions and we hope that this
investment helps to bring automatic promotion next season. As fans, we
must stay vigilant and united, continuing to make it clear to any new
investors or owners that fundamentally changing the identity of Leeds
United is forbidden and non-negotiable.
_______________________________________________
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Dave Dowden, a legend, a Totty Twin, a pie man! R.I.P.