Global Football Partners (GFP) is delighted to confirm its purchase of Charlton Athletic Football Club and Charlton Athletic Women’s Football Club, following the EFL and the FA’s approval of the respective deals.
- Intention to bring uncertainty to an end through actions rather than words or grand promises
- Vastly experienced Senior Management Team to be put in place at the club
GFP, which has made the acquisition via its UK subsidiary SE7 Partners, is made up of seven shareholders with 5%+ each (detailed below). Those shareholders will sit on GFP’s Board of Directors, along with Finance Director Ed Warrick and Technical Adviser Simon Lenagan. GFP also has a small number of shareholders whose holdings are less than 5% each.
Speaking on behalf of GFP, Charlie Methven said: “We would like to thank Thomas Sandgaard, Peter Storrie and the club staff for their cooperation during the acquisition process. As an ownership group, my fellow shareholders and I are excited to begin this new chapter at Charlton whilst being respectful of the scale of the task that faces our management team in restoring the fortunes of this great club.
“Getting to this point has been a long road that has left Charlton’s loyal fans uncertain about the future direction of their club. We intend to bring that uncertainty to an end through actions rather than words or grand promises. However, we do want to place on record at this point that GFP’s ambition is to build a football club noted for its professionalism, integrity and intense focus on success. To that end, we are appointing and empowering a Senior Management Team (SMT) that we believe has the relevant experiences and energy to drive the club forward.”
The new Charlton SMT will comprise Jim Rodwell as Managing Director and Ed Warrick as Group Finance Director - a Technical Director and a Director of Performance will be announced shortly - whilst Steve Sutherland returns to the club as Interim Commercial Manager. The Charlton Board, chaired for the 2023/24 season by Rodwell, will comprise the SMT along with two Non-Executive Directors in former Charlton player Paul Elliott and GFP investor Gavin Carter, a lifelong Charlton fan. The latter two Board appointments are subject to EFL approval.
Jim Rodwell said: “The hard work begins now. The brief given by the ownership group to the Senior Management Team is clear: to bring our experience to bear in pursuit of incremental and continual improvement throughout every aspect of the club. We recognise that this process will at times be challenging, and that progress will not always be linear, but we will always operate with the best interests of the club in mind. Charlton Athletic is famed within football for what it has achieved when united in purpose - our objective is to do what needs to be done to regain that spirit of togetherness and move forward together.”
Global Football Partners - shareholders with 5%+ each:
Gabriel Brener and family
Private investor and former majority shareholder of a Major League Soccer team
Joshua Friedman and family
Co-Founder, Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Canyon Partners, LLC, a leading global alternative asset management firm
Warren Rosenfeld and family
Owner of major US Recycling firm Calbag Metals
ACA Football Partners (acafp.com)
Singapore-based group that invests in football with a focus on building a foundation for sustainable growth
Munir Javeri
Founder of Connecticut-based investment firm Sahana Capital
Marc Boyan
CEO Miroma Group (global marketing, media and content company) and Miroma Ventures
Charlie Methven
Sports and leisure industry entrepreneur and adviser
