A huge show for you today with a Premier League club flying high in their first season back at the top. Sunderland have had a difficult and well documented 10 years, but under the ownership of Kyril Louis Dreyfus and the Bia Sports team, the good times are coming back. Tom Burwell has taken over as interim CEO as the club plan the next phase of this growth story. He delivers one of the most impressive and compelling football leadership conversations we’ve had on the show. It’s the case study every potential football investor will point to when asked where value can be found in the game. Most importantly, it’s the case study to show how you can nail your business and performance strategy. We’re delighted to welcome Tom to the Business of Sport.

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show:

Gemini

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Slate

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What a weekend of sport it was last week. Rory’s Masters triumph, Grand National bashing for the bookies, Premier League blown wide open, and Championship relegation heating up with the Scottish title race. Dialling in, it’s Arsenal who are in the sights this week, and I knew they would be at 2:30pm on Saturday when they were booed off the pitch while 9 points clear in the Prem having lost 2-1 to Bournemouth. Is it a fair reaction to a club threatening to blow the achievement this project has strived for for 6 years or a lack of respect for the job those on the performance and business side have undertaken to put the club here in the first place. Add to that a look at the rapid growth of women’s rugby and how it compares to women’s football and we have ourselves a Breakdown!

Disclaimer:

The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics, and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at charlie@20vc.com and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.

Dagenham & Redbridge has been all over the footballing news in recent weeks. A takeover fronted by John Grabowski and Happy Fan Group saw KSI come on board as a minority owner while Andy Carroll has been enjoying his time both on the pitch and in the dugout. Therefore this was never going to be your normal football club conversation.

Non-League football in the UK is highly competitive. There is also some great business to be had. But of course, there are challenges to overcome. What does it take for Dagenham to put the excitement and media buzz that comes with high profile ownership into results on the pitch that ultimately leads to what really matters: winning. John takes us through the takeover story, football club’s challenges when talking about money, getting KSI on board, and how they plan to take the club back to the football league. We’re delighted to welcome John to the business of sport.

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show:

Gemini

We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/

Slate

The complete content creation platform for social teams https://slateteams.com/

Navan

Save BIG with Navan’s Business Travel Management https://navan.com/uk/sign-up/home

If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at

bos@20vc.com