CAESARS, SAVIOURS AND SUCKERS – THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY OF FOOTBALL’S FOREIGN OWNERS, BY BOB HOLMES, PRICE: £13.99, RATING OUT OF 10: 8
THE growth of foreign owners in English football has occurred at a rapid rate in recent times. No longer is the successful local businessman running the show.
The game has gone global and anyone who is anyone wants a piece of the action. It’s not just millionaires who are attracted by the riches and prestige that the Premier League offers – it’s billionaires.
But just as there are good and bad ‘home’ owners, there are also successes and failures among ‘foreign’ buyers.
So for every Roman Abramovich opening the purse-strings and guiding a club to untold success, there is a Venky’s seemingly determined to make every bad decision possible.
That’s what Bob Homes successfully explores in his fascinating self-published book, Caesars, Saviours and Suckers. The much-travelled journalist and author looks at a collection of clubs who have enjoyed – or endured – foreign ownership.
He focuses on nine in the English game – Aston Villa, Blackburn, Chelsea, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, Notts County, Portsmouth, QPR and Wolves – and throws in one Scottish one, Hearts, for good measure.
No one can accuse Holmes of not doing his homework and he interviews a number of key people who provide a real insight into what went on at each club. For example, he meets Sven-Goran Eriksson in China to talk about how he got sucked into the Munto Finance farce at Notts County.
There is an impressive amount of detail and Holmes writes in an entertaining style. The material, some of the crazy stories, lend themselves to it, too.
As you read about the various clubs, you see how some were in such a financial hole that they desperately wanted to believe in a new owner and what he could do for them. Although it may have appeared too good to be true, they turned a blind eye and hoped for the best… until things started to go wrong and evidence emerged.
One of the good things about this book is that you can dip in and out at your leisure. You can pick a club, have a read and enjoy it. They are all separate stories and there’s no need to read one straight after the other. Indeed, it may drive you up the wall if you do.
I particularly liked the chapters on Blackburn, Notts County and Hearts. The wackier the story, the better.
Overall, this subject has been well handled by Bob Holmes and provides plenty of food for thought. If your club is on the verge of foreign ownership, perhaps give this book a read first to find out what could be in store – good or bad…
– John Lyons
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