Ryan Bertrand Leads £87m Bid to Invest in Fan-Owned AFC Wimbledon

• Former England defender Ryan Bertrand is leading a consortium that has proposed an £87m minority investment in League One side AFC Wimbledon.
• The fan-run Dons Trust would keep a majority of the votes and a veto over the club’s name, badge, colours, ground and constitution.
• Trust members vote on the proposal until 17 November, and the board recommends a yes vote.

A Former Chelsea Defender Makes His Pitch to Wimbledon’s Fans

Ryan Bertrand won the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Europa League with Chelsea. Now he is at the front of a bid to invest in a club that its supporters built. The former England defender leads a consortium that has put forward an £87m minority investment in AFC Wimbledon, and the members of the Dons Trust have until 17 November to decide.

The Dons Trust board presented the proposals to its members on Wednesday night. Bertrand, who made 19 England appearances and also played for Southampton, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, leads the group alongside British technology expert Omar Mir. Mir is the sole funder, through an investment vehicle called Sloane Street Capital (SSC).

How the £87m Would Work

SSC would put in £16m on completion for a minority 34% of the shares in AFCW PLC, the company that runs the club. The remaining £71m would be paid over five seasons, up to 2030-31.

If the deal goes through, SSC would oversee football operations, with Bertrand as senior football advisor, working within budgets and processes agreed by the AFCW PLC board. SSC would take two of the 12 seats on the club board, plus an observer position. Stuart Fiertz, co-founder of the investment management company Cheyne Capital, and sports executive Oliver Ward would join the board.

The Protections for Fan Ownership

The Dons Trust currently owns 50.01% of the voting shares in AFC Wimbledon, a structure designed to keep the club fan-controlled. Under the proposed terms its voting rights would be unaffected, and it would hold veto control of the freehold of the Cherry Red Records Stadium, which the club moved to in 2020 close to the site of its old ground.

The Trust would also keep a veto over the club’s name, badge, colours, ground and constitution. If SSC sold its stake, the Trust would have first refusal and could block investors it felt were unsuitable. If SSC missed a payment, its share of the club’s value would stop growing immediately and control would return to the club within three months.

What Bertrand and the Trust Say

Bertrand addressed the supporters directly. “AFC Wimbledon’s story is unique in English football and it was built by its supporters. We felt at home from our very first meetings,” he said. “We are not here to change what this club is. We are here to help it go further on and off the pitch, for the men’s team, the women’s team and the academy.”

He added: “It would be an honour to join the Wimbledon family and help write the next chapter, and we look forward to meeting members and answering their questions over the coming weeks.”

Angus Fox, chair of the Dons Trust board, described the terms as a deal the members control. “The deal brings at least £87m into AFC Wimbledon over five years, while the Trust keeps a permanent majority of the votes, control of the Plough Lane freehold and a veto over everything that makes us who we are,” he said. “We have set out the factors to weigh as plainly as the opportunities.”

Fox said the board recommends a yes vote. “This is our members’ club and our members’ decision,” he said.

How the Club Got Here

Earlier this year, members voted in favour of external investment on the condition that fan ownership and control were protected. The board has looked at more than 20 potential investors, and SSC emerged as the strongest. AFC Wimbledon’s lawyers have completed source-of-funds and background checks on the individuals involved in the consortium, according to BBC Sport.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.

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