Football now more than ever is a game dominated by money, with the top clubs on the planet backed by billionaire owners vying to outspend each other when transfer season comes around.But it just so happens that powerbrokers at both Celtic and Rangers have been ranked among the top 50 wealthiest people in the sport in a new study.
Fans at Parkhead continue to be at loggerheads with major shareholder Dermot Desmond and the board, with Celtic’s struggles in bringing in top talent in recent transfer windows a real source of the frustrations.
Tensions continue to escalate and a leading Celtic fan group have once again called for chief executive Michael Nicholson to be shown the door, also urging fellow supporters to boycott Saturday’s Scottish Cup clash at home to Dundee.
And at a time where Parkhead diehards are crying out for new leadership and direction from the hierarchy, one man who retains a minor level of shares at the club has been placed among the word’s elite when it comes to economic power.US businessman John Fisher inherited his family fortune from American multinational clothing and accessories retailer GAP, that was founded by his father Donald Fisher and his mother Doris F. Fisher back in 1969.
He then turned his attention to sport in 1992 when he and his father became part owners of the Major League Baseball team San Francisco Giants when their investment group launched a bid to stop the club from relocating to the Tampa Bay area.Fisher then sold his stake in the Giants in 2005 in order to buy California-based MLB side Oakland Athletics.
His first venture into football – or soccer as it’s known across the pond – came a year later when Oakland agreed a deal with Major League Soccer to develop their own California football team for the top-flight – the San Jose Earthquakes.
And in 2007, Fisher expanded his reach even further when he purchased a small amount of shares in Celtic. It was reported at the time that the billionaire had forked out around £2million to buy shares in the club that equated to around 3.24 per cent.
Fisher had been planning a route into Scottish Football and was previously linked to potentially investing in English Premier League duo Everton and Leeds United – as well as Celtic’s arch rivals Rangers.
Fisher’s financial clout has continued to grow over the years, and his estimated worth of £2.9billion has seen him named as one of the top 50 richest individuals in football.
A new study by leading magazine FourFourTwo has Fisher Jr placed at number 49 on the list, just above Lyon and Botafogo owner John Textor, who is valued at £2.6billion.
Further up the list, Denise York and Family – who’s San Francisco 49ers Enterprises group own both Rangers and Leeds – come in at number 30 with an estimated value of £6billion.
Arsenal’s Stan Kroenke comes in at number 12 with an estimated fortune of £16billion, while the owners of Como, Paris FC and Paris Saint-Germain miss out on top spot with estimated values of £38billion, £143billion and £253billion respectively.
Mohamed Bin Salam and Family’s Public Investment Fund – which own Newcastle United and four clubs in the Saudi Pro League – are way out in front at the top of the list with a staggering estimated fortune of £1.2 trillion.