Steve Lansdown
Bristol City FC owner Steve Lansdown has been revealed as Bristol Rugby’s new owner, and has promised to deliver sporting success across the city.
Mr Lansdown, the majority shareholder at Ashton Gate, has been bankrolling the rugby club for the last three years and revealed today he had become the majority shareholder at the club.
His financial input saved the club from going out of business during the 2008-09 season – when Mr Lansdown, referred to in official documents only as “White Knight”, ploughed in the hundreds of thousands of pounds that essentially kept professional rugby in Bristol.
Chairman Chris Booy said, going forward, “it will be very much be business as usual. I will continue as Chairman, with Steve Gorvett as Chief Executive”.
Speaking this morning, Mr Lansdown said: ““The city and supporters need a rugby club they can be proud of. We want to give Bristol Rugby a focus and we want to get to the top.
“I want to see sport in Bristol to be successful across the board. It’s important that Bristol is financially stable and has the potential to develop into an even more successful Club in the future.”
Referring to the 10 new players brought into the club recently, as the team pushes for promotion, Mr Lansdown added: “We’ve recruited strongly for the end of season play-off push and it’s a question of Bristol living within their means and earning the right to receive investment.”
The new owner said the club would remain at its “spiritual home” at the Memorial Stadium, adding his involvement “in no way diminishes my commitment to Bristol City”.
In light of the announcement, and the expected surge in interest in the club, a push for sales of season tickets for the 2012/13 season has begun today.
Richard Lane's reply reveals the real reason for taking over Bristol Rugby. That is to provide a further income stream for Lansdown's planned new greenbelt stadium.
People like Richard will be quite happy to move Bristol Rugby away from its ancestral home, south of the river. They don't care if this damages the fan base as long as the residual fan base are contributing funds to Bristol City Holdings Ltd.
As Bristol Rovers demonstrated when they sold Eastville to Ikea and Tesco, the owners of Bristol's sporting clubs do not understand the links that clubs have to fans and communities. They see the fans only as items in the income column and wonder why the fans disapear when treated as such.
Hi paul
I doubt there will be top class rugby at the Memorial Ground on a long term basis. It's a shame it was stolen from them in the first place, leaving them vulerable.
Sharing/renting Ashtonvale and pooling commercial resources will benefit both clubs, perhaps joint a club shop in town.
Good news for us Bris supporters as it means the club should be financially sound and its future assured. I do hope we can maintain the "family feel", as there's far more to supporting your team than being top of the league, as those of us there through "thick and thin" will verify. Is it too much to hope for, that one day Bris may get the Memorial GROUND, back in it's traditional ownership. Prem at The Mem. Now that sounds good!