'Maximum resistance' — Leeds United Supporters Trust issue vow in response to Red Bull's Elland Road move — YEP 31/5/24

By Graham Smyth

Leeds United Supporters Trust say they will meet any changes to the club’s heritage with ‘maximum resistance’ after global energy drink brand Red Bull bought a minority ownership stake in the club.

The move, which includes a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal, was followed by assurances from club chairman Paraag Marathe, head of the 49ers Enterprises ownership group, that this is not and will not be more than a minority stake and there is no desire from either party to create a ‘Red Bull Leeds’ identity.

Red Bull’s imprint at other clubs, however, including name changes, new badges and kit colours, is at the heart of concerns from the Supporters Trust, who say they will work with football’s authorities in preparation for any such moves by the new minority owners.

A Trust statement said: “Leeds United have announced that Red Bull has taken a minority ownership stake in the club, as well as becoming our front-of-shirt sponsor. There was a mixed response from the fan base with some welcoming the financial investment, which of course is becoming more important to delivering on-field success, while others expressed their concerns strongly on what Red Bull’s future intentions could be, given their history with other sports clubs. We would be naïve as fans to assume there isn’t a larger, long-term plan for Red Bull’s initial foot in the door at Leeds United.

“The global energy drink brand owns RB Leipzig in Germany's Bundesliga, Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg, MLS side New York Red Bulls, as well as Red Bull Bragantino and RB Brasil in Brazil. In the past, they have made significant changes to club names, badges and kits, placing their brand front and centre, overshadowing and in some cases erasing the history of the clubs they have purchased. This has been met with large protests from fans, and league-wide protests from fans of other clubs. To be clear from the outset, any fundamental changes to Leeds United club's identity and heritage will receive maximum resistance from our fans, and we will be working closely with football authorities over the coming years in preparation for any such move by Red Bull.

“While the club have been open and proactive in stating that no one from Red Bull will sit on the board and there will be no change to the name or logo, this is only a promise while the 49ers maintain complete control of the club. Nobody can predict what will happen after the 49ers’ custodianship, so we are taking the opportunity at an early stage to let Red Bull, or any other potential custodians of our club, know that we will not allow any of these fundamental heritage or identity changes to happen to our club.”

The Trust also say that the importance of Leeds United’s club heritage and traditions is why an independent football regulator remains an urgent need in the game. The statement continued: “One of the many reasons we are backing the introduction of an independent football regulator is their ability to install protections around football club identity and heritage. Although on hold until after the general election, the government white paper which was published after a fan-led review in 2022 proposes that clubs in the Premier League and English Football League will be held to account on specific heritage elements.

“Among these recommendations are a ‘duty to not relocate without approval’ and a ‘duty not to change crest, home shirt colours or name without approval’. That approval will not come without consultation with supporters, a move which the government says will ‘put fans back at the heart of how football is run.’ Leeds United Supporters’ Trust is proud to have been a part of this consultation process with the government and wholeheartedly support the recommendations. It’s important that we (and fans of other football clubs) have these types of protections in place sooner rather than later. We continue to work closely with the FSA on this to ensure its effective and meaningful implementation.”

In a dialogue they have published along with their statement, the Trust secured assurances from Leeds United surrounding concerns raised by fans, including the lack of option for Red Bull to increase their stake. When 49ers Enterprises first got involved with Leeds they agreed such an option with then majority owner Andrea Radrizzani. A response from the club stated: “Red Bull is happy being a minority investor, and is committed to the vision and the leadership of 49ers Enterprises. When 49ers Enterprises purchased a minority stake several years ago, there was an option for the 49ers to take over from Andrea included from the start. No option like this exists for Red Bull and the 49ers remain fully committed to the club.”

Three questions that the Trust say they were unable to obtain specific answers from the club include the following: “What is the size of the Red Bull stake in the club (including sponsorship)? If the stake is a small percentage, does this allow for a larger stake to be taken in the future? Is the minority shareholding a sale of the 49ers stake or a creation of new shares?”