The Vaqueros gained a new group of amigos in Alfreton, England in a bold start to 2015.
Fort Worth Vaqueros owner Michael Hitchcock kicked off the New Year as the newly formed Legend Football Partners acquired a significant interest in Alfreton Town Football Club.
The acquisition, effective as of Jan. 1, 2015, creates an immediate avenue for player sharing, cross marketing, international matches, and preseason training in both countries.
“This move automatically makes the Vaqueros a stronger organization through the benefits of shared players, training techniques, matches and the collaboration of ideas from two different soccer nations,” Hitchcock said.
Legend Football Partners includes Playbook Management International (PMI), of which Hitchcock is the managing partner, and 1836 Capital, led by Managing Director Jonathan Collura, a Dallas-based corporate finance company that specializes in mergers and acquisitions.
Successful local business leader and ATFC owner Wayne Bradley retained interest in the club including three of the six seats on the ATFC board. The additional three board seats will be filled with Legend Football Partners representatives.
Alfreton Town FC was formed in 1959 following the merger of Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alfreton United football clubs. The Reds compete in the Conference Premier, which is fifth in the eight divisions of England’s soccer pyramid.
“Alfreton Town Football Club has a long and proud history,” Bradley said. “I have been honoured to have been its chairman for the past sixteen years of that history. During my time as chairman I have overseen the club through four promotions, won numerous cups and trophies, in addition to generating substantial income via player transfer sales. The club now operates at the highest level of non-league football in England. I have made it clear throughout my period as chairman that my main aim would be to achieve a place in the future of the game. The development of the game on a world stage progresses at a pace and the challenge for Alfreton Town FC continues to mount. Therefore, when the opportunity to link with like-minded individuals in the United States of America, I had no hesitation in exploring and developing those links to the good of Alfreton Town FC. I am therefore delighted that the formalities of a partnership have been agreed. An exciting position has now been created. A position which will propel the great history of the club well and truly into the future. I firmly believe that I will have achieved my ultimate aim of securing a future for the football club in a shape that I could only of dreamed of.”
PMI owns and operates the Fort Worth Vaqueros of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), which is the fourth division of U.S. soccer’s professional structure.
“Alfreton Town FC has enjoyed unprecedented success in the past five years and sits primed to continue its climb up the ranks of the English soccer leagues,” Hitchcock said. “We are thrilled at the opportunity to continue that success with marketing techniques, financial support, player sharing and expanding the ATFC brand throughout England and the global soccer marketplace.”
The fall-spring English season has little overlap with the American summer season, which will allow players to train and play with both clubs as well as potential preseason tours for the Vaqueros in England and the Reds in Texas.
The partnership creates exciting opportunities for Vaqueros coach Mark Snell to exchange players, ideas and experience between the two clubs.
“Acquiring ownership in Alfreton Town FC continues to address our philosophy of player development and growing the sport of soccer in Fort Worth,” Snell said. “Through this mutually beneficial partnership, the Vaqueros have joined the global football community. We as a club are extremely excited.”
