it's an HOUR long ffs!

so anyway i lugged in, paid attention, done some scratching around, tried to educate myself, please do correct me if i'm wrong ...

Attanassio's investment was around £67m largely in the form of a loan and some cashflow (around 8m) which essentially bought him majority shareholder status and an 85% stakehold in the boardroom. Delia & Michael Wynn Jones have a 10% holding and are now basically glorified ST holders who get to sit in the executive box and have naff all to do with the running of the club.

Attanasio won't be pumping any money in (unless in the form of loans for stadium expansion/facility improvements) but he brings experience from two sectors; primarily as co-founder and Managing Partner of Crescent Capital Group, a major Los Angeles-based alternative investment firm which oversees tens of billions in assets—from about $27 billion in 2016 to nearly $50 billion today.

His other major interest is as chairman and principal owner of the Millwaukee Brewers Major League Baseball side. Owned by Attanasio since 2005, the Brewers have compiled a regular-season record of 1,628–1,511 through to the end of 2024, marking the fourth‑best winning percentage in the National League in that span.

Since 2017, the team posted a 666–529 record—third‑best in the NL, trailing only the Dodgers and Braves. The Brewers have qualified for the postseason six times in the last eight full seasons (missing only 2017 and 2022 by one game each). Division titles: NL Central champions in 2018, 2023, and 2024, with three titles in four seasons.

It is this area that he brings real interest as a new owner in as far as his approach (more relevantly his team's approach) to sporting success through data analytics. He’s known for building strong front-office teams in Milwaukee. At Norwich, we could expect more specialized roles in operations, data analysis, and long-term planning. There may be significant structural modernization in how the club is run day-to-day.

At the Milwaukee Brewers, Attanasio invested heavily in analytics and performance metrics, helping turn the team into a consistent playoff contender despite not having one of the largest budgets in the MLB. He’s expected to bring that same data-driven approach to player recruitment, fitness, and match tactics at Norwich.

Scouting and Recruitment: Enhanced use of statistical models to scout undervalued talent.

Player Performance: Investing in sports science and performance tracking to optimize player fitness and reduce injuries.

Rather than pouring money into short-term success, Attanasio believes in sustainable club development. At Norwich, this likely means:

Continued focus on developing youth through the academy.
Financial prudence, avoiding risky spending. (Attanassios payroll spending at the Brewers is one of the lowest in the MLB)

Building a "club identity" that can withstand managerial changes.

Stadium Development: Attanasio has reinvested heavily in American Family Field, funding upgrades such as massive LED displays, the 3rd Street Market Hall annex, and new fan amenities. His efforts led to a bipartisan agreement in 2023 securing Brewers’ presence in Milwaukee at least through 2050, with the organization committing $150 million toward stadium renovations.

Community Outreach: Through the Brewers Community Foundation, he has supported local non‑profits to the tune of $60 million over the past decade, with over $4.5 million in grants/scholarships awarded in 2024 alone

It was proper lovely having Delia & Michael at the helm but the charming old days of self-sustaining clubs has long since sailed over the horizon and to be perfectly honest they didn't have much of a clue about running a football club (hence the autonomous overreach of recent sporting directors) in these high octane times of billionaire owners sloshing sports washed petro dollars onto 100+ strong squads of superstars.

While Attanassio appreciates the merits of the Brighton and Brentford data driven approaches he also brings experience from 20 years building a successful sports team in MLB.

It's comforting to have a sensible level head at the helm who has from afar came to quite an impressive level of understanding of the club and it's culture in quite a short period of time for me clive. i really think he gets it.

Posted By: Tombs on July 17th 2025 at 10:53:56

Message Thread

Reply to Message

In order to add a post to the WotB Message Board you must be a registered WotB user.

If you are not yet registered then please visit the registration page. You should ensure that their browser is setup to accept cookies.

Log in