As football / soccer fans, our first dream was to become a professional player. To show our talents on the pitch, write our name in the history books, win trophies.
But for Kyle Shestack, our guest on Episode 53 of the Because Football, his earliest dream was to own the team that the rest of us would be vying to play for. And after years working in the insurance industry, Kyle’s dream came true, as he became part owner of Dorking Wanderers FC through his company, Supporters Sports Ventures.
This story is made all the more interesting by the fact that Kyle, as an American, never actually played soccer as a kid. He caught the bug as a fan during the 2006 World Cup and never looked back.
In this episode, we’ll talk about how Kyle basically cold-called his way into ownership of Dorking, a National League South club that he calls “the greatest story in sports”.
Founded in 1999, Dorking has achieved an eye-watering 12 promotions in 23 years, rising from a pub team of mates led by charismatic coach/owner Marc White, to become a viral, social media force through their partnership with the “Bunch of Amateurs” YouTube channel.
Kyle will give insight into how he was able to identify Dorking as a club he wanted to get involved and how, despite not being a millionaire or billionaire, he was able to raise enough capital to make the deal happen.
We also discuss the sensitivities of being an American owner of an English football club, how the club’s fans and community have welcomed him from day one, and his future goals to develop a “grassroots MCO” (multi club ownership group).
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