8:36am Saturday 27th September 2008
By Andy Richardson
SUNDERLAND have joined Manchester United, Liverpool and today’s opponents Aston Villa in having an American owner.
When Dallas-based businessman Ellis Short recently acquired a 30 per cent controlling interest, giving him effective control of the club, he joined fellow Americans Malcolm Glazer, Randy Lerner, Tom Hicks and George Gillett as owners of Premier League clubs.
Short, an Irish-American who was born in the town of Independence, Missouri, is described by business colleagues as a ‘slick’ operator who shuns publicity.
A source is quoted as saying: “This is no Abramovich or Shinawatra. He loves the club and he can see that there is a sustainable plan, but he is happy to stay below the radar.”
Short’s decision to become the largest shareholder appears to offer Sunderland some stability in a volatile economic climate.
And with the financial muscle of the Drumaville Consortium, who bought the club from then chairman Bob Murray in 2006, being weakened by a downturn in the Irish economy, club chairman Niall Quinn sought new investors.
Quinn is thought to have met Short at the 2006 Ryder Cup, held at the K Club, near Dublin, and during 2007 the American bought a stake in Sunderland.
And his shareholding was increased in recent months following a share issue that raised more than £30m for the club.
The Drumaville Group continue to hold a significant share in Sunderland but it was Short’s investment that allowed the club to engage in a summer spending spree that included deals for Anton Ferdinand, George McCartney and a trio of players from Tottenham Hotspur.
Short owns Skibo Castle, famous for hosting Madonna’s wedding to Guy Ritchie in 2000.
The owners are said to avoid publicity. However, Short’s wife Eve was involved in an altercation last year when she allegedly threatened a couple who were walking their dog across the Skibo Castle Estate.
But in Scottish law, as there’s no law of trespass, the walkers had the right to roam and the Short’s subsequently issued an apology for the incident.
In the meantime, Sunderland return to the scene of their most important result of last season’s Premier League survival campaign.
On the back of a four game run that had yielded only one point the Black Cats secured their first away win of the campaign at Villa Park thanks to a Michael Chopra goal. The result boosted the team’s flagging confidence and helped secure their topflight status.
But today Keane knows his side face another tough encounter against a manager he respects. “I have got a lot of time for Martin O’Neill. He is a brilliant manager. His track record is fantastic and the way he handles himself is brilliant. He is doing a fine job and up there with the top managers for me.
“They are fifth at the moment and Villa next team in line to push into the top along with Everton and Man City. I do think top four very strong at the moment but if anyone can do it Martin can,” he said.
And Keane, whose contract expires next summer, shares the Villa boss’s belief that a long-term contract can sometimes lead to a manager becoming too comfortable.
“Some managers want a safety net, but I am quite comfortable working under those circumstances. Martin O’Neill is doing the same thing and if it adds an edge then so be it. He has always been on a rolling contract,” said Keane, who has had to shuffle today’s line-up. “Leadbitter has fractured his nose, Nosworthy has a hamstring and Bardsley is feeling his ankle.”
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk