It was the news that many Port Vale fans may have been expecting for a few years, but the clubs’ board have denied recent speculation that super fan singer Robbie Williams has approached them with an intention to fully takeover control of the club.
The Valiants are currently sat in 20th place in the League One table, but in recent days stories have emerged in the national press that the 49 year old had formally submitted a bid for ownership. On the back of those reports the club were moved to make an official statement to clarify their position denying those rumours, stating that no bid had been made and that no conversations had been had surrounding the prospect of any kind of official investment by the former Take That star.
Whilst the reports are apparently off base, he was made club president by the club last Saturday, wherein he naturally praised the co-owner and chair, Carol Shanahan, and he said ‘let the good times roll’.
A statement from a Port Vale spokesperson, explained.
“Robbie and his team attended the match this past weekend, where he became club president and officially opened the suite that is now named after him. There are a number of positive club projects that both Carol and Robbie are exploring with the intention of anything delivered being in the best interests of Port Vale Football Club. As owners of the club, the Shanahan family remain fully committed to Port Vale FC.”
In more recent years, despite Williams long being known to be a fan of the club, mutual co-operation between the two parties has seen a slight increase and back in 2022, Port Vale hosted his homecoming gig in an effort to raise money for charity by the Stoke-on-Trent born star.
With their statement referencing ‘a number of positive club projects’ that are being explored, with some ideas maybe already in a future pipeline, whilst Williams may not take on an ownership role in future years, it does feel that future tie ins will simply become a regular thing – both for charity fundraiser events, for Port Vale’s own financial benefit, and potentially for Port Vale Foundation programmes.
Then fans will have to simply see whether or not, having sold over 75 million records with his name on that gives him his substantial wealth, it finally becomes some kind of meaningful investment share that boosts the clubs’ finances even further.