A taxonomy of English football club owners

Purpose Amid increasing focus on the governance of football clubs, this paper develops the first taxonomy of club owners, usually the dominant decision-makers, taking an impact-on-club based approach which can be significantly positive or significantly negative, to develop an understanding of football club ownership beyond current business model orientated approaches. Design/methodology/approach An archival research approach was undertaken to identify relevant club owner characteristics that had reliable data and were objectively measurable, while concurrently applying them to English football club owners across the top six English leagues – those which are under the remit of England’s Independent Football Regulator. Findings The research creates a taxonomy identifying 36 possible ownership types by applying the final metrics of financial approach, risk appetite, decision-making practice and prior affiliation. By concurrently applying the taxonomy to English football clubs, only 21 were seen in practice. Most English clubs have owners who are financial benefactors, autocratic, risk seeking and newcomers to the football club’s locality. Practical implications The taxonomy presented in this paper aids academic knowledge and understanding of football club owners and can also contribute to practice by providing a practical assessment of club owner performance and provide a potential basis for setting governance parameters by clubs and league authorities. Originality/value This is the first paper to develop a taxonomy of football club ownership.