Hout Bay United Football Community (HBUFC) has taken a strategic step in its development by partnering Fleetwood Town FC, an England-based professional football team.
In a press release sent out on Tuesday, the Cape Town-based side announced the exciting news that Fleetwood's owner, Andrew Pilley, has purchased a 50% stake in the club.
The statement read: "Fleetwood Town FC is situated in a small seaside town, close to Liverpool and Manchester. It currently plays in the third tier of the English Football League (Division One) following six promotions in the past 18 years, the fastest rate of promotion in the history of the England game.
"Fleetwood Town FC has a commitment to developing young local talent and consequently punches way above its weight.
"Fleetwood is the second smallest town with a team represented in the English Football League. Its coastal location presents a significant challenge by reducing the catchment area available for scouting footballing talent (as is the case with Hout Bay United FC), but, despite this, the club has established world-class training facilities and reaped the rewards.
"This sustained success coincides with ownership of the club by Fleetwood-born entrepreneur Andy Pilley."
My interview with Fleetwood Town owner is in the latest @Soccer_Laduma.We talked about:- buying a stake in Hout Bay United - owning multiple clubs - his love for Cape Town - witnessing Vardy's rise pic.twitter.com/roDR2pgeiA
— kurt (@kurtbuckerfield) September 21, 2022
Speaking about his newest business venture in the sporting world, Pilley explained exclusively to Soccer Laduma how the deal came about.
"We met initially about 18 months ago, this was through common friends, and I came along and met the team, and I've got to say, I was absolutely blown away by the outstanding work they're doing in the local community which they combine with football," he said.
"Football is a common language that brings everybody together and we've stayed in touch ever since.
"We've often discussed what really might be possible when it comes to working together. I do have football clubs in different locations, and this is a strategic, tactical investment. We think we can add real value to Hout Bay, we think we can create a roadmap, a pathway for some of the players coming through, and we also think we can assist in doing the right thing, creating a better quality of life for the community here in Hout Bay."
The press release continued:
"HBUFC has players from Hout Bay who have gone on to represent South Africa, both men and women, at various age levels. And, while the club is proud of its accomplishments, the club's trustees feel some of them are ready to play on even bigger stages. The partnership with Fleetwood Town FC affords their players and even coaches the opportunity to achieve greater glory through Fleetwood Town FC and its playing conduits into Britain and Europe.
"HBUFC's vision has always been to allow players from Hout Bay to dream big and that has become a reality. The Fleetwood Town FC partnership will add incredible value to HBUFC.
"The agreement with Fleetwood Town FC includes a business partnership which will advance HBUFC's vision to establish and develop a world class football academy and training facilities in Hout Bay. A further goal of the partnership is to develop a revenue model that will see the ever-evolving football operations part of this vision to remain sustainable as the club move up through the leagues. Most importantly, the new partners agree to uphold the strict community covenants on which HBUFC's is based.
"Partnership with Fleetwood Town FC is the missing piece of the puzzle in the HBUFC business model. It will enable the professional football side of the business the best chance of success while allowing the trust to focus on the community and employment projects we run.
"More than anything else, the partnership is proof of the success of the club's model and recognition that its vision – 'More than a team. Bigger than a game' – resonates throughout the world of association football. In addition, it is an acknowledgement that the trustees and management of Hout Bay United Football Community have executed their mandates with probity, sensitivity and love."
For more information about Hout Bay United Football Community visit: www.hbufc.co.za
For press and media assistance, contact Ian Hamilton Manley of ManleySocial via email ian@publicity.co.za or +27 (0) 82 826 0456.
Read the full interview with Andrew Pilley in the latest copy of the Soccer Laduma newspaper!
