AMERICAN OWNERSHIP IN ENGLISH SOCCER..

In case you haven't noticed there still isn't any NFL yet, due to being in a lockout. Which in my opinion is going to last quite a bit longer. The NBA season and the NHL season are coming to a close. The MLB season is underway right now but who really watches the regular season in the MLB anyways.

The owners of these four major sports entities are taking notice of this as well as the loss of revenue each one is experiencing. So what do these entrepreneurs do to try and make more money. The invade England.

Just last week Stan Kroenke an American billionaire increased his ownership of the Arsenal Football Club of the English Premier League. He now owns more then 66% of the team and attempting to purchase the rest.

American ownership is a growing trend in the English Premier League.

Kroenke is the fifth American owner in the English Premier League and now American represent one quarter of the the league's clubs. On top that number another five clubs are owned by non-Americans and non-Brits.

Kroenke also own the St. Louis Rams, Colorado Rapids and the Denver Nuggets. Three American franchises that are doing quite well economically.

As I said earlier with all the turmoil the major sports in the United States are facing, it is a no brainer to invest in the English Premier League. The NFL is currently locked out in a labor dispute. The NBA is headed for an inevitable lockout next season. The NHL has never really recovered from the strike of 2004-05, in which an entire season was lost as well as television contracts(revenue).

Kroenke is not alone in this endeavour. Randy Lerner has owned the Aston Villa Football Club since 2006. Lerner also owns the Cleveland Browns. The Villains sit in the middle of the pack in the English Premier League, which is something the Browns cannot say about the NFL.

Sunderland Football Club is one of the most stable financial models in the English Premier League and among American owners. Ellis Short bought Sunderland in 2008, prior to that he only owned 30% of the team.

John Henry, a Massachusetts businessman, recently purchased Liverpool Football Club. He is no stranger to owning massive sports teams. Henry has owned the Boston Red Sox since 2002. He is attempting to renovate or even possibly bring a new stadium to the Liverpool fans.

And then there is the great Manchester United Football Club(even though they just lost in the Champions League final) that is owned by the American family, the Glazers since 2005. This family has accumulated quite a bit of debt while owning Manchester United. There are many protesters the their American ownership of the club. Most of it stems from Manchester United Being almost debt free prior to their purchasing the team. Although the money the family has spent has brought many titles to the club.

As a fan I like seeing American ownership in the EPL. It will give our home grown players here in the States a better opportunity to play in the greatest football league in the world.

What I would love to see more of is these American owners is sending some of their top players over here to the MLS on loan. I am not speaking about players that are past their prime(Theirry Henry and David Beckham) but actual stars.

With all the coverage and support the United States Mens National team received in the world cup and with the women's World Cup set to begin soon this is a great time for American fans and businessmen/women to get involved.

Youth soccer has the most participation among any youth sports organization in the United States. Let's give these kids something to strive for.

I think American ownership in the EPL will be great news for the English fans as well as American fans alike.
Yes I am biased because I am a huge soccer and EPL fan.

What do you think about American ownership, the EPL, the lockout or in general?

Agree or disagree with me at least I know what the PEOPLE think. L2