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One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson completes Doncaster takeover | One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson completes Doncaster takeover |
(35 minutes later) | |
League One side Doncaster Rovers now have a celebrity owner after a takeover by the former chairman John Ryan and the One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson was confirmed. | |
A spokesman for Ryan said the deal had been completed ahead of a formal announcement in London. | A spokesman for Ryan said the deal had been completed ahead of a formal announcement in London. |
The 21-year-old made his name as a member of One Direction, and is a lifelong fan of his hometown club. He played for their reserve side this year, watched by a crowd of nearly 10,000, and had been close to a takeover before, but a move was twice delayed because of negotiations over his image rights. | |
Ryan, who ended his 15-year association with Rovers in November, will be the lesser known of the two men but will doubtless be the more hands-on. His spokesman said: “It’s done, the takeover is complete.” | Ryan, who ended his 15-year association with Rovers in November, will be the lesser known of the two men but will doubtless be the more hands-on. His spokesman said: “It’s done, the takeover is complete.” |
The businessman has extensive football experience and oversaw Doncaster’s rise from non-league to the Championship as well as their move from Belle Vue to the Keepmoat Stadium before stepping aside in November. | The businessman has extensive football experience and oversaw Doncaster’s rise from non-league to the Championship as well as their move from Belle Vue to the Keepmoat Stadium before stepping aside in November. |
The earlier snag came about because Tomlinson’s image rights are owned by his management team and would entitle them to a share of any money generated by the club through merchandise and extra ticket sales from the use of his image or name. | The earlier snag came about because Tomlinson’s image rights are owned by his management team and would entitle them to a share of any money generated by the club through merchandise and extra ticket sales from the use of his image or name. |
While Tomlinson signed on as a player at the start of the season in a move to make money for the Bluebell Wood charity, Ryan has also played for Doncaster, bringing himself on as a substitute, then aged 52, in a 4-2 win against Hereford after the club sealed promotion from the Conference in 2003. |