Birmingham City Women have been acquired by the club’s ownership group, Shelby Companies Limited, with former England international Karen Carney among a group of independent investors taking a minority stake in the team.
Shelby Companies Limited, an affiliate of Knighthead Capital Management, completed the purchase of 97% of Birmingham City Women FC, the club confirmed on Wednesday. The remaining 3% has been purchased by the group of independent investors, which also includes former world number one tennis player Kim Clijsters, according to a statement.
Knighthead Capital Management, co-founded by Birmingham City chairman Tom Wagner, initially acquired a controlling share in the men’s club in July 2023 before completing a full takeover in November 2024. The acquisition of the women’s team reflects a growing trend of clubs bringing their women’s sides under the same ownership structure, a move often cited as a way to boost revenue and ensure compliance with financial regulations.
Birmingham City Women currently compete in the Women’s Super League 2, where they occupy a promotion place. A recent 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace has put their hopes of automatic promotion under threat, with the team currently one point ahead of Palace and three points ahead of Bristol City and Newcastle United. The third-placed team in the league will enter a play-off match against the bottom-ranked team in the Women’s Super League for the final spot in the top tier.
The club stated that there will be no immediate changes to staffing or football operations following the takeover. Jeremy Dale, Chief Executive Officer of Birmingham City, described the deal as “a pivotal moment” for the club, highlighting Birmingham’s history in the women’s game, including winning the FA Cup in 2012 and developing players like Karen Carney, Kerys Harrop, and Jess Carter.
“To now have Karen, along with Kim Clijsters and several other prominent women business leaders as investors is a pivotal moment for the club,” Dale said.
In a separate announcement, data-driven sports agency Two Circles appointed Melissa Chapman as Group Executive Director, Content. Chapman joins from Jungle Creations, where she served as CEO, bringing over a decade of experience in social publishing and audience growth. Two Circles CEO and Co-Founder Gareth Balch stated Chapman’s experience in building high-growth content businesses will be “instrumental in supercharging our business expertise.”
Legends Global also announced a multi-year partnership with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, covering its entire UK venue portfolio. The agreement will see CCEP products available at venues including the AO Arena in Manchester and OVO Arena Wembley, with brand activation rights also included. Dan Chard, SVP Commercial at Legends Global, said the partnership would bring the Coca-Cola brand “to life” across its UK venues.
