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Bill Foley aims to bring Stanley Cup success to new Auckland A-League franchise

a year ago

Split Enz famously sang β€˜History never repeats’ - that's the feeling a lot of New Zealand football fans would’ve had when news broke that a US Billionaire had secured the Auckland A-League licence under the banner Black Knights FC.

While the ill-fated New Zealand Knights were more akin to Monty Python's Black Knight, battling on in limbless defiance, Black Knights FC promises to be Arthurian in comparison.

Texan businessman Bill Foley has a vastly different owner profile to anyone involved in New Zealand professional sport with the NHL's Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, AFC Bournemouth in the English Premier League, plus French top-flight side FC Lorient in his stable of clubs.

Winning is number one and Foley is unapologetic about it.

"We intend to be a very successful franchise and sports team and I intend to bring this,” Foley said while waving a blinged out ring featuring the Golden Knights logo to the gathered media.

β€œWhen we win the championship, our players will get one of these - (it's) a little out of the ordinary but that’s my Stanley Cup Championship ring.

"We’ll do it for both our men’s and women’s teams because we’re in this program to win. No excuses, always advance, never retreat."

If that sounds like the sort of speech you’d hear just before going 'over the top' then you’re right. Foley is a graduate of the legendary American military school West Point and he thinks tactically – everything is about pathways.

β€œThis is going to be a pathway for people to move up into the A-League and then perhaps move on, go to Scotland, they can go to the top of the pyramid - Bournemouth in the Premier League."

Foley only has ten months to get his house in order before the inaugural season, one that will focus on the men's side before introducing a women's team in 2025. When quizzed on why they weren't launching at the same time, the answer was simple.

"I didn't want to launch two teams and not do a good job - we'll have a women's team in 2025 and we will support it, just as we're supporting Bournemouth," Foley stated.

For the record - AFC Bournemouth's women's side is currently undefeated in nine matches and sits top of the South West division in the FA Women's National League. Foley isn't afraid to spend up to the salary cap to achieve the desired results.

"We have teams we are working with right now in terms of making investments in Scotland and the Netherlands - so it’s a multi cloud strategy and this A-League team is going to do very very well here.

"I’m really proud to be one of the owners, the majority owner, and I’m so happy it’s here in Auckland, here in New Zealand which I feel is my second home."

Bill Foley is here to stay and to win, it seems this Black Knight is right and not so far from home.

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