Most ‘Investible’ Football Clubs – Who Could Be The Next Wrexham?

Football club acquisitions are driven by diverse motivations. Some are fuelled by passion for the sport or a deep love for the specific club, while others, primarily guided by financial considerations, seek investment opportunities. Although the commercial aspect is a significant allure, owning a club presents various opportunities. In today’s affluent football landscape, the sport retains its fervour. Representing a club, its region, and fans is a significant responsibility. Investing in a club entails investing in its fanbase, and garnering their support opens doors to limitless possibilities.

Recent years have witnessed major takeovers of clubs like Leeds United, Wrexham, and Newcastle United. What makes these clubs particularly appealing to potential investors and who could be next?

This research aimed to identify undervalued or underperforming football clubs with the highest potential for investment. The focus was on clubs possessing undervalued assets relative to their current league position. Notably, established clubs like Manchester United or Manchester City, despite their superior facilities and recruitment, were deemed less ‘investible’ due to challenges in investment accessibility. The analysis identified ten non-league clubs as promising investment opportunities, considering various factors.

Fan Score

Fan Score was created to offer a distinctive perspective on whether a team’s current fan base aligns with the average for its current level of play. This metric integrates values from Football Manager 24, including Fan Passion and Fan Loyalty, to determine the strength of a fan base relative to the club’s current position. The concept is rooted in the notion that potential investors would prefer clubs with growth potential without the immediate necessity for stadium upgrades, coupled with the appeal of a passionate and sizeable fan base.

Here are the top 10 clubs based on Fan Score, with many being former football giants that stand out when comparing attendances to their current position in the football pyramid. Bradford City are top, boasting an average of 17,767 fans per game last season, surpassing the second-best in the league, Stockport, by more than 8,000.

Facilities Score

Moving on to the Facilities Score, this metric incorporates variables like stadium capacity, Youth, and Training facilities scores from FM24. It aims to assess the quality of a club’s facilities relative to its level. Notably, several Premier League teams rank high due to their superior facilities compared to lower-league sides. However, there are instances of surprises and outliers in this evaluation.

Burton Albion are top of the Facilities score as they train at St. George’s Park, home of the English National team, and so have perfect training and youth facilities.

Squad Health Score

Now, let’s delve into the Squad Health Score, which encompasses numerous variables, including the squad’s average age, the club’s financial balance in FM24, and other relevant factors. This score aims to provide insights into whether a potential investor needs to inject additional capital to enhance the existing squad. It also assesses the
club’s youth recruitment, determining if there’s a need for investments in this area to ensure a natural replenishment of the ageing squad with emerging young talent.

It was always going to be Manchester City top of this list with the side having a huge bank balance and very good youth recruitment. A club to note which sat 13th on this list was Aldershot of the National League, they were comfortably the highest National League Side.

Aldershot are currently sat tenth in the Vanarama National League table, and will be hoping they can force themselves into the play-off positions at the earliest of opportunities. Sky Bet have Aldershot priced at 7/4 for a top-seven finish this season, and be sure to use the Sky Bet sign-up offer when signing up with this operator, as their welcome bonus is a generous one with a sizeable amount in free bets on offer.

Stability Score

Now, let’s explore the Stability Score, which examines the club’s historical performance in the English football pyramid over the recent past. The objective is to identify clubs with growth potential or upside prospects. Investors typically seek clubs that have maintained or improved their position in the football hierarchy, as those rapidly descending through the ranks may present less favourable investment opportunities.

Having been in the National League North as recently as 2019, Stockport County’s ascent towards the summit of League Two has them top of the Stability table.

Social Media Score

Moving on to the Social Media Score, this assessment involves analysing a club’s social media following on platforms like Twitter. The comparison is made in relation to other clubs within the football pyramid to determine whether a club has a substantial or modest online following relative to its league position. The underlying idea is that investors would be interested in clubs with a robust digital presence, as indicated by a strong following on social media platforms.

Many clubs got a maximum 100 / 100 score here as they have very large followings given their league position.

So, who is the next Wrexham?

To derive the overall score, the average of individual scores was calculated. Subsequently, a final assessment was conducted, taking into account the club’s current level. The key idea is that for a club to be considered ‘Investible,’ it must be financially viable for a broader range of individuals or groups, beyond just the elite few. For instance, when Manchester United was put up for sale by the Glazers, only two serious contenders emerged.

In contrast, lower-league clubs garner more diverse and numerous offers when available for sale, as they are more affordable and thus accessible to a wider range of investors.

Hence, based on this analysis, we can identify the top 10 most investible clubs. Chesterfield claims the top spot, consistently ranking around 42nd across all variables among the 164 clubs assessed. Notably, they stand out as one of the leading teams in social media presence and fan scoring.

A spokesperson for Bonus Code Bets said: “Chesterfield’s fervent fan base and exceptionally practical SMH Group Stadium are just two of the key reasons why foreign investors may well want to keep a close eye on the Spireites.

“At the time of writing, the National League side are racing away at the top of the table and a promotion to League Two seems an inevitability. They have a young squad, with an average age of 26.67, and a Social Media team which is capable of attracting casual viewers to the club’s progression.

“With the correct investment, a surge up the Football pyramid could be imminent and the club’s potential could well be reached far quicker than even the most diehard Chesterfield fan could imagine.”