Birmingham City play host to Wrexham in one of League One’s most hotly-anticipated clashes of the season

David Beckham and Tom Brady speak prior to a game between the Inter Miami and the FC Cincinnati at Chase Stadium on August 24, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Image: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Traditionally, this evening’s clash between Birmingham City and Wrexham might not seem the likeliest place to spot a A-list star, but these are strange times we live in.

The Blues host the Red Dragons in an eagerly awaited League One contest that is expected to draw a bumper crowd to St Andrew’s, with both teams having their sights set on promotion to the Championship come the end of this season.

Driving the plans behind the scenes for positive change at the respective has included a sprinkling of stardust, with Birmingham owner Tom Wagner and his Knighthead Capital team bringing on board one of American sport’s most famous faces in former NFL star Tom Brady.

This evening’s opponents, Wrexham, have had their fortunes turned around by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, with the popular Disney+ series ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ having seen the club’s popularity on the other side of the Atlantic grow significantly.

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Famous faces from sport and entertainment have started to become more commonplace when it comes to investing in football, with Will Ferrell an investor in Leeds United alongside basketball stars Russell Westbrook and Larry Nance Jnr, while actor Michael B. Jordan has a stake in Bournemouth. Across the pond, the likes of Natalie Portman and Eva Longoria both have investments in teams that compete in the both men’s and women’s football.

David Beckham, English football royalty, is expected to be in attendance for the clash this evening.

Since retiring, the 49-year-old ex-Real Madrid and Manchester United star has become an active investor with a diversified portfolio, with one of his main deals being that of acquiring an ownership stake in MLS side Inter Miami, playing a significant role in bringing Lionel Messi to America.

Brady and Beckham are said to have grown close and, according to US magazine Life&Style, are on the lookout for investment opportunities that they can enter together.

A source told the magazine: “There’s talk of everything from a fashion line to sports equipment and an alcohol brand. The idea of buying an NFL team together is even on the table.”

Beckham already has a minority ownership stake in an EFL side through his 10% of the ‘Class of 92’ owned Salford City. Him taking any kind of ownership stake in Birmingham is highly unlikely.

However, Brady is understood to want to play an active role in Birmingham’s growth and not just be a passive investor, and business collaborations with Beckham could have a line back to the Blues in an indirect way.

Leveraging the Birmingham brand through Brady and Beckham’s friendship, and unique positioning among the American sporting public, with Brady one of the country’s all-time sporting greats and Beckham having had huge popularity since being a driving force for Inter Miami and the ‘Messi effect’, is something that could be done.

In the same way that Reynolds and McElhenney have been cute in terms of bringing on board major sponsors through association, a Brady and Beckham alliance could also have a significant impact when it comes to bringing on board new commercial partners or other forms of investment.

Brady’s long-standing history with the NFL, and the potential of NFL team ownership in the future, means that the prospect of a link-up between the two entities could be on the cards. With the NFL to open itself up private equity investment, Wagner and Knighthead Capital have been weighing up options for an NFL investment, with the Las Vegas Raiders mentioned as a potential target.

Making the most of relationships that allow for the club to cut through in major markets like the US will be an important tactic for the Blues moving forward, with Knighthead Capital’s investment thesis being one of a long-term view.

On the face of it, famous faces being in attendance may seem to be something of a sideshow that may detract from the importance of what happens on the pitch, but in making football club’s stand out in the crowd and maximise a golden opportunity, especially in the US where the ‘soccer’ market is enjoying something of a boom, means that for those that can pull on such levers, they will see the value in doing so.