Can promotion and relegation fundamentally change the landscape of soccer in the United States? Hardcore fans have been begging for it for decades and USL has answered the call, announcing the intention to adopt a more meritocratic, dramatic, and exciting soccer system in 2027.
In Episode 86 of the Because Football Podcast, we interview Brett Johnson, Chairman of Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium and Director and Shareholder at Ipswich Town FC. This episode is a look inside the journey and perspective of a club owner who has matched a passion for the game with significant investment to drive it forward.
Mr. Johnson is the CEO of Benevolent Capital, a family office with investments in professional sports teams, real estate, private equity and venture capital that he founded in 2005. The current portfolio includes the English Football League Championship-Level club, Ipswich Town FC, the USL Championship clubs Phoenix Rising FC and Rhode Island FC, along with investments in TerraCycle, Athletic Brewing Corporation, Oura Ring, and Seekr Technologies.
In this episode, Brett talks about how playing pickup soccer as a kid in Central Park started his love for the game, fostered by a semester abroad in London becoming obsessed at Arsenal’s Highbury stadium, and ultimately to taking the step into club ownership with Phoenix Rising FC in 2016.
Beyond his personal journey, Brett speaks about what drove him to start a club in Rhode Island - a place he has a personal connection with as an alumnus of Brown University - and why he is so bullish on promotion and relegation coming to the USL.
We also discuss how USL clubs can better facilitate and profit from talent development, the importance of soccer stadium projects like the newly opened Centreville Bank Stadium to USL communities, and why he is so optimistic about the cultural and financial future of soccer in America.
Despite his vast experience in a variety of industries, he admits the limits of his of his soccer knowledge and his reliance on a team of experts at both Ipswich Town and RIFC to make football decisions. In both cases, he highlights the social impact of reviving (or in the case of RIFC, creating) the local soccer club.
Connect with Brett Johnson here:
linkedin.com/in/brett-m-johnson-70b148
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