I'm sure most of us are aware it is the 7th anniversary of David Berman moving on to whatever comes after. I'm no good at marking occasions appropriately, so I'll just wish you all a peaceful day. Reach out to someone you've not heard from in a while, ask how they are. And if you're not feeling brilliant yourself, this is a friendly space to vent or rant or celebrate. Honk if you're lonely.
Smith and Jones forever.
A high-profile U.S. sports executive pardoned by Donald Trump in December, following an indictment for allegedly rigging a bidding process, has bought a minority stake in Championship club Bolton Wanderers.
Tim Leiweke was accused by the Department of Justice last summer of orchestrating a conspiracy to put off a rival bid for the construction of a sports arena at the University of Texas so that his own company, Oak View Group (OVG), could win the $375million contract.
In the wake of the indictment, Leiweke stepped down as OVG’s chief executive and the company agreed to pay $15million in penalties for its part in the arena scheme. But, six months later, while DoJ antitrust lawyers were preparing their case against him, Leiweke was quietly pardoned by Trump, with no explanation as to why he was shutting the corruption case down.
The following day, Leiweke gave a statement to the Sports Business Journal that said he did not “have the words to adequately convey my profound gratitude to President Trump”, before adding that the pardon had given him and his family “a new lease on life with which we will be grateful and good stewards”.
Leiweke has wasted little time on delivering on that promise. In May, the 69-year-old invested €100million ($114million, £85million) in newly promoted Serie A side Venezia, with his daughter Francesca Bodie becoming the club’s president. Last month, he was blocked from buying a 16 per cent stake Benfica, as the Portuguese club’s board raised concerns about being part of a multi-club group.
And now Leiweke, his daughter and former OVG executive Keegan McDonald have formed a new entity called Entrepreneur Equity Partners to buy a stake in Bolton, who were promoted back to English football’s second tier via the play-offs last season.
As part of the investment, Leiweke will join the board, with McDonald becoming a board observer. They will sit alongside the majority-shareholder Nick Luckock and fellow minority shareholders Sharon Brittan, the club’s chair, and Michael James.
Mowbray explained who he was as "Jared Borgetti - a striker who scored many goals and had a spell with Bolton Wanderers after that" and I just think that's a beautifully delicate way of putting it.
This and the fact I won't be back in town for months has properly ruined my day.
It's been hell, I've hated every second of it, and we don't even particularly deserve to be leaving you. Give Leicester one from us, don't let them think they're better than any of you. See you in a couple of years, no doubt.