Carney & Clijsters Among Investors in Restructured Birmingham City Women Ownership

Birmingham City FC Women has entered a new ownership structure following the sale of a majority stake to Shelby Companies Limited (SCL), a move that brings high-profile athletes and investors into the governance of the club and underlines the accelerating commercialisation of women’s football.

The Championship club confirmed that SCL, a subsidiary of Knighthead Capital Management, has acquired a 97% stake in the women’s team, with the remaining 3% purchased by a group of independent investors including former England international Karen Carney and four-time Grand Slam tennis champion Kim Clijsters. Tom Brady is part of the wider ownership structure of the men’s club, which is controlled by Knighthead co-founder Tom Wagner.

The transaction effectively establishes the women’s side as a standalone entity within the broader Birmingham City structure, reflecting a growing trend among clubs seeking to unlock new investment routes, enhance financial flexibility and accelerate growth in the women’s game. Club executives have positioned the move as a catalyst for increased competitiveness domestically and internationally, with ambitions tied to long-term infrastructure plans including a dedicated women’s stadium within a wider sports quarter redevelopment.

Carney’s involvement brings a strong symbolic and strategic dimension to the deal. A former Birmingham player and one of England’s most decorated footballers, she previously helped the club win the Women’s FA Cup in 2012 and has since built a prominent media and governance profile in the sport. Her investment reflects a broader shift towards athlete-led ownership models, with former players increasingly seeking influence in the commercial and structural development of women’s sport.

Clijsters’ participation similarly highlights the cross-sport appeal of women’s football as an emerging investment class. The Belgian tennis star, a former world number one, joins a growing cohort of global athletes deploying capital and brand equity into sports properties as part of diversified investment strategies.

Birmingham City said the existing leadership team will remain in place, with no immediate operational changes expected. Instead, the focus is on long-term growth and on strengthening the club’s position within the rapidly evolving women’s football landscape, where rising audience demand, media rights expansion and commercial partnerships are driving increased valuations and investor interest.

The deal also aligns with a broader structural trend across English football, where clubs have separated or restructured women’s teams to align with financial regulations and attract targeted investment. For Birmingham City Women, the involvement of globally recognised athletes and business leaders signals both an ambition to scale and a recognition that the future of women’s football will increasingly be shaped by specialist ownership models and high-profile stakeholders.

As investor interest in women’s sport continues to intensify, Birmingham City’s move illustrates how clubs are repositioning women’s teams as independent commercial assets capable of attracting capital, delivering growth and reshaping the governance landscape of the professional game.