Forty per cent of the top flight now owned by overseas investors

For a team like Chelsea, foreign investment has proven the difference between success and slightly more success, but not every club benefits. Now that Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim (pictured above with a Hollywood star and her grandson) has waded in with daddy’s oil cash, eight current Premier League clubs are owned by out-of-towners. Accordingly, The Spoiler has looked at the fortunes of each of foreign-owned club to find out if overseas money has helped or hindered the league…

Aston Villa
Owner: Randy Lerner

So far everything seems great. Martin O’Neill and Lerner get on well, money is readily being made available to sign players and Lerner was willing to support whatever action his manager chose to take in the Gareth Barry saga. Other factors that make Aston Villa an attractive model to follow are that they target English talent and although they occasionally pay over the odds, there isn’t the “we must finish in the top four or else sack the manager” mentality.

Chelsea
Owner: Roman Abramovich

Abramovich had an advantage over the likes of Lerner in that the club he bought were already a top four team, however, he still delivered a title in his second season. Wikipedia claim that “as of May 2008, Abramovich has spent approximately £600 million on the club since arriving in 2003.” Things have taken a turn

Aston Villa to help out children’s hospice

A huge pat on the back is due for Randy Lerner and co for defying the Premiership trend to ‘maximise revenues’. Instead of renewing their shirt sponsorship deal with a large corporation, the West Midlands club have taken a leaf from Barcelona’s book by giving their shirt sponsorship deal to a charity.

Villa have forsaken up a potential £2million deal in order to help out the Acorns children’s hospice, in a move that has made Martin O’Neill ‘very proud’. Awww.

Financial cynics shouldn’t be too concerned by this philanthropic turn, as the constantly inflating Gareth Barry sale price (now at around £15million) and the 7.5 per cent hike in season ticket prices should cover the opportunity cost.

Birmingham fans furious over his arbitrary club choice

While touting his latest film Charlie Wilson’s War in London last night, Tom Hanks decided to wrap up warm in the colours of his favourite football team.

The Hollywood star has been a long-term fan of the Midlands side, but why? Maybe it’s an affiliation with yank boss Randy Lerner? Or perhaps a love of the Birmingham club’s rich