Investment in sport: equity investment and football finance
Tom Bruce
Partner, Farrer & Co
Tom is head of Sports at Farrer & Co. He works closely with high profile sports clients on a wide range of corporate, commercial and governance matters. He advises International Federations, National Governing Bodies, commercial sports organisations and clubs and is a "go-to" adviser for clients on governance matters (including the Code for Sports Governance), joint ventures and the structuring of international sporting events.
Martin Blake
Partner, Farrer & Co
Martin advises sports clubs, governing bodies, sponsors and investors on a wide range of borrowing and lending activities alongside more innovative and bespoke financing transactions. Such transactions include loans made to football clubs against future income streams (including broadcasting revenues, player transfer fees and sponsorship income), as well as other lending products such as revolving credit facilities secured against a range of assets and playing squad value linked loans.
Sasha Ryazantsev
CFO, ALK Capital
Sasha is the CFO Advisor at ALK Capital, the owners of Burnley FC and RCD Espanyol, where he oversees the Group’s financial operations. He has played a key part in major refinancing and fund-raising activities of the group, as well as the closing of the RCD Espanyol acquisition. Sasha joined ALK in 2023 after five years on the Board of Everton FC in charge of strategy, financing, commercial growth and the design and construction of the new stadium.
Julia Cove Smith
Founder, Eleven As One
Julia is the Founder of Eleven as One, a football brand designing performance kit specifically for women, tackling an overlooked gap in a fast-growing market. Julia runs a grass-roots U18 Girls football team in the Surrey Sunday League and serves as Chair of the London FA. She’s also a Sports Youth Worker at the WEST Youth Zone in White City and a qualified netball coach, volunteering weekly at primary schools in her local borough to help young people stay active and confident through sport. Before founding Eleven as One, Julia was CEO of Emma Bridgewater Ltd, leading a team of 450 across manufacturing, retail, and commercial operations.
