Amateur Cardiff City Ladies aiming for Champions League after lucrative takeover
Tier-three club Cardiff City Ladies FC are the subject of a bombshell takeover, with the new ownership eyeing a return to the Women's Super League and Champions League in the near future.
The amateur Welsh club currently plies its trade in the English FA Women’s National League South. It has no connection to Championship men’s side Cardiff City FC, and should not be confused with the club's corresponding women's arm Cardiff City Women who compete in the Welsh top-flight with Wrexham Women.
Cardiff City Ladies hold a unique position as one of the few women's clubs with no affiliated men’s team in the English women's system.
The club sent shockwaves through women’s football last season upon reaching the last 16 of the Women’s FA Cup while competing in tier four.
And following a sensational promotion season, the club have now been acquired by Dragons23, a consortium led by Damien Singh, the chief financial officer of the multi-billion dollar social media graphics company Canva, and Welsh businessman Julian Jenkins.
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Since Australian-based Singh's involvement in Canva seven years ago, the so-called "tech unicorn" has become Australia's fastest-growing company in history and one of the world's greatest start-up success stories.
In 2021 the company's valuation reached upwards of $40billion (£31.5billion). The valuation has since levelled out at just under $26billion (£21billion) with revenue estimated at £1billion per year, a four-fold increase since 2019.
Singh's financial acumen is complemented by the 25 years of football experience touted by Jenkins, who has worked as a consultant for Uefa and FIFA and was a former director of Cardiff City FC.
The duo have previously explored a number of ventures in football ownership, most recently fallen giant Yeovil Town FC in the sixth tier of English men’s football.
The history of the standalone women’s club -- who competed in the English women's top-flight twice before the WSL rebrand and have fostered talent such as Chelsea's Sophie Ingle and NWSL star Jess Fishlock -- coupled with the recent explosion of women’s football globally cut Cardiff City Ladies the inarguable candidate for investment.
Damien Singh is the chief financial officer of Canva. (LinkedIn)With the new investment, the club plans to return to the WSL and Europe in the coming years.
Additional plans include operating at historic semi-professional status from the start of next season and reinstating the reserve and youth teams at all levels.
Maintaining the standalone nature of the club is paramount.
Aspirations also exist to create a centre of excellence for women, with the core tenant being sport and football. The club currently shared a leased pitch at a sports facility in the capital city. A rebrand is also on the cards.
Julian Jenkins is a former director of Cardiff City FC and current chief executive officer of Fanalyse, (LinkedIn)On the takeover, Singh said: “As we turn the page to the next chapter for Cardiff City Ladies, I see boundless opportunities to apply sustainable, long-lasting growth strategies in the world of football.
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"This is an exciting era for the women’s game, rife with potential. It’s not about growth at any cost; it’s about meaningful, enduring progress.
"While Business and finance is my professional domain, sport is the passion that fuels me.
"Canva, one of the world’s largest private software companies, stands as a testament to what can be achieved when ambitious growth coexists with fiscal responsibility."
Jenkins added: “It's a partnership committed to realising the club's long-term vision of achieving a spot in the Women's Super League and fostering more talent for the Women's national team.
"Together, we aim to complement the amazing talents already present within the club. We're adding human resources and bolstering our financial strength to take this club to new heights."
The club were previously owned and run by former Wales internationals and club alumnae Michele Adams, Laura McAllister (a current Uefa executive committee vice president) and Karen Jones, the latter of whom was a club co-founder.
The women retain a minority stake and will continue to take charge of the daily running of the club.
The acquisition arrives off the back of Cardiff City Ladies’ return to tier three following a torrid relegation to tier four, the club’s lowest-ever standing, due to financial troubles induced by Covid-19.
The 2022-23 season is already underway in the third and fourth tiers of women’s football. Cardiff City Ladies currently sit eighth after a 2-1 loss to Ipswich on opening day.
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