Carlisle United’s home ground is a 20 minute walk from the city center. The team has only managed to play in the top division of English football for one season.
Photographer: George Wood/Getty Images
Americans Are Taking Over English Football Everywhere
More than a third of the 92 professional teams in England’s top four leagues now have some form of US ownership.
Carlisle United is hardly the first name that springs to mind when it comes to English football. The team from the small cathedral city in the far northwest corner of the country has only ever played in the top league for one season in its history. It’s currently battling to stay in the third tier.
For Florida-based businessman Tom Piatak, though, the club was just what he was looking for, as Carlisle United became at least the 34th team in English football to get a US investor: one punching below its weight based on its stadium and fan base. “I wanted a club with considerable commercial upside,” Piatak said from Jacksonville after completing his acquisition in November.