Simon Sadler (businessman)

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Simon Sadler
Born (1969-10-18) 18 October 1969 (age 54)
Blackpool, Lancashire, England
NationalityBritish
Alma mater UMIST
OccupationBusinessman
Known forFounder of Segantii Capital Management
Owner and chairman of Blackpool F.C. (since 13 June 2019)

Simon Sadler (born 18 October 1969) [1] is a British businessman, founder of Segantii Capital Management and the current owner of Blackpool Football Club. He acquired the club out of receivership in 2019, purchasing a 96.2% share in the club, ending the Oyston family's 32-year ownership in the process. [2]

Contents

In his second full season as Blackpool's owner, the club won promotion to the second tier of English football after an absence of six years. [3]

Career

Sadler has worked in investment banking in London, Moscow and Hong Kong for large multinationals, including HSBC, [1] until eventually founding his own capital firm, Segantii Capital, [4] [5] in 2007. [1] (Segantii is the name of pre-Roman tribe from the Blackpool area.) [1] As of 2022, Segantii had a portfolio worth £3.5 billion. [1]

He has been described as a "tough but fair character" in the business world. [1]

Blackpool F.C.

In 2014, Sadler bought Stanley Matthews' FA Cup winners' medal from 1953 for £220,000. [1] Five years later, he purchased Blackpool F.C. for around £10 million. [1]

Blackpool won promotion to the EFL Championship, England's second tier of professional football, in Sadler's first full season of ownership. [6] After the promotion, Sadler explained that he alone cannot fund the investment needed by the club, that it is supported by season-ticket purchases.

"Two years in, and I'm still full of awe and wonder at being the owner of my hometown football club. I know that it's a great honour and privilege to be the custodian of Blackpool Football Club, and I will continue to do my bit to protect, cherish and nurture it for the future generations of fans to come." – Simon Sadler, June 2021 [7]

Towards the end of May 2024, Sadler told investors that Sengatii will be closing its hedge fund. This came a few weeks after Hong Kong authorities charged the firm with insider trading. Clients had asked to withdraw almost US$ 1 billion from the fund. [8]

In the five years between 2019 and 2024, Sadler has appointed six full-time managers of Blackpool: Simon Grayson (2019–2020), Neil Critchley (2020–2022 and 2023–2024), Michael Appleton (2022–2023), Mick McCarthy (2023) and Steve Bruce (2024–).

Personal life

Sadler grew up on Bispham Road in Bispham, Blackpool. [7] He once had a summer job renting out deckchairs. [1]

He attended Moor Park Primary School, Warbreck School and Blackpool and the Fylde College. He completed a Business Science undergraduate degree at UMIST.

He owns a pug, which he named Kenny, after Kenny Dougall, who scored both of Blackpool's goals in their 2021 EFL League One play-off final victory over Lincoln City. [9]

Sadler is married to Gillian and has two children. [10] [7] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sadlers relocated from Hong Kong to London, partly because he has become less involved with Segantii's main base in Hong Kong and partly to focus on running the football club. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Simon Sadler: Blackpool's block trade king". Financial Times. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "Club Statement: New Owner". www.blackpoolfc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  3. ↑ Blackpool 2–1 Lincoln City – BBC Sport, 30 May 2021
  4. ↑ "Who is Blackpool FC's new owner Simon Sadler? The Hong Kong businessman who has bought the club" – LancsLive, 13 June 2019
  5. ↑ "Blackpool owner Simon Sadler: 'I think clubs will go like dominoes'" – The Guardian , 14 June 2019
  6. ↑ Blackpool 2–1 Lincoln City – BBC Sport, 30 May 2021
  7. 1 2 3 "Simon Sadler: Two Years On" – Blackpool F.C., 13 June 2021
  8. ↑ Tan, Gillian (24 May 2024). "The Rise and Fall of Simon Sadler's Segantii, One of Asia's Most Successful Hedge Funds". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  9. ↑ Sofa Talk – New Year Special | Simon Sadler – Tangerine TV, Blackpool F.C., 31 December 2021
  10. ↑ "Heartfelt tributes to Blackpool FC academy manager who died after cancer battle" – LancsLive, 20 November 2020
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