Peak6 Investments - good or bad news for AFC Bournemouth fans?

Earlier this week AFC Bournemouth revealed that the Chicago based Peak6 Investments has bought a 25% share in the club – but is this good or bad news?

Although – as you might expect – there has been much positivity coming out of the club from this announcement, the reception from supporters has been a mixture of optimism and pessimism.

It’s impossible to tell at this stage whether this is a good or bad move for AFCB of course, but I’m still going to take a look at three of the potential positives and negatives of this news – and hopefully I’ll have the chance to look back on this in a few months and laugh at my scepticism. Hopefully…

Pros:

1 - More money to strengthen

According to a Forbes listing Peak6 and Matt Hulsizer – the company’s co-founder and CEO – has a net worth of $2.6 billion, and have put millions into the National Hockey League side Minnesota Wild (a club he owns a minority stake in).

I could list more numbers, but I won’t bore you – what I’m effectively saying that this could result in a significant amount of cash going toward strengthening the club, be that in terms of the stadium or transfers in the January window. Which is good news overall.

2 - Making full use of every revenue stream

There’s no doubt about it – the Premier League is a completely different ball game compared to the Championship when it comes to media coverage. Both nationally and globally the increased exposure for my club is mind-boggling.

So it’s important to take complete advantage of this while we sit at English football’s top table, as we might not be here for very long. This season so far has shown the club isn’t really ready for the increased attention and customer interest either – with season tickets not being ready for the first home match just being one example.

So having another group involved in the club could be essential in making sure that every last possible drop of exposure and revenue is squeezed out of our potentially brief Premier League adventure.

3 - Maxim Demin still has the controlling share

Maxim Demin, the investor who has helped this club climb to the top tier – with a little help from Eddie Howe and company of course – will still remain at the club, and with a 75% share no less.

Demin seems to have the club’s best interests at heart, and unlike previous owner Eddie Mitchell – who was a controversial figure, to say the very least – our Russian benefactor is happy to remain in the background and let Howe and his players take all the plaudits for our incredible achievements over the last 3 or so years.

Having this quiet but clearly committed man at the club is essential then, even if the Peak6 announcement does perhaps have a flipside when it comes to Demin’s involvement…

Cons:

1 - Perhaps shows Demin’s interest in the club fading?

Despite Demin remaining the ‘main man’ as it were, it’s hard not to feel that selling part of the club could demonstrate he’s possibly looking to cash in his chips over an extended period of time.

Pushing AFC Bournemouth onto the next level – which would involve becoming an established Premier League side – would involve significant investment after all, potentially including the construction of a new stadium. Perhaps Max believes he’s taken the club as far as he can.

2 - No other positive examples

This point is pretty straightforward, but can you name many clubs that are better off from having American investors at the helm? Manchester United have been in debt since the Glazer family took over, Randy Lerner has overseen more struggle than success at Aston Villa – with the same story occurring with Ellis Short at Sunderland.

Maybe it’ll be different with Matthew Hullsizer and Peak6 – but history has shown that there’s a good chance it won’t be.

3 - Takes club further away from the fans

AFC Bournemouth has always prided itself of being a community club, with limited funds meaning a strong link with the supporters has been essential for any type of success to be had (even if that simply meant remaining a league club).

Increased investment has inevitably meant that this isn’t really the case anymore, with fans being treated increasingly like customers – with their input only really welcomed when it comes to trivial matters such Q&A sessions with current players.

So further foreign investment may make the increasing gap between supporters and the club widen, mutating AFCB into something that’s wildly different from what helped fans support it in the first place.