Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure has quickly tempered expectations of a Wrexham-style transformation after becoming chairman of Sheffield FC, the world’s oldest football club.
McClure is spearheading a consortium that has secured a “significant minority” stake in the ninth-tier club, established in 1857.
He is joined by renowned music executive David Bianchi, who manages artists such as Tom Grennan and Charli XCX.
Despite the Hollywood-backed success of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in elevating Wrexham from non-league obscurity to a global phenomenon, McClure stated that such a journey is an “unlikely path” for his new club.
“I’m not Ryan Reynolds, and I’m not anywhere near that famous, right?” he said. “I’m well known nationally in the music world.
“The Wrexham thing is not how it’s really going to work. I think it’s a slightly different model. And also Wrexham is not the first club in the world. The club, in some ways, is the superstar.
“You see people bandying ideas about like we’re going to build a 15,000-seater stadium or we’re going to do a Wrexham and that suggests to me that you don’t know what you’re talking about.
“That’s not what we’re trying to do here. We’re trying to do something a little bit different, number one, and secondly, there is a limit to how big you can grow its fan base.
“I think it should live within its means and be sustainable, where it becomes a second club for everyone in the South Yorkshire region, firstly, then maybe nationally.
“And one day, who knows? But right about now, I think there’s a limit, and that’s good.
“Non-league, it’s difficult when you’re at this level. And so that’s why I assembled a team of people who could help me do it, because I am conscious of the fact that ‘rock star comes in and does football club’ could be conceived as a car crash waiting to happen.”
The ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ singer and his consortium will initially try to drive the commercial side of the club, focusing on Esports and hosting a football festival.
They will grow the women’s team but accept there is a ceiling on the men’s team’s growth, considering they are in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division and competing with Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United.
That is why McClure will not be following in the footsteps of YouTuber KSI, who made big promises when investing in Dagenham last week.
“We’re saying, these are our aims and ambitions, and we’re tempered with the reality that there is a ceiling, especially for the men’s team.
“There’s a limit to what can be achieved. And I think whilst we’re all mindful of that, we can’t go too far wrong.
“I’ve seen KSI be like ‘Premier League in five years’ and all this. What if you don’t do it, you’re going to look like a right wally, aren’t you?
“So I think just be realistic and be humble, right? Because we’re Sheffield people, Yorkshire people. Be humble.”
McClure’s next musical adventure is a collaboration with Robbie Williams.
“Rob lives in Miami, right? And he’s a very, very famous lad,” McClure added. “He is very busy, and does he want to get involved in Sheffield FC? I don’t know. I’ve never asked him.
“I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do. I don’t know. Will I bring him here? 100 per cent yes, and if he likes it, let’s see.”
