Bay Collective acquire majority stake in Sunderland Women | OneFootball

Multi-club ownership platform, Bay Collective, have acquired a majority stake in Barclays WSL2 club Sunderland.

The Lady Black Cats announced the news via a post on their official club website earlier today.

Bay Collective are dedicated to building women’s football clubs that win on the pitch, thrive off it and set new standards for the sport worldwide. They promise to bring real expertise to their women’s football projects.

Sunderland will become the second club within the organisation’s global platform, joining American National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side, Bay FC.

It has been reported that Bay Collective will look to strengthen the Sunderland first team structure, as well as the academy. They will also work to improve the matchday experience for fans and strengthen off-field operations.

Speaking following today’s announcement, Kay Cossington, CEO of Bay Collective and Head of Global Women’s Football at Sixth Street said “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Sunderland AFC and to write the next chapter for Sunderland Women, a Club with such a proud history and strong identity. We are committed to honoring Sunderland Women’s DNA and legacy, protecting what makes this Club and community so special, and supporting the players, staff and the Academy with cutting-edge resources, infrastructure and training models tailored to the unique needs of women athletes. This is a partnership for the long term and our ambition is to strengthen Sunderland Women’s connection with fans and partners while creating a platform for sustained success at the highest levels of the women’s game.”

Sunderland AFC will retain a minority stake in their women’s team, maintaining their well-respected identity and history in the women’s game.