"Wrexham of the Premier League" - Claim made about Alan Pace's work at Burnley FC | OneFootball

FLW's Burnley fan pundit Will shares his thoughts on Clarets owner Alan Pace.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

American Businessman Alan Pace bought Burnley FC back in 2020, taking over from local businessman Mike Garlick.

Since then, the Clarets have been on a bumpy path, yo-yoing between the Premier League and the Championship. This season looks set to be no different, as Burnley sit comfortably inside the automatic promotion places.

If things stay as they are, the Lancashire side will spend the summer gearing up for another shot at survival in the big time. This has proven to be a difficult task to achieve for promoted sides though, especially in recent years.

Pace's ownership has brought Burnley financial sustainability, despite previous concerns regarding the funding of the American's project. He moved from New York to the UK, and is working in a very hands-on role with the club, which is something you don't see often from foreign investors.

With another chance to try and establish themselves in the Premier League seemingly round the corner, things are looking rather good for Scott Parker's side. But, are the supporters happy with Pace's business model?

Wrexham AFC claim made regarding Burnley FC ownership

Football League World quizzed their resident Burnley fan pundit, Will Lancaster, regarding his thoughts on the ownership of his club, and whether he believes Pace has the club's best interests at heart. He said: "Yeah, definitely. I'm more than confident that Alan Pace is one of the good owners in English football.

"Everyone had their reservations when local businessman Mike Garlick sold to an American consortium. You've seen horror stories - you don't have to look far down the M65 and look how Blackburn Rovers have suffered under the Venkys. Other clubs like Reading and Portsmouth back in the day, where things can go wrong with foreign investment.

"Alan Pace goes to every single home game, he lives in the area and is very involved in issues outside the club. He's modernised Turf Moor and attracted investments such as JJ Watt, Dude Perfect - massive American brands. You can see that he's almost trying to make us the Wrexham of the Premier League.

"I'm more than confident he's got the best interests at heart. Some fans maybe weren't happy when he arrived due to the makeup of the deal with leverage loans. But, almost every player he bought in the Premier League last summer has been sold on for a profit, and that is his model."

Burnley testing the waters with American market

We've seen a hugely increased interest in English football from across the Atlantic Ocean in recent years. This is mainly thanks to Hollywood royalty, Ryan Reynolds, taking over Wrexham in February 2021, followed by NFL superstar Tom Brady's involvement in Birmingham City.

This move has opened a whole new market for English football clubs with American owners, which is one that Pace is looking to explore with his club, according to Will.

Of course, it's not going to be an instant success just because the owner is from the States. Pace doesn't have the star-studded status that the likes of Reynolds and Brady do, but that also doesn't mean he can't make Burnley massive in the American market.

English football is starting to reach new corners of the world it hasn't reached before, and the 57-year-old has already started to build that bridge with the involvement of big American investors.