Angel Investor Saves Gibraltar Football Club Manchester 62 with $20m Investment,
Gibraltar football league club Manchester 62 have received a late boost to their season with a $20m Investment which club officials have confirmed will secure the club into the coming seasons.
After months of behind the scenes turmoil, with allegations of unpaid wages, and the departure of some key foreign players the club this week announced it was receiving an angel investment of $20 million USD. This confirmed officials would secure wages.
The announcement comes, it is understood, after months of negotiations and discussions in which delays had led to concerns among personnel. The club, however, was able to achieve one of its objectives this season as it qualified into the Championship stage of the league providing them with a top six finish, whilst at the same time keeping its youth development programme moving forward. Whilst at the same time raising awareness over issues such as dementia and concussion.
In a statement released this Tuesday evening the club was to announce: -
“Manchester 62 FC, one of Gibraltar’s most historic football clubs, is delighted to announce an angel investment of $20 million USD, allowing the club to continue to be at the forefront of research in concussion and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in high-contact sports.
“The investment, made by U.S.-based private equity firm Monstranamus, led by CEO Takashi Cheng, comes at a critical time for the future of Manchester 62 FC. he sum allows it to remain the world-leading club in proactively funding research into and awareness of concussion and CTE in football, supporting the ultimate goal of protecting the short- and long-term brain health of athletes of all abilities.”
“This game-changing investment will allow us to continue to be world leaders in tackling CTE and concussion in football,” said Michael Anton Monsour, chairman of Manchester 62 FC. “With CTE and concussion representing one of the sport's biggest epidemics, it's vital to protect player welfare and, ultimately, to save lives. Our continued mission of being at the forefront of the research will hopefully help governing bodies take decisive action to protect players at all levels of the game.”
“Manchester 62 FC recently became the first top-flight European football club to have all 10 of its outfield players wear protective headbands designed to reduce the risk of concussive and sub-concussive events in football. Meanwhile on the pitch, the club continues to make strides after qualifying for the Championship Group in the Gibraltar Premier Division for the first time last month.”
Monsour continued, “We are grateful to the entire Monstranamus team, led by Takashi Cheng, for this critical investment and their partnership in the research and prevention of concussion injuries in athletes.”
Cheng, an AAPI high impact investor, serial entrepreneur, writer, producer and thought leader, is committed to expanding awareness and access to the existing concussion headband used by players of Manchester 62 FC, in partnership with the Concussion Legacy Foundation. As CEO of Monstranamus, Cheng is hyper-focused on supporting concussion prevention, research and technology in high-contact sports.
“This concussion research and headband innovation will save the lives of thousands of athletes in high-contact sports,” said Cheng. “This is the kind of change long needed in both adult and youth sports, and at Monstranamus, we are committed to helping drive change in the world.”
The Concussion Legacy Foundation, a global leader in supporting research into sports concussion and CTE, has been in partnership with Manchester 62 FC. The partnership aims to provide comprehensive, data-driven, in-season case studies on the issue of CTE as well as the overall effectiveness of current protective devices such as the Unequal Technologies headband, which is designed to reduce the risk of head injury by absorbing and dispersing impacts and reducing acceleration from falls, collisions and headers.
With one of the richest and most unique stories in world football, Manchester 62 FC was originally founded by a group of Manchester United supporters in Gibraltar following approval from legendary former manager Sir Matt Busby. Since taking ownership and serving as chairman of Manchester 62 FC, Monsour, an entrepreneur with two decades of experience working in senior living and memory care, has put the club on the footballing map by highlighting its mission to lead the conversation around concussion and probable CTE in football."
The investment into Manchester 62 is the second major announcement this season with respect to investments into Gibraltar Football Club with Lions Gibraltar also having recently announced the new ownership of the club with Mark Palmer taking over the reins at the club.
For more information about Manchester 62 FC’s mission to tackle concussion and CTE in football at all levels, visit https://www.manchester1962.com/.