After committing to a long-term stay in the Premier League as his goal, chairman Andy Coleman has vowed to succeed at Swansea City “or go down trying”.
After purchasing a sizeable share in the Championship team, American businessman Coleman was named Swansea’s chairman in May.
He claims that his choice to go to Wales in order to oversee daily activities at Swansea demonstrates his dedication.
“I picked everything up from 4,000 miles away,” Coleman claimed.
“I relocated here, putting my money where my mouth is. My little children relocated here.
The father of four Coleman said, “I don’t want to tell you what I am going to do, I am going to show you what I am going to do,” during a fans’ forum on Wednesday night at Swansea’s stadium.
“Picking up my small family and moving over here is the first move I could take. That was the first thing I did to demonstrate my dedication to you. I still have a ways to go.
Speaking is inexpensive. It won’t be simple, I’m afraid. There will be both happy and bad days.
“The commitment I believe you should want to hear from me is that I am here, that I am doing this outside of my regular job hours, and that this is my club and my community.”
- Since 2016, Swansea has been owned by Americans and Steve Kaplan.
Two years after the Welsh club’s seven-year stint in the Premier League came to an end, they entered their sixth straight campaign in the second division.
Coleman asserts that Swansea’s owners’ “goal is to get back into the Premier League and to stay there” despite ongoing criticism for what is regarded as a lack of ambition on their part.
Coleman is one of Swansea’s recent investors; Brett Cravatt, an American, and Nigel Morris, a Briton living in the US, also joined the club’s board of directors last summer.
Coleman said, in response to a question concerning the club’s ownership structure, “I will discuss with you as much as is reasonable to do for a reason
- Andy Coleman, an American who purchases club stock, is named chairman of Swansea City. His investment gives the team a financial boost.
“A lot of new investors have come into the club, including Brett Cravatt, Nigel Morris, and myself. As with any shared ownership structure amongst parties, these are set up in limited liability companies, or LLCs.
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“I am the controlling partner and management member of what is the main stakeholder in the club, along with Jason and Steve. I am that group’s controlling and operating partner.
“We purposefully structured our ownership so that the controlling operational partner makes decisions here rather than having to ask their American father for approval.
“I don’t want to be a part of a group with only one voice. We all provide something to the table that makes this team stronger from a financial and tactical standpoint, including myself, Jason, Steve, Brett, and Nigel.
“The most important takeaway is to understand that I’m here, I’m making decisions and I’m the controlling partner of the ownership group.”
Swansea, who ended three points outside the top six the previous season, is currently ranked 12th in the Championship heading into Saturday’s home matchup with league leaders Leicester City.
