City Welcome More US Investment

Following hot on the heels of Harvey Jabara officially joining the board comes news of further investment from the US.

Sports professionals Pablo Webster, Evan Mitz and Brian Anderson have now made a significant investment in the club, joining the investment group at Lincoln City through their WMA Sports Ventures group.

The three have strong sports backgrounds. Pablo is a former professional who moved into investment banking after his playing career was cut short by injury. He earned a degree in economics and finance, spending a decade in that field before focusing on seed and early-stage investing in sports organisations.

Evan is the chief operating officer of Carolina Core FC, an MLS Next Pro expansion side that will participate in the league from 2024. Brian is a partner and the head of the Sports Group at an international law firm. He has significant experience acting for clients in the sports industry, representing global brands, teams, leagues, investors, rights-holders, and sports technology companies.

The trio were initially introduced as members of the U.S. Soccer Federation Development Council, serving as ambassadors for the non-profit Federation, raising donations, and working on programs to accelerate the development of world-class players and coaches.

“Our WMA group includes an outstanding group of our friends and family who share our respect for the history of Lincoln City and want to join us on this journey,” Evan said.

“We investigated dozens of European clubs for more than a year, and Lincoln City is the clear standout in terms of leadership, community, values, and long-term strategic plan and ambition,” Brian added. “This is a long-term investment into the club, where we want to add value to the existing investor group and management team.”

The investment will allow WMA Sports Ventures to have a spot on the board, subject to EFL ratification.

Lincoln City chairman Clive Nates said: “We have partnered with WMA to help drive the club forward, and we’re excited to welcome Pablo, Evan and Brian as we seek to create a sustainable and successful club with more exciting seasons ahead for all involved with the Imps.”

This is exactly the sort of news Imps fans should welcome – new investment into the club has to be positive, especially when you know the strict criteria Clive and the board have when seeking people who align with our goals and club ethos. this isn’t a takeover, it is a chance to get some fresh perspective onto the board and, more importantly, some more cash into the club to help bridge that loss, and maybe drive us forward.

We saw last night how we’ve got the right ingredients on the field, but to go toe-to-toe with a club like Derby County, if we ever actually can, we need to ensure the right structure and investment off the field. This feels like a step in the right direction.

Who Are The New Faces?

Pablo Webster

A former professional soccer player, Pablo transitioned into investment banking after his playing career was cut short by injury. With a degree in economics and finance, he spent the next decade in finance, acquiring an institutional-level understanding of the capital markets. Attempting to marry his love of finance with his passion for sport, he began focusing on seed and early-stage investing. These companies and teams fit a particular buy-side profile within the professional sports landscape. He has been an intricate part of bringing a new MLS Next Pro team to life in North Carolina.

Evan Mitz

Evan joined Carolina Core FC as the chief operating officer, where he works in collaboration with the club’s executive staff within all areas of the organisation. Evan first began working at FC Dallas in 2006, where he won many league-wide annual MLS awards as an account executive. Later, he developed a comprehensive skill set from managing the operations of San Antonio’s professional soccer club expansion launch, serving as a competition Manager at Copa America Centenario, and working for the Atlanta Silverbacks as the vice president of business operations and assistant general manager. Specifically, while he was in San Antonio, the club had immediate success in winning the second division regular season championship, shattering second division attendance capacity records, and generating support for its non-profit enterprise partner Morgan’s Wonderland (the world’s first ultra-accessible theme park). Evan graduated from the University of Wisconsin after playing soccer for two seasons at Butler University. He and his wife have relocated to High Point, North Carolina, where they are raising their daughter.

Brian Anderson

After playing soccer for several years in the Netherlands and in college in the United States, Brian studied law and combined his passion for soccer and sport with his legal practice. As a Partner and the head of the Sports Group at an international law firm, Brian acts as the chief legal strategist for his clients, advising them on technology, commercial, and corporate transactions. Brian has worked with global brands, English Premier League clubs, sports leagues and governing bodies, and expansion teams in NWSL and MLS Next Pro, advising them on commercial partnerships, sponsorships, stadium and training facilities projects, media rights agreements, naming rights deals, expansion franchise matters, and IP licensing transactions. Brian lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Liz, and daughters Maddy and Caroline.