New Walsall US owners insists they're in it for 'long haul'

New co-chairman Ben Boycott is out to realise Walsall’s ‘untapped potential’ and insists the Trivela Group are at the club for the long haul.

Walsall co-chairmen Benjamin Boycott and Leigh Pomlett at the Bescot Stadium after the club’s takeover

Boycott is the managing director of American firm Trivela, who have taken over as the Saddlers’ majority shareholders. Their ownership comes after a year of talks with Leigh Pomlett, who is now serving as co-chairman alongside Boycott in a new era at Bescot.

Having initially acquired 51 per cent of Pomlett’s shares, Trivela have also injected around £300,000 into the club for infrastructure inclusive of the rundown Saddlers Club on the stadium grounds.

“We are tremendously excited and honoured. It’s a great club, a big club,” said Boycott. “Just to be one part of its history, it means a lot to me personally and means a lot to us.

“We set out to invest in a football club. We looked at a lot of different clubs in different countries – predominantly Europe – but we looked globally at clubs seeking investment and new ownership.

“It became very obvious after the initial conversation with Leigh and Stefan (Gamble, chief executive), this was where we wanted to be.

“The first thing that drew us in was the passion and energy the supporters have for this club. It’s unique and special.

“I’ve been here for a few matches. We came incognito for the Salford City game where we scored a last-minute winner. That was a great snapshot of how powerful the energy is here.

“It’s a very well-run club. It’s financially sustainable and buttoned-up. That was important for us, to come into something that’s working fairly well and serve as accelerators.

“There’s so much potential, untapped potential. With the right focus and investment, we think a lot of good things can happen.

“There’s a tremendous amount of untapped potential so with all that, it was like ‘OK, let’s figure out how to be in Walsall’.”

The deal was assisted by Pro Soccer Consulting, whose managing director is former Walsall director of football Paul Taylor.

Asked what Trivela’s approach with the Saddlers will be, Boycott added: “We want to be sensible. We’re here for the long term. We’re under no illusions that this is any sort of get-rich-quick. We’re investing in this club, in this community, for the long term.”