Tag: Burnley

JJ and Kealia Watt will both play for Burnley in TST 2024

Burnley’s high-profile co-owners are ready to test themselves on the field.

Burnley’s high-profile co-owners are ready to test themselves on the field.

JJ and Kealia Watt will both play for Burnley in the 2024 edition of The Soccer Tournament (TST), a 7v7 event with a $1 million winner-take-all prize.

Burnley will enter a team in both the men’s and women’s division of the tournament, with the NFL legend and the ex-NWSL star set to captain their respective sides.

“It’s really exciting for both Kealia and I to headline Burnley FC’s men’s and women’s teams at TST,” JJ Watt said in a statement. “We’ve called some friends and are planning on bringing the best teams we can to compete. We are both highly competitive individuals, so we’ll be giving it our all in claret and blue!”

The couple announced last May that they had become investors in Burnley.

Kealia Watt added: “We’re delighted to announce our involvement in TST. Having the opportunity to represent Burnley on the pitch and compete against clubs from around the globe will be incredibly special.

“I’m also looking forward to making history with the inaugural women’s Tournament. This is an important addition and I’m pleased to see TST’s commitment to an equal prize for the winning men’s and women’s teams. I’m looking forward to playing in the Burnley shirt and reuniting with some of my former teammates.”

This year’s TST will feature an eight-team women’s tournament and a 48-team men’s tournament, with the winner of each competition taking home $1 million.

Other notable figures confirmed to be involved in this year’s tournament include Sergio Agüero, Nani, Mario Balotelli, Ali Krieger, Heather O’Reilly and more.

TST will be held at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC from June 5-10, with ESPN broadcasting select matches.

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Which Premier League teams are owned by Americans?

Half of the Premier League’s 20 teams are now under majority American ownership. 

With the news of Everton’s takeover by U.S. private equity firm 777 Partners, the influence of American owners in the Premier League has never been higher.

When that deal goes through, it will mean that exactly half of the Premier League’s 20 teams are under American ownership. That includes four of the league’s biggest teams: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.

The English top flight has become an attractive investment for prospective owners as the league’s revenue from broadcast deals continues to skyrocket.

Here, we have listed all 10 Premier League clubs currently under American ownership. Some of the clubs include multiple owners/investors, so the American owners are italicized in those cases.

USMNT-eligible teenager Koleosho signs with Burnley

The teenager was born in Connecticut to a Nigerian father and an Italian-Canadian mother

American-born forward Luca Koleosho has completed a move to Burnley from Espanyol.

The 18-year-old made four La Liga appearances off the bench last season as Espanyol was relegated. He now moves to the Premier League after Burnley won the Championship last term.

According to the BBC, Burnley paid £2.6 million plus £860,000 in add-ons for Koleosho.

“It feels amazing to be here. As soon as I got the call from the coach (Vincent Kompany), I knew I wanted to come here,” Koleosho told the club’s official website.

“We spoke about the way they would help me improve and get better as a player and I was just excited by it, I can’t wait to get started now.”

Koleosho’s international future has been the subject of plenty of speculation since he became the youngest American-born player to feature in the Spanish top flight at the end of the 2021-22 season.

The teenager was born in Connecticut to a Nigerian father and an Italian-Canadian mother. He has played for the U.S. and Italy at youth level, and has been called into Canada’s senior side, though he has yet to make his debut.

Most recently, Koleosho was part of the Italy squad that won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship this summer.

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JJ Watt says Burnley investment came after talking Wrexham with Ryan Reynolds

If you’re buying into a UK soccer club, might as well call an expert

It sounds like the audience for “Welcome to Wrexham” includes J.J. and Kealia Watt.

Speaking just two days after the couple announced their investment in Championship-winning Burnley, J.J. Watt said that their considerations over whether to buy into English soccer included a chat with the most famous club owner in North America, Ryan Reynolds.

“I did talk to Ryan. I wanted to get his perspective, find out what his experience has been,” Watt said on Wednesday during an appearance on the ESPN show Get Up. “When you look at the parade they’ve just had, the turnout, and the ability to take eyeballs from around the globe and put them on Wrexham.”

Reynolds and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” actor Rob McElhenney certainly have some expertise to bring to the table for new club owners. Wrexham recently clinched the National League championship, and promotion to League Two, while drawing unprecedented attention in the U.S. for a non-Premier League team.

“I have been a football fan for a long time,” said Watt on where his interest in Burnley began, before noting that being married to an eight-year NWSL veteran with three U.S. women’s national team caps is also a big factor. “Obviously, my wife is a professional soccer player, and I really wanted to get into ownership.”

Burnley ‘slightly different’ from Wrexham

Watt may be new to soccer ownership, but he seems to know full well that Wrexham and Burnley are not in the same situation. Reynolds and McElhenney purchased Wrexham outright in 2021, while the Watts are minority investors with Burnley. ALK Capital, a U.S.-based investment firm, owns the bulk of shares in the Clarets.

Burnley is also three tiers higher than Wrexham, and spent just one season in the Championship after six straight Premier League campaigns.

“Obviously, it’s a slightly different situation from a club perspective, but you want to hear from someone doing it right,” acknowledged Watt before pivoting to a possible similarity between the clubs.

“That’s what Kealia and I want to do, take eyeballs from all around the world and put them on Burnley because we think that town, that story, it’s been around since 1882,” said Watt. “We want people to get to know about Burnley, and there are so many Americans that are getting into the Premier League right now and not knowing which club to support. We want them to support Burnley.”

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NWSL star Kealia Watt and husband J.J. Watt invest in Premier League squad Burnley

The superstar couple will be branching out overseas into a new kind of football.

Move over, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, there’s a new power couple in international football. Former NFL superstar J.J. Watt and wife Kealia announced via social media on Monday, May 1, that they are investing in Burnley Football Club.

Having just secured promotion on April 7 with a win over Middlesbrough, Burnley will play in the Premier League next season.

Kealia Watt is a soccer superstar herself, having played for North Carolina in college — where she won an NCAA title in 2012 — and NWSL clubs the Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars. Watt spent 12 years in the NFL, winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times.

MORE: Paul Rudd had the absolute best time watching Wrexham get promoted

Now, they can add club investors to their resume. The announcement video, which referred to J.J. Watt as “Retired Guy” and made some topical Ryan Reynolds references. Check it out:

“In the US, I’ve seen the NWSL grow into something really incredible, and we’d love to be a part of growing the women’s team here and be a part of their journey,” Kealia Watt said in the press release regarding helping the women’s club at Burnley continue to grow.

J.J. is equally as excited, saying, “When you invest in a club that’s been around since 1882, you must have great respect for its history and tradition. We understand that not only are we investing in the squad and manager, we’re investing in the town and its people. We take that responsibility very seriously and intend to work hard in earning their trust and support.”

Will we get a Welcome to Wrexham-esque documentary as Watt explores retirement with a new type of football? Let’s hope so.

JJ and Kealia Watt become investors in Burnley FC

The couple will join the ownership group of the soon-to-be Premier League club

Burnley FC have announced that JJ Watt and his wife Kealia Watt have become investors in the soon-to-be Premier League club.

JJ Watt retired after the 2022 NFL season, following a career in which he became one of the league’s greatest ever defensive players.

Kealia Watt, meanwhile, has not played since the 2021 NWSL season after an eight-year pro career that saw her earn three caps with the U.S. women’s national team. She gave birth to the couple’s first child, Koa James Watt in October 2022.

“When you invest in a club that’s been around since 1882, you must have great respect for its history and tradition,” JJ Watt said in a club release. “We understand that not only are we investing in the squad and manager, we’re investing in the town and its people. We take that responsibility very seriously and intend to work hard in earning their trust and support.”

Under the leadership of first-year manager Vincent Kompany, Burnley were crowned champions of the Championship in 2022-23, and will return to the Premier League next season.

The club’s women’s team plays in the third-tier Women’s National League North, and recently played its first ever game at Turf Moor.

“In the U.S. I’ve seen the NWSL grow into something really incredible, and we’d love to be a part of growing the women’s team here and be a part of their journey,” Kealia Watt said.

Burnley chairman Alan Pace added: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome JJ and Kealia into the Clarets family. This is a conversation that has been happening for some time and over the course of this season we’ve been hugely impressed by their passion and interest in both the club and the Burnley community. I am very much looking forward to working with them.”

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Fan dies after post-game fight between Blackpool and Burnley fans

Tony Johnson, 55, passed away after an altercation between fans outside a pub

A Blackpool fan has died after a post-game altercation between Blackpool and Burnley supporters on Saturday night.

Tony Johnson, 55, was confirmed to have died from a serious head injury after a fight outside a pub near Blackpool’s stadium Bloomfield Road.

“Blackpool FC is deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the news that supporter, Tony Johnson, tragically lost his life earlier this morning,” read a statement from the Championship club.

The Lancashire Police released a statement detailing the incident after Blackpool and Burnley drew 0-0 in a league match.

The incident took place at around 7pm on Saturday (March 4th), when an altercation broke out involving a number of people outside The Manchester pub, at the junction of Lytham Road and the Promenade.

Officers were in the area of the pub following the Blackpool v Burnley football match and they attended and found a man had suffered a serious head injury.

They administered CPR at the scene and the man, aged in his 50s, was subsequently taken to hospital. He has since been named as Tony Johnson, 55, from Blackpool.

Sadly Mr Johnson died overnight and his next of kin are now being supported by specially-trained officers.

It is believed the altercation broke out between a number of football fans, with Mr Johnson injured as part of this incident. At this time there is no suggestion he was specifically targeted.

A 33-year-old man from Burnley was arrested at the scene on suspicion of wounding and he has since been bailed, pending further enquiries, until June 1st.

Blackpool has invited fans to lay flowers outside the stadium and sign a book of condolence on Monday to honor Johnson, whom the club called a “lifelong Seasider.”

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Jesse Marsch, Leeds stay up amid Premier League final day drama

Leeds made it difficult, but they’re staying in the Premier League

Jesse Marsch and Leeds survived, staving off Premier League relegation by defeating Brentford 2-1 on the tension-filled final day of the Premier League season.

Leeds made it difficult, letting a lead dissolve while Burnley made a desperate push to get level against Newcastle, but ultimately a stoppage-time goal from Jack Harrison just seconds before full time between Burnley and Newcastle kept Leeds in the Premier League.

Both teams came into the final day of the season on 35 points, with Leeds carrying the distinct disadvantage of a goal difference that was 20 worse (-38 to Burnley’s -18). That left Burnley, who were hosting Newcastle, a simple task: match or better Leeds’ result at Brentford, avoid losing by 20 goals, and safety would be assured.

Callum Wilson’s 20th minute penalty put Newcastle ahead, and after halftime Marsch and Leeds added to the advantage, as a 56th minute penalty from Raphinha gave them the lead.

Wilson struck again for Newcastle on the hour mark, giving Leeds even more of a cushion, but Maxwel Cornet replied in the 69th minute to bring a nervous Burnley crowd back to life. Sergi Canos then struck an equalizer for Brentford that survived a VAR check, leaving Leeds just one goal (by Burnley or Brentford) from relegation.

Burnley went inches from an equalizer two separate occasions as they threw everything at Newcastle, but Harrison’s goal four minutes into stoppage time removed any doubt, with Leeds coming back for another season in the top flight.

Marsch, the second American to be named the manager of a Premier League club, took over at Leeds at the end of February. He took the job with Leeds two points clear of the relegation zone and 12 games left to play, but with both Burnley and Everton holding two games in hand. Leeds at one point climbed nine points clear, but then picked up just two points from five games heading into the last day.

However, Burnley won three straight in late April, and with Everton taking 10 points from five games—including Wednesday’s stunning comeback that guaranteed their safety—setting up the final day drama.

That said, the results did improve once Marsch took over for legendary coach Marcelo Bielsa. Leeds picked up 0.88 points-per-game under Bielsa, while they posted a 1.25 rate once Marsch took charge.

Watch Leeds celebrate their survival

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Everton vs. Burnley: How to watch, live stream info, lineups and more

Everton takes on Burnley in the early Premier League matchup on Saturday. Everton will be looking to reverse a poor run of form against a Burnley side that’s coming off a terrible 5-0 defeat to Manchester City. Below you can find out everything you …

Everton takes on Burnley in the early Premier League matchup on Saturday. Everton will be looking to reverse a poor run of form against a Burnley side that’s coming off a terrible 5-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Below you can find out everything you need to know to watch the game.

Everton vs. Burnley TV, live stream info

Start time: 7:30 a.m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)

Lineups

Premier League Odds and Betting Lines

Premier League odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook.

Burnley (+280) vs. Everton (+100)

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Is Everton vs. Burnley on TV? Live stream info, listings, and more

All the information you need to watch the Boxing Day clash between Everton and Burnley in the Premier League.

Everton will play their first match under new manager Carlo Ancelotti on Thursday, in a Boxing Day clash against a strong Burnley side.

Burnley sit tenth in the table, well ahead of 15th placed Everton, and come into the game having won two straight. Everton, on the other hand, enter the match after tying Arsenal in one of the worst games I’ve ever watched.

In tough news for American fans of Everton or Burnley, the match will not be televised in the States. The game will be streamed live on NBC Sports Gold, their premium streaming service. NBC sells a Match Day Pass for $34.99 for the rest of the season, or the full Premier League Pass, which gives you on-demand access to games, for $44.99.

You can also try to find streams elsewhere online, but good luck with the viruses. Just so, so many viruses.

Here’s everything you need to know for the match:

Everton vs. Burnley

Time: 10 a.m. ET

TV: Not televised

Stream: NBC Sports Gold

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