Brett Johnson, one of the Three Lions arm of the Blues’ ownership, says Town’s promotion to the Premier League was a special day and looking ahead has revealed his support for a global multi-club model which would see Town linked with a team on the continent.
Johnson, 54, was the highest profile member of the US wing of Gamechanger 20 Ltd at the time of the takeover in April 2021 and is also a key figure at USL sides Phoenix Rising and Rhode Island FC.
Like his fellow Three Lions, Berkey Bakay and Mark Detmer, and other members of the Blues’ US contingent and their families, Johnson was at Portman Road to see the Blues beat Huddersfield 2-0 at the start of the month to confirm promotion to the Premier League after 22 years away.
"Clearly my greatest business achievement. Candidly, it doesn’t get any better than that. Other than my marriage, the birth of my children, that’s a special date, for sure,” Johnson said when asked about that day in an interview with the Petcash Pod.
"And it’s surreal. It really hasn’t fully sunk in. June 18th, I think they come out with the schedule for this upcoming season. Hopefully I can make it over for the home opener. Portman Road, when we’re back in the Premier League, it will be interesting.
"I get this suspicion that they’re going to welcome us back with a nice little Man City reunion at Portman Road. We’ll see, but either way I pinch myself every single day relative to it.
"And certainly the decade-long journey that I’ve been blessed to be with the beautiful game, starting in Phoenix, extending now to what I do in Rhode Island, that’s a special milestone that I’m going to enjoy, God willing, for the rest of my life.”
Later in the interview, Johnson was asked if there were any other regions or areas he finds interesting aside from the States and UK.
"I believe strongly in the multi-club ownership model and I hope, in particular through Ipswich, that we can start to look at what I’ll call a ‘passport club’,” he continued.
"A European continent-based club that we can start to look at how that really supports, in particular now Ipswich are in the Premier League.
"But on a relative basis as well. I feel strongly that USL and I think Rhode Island for a lot of reasons has the ability to be an incredible asset in a multi-club ownership model.
"There are only 25 players who are getting to dress for a game, there is a lot of talent in all of these clubs that are sitting idle that aren’t getting quality minutes.
"If you’re in an environment where you’re fighting for promotion or you’re fighting to avoid relegation, it puts even that much more pressure in terms of you not having the luxury of giving a 17-year-old kid who is clearly a superstar the quality minutes that they might need to advance their career.
"I think over time, a multi-club ownership model allows people the flexibility to give quality minutes and to try to figure out how to maximise your assets, which at the end of the day is, candidly, your players.”