Welcome to Soccer 101, the podcast where we dive into the oasis of soccer's biggest questions and have a little swim around.

Today we're looking at ownership in the beautiful game.

Who owns soccer teams in different locales? Who's allowed to own them? Why is there so much

controversy around takeover deals such as those at Newcastle United? Who've been good owners?

Cover your ears, Antimini Precott. Who's been bad owners? My name is Ryan Bailey and joining me today

for that little swim in the

oasis is Taylor Rockwell. Hey buddy, how you doing? I'm very good. All the better for having a little

chat with you today, Taylor, and also Mr. Joe Lowry. Hello, sir. Hello, Ryan. Hello, Joseph. And

completing our awesome foursome, as always, Mr. Graham Rathven. Hello. Greetings. Greetings to you too.

Graham, you and I are uniquely qualified to talk about who can own a soccer team because we both do that,

don't we? Don't we, Graham? Are we going to talk about this for a second straight 101 podcast?

Yes, we are. We're going to post about the fact that we are than everyone else. Yes, we are superior in every way to all other fans because I'm a part owner of Aisuimberton, a fan-owned club, and you are a part-owner of Sterling Albion, your club, too great. That is correct. Excellent. We can get to that a little later, but I think fan ownership is one structure for clubs. There are many others around the world.

It does vary as to who can own a team.

Why don't we start off locally, gents, with MLS.

Who can own a team in MLS?

Nobody is the actual answer here,

because each team has an investor operator

that is technically a shareholder in the league.

MLS is single entity. So teams and players are technically owned,

and their contracts are owned by the league.

That doesn't mean you don't have owners who own those shares, of course.

You need to stump up a franchise fee, Taylor, typically to buy into MLS.

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