Black Knight Football Club (“BKFC”, “Black Knight” or the “Partnership”), a partnership led by William P. Foley, II (“Foley”) and majority owned by Cannae Holdings, Inc. (“Cannae”), has agreed in principle to a strategic partnership and to acquire a minority ownership interest in The Hibernian Football Club Limited (the “Hibernian FC” or the “Club”), a Scottish Premiership (the “Scottish League”) football club, founded in 1875 and based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The investment was approved by the Scottish Football Association as the first multi-club investment in Scotland and will now proceed to the Club’s Annual General Meeting, which will occur in February.
The investment in Hibernian FC advances BKFC’s multi-club ownership strategy which includes 100% ownership of A.F.C. Bournemouth, an English Premier League club, and a significant minority investment in FC Lorient, a French Ligue 1 club. Foley also owns an A-Leagues expansion football club based in Auckland, New Zealand, which will begin play during the 2024-25 season. The Partnership is building a global network of world-class football clubs, players, and real estate assets that will produce operational synergies, accelerate player development, and enable efficient player migration across BKFC’s network of owned and operated clubs while driving strong on-field and financial results.
“We are excited to announce a strategic partnership and investment in Hibernian FC today,” Foley said. “We look forward to partnering with the Gordon family and other shareholders to accelerate the success of Hibernian FC and BKFC. We believe this partnership, with our commitment to invest in player development and infrastructure, can help BKFC and Hibernian FC reach new levels of success and help Scottish football continue to grow.”
The Gordon family commented, “We are excited about a partnership with BKFC. Ron’s vision, and long-term plan, included bringing in a minority partner, like Black Knight, which would help us achieve our goals. We share the same values and ambitions as Black Knight in our partnership. Our continued commitment to building a winning and successful club is unwavering.”
Hibernian FC is a fixture of the Scottish Premiership, the top professional football league in Scotland, having competed at the highest level of Scottish football for 17 of the last 20 seasons (including the current season, which is ongoing). The Scottish League was a priority for BKFC as it is a world-class league, with a track record of developing talent and establishing pathways for players to succeed in other leagues throughout Europe and abroad.
