Football club bought by international investors

South Shields FC has been taken over by a group of overseas investors to help it "grow and develop", the club's chairman has said.

The Mariners are now owned by a consortium led by ORY Investment Holding, which has bought a majority stake in the club for an undisclosed sum.

The club said no changes had been made to its leadership team, with Ian Watson continuing to serve as first team manager while Geoff Thompson would remain as chairman and a "significant shareholder".

Thompson said ORY had "invested significant time" in understanding the club's history, culture and "huge potential".

"I'm very excited and thrilled to be working with them moving forward and genuinely believe this heralds an incredibly exciting new phase in the club's growth and development," he said.

The club said Thompson and the new investor group would carry out a strategic review of operations focusing on improving on-field performance, supporter experience and financial sustainability.

The off-season would also be used to prioritise strengthening the men's first-team, they said.

ORY Investment is a group of international investors led by Jason Ye, a lawyer and partner at US firm Ortoli Rosenstadt LLP.

By bringing ORY onboard, the club said it hoped to attract new overseas partners to help it grow.

The club also said ORY would help develop its youth academy so it could "nurture local talent" while "recruiting promising players from around the world".

Ye said it was a privilege to join a club "at the heart of one of the world's most prolific regions for football talent".

"We know there's plenty of hard work ahead, but we're fully committed to building on the fantastic foundation Geoff and the team have already created," he said.

"We truly believe South Shields FC can grow into a strong force both on and off the pitch."

The Mariners recently missed out on promotion to the National League after losing 2-0 to Kidderminster Harriers in the National League North play-off final.

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