Martin Calladine has taken aim at The Sun following their story that actor Will Ferrell has bought a “large stake” in Leeds United.
The football finance expert posted on X, saying that the story was a badly veiled attempt for Leeds United to garner some “free PR,” and warned against other clubs and publications going down the same route.
Leeds’ owners 49ers Enterprises do have a plethora of celebrity investors, but Calladine pointed out that there was very little chance that Ferrell could have purchased a “large stake” in the club.
He bemoaned The Sun’s story, saying: “Yet another story where a club gets some free PR by selling a tiny stake to a celebrity and then generating a big story.
“There is no way Will Ferrell owns a ‘large stake’ in Leeds.”
In a second message, Calladine said: “Generally these kind of stories wildly exaggerate the importance of a very small shareholding, often given at a discount of for free in exchange for the celebrity’s brand. In this case, however, the claim that the stake is “large” will be provably false.”
Leeds United PR story doesn’t mask failures in Championship race
Leeds United doing their best to find some good news amidst a weekend to forget is understandable, however the club and The Sun alike have been rightly called out by Calladine.
49ers Enterprises’ first season in 100% charge of the club looked to be heading towards an immediate return to the Premier League, but the Whites’ form of late has seen them miss out on the Championship’s top two.
Yet another story where a club gets some free PR by selling a tiny stake to a celebrity and then generating a big story about them being an “owner” or “co-owner”. There is no way Will Ferrell owns a “large stake” in Leeds.
— Martin Calladine (@uglygame) May 5, 2024
Four defeats in their last six games, and only a single victory, leaves Leeds consigned to the play-offs, meaning that they’ll have to get past Norwich City in the semi-finals and either Southampton or West Brom at Wembley if they’re to make it back to the top-flight.
The American investment group have big plans for the club, with the expansion of Elland Road a key priority, but even with the endorsement and backing of a figure like Will Ferrell, those ambitions are largely dependent on Leeds safely navigating a play-off campaign – which have historically gone anything but well for the embattled Peacocks.
In other Leeds United news, a new stumbling block has emerged in the Whites’ transfer push for Joe Rodon.
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