In 2003 Adelaide United was founded to ensure South Australia remained represented in the National Soccer League (NSL) following the withdrawal of Adelaide City from the competition. Gordon Pickard was the club’s first owner. Gordon Pickard was an Adelaide based real estate developer. His contribution to the club is fondly remembered, as such the Northern End of Hindmarsh Stadium has been named in his honour.
In 2005 Nick Bianco became a part owner of the club. Nick Bianco was an Adelaide based real estate developer. This coincided with Adelaide United’s entry into the A-League. The new competition required an increased level of capitalisation compared to the old NSL. In 2006 Nick Bianco became sole owner of Adelaide United.
In 2009 Football Federation Australia (FFA) took ownership of the club after Nick Bianco handed back the club’s licence. This came at a time when his real estate interests were impacted by the Global Financial Crisis.
In 2010 a Local Consortium took ownership of the club from the FFA. The consortium included businessmen Robert Gerard and Bruno Marveggio, lawyer Greg Griffin and medical specialist Richard Noble.
In 2018 a Foreign Consortium took ownership of the club from the Local Consortium. In 2023 it was revealed that the foreign consortium included Dutch businessman Cor Adriaanse, Dutch businessman Rob van Eck, and Chinese Businessman Yu Lidong.
Insights
Adelaide had historically benefited from parochial local owners with the vision of elevating Adelaide’s reputation and representation. However it should be noted that both Bianco and Griffin eras eventually came to end, in part due to the financial burdens of running the club.
Adelaide United can be seen as a ‘pure football play’ for its owners with limited ownership benefits off-field being made apparent. Adelaide United, from its establishment, has enjoyed a strong and supportive local community and benefits from access to an appropriate stadium facility in the form of Hindmarsh Stadium.
The Adriaanse ownership enjoys some Chinese Football connections. The affiliate club Qingdao Red Lions, are also owned by Adelaide United’s owners and the two teams briefly shared a talent pathway.
Limitations and considerations
The South Australian Football Association was involved in the foundation of Adelaide United, although it is unclear what their financial ownership was. It is unclear why Pickard sold his remaining stake in the club to Bianco.
Exact ownership holdings are not clear, especially in times of multiple owners. It is possible the ownership research presented is incomplete. The nationalities of public owners does not necessarily reflect the commercial ownership structure of Adelaide United.
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