Carrick Rangers confirm American businessman has acquired majority stake in club
New Carrick Rangers majority stakeholder Michael Smith
As revealed by the Belfast Telegraph this morning, Carrick Rangers have confirmed that American businessman Michael Smith has bought a majority share in the club.
Smith, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Estée Lauder Companies Inc who was previously in high level positions at big brand companies Nike and Mylan, has been in consultation with Carrick chairman Peter Clarke for many months about investing in the east Antrim outfit.
That deal has been confirmed today and will see Smith provide Carrick with marketing expertise and a strategy aimed at increasing revenue streams in the future, and he says he is excited to get started with the club.
“I am thrilled to join the Carrick Rangers organization and be a part of the Club's continued ascension. Becoming a steward of a Club has been a dream of mine since the age of 13. I am so blessed to realize that dream with a Club like Carrick Rangers and alongside a gentleman and leader like Peter,” commented Smith, who hails from Portland, Oregon.
It is a stunning development for Carrick, who were formed in 1939 and for most of their history have played outside the top flight in Northern Ireland, with the club’s greatest moment coming in 1976 when they shocked the country by winning the Irish Cup as a B division team beating Linfield in the Final and qualifying for the old European Cup Winners Cup.
Today under manager Stuart King they are an established Sports Direct Premiership side, playing at the Loughview Leisure Arena more commonly referred to as Taylor’s Avenue, with ambitions to make the end of season European Play-Offs having signed highly regarded players such as Albert Watson, Joe Crowe and Danny Purkis in the
Read on belfasttelegraph.co.uk
