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The Vancouver Whitecaps have named Tottenham Hotspur’s Executive Director Paul Barber as their CEO, effective March 1, 2010. Forbes cites the Spurs as the 11th most valuable soccer team worldwide, valued at $445 million with annual revenue of $245 million.
“It’s a decision that leaves a lot of people scratching their heads because [Barber] grew up as a Spurs fan, so that’s his club,” said Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi. “That would be for him a dream job and now he’s leaving it to take on the challenge here in Vancouver. He was very impressed with the ownership group and felt that the direction we were going was one that he’d like to be a part of. He did come and meet with staff at the Whitecaps and I’m assuming that provided him with an even greater level of comfort. He’s viewing this as an opportunity to be in on the ground floor.”
The Vancouver ownership group consists of Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallet, and Steve Nash.
Barber’s involvement in the Spur’s stadium project and their new training center is key for Vancouver. The Whitecaps are refurbishing a 60,000 seat stadium and building a new training facility. The transformation of BC Place is a $485 million endeavor and features two retractable roofs, with the inner roof to shield the upper seating levels and provide an intimate atmosphere for soccer games.
The training facility, slated to be built in 2010 at a cost of $40 million, lies at the heart of Vancouver’s commitment to development. The Whitecaps already operate a residential academy, funded at $1 million annually by owner Kerfoot. When they enter MLS in 2011, Vancouver will be the first MLS club with that distinction.The academy scouts talent worldwide and has already sold a player on to a German club, but Lenarduzzi says the primary goal is to develop players for the club, not sell them on.
“I don’t know that if we’d consider that a bonus,” said Lenarduzzi, “that’s not necessarily an objective for us to develop players to sell them. We want to develop players to have them play in our first team. If they’re good enough beyond that then we’d never stand in their way in terms of moving them abroad, but that’s not a line item for us in our budget to try and achieve. If it happens, it’ll be because it’s a special player and the time is right for that player to move on to another level.”
The Spurs also have an ongoing development relationship with the San Jose Earthquakes.
Barber developed his relationship with Vancouver through a friendship with Whitecaps' owners Steve Nash and Jeff Mallet. Nash and Mallet were part of a group looking to purchase Spurs and although the transaction never occurred, they stayed in touch. Nash’s passion for the game started as a kid in South Africa and developed as he grew up supporting the Whitecaps where his brother now plays.
Basketball legend Steve Nash could see time on the field with the Whitecaps.
“I don’t believe it would be in a regular league game,” said Lenarduzzi, “but potentially in an international match there might be an opportunity for him to suit up. He can play. There’s no doubt about that and he’s a great athlete. Any chance he gets, he takes that opportunity to play, so who knows?”
Barber has the same passion for the game and coaches his son’s U-16 community team. His son will continue playing soccer in Vancouver and Barber will coach if time allows, but he has a big job ahead of him. Besides his involvement in facilities and soccer development, since 2005 Barber has been responsible for Spur’s ticketing, hospitality, and international tours.
“He was involved in the commercial side of the club and if I’m not mistaken their bottom line is a very healthy one,” said Lenarduzzi. “We want to try and maximize any revenue stream that we can, so his involvement will ideally pay dividends.”
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