Ray Ranson
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ray Ranson
| image =
| fullname = Raymond Ranson{{Hugman|16343|accessdate=22 January 2020}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|6|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = St Helens, England
| currentclub =
| position = Defender
| youthyears1 = 1976–1978 | youthclubs1 = Manchester City
| years1 = 1978–1984 | clubs1 = Manchester City | caps1 = 184 | goals1 = 1
| years2 = 1984–1988 | clubs2 = Birmingham City | caps2 = 137 | goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1988–1993 | clubs3 = Newcastle United | caps3 = 83 | goals3 = 1
| years4 = 1993 | clubs4 = Manchester City | caps4 = 17 | goals4 = 0
| years5 = 1993–1995 | clubs5 = Reading | caps5 = 24 | goals5 = 0
| totalcaps = 445 | totalgoals = 2
| nationalyears1 = 1975 | nationalteam1 = England Schoolboys | nationalcaps1 = 9 | nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1977–1978 | nationalteam2 = England Youth | nationalcaps2 = 6 | nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 1979–1982 | nationalteam3 = England U21 | nationalcaps3 = 11 | nationalgoals3 = 0
}}
Raymond Ranson (born 12 June 1960) is an English sports entrepreneur and former professional footballer.
Playing career
Born in St Helens, Merseyside, Ranson's professional football career began in 1976 when he was signed as an apprentice by Manchester City. Typically playing as a defender at right full-back, he made his senior debut in a 0–0 draw against Nottingham Forest on 23 December 1978.{{cite web | url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=3770 | title=Ray Ranson – Manchester City | work=Football Heroes | accessdate=30 January 2007}}
Over a 17-year career between 1978 and 1995, Ranson amassed 445 professional league appearances Manchester City, Newcastle United, Birmingham City and Reading.{{cite book |last=Clayton |first=David |title=Everything under the blue moon: the complete book of Manchester City FC – and more! |publisher=Mainstream publishing |location=Edinburgh |year=2002 |isbn=1-84018-687-9}} He also represented England at various levels including schoolboy,{{cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/matchrsl/MatchRslTmSBpg4.html |title=Match results schoolboys (under 15) 1970–1979 |website=England Football Online |publisher=Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood |date=11 October 2024 |access-date=12 October 2024}} youth{{cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/matchrsl/MatchRslTmU18pg3.html |title=Match results under 18 1971–1980 |website=England Football Online |publisher=Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood |date=2 October 2024 |access-date=12 October 2024}} and the England national under-21 football team.{{cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/matchrsl/MatchRslTmU21pg1.html |title=Match results under 21 1976–1990 |website=England Football Online |publisher=Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood |date=9 October 2024 |access-date=12 October 2024}}
Ranson was part of the Manchester City team that reached the 1981 FA Cup final. It was the centenary edition of The Football Association Challenge Cup, the leading annual knockout competition in men's domestic English football.{{Cite web|date=11 January 2013|title=FA Cup special: 1981 Manchester City XI in focus|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fa-cup-special-1981-manchester-859753|access-date=17 June 2021|website=Manchester Evening News}}
Ranson was a member of the England team that won the 1982 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, sealing a 5-4 aggregate victory over West Germany in the finals.{{Cite web|last=Turner|first=Andy|date=7 October 2009|title=Ray Ranson wants big crowd for England Under-21s game|url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/ray-ranson-wants-big-crowd-3074453|access-date=17 June 2021|website=Coventry Telegraph}}
In November 1984 Ranson signed with Birmingham City. He was a part of the squad that won promotion to the First Division in 1985, and would make 137 first team appearances for the club over four years.{{Cite web|last=Wood|first=Mike Meehall|title=Meet The Man Who Almost Bought Rangers – And Moved Them to the Premier League|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemeehallwood/2018/10/31/meet-the-man-who-almost-bought-rangers-and-moved-them-to-the-premier-league/|access-date=2021-06-17|website=Forbes|language=en}}
In 1988, Ranson joined Newcastle United, making 83 league appearances for the club.{{cite web | url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=3186 | title=Ray Ranson – Newcastle United | work=Football Heroes | accessdate=30 January 2007}}
Business career
Ranson started his second career in sports finance and insurance while still playing football professionally. In 1990, he formed an insurance broker that created the first ever personal accident scheme for the Professional Footballers' Association, the union for all current and former footballers across the English Football Leagues.{{Cite web|date=2008-02-13|title=Football: Ranson the visionary finally steps into spotlight|url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/feb/13/coventry.championship|access-date=2021-06-17|website=The Guardian|language=en}}
{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/profile-ray-ranson-585015.html | title=Profile: Ray Ranson | work=The Independent |first=Danielle |last=Demetriou | date=29 October 2003 | accessdate=30 September 2010}}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} After ending his professional playing career in 1995, Ranson formed a joint venture with The Benfield Group, which later became Benfield Greig, an independent reinsurance and risk intermediary company founded by Chelsea director Matthew Harding. While at the company, Ranson developed a range of innovative sports contingency and personal accident insurance products for the professional sports industry. Ranson departed Benfield Greig shortly before the organization listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2003.{{Cite web|last=Bounds|first=Andy|date=19 February 2017|title=Former star looks to kick-start football finance deals for masses|url=https://www.ft.com/content/7a742574-f53a-11e6-8758-6876151821a6|access-date=17 June 2021|website=Financial Times|location=London}}
In 1998, Ranson became an advisor to Registered European Football Finance, a Guernsey-based captive insurance company with institutional backers including Barclays.{{Cite book|last=Szymanski|first=Stefan|title=Money and Football: A Soccernomics Guide|publisher=Nation Books|year=2015|isbn=9781568585260|pages=141}} The company funded more than £150 million of football player transfers for professional clubs on a sale and leaseback basis, managing the principal and interest payments on a quarterly basis over a player's contract duration.{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/60669162|title=Handbook on the economics of sport|date=2006|publisher=Edward Elgar|others=Wladimir Andreff, Stefan Szymanski|isbn=1-84376-608-6|location=Cheltenham, UK|oclc=60669162}}{{cite web | url=http://www.givemefootball.com/display.cfm?article=6741&type=1 | title=Could Aston Villa soon be benefiting from the business skills of former Man City star Ranson? | publisher=Professional Footballers' Association | date=6 July 2005 | accessdate=30 January 2007 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070528152441/http://www.givemefootball.com/display.cfm?article=6741&type=1 |archivedate = 28 May 2007}}{{Cite web|date=2004-03-07|title=Special investigation: crisis at Leeds United|url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/mar/07/sport.features1|access-date=2021-06-17|website=The Guardian|language=en}}
In 2004, Ranson formed Prozone Sports Ltd, a market-leading performance analysis platform that supplied analytics to prominent professional clubs including F.C. Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool F.C. and Arsenal F.C. Ranson sold the business to Sport Universal Process in 2011 for an undisclosed sum before it eventually became a part of STATS Perform.{{Cite web|last=Turner|first=Andy|date=2011-06-23|title=£5m Prozone sale saved Coventry City from administration|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/5m-prozone-sale-saved-coventry-3042918|access-date=2021-06-17|website=CoventryLive|language=en}}
In the same year, Ranson formed a consortium that made an unsuccessful £30 million bid for Aston Villa.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/4203934.stm | title=Villa reject Ranson takeover bid | publisher=BBC Sport | date=1 September 2005 | accessdate=30 January 2007}} Ranson made a second offer in 2005, this time for £45 million, which was also rejected.{{Cite web|last=Kendrick|first=Mat|date=2005-06-26|title=Ranson's new £45m Villa bid|url=http://www.birminghammail.net/news/local-news/ransons-new-45m-villa-bid-11898|access-date=2021-06-17|website=BirminghamLive|language=en}}
In 2006, Ranson formed Sports Asset Management, an asset management firm that provided access to professional sports-related investments, including stakes of professional players' contracts and specialty insurance against career-ending injuries.{{Cite web|date=2006-10-31|title=Two hedge funds to bet on soccer|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-oct-31-fi-hedgesoccer31-story.html|access-date=2021-06-17|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Mills|first=Ryan|date=2006-10-30|title=Hedge funds lured to potential of football profits|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/arid-20016977.html|access-date=2021-06-17|website=Irish Examiner|language=en}}
In April 2007, Ranson submitted an undisclosed bid to acquire Manchester City F.C., the first team he had played for professionally in 1978.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/6589373.stm | title=Ranson bids to take over Man City | publisher=BBC Sport | date=24 April 2007 | accessdate=24 April 2007}} Ranson would withdraw the offer after failing to reach an agreement with the club's board of directors.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/6705819.stm | title=Ranson withdraws Man City offer | publisher=BBC Sport | date=30 May 2007 | accessdate=30 May 2007}}
In October 2007, Ranson led a £40 million offer to take over Southampton F.C. on behalf of SISU Capital, an investment management company.{{cite news | title=No Saints board seat for Ranson | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=1 November 2007 | date=24 October 2007 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/7059797.stm}} The directors of Southampton Leisure Holdings PLC, the club's parent company, voted 5–2 in favor of accepting the deal, until the proposals were rejected by three major shareholders.{{Cite web|date=2016-11-05|title=Coventry City's fingers caught in Sisu sliding door that Saints dodged {{!}} Daniel Taylor|url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/nov/05/coventry-city-sisu-southampton|access-date=2021-06-17|website=The Guardian|language=en}}
In December 2007, Ranson completed a deal to take over Coventry City F.C. on behalf of SISU Capital, which saved the club from entering administration and incurring a 10-point deduction. As part of the transaction, Ranson was installed as Coventry City's new chairman. SISU Capital also signed a cooperation agreement with Arena Coventry Limited (ACL), owners of the Ricoh Arena, that would allow Coventry City to continue using the stadium as their home ground.{{cite news | title=Coventry saved by late takeover | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=18 December 2007 | date=14 December 2007 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/coventry_city/7139107.stm}} Ranson would step down from the role in 2011, with former Southampton chairman Ken Dulieu replacing him.{{Cite news|date=2011-03-24|title=Ranson set to quit Coventry role|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/coventry_city/9434406.stm|access-date=2021-06-17}}
In 2015, Ranson and launched the London Sport Exchange, an online marketplace designed to connect alternative investors with professional sports-related investment and opportunities. Ranson opened the site to institutional investors in 2017 before selling the platform to private equity investors in 2019.{{Cite web|last=Duff|first=Alex|date=10 May 2015|title=Former Manchester City Defender Starting Sports Finance Exchange|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-10/former-manchester-city-defender-starting-sports-finance-exchange|access-date=2021-06-17|publisher=Bloomberg News}}{{Cite web|date=13 May 2015|title=Former Man City Defender Ray Ranson Starts Sports Finance Exchange|url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com:443/Global/Issues/2015/05/13/Finance/Ray%20Ranson.aspx|access-date=2021-06-17|website=Sports Business Journal|language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerbase}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranson, Ray}}
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Birmingham City F.C. players
Category:Coventry City F.C. directors and chairmen
Category:England men's schools international footballers
Category:England men's under-21 international footballers
Category:England men's youth international footballers
Category:English football chairmen and investors
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Footballers from St Helens, Merseyside
Category:Manchester City F.C. players
Category:Newcastle United F.C. players