The 49ers Enterprised made an offer for golfer Rory McIlroy to invest in Leeds United, but he turned it down.
Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, two 49ers investors and other golfers, wanted McIlroy to play, but the Manchester United supporter chose to turn them down, according to a story from BBC Sport on October 22. With an estimated net worth of £200 million, McIlroy is the richest sportsman in the UK under 35, according to Belfast Live (19 May). He just joined Otro Capital, a company that made investments in the Alpine Formula 1 team.
They asked if I wanted to join the team, and I answered, “As a Man Utd fan, can’t go anywhere near that,” according to McIlroy. Okay Few Leeds supporters would want a Manchester United supporter close to the team, despite the fact that investments from well-known athletes are becoming rather common in the sport.
Even while McIlroy wouldn’t deliberately destroy Leeds from the inside out if he made an investment, having a supporter of a major rival wielding any kind of influence over the team would not sit well with many Elland Road supporters.
The two-time PGA Championship winner is rumored to have a considerable net worth, which would undoubtedly be appreciated at Elland Road; but, the 49ers have managed the club admirably thus far without any additional funding.
Although Leeds and Manchester United are in different divisions at the moment, Leeds will probably play them in the Premier League soon, thus McIlroy’s Red Devil allegiance would only bring problems.
If McIlroy’s allegiance was to Manchester United, at least he would have shunned a large portion of the fan base rather than risk losing money.
