Solihull
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Moors have their eye on the League By Jessica Brookes
Well-known Birmingham businessman Darryl Eales is spearheading a new effort to bring League football to the city’s ‘third’ club, Solihull Moors. Mr Eales, best known for heading up private
equity firm Lloyds Development Capital (LDC) in the city, has joined forces with Calvin ‘Barney’ Barnett, who spent many years in the automotive industry. Both have joined the Moors board, with Mr
Eales taking over as chairman and Mr Barnett becoming chief executive.
‘I’d rather do things slowly and build a business that is sustainable both on and off the pitch’
Former Moors chairman Trevor Stevens has
agreed to become the club’s president. The Moors have had a good start to their third season in the National League, which is football’s fifth-tier in England. The club was formed after a merger
between Moor Green and Solihull Boro in 2007 and has made huge strides in its quest to join the Football League. Mr Eales said: “Solihull Moors is a fantastic
local club. It has had a great deal of success, success that it wasn’t expecting over the last five or six years, and it now needs to consolidate that success and investment to bring the belief around the club up and ask what we need to do now to move it forward and push it into league two. There is such a good heart to this club there is almost nothing it can’t achieve but it just needs a bit more self-belief and professionalism.
“From my business background I’ve got lots
of connections in Birmingham and Solihull, and for me it’s about trying to create a sense of belonging and to get people enthused about becoming part of Solihull Moors.” Mr Barnett added: “We are hoping to get
the first team up into league two, which is a long term aim but we do that by building on what it’s got to date and improving the infrastructure, building on the credibility and passion this club has in the community. “We’ve come in as a group of investors and
we are looking at other investors coming in as well. We’re also looking to see whether it is feasible to get a 4G pitch, some proper lighting, perhaps a few portakabins and then we’ll have a proper training facility here.
“And a training facility that then can be used
by the community, and that would then help drive people here. “What we are trying to achieve is to make
the club sustainable. Football does tend to have its own rules about business and I think from my point of view I’d rather do things slowly and build a business that is sustainable both on and off the pitch.” Cheryl Cooper, who worked for Darryl as his
personal assistant at LDC for 20 years, has also joined the Moors’ board of directors. And Mark Fogarty, who has played a major
role in developing the club’s community activities and more recently the Moors Academy, has been appointed to the board as sporting director.
Investment improves transport infrastructure
Solihull Council has secured £10.2m from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to deliver significant transport and infrastructure investment in the borough ahead of the arrival of HS2. Part of the second phase of projects to be
delivered under the UK Central Solihull growth and development programme, this funding will be used to support a number of schemes including key route improvements, investments in sustainable travel and to support new technologies including low carbon energy and electric and autonomous vehicles. This will also sit alongside programmes of
associated commercial and residential development and will fit into wider regional investment from HS2, Highways England, Transport for West Midlands (part of the WMCA) and the Midland Metro Alliance. This combined investment will underpin the growth potential of
44 CHAMBERLINK October 2018
Centre, Birmingham Business Park and Jaguar Land Rover. There is also a strong focus on investment in Solihull town centre. Following the recent investment improving
New funding: an aerial view of the UK Central Hub
the area, which is an estimated 90,000 jobs and an increase of £5.3bn per annum in GVA for the West Midlands up to 2050. Central to these plans is improving the links
between the town and the area known as the UK Central ‘Hub’. This will be home to the proposed HS2 Interchange station, and will include Birmingham Airport, the National Exhibition
access between Solihull train station and the town centre, this funding will help develop plans for an integrated transport hub including an upgraded train station, alongside new homes and new Grade A office space to accommodate new jobs in the town centre. Lilian Ekelan, of Solihull Chamber, said: “The
recent announcement that Solihull Council has secure £10.2m from the WMCA for transport growth and investment purposes is tremendously positive news for the borough. “The opportunity to invest in key route
improvements, sustainable travel and new technologies is a huge step in ensuring local people and businesses benefit from the new HS2 Interchange station.”
New team at the Moors: Darryl Eales and ‘Barney’ Barnett
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