Halifax FC Women prepare themselves for new adventure

Hokulani Limited has acquired a stake in Halifax FC Women - the team known as Brighouse Town Ladies up until last summer - of the third-tier FA Women’s National League.

The man behind it is director and principal investor Daniel Thomas Loitz who wants Halifax to be part of a network of clubs around Europe.

He is understood to have almost bought second-tier side London City Lionesses two years ago.

Loitz wants to take Halifax into the Women’s Championship which is increasingly moving towards professionalism, but acknowledges that promotion to the Women’s Super League - a professional division now dominated by the women’s teams of the leading men’s clubs - is an “unrealistic goal that does not fit into the club’s future identity”.

The club has also expressed a desire to move to their own sports facility and small stadium in Halifax in the next few years.

Loitz said: “The world is looking at the development of women’s football in the UK with envy at the moment.

“It has always been my dream to support a club in the homeland of football, having lived in the UK for ten years.

“My family and I have distributed donations and sponsorship to women’s football in Ukraine, Finland, Romania and Germany through companies we control.

“Already in 2021, as a private individual, I wanted to acquire a stake in a women’s football club in the UK, and now I’ve come full circle with my investment firm.”

Halifax’s first team manager Rob Mitchell said: “This is an exciting and positive step forward for the club and everyone involved, our vision for the future and the environment we want to create will allow us to continue to compete whilst developing talented young players.

“We are delighted to be part of the Hokulani family and begin our new adventure together.”