Leeds United comment: Why promises about no Red Bull have to be kept in more than name only

"This club is and will forever be Leeds United Football Club. It’s not going to be the Leeds Red Bulls," insisted chairman Paraag Marathe when news that the energy drinks giant were taking a minority shareholding in the 105-year-old institution as well as having their logo on the shirts broke.

These things matter. It is why the Conservatives promised us nearly five years ago a football regulator partly to protect club’s identities. Unfortunately, five years has not been enough. The Labour Government-in-waiting say they are committed too but even the most one-eyed football fan would hopefully recognise their in-tray will be pretty full.

Names are not the main concern. Even by the low bar of football chairman stupidity, signing off RB Leeds or a Red Bull red kit would be one of the crassest ways to leave a club.

More worrying is the thought of Leeds becoming just another franchise in a global brand.

Red Bull's money is welcome at the start of a summer where Leeds will have to do some economic gymnastics to emerge with £73.6m transfer instalments paid (there is some to come in too, but far less), players who do not want to be there cut adrift, fresh faces signed, books balanced on the right side of financial fair play, and the team stronger.

Their formidable expertise will be welcomed too around a table crowded with knowledgeable sporting voices led by those involved with San Francisco 49ers plus the likes of golfers Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, swimming great Michael Phelps and basketballer Larry Nance.

Will a network which runs Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Bragantino be content with that? Time will tell.

This year has not been a good advert for multi-club ownership.

In April Vitesse Arnhem were docked a Dutch record 18 points – after a secret network of loans linked to Roman Abramovich were uncovered from the time they were dubbed "Chelsea B" for the number of Stamford Bridge players on loan.

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Last month a Troyes game was abandoned after fan protests at being part of the City Football Group headed by Manchester City.

Belgian club Oostende are due to be declared bankrupt on Monday with the administrator demanding Paul Conway be banned from football. Conway is the ex-Barnsley co-chairman whose Pacific Group own Thun, Nancy and Esbjerg, all in lower divisions since they got involved. Den Bosch were 19th out of 20 in a Dutch Eerste Division where relegation is optional.

Conway remains a Barnsley shareholder but his and Pacific's stakes are being systematically diluted.

INEOS clubs Manchester United and Nice are trying to both play in next season's Europa League. It happened before with Salzburg and RB Leipzig (RB stands for Rasen Ballsport – "Lawn Ball sports" – in two fingers up at German rules preventing them being called Red Bull) allowed into the Champions League.

This season Sheffield United stank out the Premier League, their budget uncompetitive whilst United World also funded Beerschot, Kerala United and Al-Hilal.

What have the Blades got in return? Answers on a postcard please.

Multi-club networks are insidious, replacing identities with the whiff of dodgy deals and questionable transfers even where none exist.

Leeds United are a special club, as are all Yorkshire's clubs. They must never be allowed to become just another part of a global machine.