United front: Leeds United given ownership blueprint by Bradford City

JOINT OWNERS are nothing new in Yorkshire football.

Sheffield United are under the charge of the McCabe family and Prince Abdullah, while Julian Rhodes and Mark Lawn spent nine years together at the helm of Bradford City before selling last summer.

Nevertheless, Andrea Radrizzani’s purchase of a 50 per cent stake in Leeds United from Massimo Cellino means the Championship club is entering a new era.

At the Italian’s unveiling last weekend, both men were keen to stress that little will change in the immediate future. Equally, though, it was also clear Radrizzani has big ideas for Leeds and is keen to get on with things.

For Radrizzani today, read Lawn at Valley Parade in the summer of 2007. After steering the Bantams through two administrations, Rhodes had sought a partner to share the load and lifelong fan Lawn, fresh from selling Driver Hire in a multi-million-pound deal, stepped forward.

“Like the new guy at Leeds, I hadn’t worked inside a football club before buying into City,” said Lawn, who along with Rhodes sold Bradford to German investors Stefan Rupp and Edin Rahic last May.

“I had worked in other businesses but football really is unique. It is why I leant so much on Julian in those first few months. His knowledge was amazing and still is. Put it this way, if I was a richer man and had been able to take Bradford City on myself last summer then I would have done all I could to make sure Julian’s knowledge wasn’t lost after he’d sold up.

“In that respect, I was fortunate that I bought into a club where Julian was already in place. Co-ownership might not have worked with anyone else, as we were both able to put on a united front even if we didn’t agree on something.

“We never had any stand-up rows. Disagreements, yes, but not rows. They were always behind closed doors, with neither of us then going to someone else and moaning: ‘He’s wrong on this’.”

Lawn bought a third share in City to join Rhodes and his father, Professor David Rhodes, on the board. Crucially, though, voting rights were split 50-50 between the new co-owner and Julian Rhodes. Radrizzani and Cellino are understood to have the same agreement.

“We felt it vital that we had a 50-50 split,” said Rhodes. “It was the only way we could work together as a true partnership. One having 51 per cent or more just wouldn’t have worked, as then egos can get in the way.

“The big thing Mark and I had – and what they will need at Leeds going forward – is total trust in each other. We hardly knew each other when Mark first came on board but we were both Bradford City fans and, we realised, any decision or view either of us had was with the best interests of the club in mind.

“I know chairmen say that all the time but it was genuinely the case with us. If Mark had an idea that I didn’t like, I would always think: ‘Mark feels this is right for Bradford City so I should look at it again’. We both knew the other didn’t have an agenda, other than Bradford City being successful.

“What I will say about Leeds is it is one of the few clubs who can achieve that balance between success and self-sufficiency if the owners can get it right off the field.”

Like Lawn and Rhodes, the new co-owners of Leeds are very different characters. This much was evident at last Saturday’s press conference, with Radrizzani’s performance being polished while Cellino’s first utterance was to make light of being caught in an undercover sting by The Daily Telegraph last autumn.

“The last time I met the Press, she was a beautiful journalist but hiding a camera in her purse,” joked the 60-year-old. “You don’t need to do that today.”

Disparity in character, Lawn and Rhodes both believe, was a plus for their partnership, though others did sometimes try and exploit it.

“We did have people trying to play us off against each other,” says Lawn. “It could be a member of staff or it could be a rival club. I always likened it to a kid being refused a sweet by mum so then going to dad to ask for the same.

“That is why you have to be a strong partnership, making sure there aren’t any cracks for people to exploit. That could be a big test for the new owners at Leeds.

“What they will also need is the constant dialogue me and Julian had. We were forever in and out of each other’s offices at Valley Parade. The one worry I would have for the lads at Leeds is one is at Elland Road every day and the other is in Italy or wherever. That could be tough.”