Sutton United’s Co-owner Paul Carrick Brunson Promotes Inclusivity

Paul Carrick Brunson, a renowned celebrity dating expert, acquired a stake in the National League club Sutton United in August 2024. This weekend, Sutton United is set to host League One leaders Birmingham City in the FA Cup first round, aiming for an upset. However, the non-league team has reasons for pride this season that extend beyond their football performance. The Us achieved their most successful run in the competition during the 2016-17 season, defeating Leeds United 1-0 to reach the fifth round before a 2-0 home loss to Arsenal. During that specific match against the Gunners at Gander Green Lane, Sutton’s reserve goalkeeper, Wayne Shaw, was captured on film consuming a pie adjacent to the dugout. Shaw subsequently became widely known for an incident termed “piegate,” which led to betting firm Tabcorp UK Limited, operating as Sun Bets, being fined £84,000. The fine was imposed for its failure to manage risks linked to offering “novelty” bets, such as a wager on Shaw eating a pie during the game. Following this, Shaw was investigated by the FA, facing charges of intentionally influencing a football betting market and improper conduct. He was subsequently fined £375 and received a two-month ban for violating betting regulations. Seven years later, Sutton United has experienced significant positive developments, particularly in recent months, partly attributable to an unexpected new co-owner. Paul Carrick Brunson, a celebrity relationship expert and matchmaker for Married At First Sight UK, acquired a stake in the club in August of this year. He committed to “further diversity and inclusivity within football”. From celebrity relationship expert to Sutton co-owner The US-born television personality became one of four principal shareholders at the south London club, having selected Sutton United’s name from a hat on the Channel 4 program Sunday Brunch to determine which team he would support. Sutton United’s chief operating officer, Tim Allison, remarked on BBC’s Football Focus show, “He’s not a football person by the way.” Allison further explained, “He quite jokingly got involved through a television programme.” Subsequently, Brunson, who resides in the capital and is among a limited number of black investors in professional football, has largely transformed into a “football person” through his attendance at matches and his involvement in off-field initiatives. Brunson stated, “The reality is, whether or not we win or lose, it makes or breaks my next few days.” A few weeks after his investment in the club, Brunson attended his first game and described the experience as feeling like he was “becoming part of this family.” The 50-year-old later recounted a conversation with a black man regarding his matchday experience, who conveyed that he did not feel secure attending local football games with his son. Brunson wants more people to be part of the football community at Sutton United Subsequently, Brunson has embarked on a mission to “normalise” greater involvement of black individuals in the sport off the pitch. He views his position at Sutton as a “remarkable opportunity because of the impact it can make in the community.” Brunson observed, “If you look back, you see that there were moments in football here in the UK where you saw no players of colour, zero players of colour.” He continued, “And then over time, you saw players of colour and there became a point where it’s normal. Brunson then posed the question, “But when it comes to coaches, when it comes to a board of directors, when it comes to ownership, is it normal?” He concluded, “There is an argument to say that it’s not. So I think that part of my role is to help to normalise it.” Mickey Joyce, a director and former player for Sutton United, commended Brunson for being “here, there and everywhere.” Joyce stated, “I think if we lead, we can show people there’s acceptance.” He added, “Hopefully a lot of clubs will sit up and notice – okay, you’re doing something and we like that, why should we not follow?” Allison further commented, “We would never have known if he’d pulled out a different team from that bag on that show, what would have happened.” He also asked, “How do you get people who have never had that connection with football to come and witness it?” Brunson is among the individuals spearheading the Amber Army 100 project at Sutton, an initiative designed to enhance football’s inclusivity. Brunson elaborated, “It’s an initiative to encourage people who have never attended a football match – maybe because they didn’t feel safe, maybe because they couldn’t afford a ticket, for whatever reason – to come to a match.” He further stated, “And since we’ve started the campaign, we’ve had hundreds of people who had never attended a football match come.” Brunson concluded, “I would say that the mission of this particular club is community. It would be magical to see this entire stadium full of fans that were emotionally tied into this team as much as I am and reflective of the community that they live in.”