A billionaire director at Leeds United and senior figure within 49ers Enterprises has moved to distance the NFL-backed ownership group from the Ibrox club – while openly expressing his admiration for Celtic.
Australian businessman Pete Lowy – who is based in California – gave a rare interview outlining the long-term vision for Leeds United, including the club’s plans to significantly expand Elland Road.
Lowy – a lifelong supporter of the Yorkshire side – joined the club in 2021 as part of the 49ers Enterprises takeover and is among the largest investors through the Lowy Family Group.
Although he grew up following Leeds from Australia, he admitted to also having a soft spot for Celtic. Last season he even visited Celtic Park for the Champions League group phase game against RB Leipzig alongside Leeds legend Eddie Gray.
Lowy said the atmosphere of a European night at Celtic Park left a lasting impression on him, describing it as the type of environment he hopes Leeds can eventually replicate.
His comments come after Leeds City Council approved proposals to increase Elland Road’s capacity from 37,645 to around 53,000 seats.
Appearing on the BBC podcast Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet, Lowy was asked about Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe stepping down from his role as vice-chairman at the Rangers.
The move came just two days before UEFA’s deadline for clubs to comply with its multi-club ownership regulations.
When questioned about the situation, Lowy laughed and responded: “Probably nothing. Sorry about that. I like to answer questions. I’m not an investor in Rangers, I’m not involved in Rangers – I don’t have anything to do with that except that I’m a Celtic man. When you see Eddie [Gray] and I sitting there together….
Nicolas Kuhn of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and RB Leipzig at Celtic Park on November 05, 2024 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
“That’s not why I didn’t invest, it just wasn’t for me. One of the best nights I had actually. Eddie and I went up to Celtic Park last season during the European Cup.”
“They played Leipzig, I think. And if you want to imagine what you can do at a stadium and imagine where you can take a club then that stadium is spectacular, the noise there, the people, the commitment and if we can get some of that up to where we are at Elland Road we’ll be doing really well.”
“The way I look at it, Paraag is an extremely good executive and knows how to divide his time.”
“For our fans to know, their investment in Rangers did not take one minute away from what Paraag is doing at Leeds and the job he does for us.”
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Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr. Click on image to order
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