Yahoo Sports US analytics firm completes Dunfermline takeover
Las Vegas-based businessmen James Bord and Evan Sofer have completed their takeover of Dunfermline Athletic aiming to use their background in data analytics and artificial intelligence to realise the Scottish Championship club's "immense potential".
Both new owners also have minority stakes in Spanish club Cordoba, while Bord has a similar investment in Bulgarian outfit Septemvri Sofia, and say they were attracted to "a club steeped in history and tradition".
Their Park Bench SFC LLC has acquired 99.84% of the Fife club's shares, including all of the stake previously owned by German consortium DAFC Fussball GMBH.
The announcement comes the day after the appointment of Michael Tidser as head coach after a compensation agreement with neighbours and League 1 promotion candidates Kelty Hearts.
Having built his career working for industry leaders such as Starlizard and Smartodds, London-born Bord is the founder of Short Circuit Science, a sports analytics provider utilising artificial intelligence with which he works closely with Sofer.
In a letter to fans, the pair said: "You may have heard about our backgrounds in data analytics and artificial intelligence and we are big believers in the impact this technology can have across the club.
"From player recruitment to sports science, we see huge potential to enhance our operations and gain a competitive edge.
"Working closely with our highly qualified backroom staff, we'll be implementing these tools to support smarter decision-making and ultimately help the team perform at its very best."
Dunfermline stress that, although the new owners are not based in Scotland, Park Bench's UK representative, Kobi Waterman, is "likely to attend games frequently".
They say that, after DAFC Fussball GMBH put its stake up for sale, the club received "significant interest from all corners of the globe".
However, despite numerous investment proposals, there was "unanimous belief" that this proposal represented "the strongest opportunity for growth and sporting success".
Bord and Sofer thanked the previous owners "for the stable financial position the club is in currently".
They added that, although "there is no quick fix", with Dunfermline currently second bottom of the Championship, they had "long-term" ambition and a desire to compete "at the highest level".
