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Boston Breakers seeking new majority investor

The Boston Breakers are seeking to sell a controlling interest in the team, Breakers General Manager Andy Crossley said. Majority owner Gary Loveman, who has been the largest shareholder in the club since it organized in early 2007, has decided to place his share of the team on the market. Boston is seeking to sell at least 55 percent of the team..

Boston currently has six local investors, some of which have expressed interest in continuing for the 2012 season with a new investor(s) to round out the group, Crossley said.

The sale of the team has been in discussion for a number of months and there is no timetable for the sale to take place. However, the earlier it takes place the better for Boston, which will need to take advantage of the autumn months to sell sponsorships and tickets as well as sign players.

With interest in women’s soccer at its height, the timing is better than ever for the situation.

“The Breakers have not set a specific timetable to conclude a sale, but wanted to take advantage of the additional attention focused on the team now in order to facilitate conversations with potential investors,” Crossley said. “This will afford the club the best opportunity to enter the offseason with ownership settled and moving forward with roster development, sponsorship development and ticket sales for 2012.”

WPS league officials are aware of Loveman’s intention to sell a controlling interest in the team.

As of right now, there are some very preliminary discussions taking place with potential buyers, Crossley said. Whoever buys into the team would become part of a Breakers squad that boasts a league-leading fan base of 1,200 season tickets. Crossley said that the Breakers expect to lead the league in regular season ticket sales revenue this season.

On Saturday, 7,118 fans turned out to Harvard Stadium for Boston’s home match against magicJack. The crowd was the second largest in Breakers history. That game went head-to-head with a New England Revolution game at Gillette Stadium which drew 11,523. People are noticing the value in the Breakers’ product.

“We have had local people in Boston inquire about investing in the team over the past several weeks,” Crossley said. “These have been very preliminary conversations so far. But it’s been a promising development that has grown out of the popularity that women’s soccer has enjoyed in this World Cup year.”

The history of the Boston Breakers dates back to the WUSA days, when the team competed at Nickerson Field from 2001-2003. The Breakers name was rekindled in early 2007 to prepare for WPS, which played its first season in 2009.

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