TODAY marks the beginning of an exciting new era for Burton Albion Football Club after the EFL cleared the sale of Chairman Ben Robinson’s entire majority ownership stake to Nordic Football Group (NFG).

An open letter from Ben confirming this news can be viewed here.

Although there has been a change in ownership, Ben’s near 50-year association with Burton Albion is certainly not coming to an end. NFG has appointed Robinson as Honorary Chairman of the Club and he has also accepted a role to remain in an advisory capacity working alongside the new owners.

Furthermore, the Robinson-family connection will be strengthened with Ben Robinson Jr. remaining an integral part of the Club’s operations and Fleur Robinson returning to Burton Albion as Chief Executive Officer, effective from 1 July, after having held the same role at Wrexham for the past three years where the team enjoyed back-to-back promotions from the National League to League One.

The Club’s newly formed Board of Directors sees Ole Jakob Strandhagen appointed as Chairman, NFG’s Founder and CEO Tom Davidson as Deputy Chairman, Bendik Hareide as Sporting Director, while Kevin C. Skabo will take up the role of Commercial Director.

Commenting for the first time as the proud new owners of Burton Albion, NFG wish to share this message with the fanbase:

“We are privileged and grateful for this torch to be passed on to us, and we take this responsibility of being the custodians of your football club extremely seriously. Over time, we aim to earn your respect and friendship through our execution of this responsibility. This opportunity means a great deal to us, and we understand that the future progress and performance of Burton Albion Football Club now rests squarely on our shoulders, as they have on Ben’s until today. We can assure you that we are committed to doing everything in our power to help move this football club forward as effectively as we possibly can, and to be proud ambassadors for the town and people of Burton upon Trent.

“We fully understand that for the supporters, it has been a frustrating and uncertain time lately because there has been such little official news since the end of the season. This is why we are so pleased to finally be able to officially communicate with you all now, and we intend to follow an approach of being accessible and engaged. This is very important to the way we wish to operate.

“Our gratitude goes to Ben Robinson. His unwavering love for this football club, the people, and the town of Burton upon Trent has been evident throughout our conversations, and he continues to underline just how important Burton Albion and the Community Trust is to him and everyone throughout this town.”

“He has profoundly shaped what Burton Albion is today, epitomising what a football club should stand for: unity and belonging through a proud and rich history, a devoted fan base, dedicated staff, and a strong sense of connection with its community. These are characteristics we highly value, and we are committed to building upon this strong foundation.

“Every club has its own rich history, but we love Burton’s underdog story. We feel it is unique – coming from non-league football to climb the divisions against all odds through stable leadership and financial sustainability while maintaining its strong local connections.

“The prospect of being part of the broader Burton family and community was incredibly compelling for us. We believe that if everyone with a passion for Burton Albion can come together in this next chapter, we can achieve great things for the Club, town, and people of Burton upon Trent. We are committed long-term to helping develop the Club and all it can bring to the community.

“While NFG has strong experience across the Nordic region, running an English football club is unchartered territory and the town, people and culture of Burton upon Trent is new to us. Therefore, it is crucial to have the Robinson family by our side, leaning on their immense expertise, experience, and ethos. We are thrilled to be working together with Ben, Fleur, and Ben Jr. as we enter this exciting new phase in the Club’s history.

“We are already thinking ahead to next year and the 75^th anniversary of the Club’s formation. We are looking forward to meeting with the fans and all key groups to work on how we can mark this significant milestone and ensure we build the best possible foundations for another 75 successful years for the football club. We’re also excited to celebrate Ben’s remarkable 50-year association with Burton Albion.

“We like to think that the Burton family just got a little bigger, too, and we can now welcome a new group of potential fans from across the Nordic region as we prepare for the new season and beyond.

“As an ownership group, we are ambitious, but we are not seeking to implement radical change nor risk the Club’s future for short-term success. We want to invest in all the key assets associated with the Club, including exploring ways to enhance the stadium experience for fans and supporting the remarkable work of the Burton Albion Community Trust, an inspirational organisation in creating positive and life-changing impact on the local and surrounding communities.

“On the pitch, we want to develop teams that the fans and town can be proud to have represent them. It is about seeing a team perform in a way that people can enjoy watching every weekend, and obviously, we want to win! We want that success to come through being sustainable. This is about year-on-year growth and using the expertise, resources, and network of NFG and the wider Burton family to drive an increase in revenue, which can then be invested back into the Club.

“We are committed to player development, to create a destination where young players feel they can really improve and prosper. We want to develop a high-performance culture not just for the men’s team but also for continuing the success of the academy to produce talented local players and build a competitive women’s team in the same way. It is a crucial part of our overarching vision that we create a pathway for girls to get involved in the game just like the boys do.

“Our ideas and plans will take time, and nothing will be carried out without input from the fans and stakeholders of both the football club and the town of Burton upon Trent. Your contribution to our efforts and progress moving forward will be invaluable.”

“We believe there is a lot to look forward to, and that includes announcing plans for our new coaching setup in the near future.

“For us, it is vital that we carry on Ben’s incredible work by running this club on a stable footing and, more than anything else, continue to instil the values that Burton Albion stands for.

“Over the coming weeks, we will make further announcements about organising supporter activities, and we look forward to getting to know many of you then.”

For more information on the new Board of Directors, their bios are available to view on the Burton Albion website.

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Simon Felstein
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Email: simon@wearetsa.com