Rob Baxter insists new investors won't 'throw money' at Exeter Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter points out that new owners Black Knight Entertainment haven’t just come into Sandy Park with a blank chequebook but are expecting the club to return to being a well-run, profitable business.

Baxter says that Bill Foley’s summer investment in the club has lifted the financial strain on the club, which was once the most profitable club in the Gallagher Prem before the pandemic wrecked its finances.

And it has allowed Baxter to increase his playing budget and strengthen the squad, which lost a Prem Final to Northampton Saints last season, with so many other clubs doing the same. The timing couldn’t have been better.

Black Knight, which owns football clubs and ice hockey franchises, will be expecting a return in all areas, both on and off the pitch, and will run the club like a business, not just a loss-making vanity project.

“Of course, Black Knight coming in has meant the immediate financial strain has been lifted. Those regular board meetings about how we keep the cash flow to keep the business ticking over in a positive way have been alleviated very quickly.

“There have been a few areas we have been able to invest in. Some stuff around some medical equipment and some basic equipment around the place that is very, very expensive.

“You don’t necessarily need it, but it makes a big difference over an extended period. At the same time, people have to be aware that Black Knight haven’t just come in to throw money at something just to see if some of it sticks and creates a win.

“They are a business, and they will run it as a business. It was a well-run, profitable business previous to COVID. And that’s what they want to return it to. We have to be part of that in terms of how we play, attract the crowds, and build the business back to how it used to be.”