By Jason Harris
May 14 2002

Saracens owner Nigel Wray has given up sole controlf of the club and has brought in five new board members and inward investment totalling £3.5m. Wray's dream of putting Sarries among the European elite will be helped by the arrival of five London-based entrepreneurs that bring with them a further £3.5m to pump into the club.

Speaking with the Evening Standard, he said that he considered quitting the club during last season, the worst since he took over the club at the beginning of the professional era.

"That came after our 50-point home defeat by London Irish. But that black mood only lasted a couple of days and then it was a case of working to ensure the club is successful in the future."

On the new setup at board level Wray explained: "It will be much healthier to have this kind of board of men who are likeminded about Sarries and who get on with each other socially."

The property millionaire said also that he will remain the major shareholder, at just under 50%, but will no longer be the majority shareholder. He also firmly believes that Sarries is not HIS club, but the supporters.

"It's a fact that 10,000 people come through the turnstilesat Sarries and they all believe it is their club and I don't say it's mine. If we ever got to the stage that people did say that about me, then I would have failed in my aim for Sarries."

After finishing 10th in the Zurich Premiership and missing out on a lucrative Heineken Cup place for the second successive year, Wray is still confident that Sarries will break even within a year. Sarries, Wray says, will lose £600,000 but added that the amount gained from participating in the premier European competition would wipe-out that loss.

"You can bank between £500,000 and £1m from the Heineken Cup," he said. "That's why it's so important for Sarries to get back into the top four.

Looking ahead to next season and the arrival of Buck Shelford, Christian Califano and Craig Quinnell, Sarries could well go ahead and further strengthen their squad using the additional cash and attract more stars to Vicarage Road.

However, Wray admits that the way business was conducted at Sarries prior to the departure of Francois Pienaar was not the best for the club.

"We have had a bit of a one-man band and it hasn't worked." He added that he is going to stay out of the way of CEO Peter Deakin and Shelford who, according to him, are "guys who really know what they are talking about."

It's good, from a fan's perpective, to know that Nigel's heart and sould is still with the club, even though his overall control isn't. And it will be interesting to see how the cash injection will shape the future and whether Sarries will, as Wray predicts, turn a profit.