Maldon and Tiptree are the lowest ranked team left in the FA Cup and are bankrolled by self-made multimillionaire Barrie Drewlitt-Barlow, who is dreaming of a third round tie with Manchester City
Britain’s first gay dad, Barrie Drewlitt-Barlow, gifted Maldon & Tiptree football club to his son Aspen and other half Scott as a Christmas present – now, they’re aiming for a spot in the FA Cup second round.
The Essex-based minnows, who are in Step-4, are funded by self-made multimillionaire Drewlitt-Barlow. They’re set to face League One side Port Vale as the lowest ranked team still in the competition. Back in 1999, Drewlitt-Barlow and his ex-husband Tony made history as Britain’s first gay dads after having twins via surrogacy.
He once grabbed headlines for buying his newborn granddaughter a £1million house. Now, he’s turned his attention to the Jammers, with former Manchester City player Kevin Horlock as manager and ex-West Ham forward Freddie Sears leading the attack.
“Easy,” Drewlitt-Barlow chuckled when asked about the upcoming match against Port Vale on Sunday, in an interview with the Mirror. “Come on! I’ve got Freddie Sears on my side!”
Despite acquiring the club in a “multi-million pound” takeover in February, the ones really in charge are his son Aspen and his boyfriend Scott, who he started dating after the latter split from his daughter Saffron. “This was their Christmas present last year,” Drewlitt-Barlow said, grinning.
“It’s like ‘What do you buy kids or your partner that have got everything anyway? Another Tesla Cybertruck? A new Rolls Royce?’ We’ve already got those things.
“We live in a £6million mansion in Danbury. They own apartments in Miami, Manchester and Edinburgh. What else can I buy them? F*** it. I’m going to buy them a football club!”
The Maldon and Tiptree branded Tesla Cybertruck, one of only four in the country, sits proudly at the Jammers’ Drewlitt-Barlow home ground.
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Despite splashing millions on lavish gifts and property for his children and grandchildren, he insists: “The club has cost me a lot more than a couple of my kids have already let me tell you.”
His investment in the team includes an £800,000 payroll, major refurbishments of the changing rooms and clubhouse and new outdoor facilities at the ground. His passion for the small town is evident in the advertising space he has provided for other local businesses, including popular coffee spot the Maldon Coffee Company.
He has also funded a BTEC Sports educational programme for boys and girls aged between 16 and 18, offering a pathway to the first team alongside a solid education. Port Vale are the highest ranked side the club has faced in a competitive match in their history.
With the game being broadcast on TNT Sport, they will pocket around £200,000 from television revenue and a 45% share of the gate receipts. They are just two victories away from the FA Cup third round, and the prospect of a meeting with a Premier League giant has Drewlitt-Barlow feeling giddy.
He asked: “Could you imagine how nice that would be for our community? Could you imagine Manchester City coming to our dressing rooms? I’d have to get the decorators in.
“Kevin has already told me not to do that in the event. He was the one who was like ‘No, I want to demotivate them. When they turn the light on to come in the dressing room, the air conditioning has to come on really cold. Oh I couldn’t do that, I’d feel so bad.”
To learn more about Maldon and Tiptree ahead of their FA Cup clash against Port Vale, visit here