LONDON: Kuwaiti-Pakistani businessman Muizz Ahmed Mirza is set to take control of English non-league football club Plymouth Parkway FC through his international education company, with ambitions to guide the club into the English Football League within the next 10 years.
Speaking at a press conference in London alongside Plymouth Parkway management, Mirza confirmed that heads of terms had been signed with the club, marking the beginning of a process towards a new ownership and operating structure.
Born in Karachi and based in Kuwait, Mirza said his goal was to develop Parkway into a professional club while preserving its identity and longstanding ties with the Plymouth community.
“My dream is within the next 10 years to see this club reach the EFL,” Mirza said.
He said the club could become a full-time operation within the next 12 to 18 months, with planned investment in its academy, infrastructure and stadium facilities.
Plans to combine football and education
Founded in 1988, Plymouth Parkway currently plays at Bolitho Park in the Southern League Premier Division South, the seventh tier of English football. The club is four divisions below its city neighbour Plymouth Argyle.
Mirza said his organisation had supported more than 3,000 international students and established partnerships with more than 600 universities around the world.
He plans to combine his education business with football by creating programmes that would allow students to participate in competitive football while gaining practical knowledge of football management and the commercial side of the sport.
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Mirza also stressed that new investment would not come at the expense of the club’s history or local identity.
“Plymouth Parkway already has something money cannot create: history, identity, passionate people and a community that cares about its football club,” he said.
“My responsibility is not to replace that, but to protect it, build on it and give those people even more reasons to be proud of Parkway.”
Pakistan links planned
Plymouth Parkway chairman Mark Russell and vice-chairman Gez Baggott said the agreement represented an important step for the club.
They said the proposed new structure could help introduce Parkway to international audiences while keeping the club firmly connected to Plymouth.
Mirza also revealed that he was already in discussions with the Pakistan Football League (PFL) about potential collaboration.
He said he hoped Plymouth Parkway’s development would create internships, training opportunities and other programmes for young people from Pakistan at the English club.
The businessman also wants the club to provide a potential pathway for the next generation of British-Pakistani footballers, allowing talented players to gain exposure, experience and opportunities within the English football system.
