A heavy sigh of relief was heard across Berkshire and probably beyond to the EFL offices in Paddington (or Preston) as the endless saga of Reading FC finally had a happy ending. And, before you write to the editor or comment on Reddit, OK, mea culpa. We got it wrong in a recent article when we backed the wrong American as the next owner of the Royals. So, who are the new bosses at Reading FC?

On Wednesday, May 14 2025, Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair, through their company Redwood Holdings Limited (itself a subsidiary of Dogwood LLC), completed the acquisition of Reading FC. The takeover, which has finally received English Football League (EFL) clearance, includes the Select Car Leasing Stadium and the Bearwood Park training ground as well as the club itself.

Both Couhig and Trosclair have joined the club's board, with Rob Couhig appointed as Chairman.

Couhig, of course, is no stranger to fans through his former ownership of Wycombe Wanderers FC and an ill judged attempt to buy Bearwood Park during his tenure there. But what else is he up to? Well, he’s a very busy man.

Robert "Rob" Emmet Couhig Jr. was born on April 20, 1949, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is an American lawyer, entrepreneur, and investor who won a scholarship to study international economic affairs at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington DC, graduating in 1971. He went on to receive his law degree from Tulane University in 1975.

He began his legal career in 1975 with Adams and Reese, focusing on insurance-related matters and spent much of his early career as a corporate lawyer.

He has two sons from his first marriage to Susan Mullins - Robert E Couhig III and Benjamin Couhig. Despite being raised a Roman Catholic, he later divorced and married Michelle "Missy" Aleman in 2003.

In the same year, he founded Couhig Partners, a law firm primarily focused on business development and litigation, which has since grown to include 12 lawyers. His trial practice has centered on commercial, casualty, business, and product liability litigation.

Beyond his legal career, Couhig has built a diverse business portfolio. He successfully built and sold Couhig Environmental Services of New Orleans, which by 2001 was one of Louisiana's largest private pest control companies. His investment interests have spanned various sectors, including theatre productions, an art studio, a 26-court tennis facility, a caravan park and marina, and an oil and gas production company. He has also been involved in disaster recovery, logistics, and pharmaceuticals.

Couhig has also been active in politics, aligning with the Republican party. He served as a campaign manager for former State representatives Garey Forster and Sam LeBlanc, and was a campaign co-ordinator for US Representative Bob Livingston. He made two unsuccessful bids for the position of mayor of New Orleans.

A busy man, he also has extensive experience of owning sports clubs, including the  New Orleans Zephyrs (1993–2002) where he was president of this Minor League Baseball team and oversaw their relocation from Denver, Colorado, to New Orleans in 1995. Couhig bought the USISL team the New Orleans Gamblers, in 1997, renaming them the New Orleans Storm the following year. The club folded in 2000 after reported losses. Most familiar to English football fans is his ownership of Wycombe Wanderers. After an unsuccessful attempt to buy Yeovil Town in early 2019, Couhig purchased a controlling 75% stake in then League One club Wycombe Wanderers in October 2019. He remained the majority shareholder until 2024 before undertaking the Reading FC takeover.

As the new Chairman and co-owner of Reading FC, Couhig brings his extensive experience in both business and sports management to the club.His partner Todd Trosclair is less well known, and is another successful businessman from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is the owner of All Star Electric, recognized as one of the largest electrical contractors on the USA's Gulf Coast.Beyond his primary business, Trosclair is also a successful investor in the real estate and hospitality sectors.

Trosclair is the founder of the All Star Foundation, an organization dedicated to contributing to various charitable initiatives.

As co-owner of Reading FC alongside Rob Couhig through Redwood Holdings Limited (a subsidiary of Dogwood LLC), Todd Trosclair will join the club's board of directors.

So, is this really going to be a happy ending? Well, the main men’s experience seems to bode well, but US ownership of English football clubs has had mixed responses from fans.

Among the most high-profile examples is Manchester United, which has been controlled by the Florida-based Glazer family since 2005. Despite widespread fan protests over their heavily leveraged buyout, the Glazers have remained in place, recently selling a minority stake to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe while retaining overall control. Meanwhile, Liverpool has flourished under Fenway Sports Group, the Boston-based owners of the Boston Red Sox, who acquired the Merseyside club in 2010 and oversaw a Champions League and Premier League triumph under manager Jürgen Klopp.

Elsewhere, Todd Boehly’s consortium took over Chelsea in 2022 following the forced sale of the club by Roman Abramovich, ushering in a period of lavish spending and dramatic turnover. Arsenal is majority-owned by Stan Kroenke, who also owns NFL's Los Angeles Rams, while other clubs such as Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Fulham also count American investors among their leadership.

Here's a full list of English Premiership and EFL clubs with US majority owners:

Premiership

Arsenal – Owned by Stan Kroenke through Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.

Aston Villa – Controlled by V Sports, co-owned by American billionaire Wes Edens and Egyptian businessman Nassef Sawiris.

Bournemouth – Owned by Bill Foley, who also owns the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights.

Chelsea – Majority stake held by a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Crystal Palace – Significant U.S. investment from John Textor (40%), Josh Harris (18%), and David Blitzer (18%).

Everton – Acquired by The Friedkin Group, led by Dan Friedkin, in a deal valued over £400 million.

Fulham – Owned by Shahid Khan, who also owns the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

Liverpool – Owned by Fenway Sports Group, led by John W. Henry and Tom Werner.

Manchester United – Majority owned by the Glazer family, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe holding a significant minority stake.

Burnley – Controlled by ALK Capital, an American investment firm.

 

Championship

Leeds United – Owned by 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.

Swansea City – Majority stake held by American investors Stephen Kaplan and Jason Levien.

Norwich City – Owned by Mark Attanasio, principal owner of MLB's Milwaukee Brewers.

Birmingham City – Co-owned by NFL legend Tom Brady, who has taken an active role in the club's operations.

League One

Charlton Athletic – Owned by a consortium including American investors Gabriel Brener and Joshua Friedman.

Huddersfield Town – Owned by Kevin M. Nagle, an American businessman.

Lincoln City – Partially owned by American investors Harvey Jabara and WMA Sports Ventures.

And, of course, Reading – Owned by American businessman Rob Couhig through Redwood Holdings.

League Two

Carlisle United – Acquired by the Piatak family, American investors in the logistics industry.

Gillingham – Majority stake held by American property investor Brad Galinson.

Walsall – Owned by Trivela Group LLC, led by American businessman Benjamin Boycott.