Coach Mikko Manner and ex-player Oskar Osala put a total of tens of thousands into Sport.
Mikko Manner is currently part of the coaching team of Leijoni and Kärppi. Petri Saarelainen / AOP
Ice hockey coach Mikko Manner bought the shares of the SM league club Vaasan Sport last year for 19,920 euros.
Sport announced in February of last year that Manner participated in Sport’s share issue with a “significant investment”, but did not say the exact amount.
Sport’s latest shareholder list says that Manner owns 166 shares of Hockey-Team Vaasan Sport oy. In that share issue, the price of one share was 120 euros.
Manner did not previously own Sport.
When Manner left to support his foster club in the share issue, he worked in the Swedish premier league as the head coach of Brynäs and the assistant coach of Leijoni.
Manner is still the Lions’ assistant coach. Earlier this month, he joined the coaching team of the SM league team Oulu Kärppie.
Part share
Also an ex-hockey player Oskar Osala reduced his bank account by almost 20,000 euros last year.
Osala already owned 10 shares in Sport, but in the recent shareholder list, the number of his shares is 176. So, like Manner, Osala bought 166 shares at a price of 120 euros.
Osala, who grew up in Sport, played seven seasons in the KHL and ended his career in 2019.
Part of the money was reported to be earmarked for junior work in Vaasa.
Oskar Osala currently lives in Spain. His wife is golf professional Linda Osala. Tomi Natri / AOP
Missed the target
Based on public information, Sport’s share issue fell badly short of the target.
Sport offered a maximum of 10,000 new shares to be subscribed, which would have meant 1.2 million euros more capital for the club.
At the beginning of this year, the society informed the Patent and Registration Board that 1,333 new paid shares were subscribed during the share issue. The capital thus accumulated was 159,960 euros.
Sport’s goal was to strengthen the coffers with 350,000–500,000 euros, invest in sports activities with 150,000–500,000 euros, and invest in developing sales and customer and fan experience with 100,000–200,000 euros.
“Vocation work”
With the latest share issue, Sport’s largest owner, the wealthy Martti Ehrnrooth ownership in the ice hockey club fell from 16.2 percent to 14.7 percent.
The chairman of the SM league and Sport Heikki Hiltunen is the club’s second largest owner. His share dropped from 11% to 10%.
Ehrnrooth and Hiltunen did not subscribe for new shares in the most recent offering.
Sitting on Sport’s board Anna-Kaisa Valkama like Manner and Osala, subscribed for 166 new shares. Valkama is Sport’s third largest owner.
Ownership of sports clubs is often done out of interest in the activity or good will, and there is no expected return on the “investment”.
– If there are people who are interested and enthusiastic about this kind of vocation work and charity, then we would be happy to include new partners in Sport, the chairman Heikki Hiltunen said so To Yle under the most recent share issue.