Carlisle United is hardly the first name that springs to mind when it comes to English football. The team from the small cathedral city in the far northwest corner of the country has only ever played in the top league for one season in its history. It’s currently battling to stay in the third tier.
For Florida-based businessman Tom Piatak, though, the club was just what he was looking for, as Carlisle United became at least the 34th team in English football to get a US investor: one punching below its weight based on its stadium and fan base. “I wanted a club with considerable commercial ...