The Sultan who has secretly been ploughing millions into Car

The Sultan who has secretly been ploughing millions into Cardiff City


By Ian Mitchelmore

Thurs 7 June 2018

Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan has revealed the Sultan of Johor helped fund the Bluebirds' return to the Premier League last term.

Neil Warnock's men took second spot in the Championship after a magnificent 2017-18 campaign to ensure they will be playing in the top flight next season.

The club's purse strings have been tight throughout Warnock's tenure in South Wales, with the Yorkshireman heavily relying on loan signings and Bosman deals.

But Tan provided Cardiff's veteran boss with funds to bolster his squad, with Warnock spending on the likes of Lee Tomlin and Gary Madine over the last 12 months.

Cardiff City have heavily relied on up to £160 million they received from being in the Premier League, including four years of parachute payments.

And the Malaysian has revealed the Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar has contributed a total of £3m in sponsorship to the Bluebirds since they were relegated from the Premier League in 2014.

The Bluebirds have worn the Visit Malaysia logo on their shirts since 2011/12, but Tan says the Malaysian tourist board have actually only helped pay for one season. The club's sponsorship money has actually come from the Sultan for the past three seasons, according to Tan.


"The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar who is also a share partner of mine has graciously given sponsorship for the team when we requested for support. Not many knew this," Tan told New Straits Times.

"His Highness graciously gave £3m (RM16.5 million) over three years when we were playing in the championship.

“Cardiff have been keeping the Visit Malaysia logo on the jersey for years but Tourism Malaysia only helped pay for one year - at a discounted rate.

“I’m a Malaysian and I love my country. I would not change the Visit Malaysia logo and even the Sultan of Johor wants us to keep it that way.

“I understand that Tourism Malaysia has a deal with footballer Luis Suarez but I don’t think he goes around saying he is our ambassador.

“We’re in Premier League now and there will be 4.8 billion people around the world watching, so I think there cannot be any better way to promote our country.

"His Highness the Sultan of Johor said that he wants to continue supporting the club but he wants me to discuss first with the new tourism minister because the cost needed for sponsorship in the EPL is much higher.

"So, I will be meeting with the new tourism minister after the appointment has been made and hold discussions on the best possible way to promote Malaysia."


Tan took control of the Bluebirds in May 2010, when Cardiff were about £36 million in debt and was key in the Visit Malaysia sponsorship being emblazoned on the Bluebirds' kits from the 2011-12 campaign.

In October last year, the Johor ruler became the second largest individual shareholder in Berjaya Assets, a company founded by Tan himself in 1984.

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Well, there is something nobody knew!

Let's hope he continues with his generosity!

Clever by tan, looking at his profile this sultan loves publicity... I mean he has a Gold 737 Jet!
So get his name out, get him some publicity and then raise the 'membership' fee for staying in the club.
This is where Tan and his team should play to their strengths, commercial partnerships and sponsorships. He will see this as a massive revenue stream and won't undervalue it.

Would love him to rock up for a game in full ceremonial kit. Check him out. Lol.

P.s. thank you.

Well, there is something nobody knew!

Let's hope he continues with his generosity!

Didn't know about his sponsorship but he's always been in bed with tan in some way or other.

i think i read this shortly after the Reading game...thought id read it on here

This story came out a few weeks ago the Echo must be struggling to fill the spaces

Not the biggest fan of tan as many know but this is smart from him.

Would love him to rock up for a game in full ceremonial kit. Check him out. Lol.

P.s. thank you.

Buy him a pint in The Cross if he wants..

Sultan do the ayatollah, sultan do the ayatollah!


The sultan is a bluebird, the sultan is a bluebird lala la la

Is he the sultan of swing?

Nope....the Sultan of Bling!

Nope....the Sultan of Bling!

this bloke takes bling to a whole new level....gold plated Boeing 737

First I have heard about it and to be honest I don't think the club should be going on about it too much because it sails pretty close to breaching the FFP rules if the sponsorship is not on a commercial basis. Only takes a jealous rival to call it into question.

First I have heard about it and to be honest I don't think the club should be going on about it too much because it sails pretty close to breaching the FFP rules if the sponsorship is not on a commercial basis. Only takes a jealous rival to call it into question.

pretty sure they'd be committing more crimes than that if the money wasn't declared in some capacity

First I have heard about it and to be honest I don't think the club should be going on about it too much because it sails pretty close to breaching the FFP rules if the sponsorship is not on a commercial basis. Only takes a jealous rival to call it into question.

First I have heard about it and to be honest I don't think the club should be going on about it too much because it sails pretty close to breaching the FFP rules if the sponsorship is not on a commercial basis. Only takes a jealous rival to call it into question.

Not sure what's funny about this. Its very similar to the arrangement that Man City had that was called into question, albeit on a much smaller scale. i.e A third party with a close business relationship with the owner sponsoring the club on what was argued a non commercial basis as a way of skirting around the FFP rules.

First I have heard about it and to be honest I don't think the club should be going on about it too much because it sails pretty close to breaching the FFP rules if the sponsorship is not on a commercial basis. Only takes a jealous rival to call it into question.

Not sure what's funny about this. Its very similar to the arrangement that Man City had that was called into question, albeit on a much smaller scale. i.e A third party with a close business relationship with the owner sponsoring the club on what was argued a non commercial basis as a way of skirting around the FFP rules.

Hes a royalty of Malaysia. Pretty sure the facy it's visit Malaysia is fine.

First I have heard about it and to be honest I don't think the club should be going on about it too much because it sails pretty close to breaching the FFP rules if the sponsorship is not on a commercial basis. Only takes a jealous rival to call it into question.

Not sure what's funny about this. Its very similar to the arrangement that Man City had that was called into question, albeit on a much smaller scale. i.e A third party with a close business relationship with the owner sponsoring the club on what was argued a non commercial basis as a way of skirting around the FFP rules.

Hes a royalty of Malaysia. Pretty sure the facy it's visit Malaysia is fine.

Not saying its not ok but I wouldn't go out of my way to publicise it. I may be wrong but its looks like exactly what Man City were doing and that involved royalty and their link with the sponsors. They got away with it because the authorities chose not to pursue it because it was such a grey area and they didn't want to take on such a powerful interest.

First I have heard about it and to be honest I don't think the club should be going on about it too much because it sails pretty close to breaching the FFP rules if the sponsorship is not on a commercial basis. Only takes a jealous rival to call it into question.

Not sure what's funny about this. Its very similar to the arrangement that Man City had that was called into question, albeit on a much smaller scale. i.e A third party with a close business relationship with the owner sponsoring the club on what was argued a non commercial basis as a way of skirting around the FFP rules.

Hes a royalty of Malaysia. Pretty sure the facy it's visit Malaysia is fine.

Not saying its not ok but I wouldn't go out of my way to publicise it. I may be wrong but its looks like exactly what Man City were doing and that involved royalty and their link with the sponsors. They got away with it because the authorities chose not to pursue it because it was such a grey area and they didn't want to take on such a powerful interest.

Which means they can't come after us without going after Citeh too.

Guy looks like a war hero