Roland Orzabal, the man behind some of the 80s most enduring pop anthems, has set himself a rather different kind of challenge: making Bath City FC as big as Bath Rugby Club. In a city where the rugby club is practically a religion, that's not a modest ambition.
The Tears for Fears frontman has become a driving force behind the non-league football club, and he isn't content with modest progress. He wants football to genuinely compete for the hearts of Bath residents — something the sport has never really managed in a city defined by its oval-ball identity.
Why this is harder than it sounds
Bath Rugby are a Premiership institution. European pedigree, a fanbase that fills the Rec, and decades of civic pride behind them. Bath City, by contrast, have spent most of their existence in the lower reaches of non-league football, grinding through the National League South with gates that reflect exactly where they sit in the local sporting pecking order.
Closing that gap takes more than celebrity ownership — it takes sustained investment, a promotion push, and a reason for casual supporters to choose football on a Saturday over rugby. None of those things come quickly, and none of them are guaranteed.
Still, there's something to be said for an owner who actually articulates the vision publicly rather than hiding behind corporate statements. Orzabal clearly believes in the project. Whether Bath's football infrastructure, fanbase, and football pyramid can match that belief is the real question.
What it means for Bath City's trajectory
Ambitious ownership at non-league level can genuinely move the needle — AFC Wimbledon, FC United, and more recently Wrexham have all shown what happens when a club captures a narrative. Bath City now has one. Whether they can convert a good story into promotions and attendances is where the hard work starts.
For now, Orzabal's vision is exactly that — a vision. But in non-league football, someone willing to say it out loud is already ahead of most.
