‘Ambitious future for football in Cornwall’ – American investor buys stake in club

‘Ambitious future for football in Cornwall’ – American investor Abdullah Ashraf buys a stake in National League club Truro City.

The Tinners are starting to transform Cornish football, doing so by becoming the first club from the county to achieve professional status, and also being the first in the county to compete in the National League, the 5th tier of English football.

Prior to their recent success, a return to a new home stadium in Truro, and inspiring future generations of Cornish players, they had groundshare after groundshare.

Now American investor Abdullah Ashraf, through his company Dawn Sports & Entertainment LLC (DSE), which owns NPSL side Oklahoma United FC, has acquired an 8.33% stake in Truro City, marking the first external investment since Canadian-based Ontario Inc bought the club two years ago.

The move is described as the start of a long-term strategic partnership aimed at elevating professional football in Cornwall.

Truro City can confirm that Dawn Sports & Entertainment LLC have acquired an 8.33 per cent stake in the club.

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— Truro (C)ity FC (@TCFC_Official) December 1, 2025

CLUB STATEMENT:

Truro City can confirm that Dawn Sports & Entertainment LLC (DSE) has completed the acquisition of an 8.33 per cent ownership stake in the club, marking the beginning of a structured, long-term partnership that will play a central role in the future direction of professional football in Cornwall.

DSE’s headquarters are in Oklahoma City, United States and the ownership group behind Oklahoma United FC bring an ambitious, globally-minded vision to Truro.

Under CEO Abdullah Ashraf, DSE has established a reputation for strong operational leadership, strategic investment, and high-performance standards across both real estate and sports ventures.

DSE distinguishes Cornwall as one of the most compelling up and coming football markets in England. With a passionate community and a proud sporting identity, the opportunity for growth and long-term progression is significant.

Cornwall is also a unique and captivating region in the United Kingdom. Its distinct culture, heritage, language, food, and identity create a football environment unlike anywhere else.

For DSE, the major point of excitement is the opportunity to invest in a region with such character and pride, a place with the passion and foundations for football growth. DSE is deeply excited to work alongside Eric Perez and the club’s existing leadership group to elevate Truro City and build a strong future for football in Cornwall.

“This is only the first step of what we believe will become a defining partnership,” DSE CEO Abdullah Ashraf enthused. “We see enormous potential in Truro City not just as a football club, but as a regional institution that deserves the structure, investment, and ambition needed to rise.

“Our plans will focus on shifting momentum quickly and then prioritising targeted investment into infrastructure, training environments, operational standards, and long-term facilities the club needs to grow sustainably.”

“This partnership represents a focused, committed, and long-term investment in Truro City, supporting the club through its current campaign and building the foundations for a strong, ambitious future for football in Cornwall.”

Truro City’s chairman and CEO Eric Perez, added: “Abdullah and the crew from DSE are focused on helping us build on what we’ve started at Truro City.

“They believe in the club, and first and foremost they believe in Cornwall as a place, its people, and culture.

“I have no doubt the future looks bright for football in Cornwall, and DSE will be a great addition to the Truro City family.”

The club currently find themselves bottom in their first season at National League level, with 12 points from 21 games played, already 8 points from safety.

At the weekend, Truro made the 882 mile round trip (15 hours), and lost 3-1 at Hartlepool, who have now gone seven games unbeaten. City have now lost their last five league matches and have picked up just five points in two months.

Truro boss John Ashley said to BBC Radio Cornwall: “To get back to 1-1, I thought second half we were the better team, and again we’ve shot ourselves in the foot.

“It’s so frustrating because we’ve had numerous occasions to clear the ball, and then somebody allowed somebody on the edge of the box to have too much time to pick his spot.

“It’s happened time and time again and we keep going over the same things

“It’s difficult to know what to say to the players because they’re giving everything, and you feel for them because we’re so close yet so far.

“But today I thought it was a marked improvement on our last few performances.”