Lakshmi Mittal tops 2009 UK football rich list

ArcelorMittal chief Lakshmi Mittal is the richest man in British football.

According to the 2009 FourFourTwo.com Rich List, the London-based Indian steel magnate, who brought 20 per cent stake in Queens Park Rangers Football Club for 200,000 in 2007 is worth an estimated pounds 18.4 billion.

Mittal is ranked above 2008 richest man, Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan, the brother of the ruler of oil-rich Abu Dhabi, who has a fortune of 17 billion, in the annually-published English football magazine's list.

Started in 1994, FourFourTwo has a circulation of 112,000 copies a month and derives its name from the 4-4-2 formation in football.

Chelsea supremo Roman Abramovich, with pounds 7.8 billion -- an increase of 800 million on his position last year, is ranked third.

In fourth place is Tottenham Hotspur's billionaire backer Joe Lewis, the largest shareholder in Enic, the investment company that owns the club, who is valued at pounds 2.5 billion.

Stan Kroenke, on pounds 2.1 billion, the first of two Arsenal investors in at No 5.

And such has been the addition to his fortune that he has given coach Arsene Wenger a corpus fund to buy more players.

Only, the Frenchman isn't insterested, instead preferring to work with the existing squad. 

Irish entrepreneur Denis O' Brien, who has been involved with Scottish football club Celtic since 2006 when he bought Martin O'Neill's shares with pounds 1.73, billion is at No 6.

The Glasgow major may be struggling to match the success of cross-town rivals Rangers, but the Irishman isn't pulling the strings on the purchases yet.

Malcolm Glazer and family, owners of Manchester United, are seventh with pounds 1.75 billion.

When the American announced the takeover bid, he faced the fans' wrath.

But after a plethora of high profile purchases, a hat-trick of league titles and a Champions League trophy to boast, Glazer is having the last laugh.

Formula One supremo Ecclestone is ranked eighth in the list with pounds 1.46 billion.

The many controversies in Formula One notwithstanding, Bernie's fortunes keep growing.

Stan Kroenke's rival for power at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, Alisher Usmanov, is ninth on pounds 1.3 billion.

Rumours are rife that he might increase his stake at the club 

Lord Grantchester and family, the owners of Everton, round up the list with a fortune that totals pounds 1.2 billion.