FOOTBALL clubs are often described as a millionaire’s play-thing.

But little did the 250-odd people who attend Oxford City’s matches know that their club would soon be run with the help of a Wall Street tycoon.

Today we find out exactly who Thomas Anthony Guerriero is and what he has in store for Oxford City FC.

The Florida-based businessman has pledged to turn the Blue Square Bet North side into a world-class club.

And regulars at Court Place Farm have welcomed his ambitious plans.

THE new president of Oxford City FC has revealed his reasons for taking on the club, his determination to transform its fortunes and his vision for success.

In an exclusive interview, Florida-based finance tycoon Thomas Guerriero said he wants to use his Wall Street experience and love of the game to catapult the club into the Football League and create a “world-class team”.

He said: “My plans are very clear. With the right people working together we are going to have success on the bottom line and on the pitch.

“Football is just like any business. Whether it is professional sports or running an investment firm you have to run it in the right way and not just be there for the money.”

Father-of-three Mr Guerriero, 36, right, said he had been approached by several ‘big name’ teams in the UK, which he declined to name, but turned them down in favour of the non-league club based at Court Place Farm, Marston.

He was involved in takeover talks at Spanish second division club Racing Santander, which he pulled out of in 2011.

He added: “I started to get a ton of calls from the UK and Europe from clubs wanting me to come in. Oxford City was the team with the best potential.

“It is not so much about where they are playing but the people involved.

“In my meeting with individuals such as (managing director) Colin Taylor, they have come across as such a high calibre of individual.”

Mr Guerriero declined to say how much cash he would be ploughing into the Blue Square Bet North league side, saying it was up for “discussion”.

He added: “Lots of teams I have looked into come with an ego with no big picture. To put a number on it does not make sense. I value every dollar, every pound, and look to make the most of every opportunity.”

City regularly attract home attendances of about 300, but that does not deter Mr Guerriero.

“That is the starting point. We will go up, increasing supporters and attendance revenue. This is the foundation.”

He admitted Oxford United was a bigger, more successful team “for now”, but added: “With a couple of good seasons we could be in the same league as Oxford United, but I don’t compare us with anyone.”

Mr Guerriero played as a goalkeeper for Staten Island Vipers in his native New York before moving into the corporate world.

Now he says he works from 3am until 7pm, six days a week. But it hasn’t all been positive. In 2010 he was at the centre of a sexual harassment claim from a former employee which was later withdrawn. He says he was targeted because he was young and successful.

He added: “Everyone I have met at Oxford City knows my character and what I am about.”

American investors are becoming more common in English teams and include the Glazers at Manchester United and Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner.

But Mr Guerriero says his vision is not to walk into a successful Premier League team but to be responsible for helping make Oxford City a “world-class team”.

He said: “In five to seven years people will look and see that we have brought this team out of nowhere and are succeeding fiscally.”

He said his focus will be on building the academy and building it internationally, using his contacts globally.

Mr Guerriero intends to visit the club “quite often” and could even see himself relocating from Florida to Oxford.

“I will be on Oxford City business 24/7,” he said. “We should be promoted.

“I am one of the most competitive people you will ever meet. If you are not going to win the league, then you should not be competing.”