Across The Pond
(The American Connection)

My name is Christopher Corey.  I was born in South Miami, FL to John & Nancy Corey and I was certainly not the only one.  My older siblings are Carolyn and Michael Corey, and younger are Brian and Eric Corey. We lived my entire childhood in Kendall, FL which is a suburb of Miami.
From a young age, I loved football.  Our local elementary school had a recreational program that I could walk to.  I was the kid that showed up 90 minutes early for every practice and game.  Being a quiet kid and awkwardly shy, football was a safe place to run around and be myself.  I am grateful that at 42 and playing over 40 league, nothing has changed in that regard. 
My parents are incredible people and pushed all of us to go to college and with 5 kids, I have no idea how they helped pay for it all. I went to a private college and although I did well in high school academics, school was not for me.  I hated every second.  Sorry Mom & Dad, I’ll be apologizing for that forever. However, I did excel is getting initiatives going and learning to network.  That would serve me well the next 20 years. 
Right out of school I started a business opening a nightclub at 23. I sold that a year later and opened two more hospitality businesses- another nightclub and a martini bar.  From there, we added an Irish Pub (which still stands).  In 2010, I became a Father to twin boys, James & Bryce Corey.  Moving home from my college town, I began to work in Advertising.  I soon opened an ad agency.  The next 12 years were about hustle.  I have always been work and achievement focused. 
In 2017 I was approached to assist on the team that was formed to win host city for World Cup 2026 in Miami.  This project would change my life.  Although I had always remained close to football in my community, the fight for candidate host city and then winning host city against 14 other US cities made me realize I wanted to be in football full time.  So, in 2021 I made that leap.  Early that year I was named Liaison to World Cup 2026 for the city of Miami.  That made me the unofficial face of the project.  A year later, and being a big underdog, Miami was announced as a host city!! 
In the same year, I had sold my agency and began talks to buy a horse farm in Palm City, FL.  The idea was to build a grassroots football facility.  This was, and still is, a radical idea.  Four years later and we have built a large junior club (branded W&H America) and 3 locations of free academy schools (Walton & Hersham Football Academy) where kids go to school for academics and football. 
With all of that said, joining the ownership group of Walton & Hersham FC has been the greatest experience of my life.  Getting to meet the people involved in the community and the professionals that are driving the club forward is something that I cherish. I will never sell my stake in Walton & Hersham FC.  It is something I hope to pass on to my boys one day.  Up the Swans!! 
PS.  My wife is an incredibly understanding partner, and although she knows nothing about football, supports all the time away from home working in the club. Thank you Vicky!