One Direction star Louis Tomlinson buys football club

In this Feb. 26, 2014 file photo, One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson arrives at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster, England, Thursday June 19, 2014. A takeover of Doncaster by One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson and former club owner John Ryan has been completed, a spokesman for Ryan confirmed Thursday June 19, 2014.   AP

DONCASTER, England — Things are heading in a new direction for English third-division soccer team Doncaster.

One Direction boy band singer Louis Tomlinson completed his takeover of the club Thursday along with former chairman John Ryan.

The 22-year-old Tomlinson, a global star as part of the five-member pop group, is a lifelong Doncaster fan and played for the club’s reserve side earlier this year.

Ryan, a businessman who oversaw Doncaster’s rise from non-league to the championship, stepped aside in November.

Tomlinson signed for the club at the start of the season to raise money for a charity and drew about 10,000 fans to the stadium when he played in February.

The club was relegated at the end of the season to third-tier League One.

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