Johnathan Walker:John Berylson, Millwall Football Club owner, dead at 70 in Cape Cod car crash

John Berylson, owner of London soccer club Millwall FC, killed in Falmouth crash

John G. Berylson, the majority owner of London's Millwall Football Club, was killed Tuesday in a car crash in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the Falmouth Police Department said.

Berylson, 70, was driving alone just before 8:00 a.m. on July 4 when he lost control of his 2019 Range Rover while going around a curve, police said. The car rolled down the hill, into a ravine and landed against a tree. Rescue teams used "mechanical means" to extract him from his car and he was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The CEO of private equity firm Chestnut Hill Ventures LLC, Berylson, an American, owned a majority stake in the football club through the firm. Berylson had been "involved with" Millwall F.C., since 2006, according to the club. 

Berylson was " fiercely loyal to all his staff" and "lived a storied life, one full of color and joy, and was infinitely thoughtful of others with an endless desire to share his immense knowledge and experiences to help people," Millwall F.C. said. He was married with three children.

The team also paid tribute to Berlyson in a series of tweets, which included messages from the team's captain and manager. 

A word from our club captain. pic.twitter.com/Oq8eI6snxg

— Millwall FC (@MillwallFC) July 5, 2023

Millwall CEO Steve Kavanagh said in a statement that Berylson was "the best club owner" he had ever worked with and perhaps the "best chairman of any club in this country."

Falmouth police said the cause of the crash was unknown and the investigation is ongoing. 

In:
• Massachusetts
• Sports
• Fatal Car Crash
• Cape Cod

Cara Tabachnick

Cara Tabachnick is a news editor for CBSNews.com. Contact her at [email protected]