“ Championship club’s owner offers to buy Wembley Stadium “

“ Championship club’s owner offers to buy Wembley Stadium “

BBC

Thursday 26th April 2018

The Football Association has received an offer, thought to be worth £800m, to sell Wembley Stadium.

Shahid Khan, the owner of Fulham and NFL team Jacksonville Jaguars, is the prospective buyer.

It is understood the approach includes £500m for the stadium and £300m for the FA to keep the Club Wembley debenture and hospitality business.

NFL executive vice-president Mark Waller said having stadium options in London has been "critical to the NFL".

His statement added: "The potential purchase of Wembley Stadium is a further powerful sign of their commitment to the UK and their vision to help us grow the sport.

"This new relationship would allow for even greater flexibility in scheduling future NFL games in London."

The matter was discussed at an FA board meeting on Thursday.

The 90,000-seat stadium, which is the largest in the United Kingdom, cost £757m to build and opened in 2007.

Tottenham have played their home Premier League games at Wembley this season while work on their new stadium takes place.

Spurs also have a deal with the NFL to stage a minimum of two games a season over 10 years once the new stadium is complete.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said the link-up with the NFL was a "compelling and exciting partnership".

The FA said in January it would finish paying for the ground by the end of 2024.

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Genesis had an album called 'Selling England By The Pound' and it's true. The FA will no doubt squander the money with very little going into actual player development.

Real Fulham fans should be very concerned about this especially if they go up. Not sure if they own the ground outright but the deal could be substantially financed by the sale of Craven Cottage which must be one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in world football but only if football isn't played there! Fulham move to Wembley and effectively its the end of their identity. They would soon become Fulham Falcons or something like that to attract a new clientele that they would need to fill the ground.

Fulham owner wants to buy Wembley

London media is reporting this lunchtime that Fulham’s billionaire owner Shahid Khan has made a sensational offer to buy Wembley from the Football Association.

Khan also owns Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team and wants to buy the home of football in a reported £500million bid.

As an NFL fan (Go Bucs) I think this has very little to do with Fulham and a lot to do with the Jags moving to London

As an NFL fan (Go Bucs) I think this has very little to do with Fulham and a lot to do with the Jags moving to London

Will certainly see an increased amount of NFL games in London, which is what they’ve wanted.

Agree it doesn’t have much to do with Fulham.

As an NFL fan (Go Bucs) I think this has very little to do with Fulham and a lot to do with the Jags moving to London

It's prelude to a franchise in London as jags been playing in London every year since nfl started going there! But your right move nothing to do with Fulham fc well not at moment anyway

Wonder if he will move fulham in and put the Michael Jackson statue on top of the arch.
Could put wheels on it so it moonwalks across it.

Absolute disgrace

Wonder if he will move fulham in and put the Michael Jackson statue on top of the arch.
Could put wheels on it so it moonwalks across it.

What a wonderful image

Wonder if he will move fulham in and put the Michael Jackson statue on top of the arch.
Could put wheels on it so it moonwalks across it.

When we played them a few seasons back, they took old MJ's statue down just prior to our game. I was gutted as I wanted my picture taken with Peetay Pan. Cha'mon MF.

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He reckons the deal will be done in 8-12 week.

England will continue to play there and the stadium will run retain the same name but there would be an increase amount of NFL matches at the stadium.

Khan say “I’m pretty confident. That’s why we’re putting our name, out reputation on the line to get it done.”

Sounds very much like it’s an NFL driven deal l, rather than Fulham Football Club.

Many commentators saying to expect the same with the 02 Arena and the NBA in the near future.

Terrible if they sell the iconic image of Wembley stadium off

Absolute disgrace

Why?

Absolute disgrace

Why?

Selling your National Stadium to a foreign investor and NFL games will take priority over England games on a fixture clash. Just doesnt seem right an Iconic stadium that should be owned by England. But thats the way footy has been going for years. All about the money and selling everything off.

If the FA thought anything of their heritage and Wembley Stadium they should have rebuilt it but kept the iconic towers IMO
its all about the $$$$$ sadly these days.
Same as semi finals shouldn't be there.

Read this in today’s paper FA and refereeing decisions will make sure Fulham are promoted

I wonder what else he has bought recently.....

I wonder what else he has bought recently.....

David Davies on the TV this morning saying it's simply not true that a deal has been even remotely done but that (a) there is interest, and (b) it is not sacrosanct that Wembley has to be owned by the FA

As he pointed out, the old stadium wasn't owned by the FA when (they kept this quiet) apparently won the World Cup in 1966 and for other famous finals throughout the years

They also still owe masses on the new stadium, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to sell, so long as there was a commitment to 'Football First' for 12 months of the year

Interesting times ahead, methinks!

As many of you know I cover a lot of photography at this end of the country (North West) and last year I had the pleasure of photographing one of the NFL (UK) Roadshows at NewBrighton in Merseyside. In attendance was Kirk Cousins QB, at that time, of the Washington Redskins Jarvis Landry (WR) of the Miami Dolphins. Neil Reynolds - who covers NFL on TV and renowned US sportswriter Peter King.

At the roadshow, which was attended by an audience of some 1000 fans, there was discussion of a London franchise.

Apparently in 2019/20 there are some finance options which will allow new franchise teams to take part. London was obviously mentioned. There was discussion as to whether a "New Franchise" would be formed or whether a present franchise would move to London.

For purposes of travelling it was thought a London franchise could play 3 away games then 3 home games then 3 then 3 to minimise disruption for the present clubs.

The Fulham owner, who is also the owner of the Jaguars, has promised a retractable NFL pitch which in essence would mean

a) Fulham staying at Craven Cottage
b) Spurs staying at Wembley
c) The New London Jaguars playing in the NFL

with £500m being allocated to grass roots football

This has got to be good news all around.

b. why would Spurs stay at Wembley? Thought their new place up and running by then.

Their new owner sounds as nuts as tan. He'll have their name changed and of course he wants fulham playing at Wembley.