Wembley - Private Ownership

[ARTY_FOX]

Not really a fan of the idea. It's gonna happen though isn't it... 

[syston_fox]

On Thu Apr 26 2018 at 13:33, Bobby Hundreds said:

 

Maddest thing I've ever read.

The NFL contributed a good chunk of money to spurs to help make the stadium suitable for the NFL whereas if we do end up with a franchise here, it will play all games at Wembley and there will likely be no other international series matches so as to help push the Jags fan base. Therefore if we get a franchise here, the money spent on making spurs stadium suitable would be a waste!!

[purpleronnie]

15 hours ago, syston_fox said:

The NFL contributed a good chunk of money to spurs to help make the stadium suitable for the NFL whereas if we do end up with a franchise here, it will play all games at Wembley and there will likely be no other international series matches so as to help push the Jags fan base. Therefore if we get a franchise here, the money spent on making spurs stadium suitable would be a waste!!

So if London get their own NFL team, wouldn't the NFL still have some games (other than the London team games) at WHL?

[syston_fox]

3 hours ago, purpleronnie said:

So if London get their own NFL team, wouldn't the NFL still have some games (other than the London team games) at WHL?

Would assume not as they would surely push everything they had into making a London franchise work. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

I’m sure Spurs can use it for home games.

[Wymsey]

What do you think?

I personally doubt his promise that a good proportion of the money offerwe would actually go to help grassroots etc.

Selling the stadium to a foreign investor would mean selling the soul of British football etc imo.

[David Hankey]

Great idea!! The FA should take the money and build a brand new 100,000 stadium at St George's Park. Would be more central for fans across England. Why should we all have to go to London and all that congestion?

[davieG]

Fulham owner Shahid Khan has withdrawn his offer to buy Wembley Stadium from the Football Association after the plan became "divisive".

Khan had offered £600m for the national stadium, with the FA retaining the Club Wembley hospitality rights, which it valued at £250m to £300m.

The move was "more divisive then expected", said FA chief Martin Glenn.

Khan has not ruled out making another bid in future if there is more support from FA Council members.

The FA had said it would invest the proceeds of the sale into improving grassroots football facilities.

FA executives made a presentation to the FA Council last week about why they were backing the sale to Khan, and the 127 council members were scheduled to vote on the proposed sale on 24 October.

But a senior FA source told BBC Sport that the board believed the odds were slightly against the purchase being backed, given the strong objections of some councillors to the home of English football being sold off.

FA chief executive Glenn said Khan had believed his offer "would be well received by all football stakeholders". 

However, Glenn added: "At a recent meeting with Mr Khan he expressed to us that, without stronger support from within the game, his offer is being seen as more divisive than it was anticipated to be and has decided to withdraw his proposal.

"Wembley Stadium is an iconic venue that is revered around the world and it will continue to thrive under the ownership and direction of the FA."

Shahid Khan - If you love English football, Wembley deal must go ahead

Khan, who planned to move his NFL American football team - the Jacksonville Jaguars - to Wembley, said he wanted "to do right by everyone in a manner that strengthens the English game and brings people together, not divides them".

He added: "Unfortunately, given where we are today, I've concluded that the outcome of a vote next week would be far from sufficient in expressing the broad support favoured by the FA chairman to sell Wembley Stadium.

"Until a time when it is evident there is an unmistakable directive from the FA to explore and close a sale, I am respectfully withdrawing my offer to purchase Wembley Stadium." 

The FA had pledged to keep showpiece events, such as most England internationals and the FA Cup final, at the stadium under a pre-agreed hire fee.

Pros and cons - what they said

FOR

The FA said only one in three grassroots pitches are of adequate quality and it would invest in facilities.

FA chief executive Martin Glenn: "This is an opportunity to unleash an unprecedented amount of investment into community football. Receiving an offer to sell Wembley Stadium is not a 'betrayal'. It is not selling the 'soul of the game'."

AGAINST

Opponents had suggested selling an iconic national venue was a short-term plan which the FA would live to regret.

Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville: "The FA feels to fund the grassroots programme, they have to sell a national asset - it's quite simply ridiculous. Don't sell Wembley when you can place a levy on agents' fees."

[boots60]

"The FA feels to fund the grassroots programme, they have to sell a national asset - it's quite simply ridiculous. Don't sell Wembley when you can place a levy on agents' fees."

 

For the first time ever, I find myself agreeing with Gary Neville

Edited 17 October 2018 by boots60

[Webbo]

I'm glad it's fell through. What would they have spent the money on that would have made that much of a difference? We already have St George's park, most PL and championship teams have good academies. McDonalds sponsor coaches. The FA would have wasted the money and then we'd be back to square 1 only paying rent for Wembley.

[Mike Oxlong]

Shameful that with such obscene wealth at  the top level that we should have even considered selling the national stadium to fund grass roots 

Edited 17 October 2018 by Mike Oxlong