Shahid Khan's offer for Wembley Stadium raises a number of questions for the FA.GETTY IMAGES
On "the face of it," NFL Jacksonville Jaguars Owner Shahid Khan's offer for Wembley Stadium "is too good to refuse for the FA," according to Ed Malyon of the London INDEPENDENT. Wembley has long been a "millstone" for the FA, "its lingering debt one of the reasons" for hosting every England int'l and FA Cup semifinal there when fans -- "and indeed people inside the FA" -- favored taking those games "on the road." The "big risk" that the FA is running is that, should it decide to take Khan's offer, it would "no longer have any choice in the matter." While an "amicable arrangement is expected to be reached between Khan and the FA over use of the stadium, it would be the American and his company with the final say on scheduling." England "would be going on the road as turfed-out vagrants rather than touring artists." Offsetting that should not be difficult if the FA promises to "invest in grassroots football." That means "significant investment, rather than the token gestures that so many are used to by now." But the "most remarkable thing at play here really has nothing to do with the FA," for which "selling the ground makes a lot of financial sense." This is "really a story" about Khan, a "billionaire on a mission and one taking an enormous risk" (INDEPENDENT, 4/26).
AT WHAT COST?: In London, Matt Dickinson reported the "chance to be cash-rich must be enticing." Think of "all the grand projects, new initiatives promising to save the game’s grassroots and all without having the trouble of having to hit that target" of paying off £142M ($198M) in stadium debt by '24. Working out what could be lost "is much harder because that requires some clairvoyancy," though fans will immediately ask, at a stadium where prices can "already be eye-watering," what control there will be, if any, on tickets for FA Cup finals and England matches in the future? Traditionalists "will fret if the national stadium, with Bobby Moore standing sentinel outside, will soon be known as Taco Bell House." Such a big decision "also requires the FA to be absolutely sure that this is the best deal it can get even if, for now, it is the only one on the table." There "does not seem to be any need to rush into such a major decision, financial and symbolic" (LONDON TIMES, 4/26). ITV's Steve Scott wrote selling the home of English football to an American businessman does not "read well as a headline." If your instinct "is to be appalled," a "careful consideration of the facts might just change your mind." It is true the redeveloped stadium "is no longer a tombstone around the FA’s neck," but it still has a debt which "has to be serviced." In a statement on Thursday, Khan said that the Wembley brand would be "protected and enhanced" under his stewardship. He "went on to guarantee" that important England internationals and "even major football championships will still be played there." With that protection, "it seems this project becomes a win/win for the FA." If, as suggested, receipts from its "more prestigious seats and corporate hospitality" (Club Wembley) are also protected, the FA would "still get a sizeable income from the stadium." The sale would also give the FA "a windfall to invest in its core responsibilities which are grassroots football and nurturing the next generation of superstars" (ITV, 4/26).
MORE OF THE SAME: In London, David Conn wrote the FA's proposed sale of Wembley stadium to the U.S. car parts billionaire "was not greeted by a widespread shriek of patriotic indignation, perhaps illustrating how accustomed British people are now to crown jewels being sold overseas" (GUARDIAN, 4/27). Also in London, Martin Samuel lamented that Wembley "is the holy grail, still." It is the reason it is "so often the venue of choice for UEFA finals, the reason foreign visitors raise their game there in friendly matches, the reason so many football people fought so hard to retain the site when it had fallen into disrepair." It is "English football's heart, and soul." So, "no matter the deal, no matter its worth, if the national team is evicted from its home, it is a bad one" (DAILY MAIL, 4/27).
FANS LASH OUT: The London DAILY MAIL reported football fans "are furious after plans to sell Wembley Stadium" surfaced on Thursday. Critics "questioned how much the new owner might charge England to play at the ground," while others spoke of their fears the stadium "could end up" being named after U.S. brands like Budweiser or Taco Bell. Plans for the sale "have also sparked a scramble" to reclaim the £40M ($56M) in taxpayers' money pumped into the development of the stadium and the £120M ($167M) National Lottery funding (DAILY MAIL, 4/26).
