NFL Jacksonville Jaguars Owner Shahid Khan "is likely to face rival bidders in his quest to buy Wembley," and his £1B ($1.35B) offer for the stadium "is far from a done deal." Sources said that it is expected others "will come knocking on the door" and a formal sale process could be required. Khan's offer has reportedly "sparked interest among other potential buyers." There "might come a point" when a deadline is set for further bids to be accepted, but the door "is still open" (London DAILY MAIL, 5/14).
The Cheshire FA said that a proposed £70M ($94.6M) North West football hub is a "flagship opportunity" to develop the women's game. Women's Super League team Everton Ladies is in discussions to use the site, which is due to open in '20. The plans include a stadium, a hotel, two Premier League-standard pitches, three 3G pitches and a covered 3G pitch (BBC, 5/15).
When the Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium opens in August, it will be a "landmark moment for rugby in Japan" as well as for the regions "ravaged" by the '11 earthquake and tsunami, World Rugby Chair Bill Beaumont said. The new stadium, located in Iwate Prefecture, will host two games at next year’s Rugby World Cup and holds "huge significance for Japanese rugby." Beaumont: "The stadium stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of the people of Kamaishi" (REUTERS, 5/15).
Chelsea was granted legal action to prevent urban explorers from breaking into its ground. A High Court judge imposed injunctions after "videos were posted online showing people inside Stamford Bridge stadium." The orders, which were imposed for five years, "also ban urban explorers from entering the club's training ground" (BBC, 5/14).
Day-night cricket tests at New Zealand's Basin Reserve are now an "unlikely prospect," with the Wellington City Council "ditching plans to pay for new lights." The council announced last week that it proposed to spend about NZ$7.7M ($5.3M) on "strengthening the quake-prone Museum Stand rather than demolishing it" (STUFF, 5/15).
