I expect that if Fulhams owner manages to buy Wembley Stadium that Fulham may well make it their home ground, in fact I would not be surprised if that could be a big part of the Fulham owners motive for looking to buy Wembley Stadium. Just imagine how much the sale or development of Craven Cottage would make, as it is a PRIME Thames Riverside site, it would probably go a long way to raising the purchase price of Wembley. Bringing the NFL to Britain / Europe is probably the main factor as I imagine the NFL will try to establish a whole new British / European League or even both, however the value of the Craven Cottage site is possibly a big factor in the funding of all this. So Fulham fans beware, you might have to commute to watch your team in the not to distant future,
Fulham's issue isn't the main concern. They are thinking of selling the national stadium basically to an American Football franchise which will be called The London Jaguars. Lords is being sold to another wealthy Arab businessman who is converting the hallowed home of cricket into a baseball pitch where the St Johns Wood Raiders will play the 'World Series' Also at Wimbledon they are converting centre court to become the first grass basketball arena where the Roehampton Generals will play a bouncy version of netball Two of theses scenarios are totally untrue but no prizes for guessing the one that isn't. They all sound like an April fools jokes to me, only in football eh?
The stadium is barely used for football over the course of the year and a terrible music venue too. More of London is owned by Qataris than anyone else and we have a habit of building these goliath structures either with Oil money or swiftly selling it to oil countries. See Shard, Canary Wharf, Olympic Park, Battersea (which I'd have thought would be the coolest stadium for Chelsea), Camden Market, Harrods... London is an investment bank for countries living off finite resources. Makes me laugh when people think we can "get our country back". We sold it long ago.
Be interesting to see how much of the "gazillion" offered goes towards the actual "jazillion" it actually cost the FA. Also isn't quite a bit of Wembley used by the FA for office space?
The bit I heard on the news yesterday said there is an outstanding amount of £142m to be repaid by 2020-something and the FA could use Wembley office space (presumably what is already being used) rent free. It also said the FA is a non-profit organisation so the remaining millions from any sale could/would/should be ploughed into grassroots football etc. etc.
The money would go to grass roots football and many 3g and 4g pitches can be built, after which when the money is all gone what's left? A legacy? perhaps a national stadium with all it's history sold for cash?, A franchise? American Football? Whats the point, it's an icon, a modern day place of worship, some things should be beyond sale
The FA would still have control over the Club Wembley packages (revenue of £58m last year) and possibly gate receipts from England games. Still a fairly steady income from a stadium/offices with no overheads whatsoever! Also, they only bought the place in 1999 so who owns the history from before then? Have a read of this, it gives a fuller picture than the quotes I've cherry picked... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43919236
True it is just a building so by law can be bought by anyone, I just think the home of football shouldn't be used for other sports if they are the more frequent than football itself. Jacksonville Jaguars will probably play more games there than the national team. Can just see the FA cup final with the gridiron pitch markings still visible, cringe
Yeah right. The FA are going to use any remaining cash from the debts and paying back the National Lottery to buy football pitches for kids and fatties who play on a Sunday morning. Anyone who remotely believes this is embarrassingly naive.
It's an opportunity at least to further football across England away from Premier League money and clubs and that to me can only be a good thing. I wouldn't expect all of whatever cash is left to be spent at grassroots level but I'd expect a fair chunk. For years on this forum alone there have been calls for better coaching at youth level and the FA have started (2016) a pilot scheme in Sheffield. The money is expected to be invested by the FA into the grassroots game, with a potentially huge effect on the provision of coaches, coach educators, artificial pitches and money to revamp facilities. The first of the FA's Parklife grassroots football hubs in Sheffield could provide the blueprint for further developments. Opened in 2016, the FA said the centre would be part of a potential £200m investment in such projects over the following five years. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43919236) St. Georges Park is in place and I imagine the hubs spoken about above are for the next levels down. It doesn't seem a quick fix solution in terms of just building and hope for the best. Rather, try something and if it works (or can be fine tuned) then go to other largely populated areas. I've no idea if any of what is being proposed would actually happen IF Wembley is sold but to me, what has been spoken of in the BBC articles look promising for the sport nationally rather than having a bloody expensive stadium sat there for long periods not earning a great deal of money.
127 people voting - from those at the very top to those who probably run their local league from a shed ! Must be a wide range of views and maybe agendas. Wembley Stadium: FA Council has 'healthy discussion' over proposed £600m sale Wonder if underhand tactics will take place to get the deal done as it seems those at grassroots level in the FA aren't so keen on a deal ..
Gary Neville had a good idea to fund grassroots: 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."
It has gone, how you say, "...t1t$ up..." how strange for a deal involving those "competent people" at the FA.
