Petition to try to stop the FA selling Wembley

[Stavross1927]

The old Wembley was privately owned but was badly neglected and fell into serious disrepair, which is one of the reasons why it was redeveloped. The stadium was totally rebuilt using hundreds of millions of pounds of tax payers money and ordinary peoples money from the National Lottery and none of this money will be repaid if it is sold to Shahid Khan. The money raised will line the pockets of the FA as well as some of it being used to spread into 'grass roots football' or so the FA say anyway. Every ordinary football fan in the UK should be concerned by this man buying the stadium because basically he can do what he likes with it then and many people dont trust him to preserve it. It is an iconic stadium which should hold a place in the hearts of everyone who loves football. Some of Citys most memorable occasions in the last 120 years have taken place there (FA Cup finals and semi-final, Play off final, Carling Cup Final). God we won the cup there in 1927!. It is a place that every footballer in the UK wants to play at as well. Like it or not Wales doesnt have a National Football Stadium currently, so to argue that Wembley is not Welsh, so why should anyone care, misses the point. Didn't you all grow up like I did wanting to go there and experience it and wonder at the occasion of the Cup Final. Don't we all still want to go and watch City play there again ?. Its a no brainer for me. Money shouldnt always be allowed to win.

I thought as part of the agreement to sell, is that the original government and lottery funding used to build the stadium would be paid back in full from the proceeds of the sale? Also wasn’t the funding predominantly loans secured by the FA, which they have been paying back and there is about £150m outstanding?

You would imagine that any deal to sell would have caveats that all cup finals, playoff finals etc would have to be played at Wembley. It would also make sense for any stadium owner to have more games there as a way of maximising revenue. They would also retain the rights to club Wembley revenue for any football matches. Add to that if, and it’s a big if(and Wales won’t see any of it) the FA invest in 3G pitches up and down the country, then I don’t see the issue. It’s not like the FA has owned the stadium for any long periods of time anyway.

[dml1954]

I thought as part of the agreement to sell, is that the original government and lottery funding used to build the stadium would be paid back in full from the proceeds of the sale? Also wasn’t the funding predominantly loans secured by the FA, which they have been paying back and there is about £150m outstanding?

You would imagine that any deal to sell would have caveats that all cup finals, playoff finals etc would have to be played at Wembley. It would also make sense for any stadium owner to have more games there as a way of maximising revenue. They would also retain the rights to club Wembley revenue for any football matches. Add to that if, and it’s a big if(and Wales won’t see any of it) the FA invest in 3G pitches up and down the country, then I don’t see the issue. It’s not like the FA has owned the stadium for any long periods of time anyway.

No mention has been made of any of the money from the sale being given back to public or lottery funds. The money will be kept by the FA to use 'as they see fit' i.e. line their own pockets and fund the lifestyles of their executives. Some might filter down the system but experience should tell everyone that it will be a miniscule amount compared to what they keep to fund their own organisation. I wouldn't trust the FA with anything.

[Harry Monk]

No mention has been made of any of the money from the sale being given back to public or lottery funds. The money will be kept by the FA to use 'as they see fit' i.e. line their own pockets and fund the lifestyles of their executives. Some might filter down the system but experience should tell everyone that it will be a miniscule amount compared to what they keep to fund their own organisation. I wouldn't trust the FA with anything.

Apart from running Wembley Stadium? Which is what the petition is about.

[dml1954]

Apart from running Wembley Stadium? Which is what the petition is about.

The thing is that I trust Shahid Khan less than the FA. At least the FA are accountable for what they do to some extent and their remit is to run Wembley and football in this country whereas Khan is purely a businessman with a finger in many pies and once he has bought it, no one would have any control over what he does with it.