Wembley deal like selling crown jewels says Banks
ENGLAND World Cup hero Gordon Banks yesterday demanded that plans to sell Wembley to an American football tycoon should be kicked into touch.
Goalkeeper Banks, one of the stars of England’s 1966 triumph, led the rallying cry to save the home of English football.
Banks, 80, said: “It’s like selling off Buckingham Palace or the crown jewels. Wembley is something extra special in this country and I just can’t believe the FA would want to sell it.”
The former Stoke and Leicester star added: “If England have to play away from Wembley while an American football team plays there in the autumn, well, that is wrong.”
He was joined by other highprofile figures in the game.
Former Chelsea owner Ken Bates called on fans to stage mass demonstrations and launched a blistering attack on the FA. “They have no moral authority to sell it because it doesn’t belong to them,” he said. “Wembley is the Mecca of English football. Every fan wants to go, at least once in your lifetime.
“The ground does not belong to the directors of the FA. It belongs to the English fans and their children, their grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.
“The directors of the FA are just passing through, they are the trustees. How dare they even consider selling it? “I thought it was a joke at first. The FA is not a commercial institution. It is the custodian of the national game.” Bates, 86, was Wembley chairman between 1997 and 2001 and was one of the key figures involved in the building of the new stadium which opened in 2007. He added: “Why has it been done in such an underhand Rallying cry... Gordon Banks way? There are people saying it could be completed in eight weeks, without the FA consulting anyone.
“The FA had a duty to announce they had been approached by a potential buyer and were in discussions.
“A proper company on the Stock Exchange would keep its shareholders informed. The shareholders in this case are the football fans.”
FA chairman Greg Clarke has written to members of the governing body’s council saying the board has unanimously agreed to explore the sale to US billionaire Shahid Khan, who owns Fulham Football Club and the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. He insisted the deal has not yet been done but said the plan was to plough all proceeds into grassroots football.
Mr Clarke said the FA had received a “positive response but at this stage no formal approval” following talks with senior Government, sport and football stakeholders.
But the Football Supporters’ Federation said: “We were shocked to learn of the FA’s plans. For many fans, Wembley stadium is the home of English football and has huge significance beyond just bricks and mortar. It is vital that supporters are consulted.”