Neville to give evidence on ‘absurd’ sale of Wembley
GARY NEvILLE is set to take his criticism of the FA’s proposal to sell Wembley all the way to Parliament.
the former England player and assistant manager has been invited to give evidence at tomorrow’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee hearing on the stadium’s future.
Neville has been one of the most vocal critics of the FA’s plan to sell off the national stadium to Fulham owner Shahid Khan in a deal worth up to £1billion.
When the news broke of a possible sale, Neville blasted the idea as ‘absurd’, insisting it was a ‘shortterm play that will be regretted for ever’.
he added: ‘to suggest the solution to grassroots football is a oneoff large capital investment into it is ridiculous. Wembley is a prized asset admired around the world and should be controlled by the association.’
that outburst suggests he will be hyper-critical during tomorrow afternoon’s evidence session. he has been scheduled to speak first, before FA chairman Martin Glenn has his chance to defend the sale.
Neville is due to be questioned by the committee at the same time as Katrina Law, co-chair of tottenham hotspur Supporters’ trust.
An hour later, the committee — chaired by Damian Collins MP — will hear from Glenn, minister for sport tracey Crouch MP and Sport England chairman Nick Bitel.
Written evidence has been submitted by Brent Council, local MP Barry Gardiner, campaign group Supporters Direct and Wembley National Stadium trust.
American-Pakistani billionaire Khan, who also owns NFL franchise Jacksonville Jaguars, has not been invited to take part.
Collins said he wants to understand ‘whether the proposed sale will create a lasting dividend for football in England, how the money raised from the sale might be used, and what alternative funding opportunities exist’.
he added: ‘Now is the perfect time to consider how the Government, sports funding bodies and the FA can build a legacy from the success of England’s World Cup campaign, to improve grassroots facilities for the sport, and to see more talented young footballers develop into Premier League players and future internationals.’