New York Jets owner Woody Johnson completed his purchase of Eagle Football’s ownership stake in Crystal Palace F.C., the team announced earlier today. According to ESPN, Johnson agreed to purchase the 43% stake in the team from Eagle Football Group, a French holding company controlled by American businessman John Textor, for $254 million.
“I am honored and privileged to be joining the ownership group of Crystal Palace Football Club. It is an organization with a proud history, tradition, and deep roots in English football in South London, which I came to admire during my time as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom,” Johnson said in an official statement. “Eagles fans have demonstrated extraordinary loyalty, passion, and unwavering dedication, and I am excited to meet and get to know them.”
Johnson has already signed the Premier League’s Owners’ Charter. He joins an ownership group made up of Steve Parish, Josh Harris, and David Blitzer.
“I have great respect for Steve Parish and the leadership he has provided over the years,” Johnson said. “I look forward to working with him and the entire ownership group to build on the club’s recent successes and help shape an exciting future for Crystal Palace.”
“At this exciting time for Crystal Palace, we are delighted to be welcoming Woody to the ownership of the Football Club, and we very much look forward to working alongside him to build on our historic recent success moving forwards,” said Steve Parish in an official statement.
Crystal Palace is currently fighting with UEFA over the team’s demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League. UEFA rules bar two teams with the same owners from competing with one another, and John Textor Eagle Football has a majority ownership stake in the French soccer club, Lyon.
“We are still fighting,” Steve Parish said during a recent appearance on The Rest is Football podcast. “There’s an appeal process, so we go to CAS, which is the court for arbitration, and we’re very hopeful. We think we’ve got great legal arguments. We don’t think this is the right decision by any means. We know unequivocally that John (Textor) didn’t have decisive influence over the club.”
Woody Johnson is best known for being the owner of the New York Jets since he and his brother purchased the team in 2000 for $635 million. Over the last 25 years, the Jets have a record of 173-231, which is the eighth-worst mark in the league.
