Friday 27 April 2018 16:41, UK
FA chairman Greg Clarke says any funds from the potential sale of Wembley Stadium will be allocated by a trust to invest in grassroots football.
Fulham and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan's offer of £800m for the national stadium is currently being considered by the FA, whose headquarters will remain in west London rent free if the sale does go through, although Wembley's availability as a football stadium will diminish significantly.
FA Cup semi-finals and England internationals could be played elsewhere but it is understood the FA would still consider Wembley as the 'home' of the national team.
The sale could leave the FA with up to £500m to reintroduce into the game, and in an open letter to FA council members, Clarke said due process would be served to ensure the money was used most effectively.
"Should the board agree to proceed with a sale of Wembley it is our intention that all proceeds would be placed in trust by the FA with governance approved by football stakeholders, government and Sport England to ensure they are allocated to closing the facilities gap and building community assets up and down England," he said.
"The process to evaluate the feasibility of selling Wembley Stadium to fund our national facilities deficit has been developed thoroughly over several months by the Executive with the help of a major city advisor.
"I have reviewed the progress throughout and it only came to the board yesterday when all sides felt it was in the appropriate position to be formally reviewed."
With half-a-billion pounds estimated to finance the building of 1,500 new full-size pitches across England, one Wembley source told Sky Sports News: "If we are ever to have the chance to change the face of football in this country, this offer could make that happen."
