Nfl’s Jaguars Owner Purchases Fulham FC

NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has bought Barclays Premier League side Fulham FC, becoming the sixth American owner among the 20 teams currently in the division.

A deal was announced on Saturday between previous owner Mohamed Al Fayed and Khan for the sale of the London club, although financial details were not disclosed.

Khan said in a statement: ‘Fulham is the perfect club at the perfect time for me. I want to be clear, I do not view myself so much as the owner of Fulham, but a custodian of the club on behalf of its fans. My priority is to ensure the club and Craven Cottage each have a viable and sustainable Premier League future that fans of present and future generations can be proud of.’

‘We will manage the club’s financial and operational affairs with prudence and care, with youth development and community programs as fundamentally important elements of Fulham’s future.’

Al Fayed has owned Fulham since 1997 and leaves the club debt-free as it prepares for a 13th Premier League season.

Khan, who is worth $2.9 billion according to Forbes magazine, added: ‘He is giving me the privilege and responsibility of serving as the next custodian of Fulham Football club. I am extremely honored to accept and want to thank him, on behalf of everyone who loves Fulham, for 16 years of exceptional service to the Club. Mr. Al Fayed rescued the club in its hour of need and has led it to a sustained place within the Premier League.’

The move means that over a quarter of the 20 teams in the Barclays Premier League are now under American ownership, with Manchester United (Glazer family), Arsenal (Stan Kroenke), Liverpool (John Henry), Aston Villa (Randy Lerner) and Sunderland (Ellis Short) also are controlled by owners from across the pond.

The purchase also comes before NBC’s new television deal comes in, which will see its networks televise matches from August under a $250 million, three-year deal.

Before his new investment, Khan would have been visiting London anyway, with his Jacksonville Jaguars preparing to play NFL regular-season games in the city for the next four seasons.

The NFL side will play a “home” game in October at Wembley Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers.

Meanwhile, 84-year-old Al Fayed said he was retiring to spend time playing soccer with his grandchildren.