Scottish FA deal to buy Hampden ‘in danger of collapse’
The BBC claims that Scottish football’s governing body - who agreed a £5 million deal with stadium owners Queen’s Park in September of last year - were due to sign off on the agreement last month, but negotiations are said to have hit the buffers.
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Hide AdOne of the main stumbling blocks, the BBC says, is the Council’s refusal to waive a floating charge - unless they get a say on how the arena is run.
The council invested more than £2.5 million into the redevelopment of the national stadium in the 1990s, on the understanding they would have a representative on the board of Hampden Park Ltd., the body set up to run the stadium.
The Scottish FA is yet to set up a new company or entity to replace HPL but has told the authority that they will not get a seat on the board. The council, however, retains the right to block any potential deal.
Council chiefs are understood to be seeking assurances on the future of the National Football Museum but are still awaiting a response from the Association.
In a statement provided to BBC Scotland, the Scottish FA said: “Discussions between the Scottish FA and Queens Park FC regarding the final terms of the deal for the sale of Hampden Park are ongoing.
• READ MORE - SFA to remain at Hampden after rejecting Murrayfield switch “Deals of this complexity require time and effort and we will continue to work with all stakeholders to conclude the transfer of ownership of the stadium to the Scottish FA following the expiration of the lease in June 2020.”The council added: “We have been in discussions with all the partners involved. However the deal is between Queen’s Park and the SFA and it is not appropriate for us to comment on that.”A further issue surrounds Queen’s Park. The Ladbrokes League Two side are keen to continue playing their home matches at Hampden beyond season 2019/20 but the Scottish FA want them out by the end of next year’s campaign. The Spiders fear any delay in striking a deal could have a negative impact on their plans to redevelop Lesser Hampden as their new home ground.• READ MORE - Hampden semi-final decision blasted by fans and politicians
Around £3 million of the money received from the sale of Hampden is likely to be used in the renovation of the site next to the national stadium.