Crystal Palace have confirmed that Woody Johnson, owner of the NFL’s New York Jets and former U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, has completed the acquisition of a 43% stake in the club, previously held by John Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings. The deal, estimated to be worth around £190 million, marks a significant shift in the club’s ownership structure at a time of ongoing legal disputes with UEFA.
The 78-year-old American businessman joins chairman Steve Parish, Josh Harris, and David Blitzer as co-owner and director at the Premier League club, after signing the league’s owners’ and directors’ charter—a requirement for club stakeholders.
“I am honoured and privileged to be joining the ownership group of Crystal Palace Football Club,” said Johnson in a statement released by the club. “This is an organisation with deep roots in English football, which I came to admire during my time as ambassador to the UK. The passion and loyalty of Eagles fans is inspiring, and I look forward to being part of this club’s exciting future.”
Chairman Steve Parish welcomed Johnson, stating:
“We are delighted to be welcoming Woody to the ownership of the football club. We look forward to working with him to build on our recent progress and success.”
Johnson, whose estimated net worth stands at £6.8 billion ($9.18 billion) according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, is an heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune and has owned the Jets since 2000.
John Textor’s departure comes during a contentious period for Crystal Palace, who are currently challenging UEFA's decision to exclude them from the 2024–25 Europa League due to multi-club ownership conflicts.
Textor, who acquired his Palace stake in 2021, also owns majority shares in French club Olympique Lyonnais—another Europa League qualifier. Under UEFA regulations, two clubs under the decisive influence of the same owner cannot compete in the same European tournament. Palace’s situation prompted UEFA to demote them to the UEFA Conference League, with Nottingham Forest expected to replace them in the Europa League.
Palace have appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), citing that Textor held no “decisive influence” over club operations. The club missed UEFA’s restructuring deadline of 1 March 2025 to demonstrate compliance with ownership rules, leading to their sanction.
Steve Parish remains optimistic about overturning the ruling. Speaking recently on The Rest is Football podcast, he argued:
“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. We know we proved that beyond all reasonable doubt because it's a fact.”
Palace are also pursuing legal challenges not only against UEFA’s ruling but also against Lyon and Nottingham Forest, both of whom are directly impacted by the decision.
As the ownership transition is finalized, Palace's leadership now turns its attention to defending the club’s European standing and continuing its domestic growth with renewed investment and stability at board level.
