Fulham well placed to seal 'multi-million pound deals' after new development
Fulham’s new £900-per-head hospitality package is a great way for them to boost their revenue per seat.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the West London outfit have now exhausted every opportunity for expansion at Craven Cottage.
Instead, the club recently confirmed that they have launched the Premier League’s first Michelin-standard matchday hospitality package, in the latest scheme from owner Shahid Khan.
Wyness believes that there will be a market for that level of hospitality experience at Fulham, but feels that other clubs away from London would be unable to make it work.
The Cottagers have gained a reputation for offering a lavish matchday experience through certain packages at their home games, and this is their latest idea.
With Premier League clubs trying to push the SCR boundaries as much as possible at the moment, Wyness sees this as an ideal way for Fulham to boost their profit a little.
Fulham hospitality will help with transfers
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Fulham’s new hospitality will inadvertently help them to close transfers and sponsorship deals in future.
He outlined that it would provide the ideal situation to meet with prospective partners, or even with players and their agents.
Speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness explained the likely reasons behind Fulham introducing the new package.
“They can't build any more capacity for growth, so they're going to have to just get more revenue per seat,” he said.
“They've tried it in so many ways now with their new exclusive club at the top and all the rest of it. And I get it. There are probably very few clubs that could try and attract the crowd that could afford this. Fulham is one of the very few that could.
“Look, it's one of those things: if you're trying to close a big deal in London or the client is a multi-million deal you might be signing, then of course it's going to be one of those things that you'd love to do, and people might want to treat themselves to special days out as well.
“So I understand it, and I think there'll be a market in Fulham. I don't think you'll find it in the North East, the North West. I don't think you'll find it even in Birmingham. So I think it's certainly a London thing that will be going on.”
Fulham in battle to sign Irish sensation
Football Insider revealed back in August that both Fulham and Newcastle are chasing a move to sign starlet Oli Devlin from Northern Irish side Coleraine.
The attacking midfielder is on the radar of several Premier League clubs, with Fulham and Newcastle at the forefront of the chase to secure his long-term future.
The starlet made eight senior appearances last term, notching a goal and two assists in the Northern Irish top flight.
Devlin is making waves for Coleraine, and that has unsurprisingly thrust him onto the radar in the Premier League.