Crystal Palace complete paperwork as new arrival heads in
Crystal Palace have confirmed co-owner Woody Johnson has been appointed as a director, sources have told Football Insider.
A Companies House submission on 30 July revealed the American billionaire has now been officially appointed to the board at Selhurst Park.
Johnson agreed to buy John Textor’s shares in Palace on 23 June, with the deal believed to be worth close to £190million.
The 78-year-old completed his part-takeover just over a month later on 24 July after receiving Premier League approval.
Textor owned his stake in Palace through his company Eagle Football Holdings, which held a 43 per cent shareholding at Selhurst Park before selling it to Johnson.
Johnson, who operated as the US ambassador to the UK between 2017 and 2021, is one of the heirs of the Johnson family that founded the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company.
He has also owned NFL franchise the New York Jets since 2000.
The board at Selhurst Park now consists of chairman Steve Parish and co-owners Josh Harris, David Blitzer and Johnson following his appointment.
Crystal Palace appeal date revealed after crushing blow
Johnson has joined Palace at a time when they are fighting for their place in next season’s Europa League.
Oliver Glasner’s side qualified for the competition after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May.
However, Uefa removed Palace from the Europa League after ruling Textor had breached its multi-club ownership rules.
The American billionaire owns a stake in Lyon, who also qualified for the second-tier European competition, with Uefa’s rules prohibiting clubs controlled by the same owners or directors from competing in the same European competition.
Palace have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and a decision is expected to be delivered on 11 August.
The south London club are currently set to play in the Conference League next season, while Nottingham Forest have been promoted into the Europa League.
Liverpool make new move to sign Crystal Palace star
In terms of a potential exit at Selhurst Park, Football Insider revealed on 28 July Liverpool still have a “concrete” interest in signing Marc Guehi from Palace this summer.
The 25-year-old has entered the final year of his contract in south London and has informed the club he is not planning to sign an extension.
Sources say Liverpool are still working in the background to land a deal for the England international and are expected to make a fresh approach to Palace in the coming weeks.
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