Crystal Palace has officially announced that Woody Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets, has successfully acquired a 43% stake in the club from John Textor's Eagle Football Holdings. This acquisition, valued at approximately £190 million, signifies a major shift in the club's ownership structure.

Johnson, a prominent figure in both the business and sports worlds, has signed the Premier League's owners' charter, joining Steve Parish, Josh Harris, and David Blitzer as a partner and director of Crystal Palace. In a statement released on the club's official website, Johnson expressed his enthusiasm:

"I am honoured and privileged to be joining the ownership group of Crystal Palace Football Club. It is an organisation with a proud history, tradition, and deep roots in English football in south London, which I came to admire during my time as US Ambassador to the United Kingdom."

Johnson, who served as the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021, is no stranger to high-profile investments. He purchased the New York Jets in 2000 and is one of the heirs to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical empire. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his net worth was estimated at £6.8 billion ($9.18 billion) in 2024.

Steve Parish, Crystal Palace's chairman, welcomed Johnson to the ownership group, stating:

"We are delighted to be welcoming Woody to the ownership of the football club. We very much look forward to working alongside him to build on our historic recent success moving forwards."

This acquisition comes at a critical time for Crystal Palace, as the club faces a potential demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League due to UEFA's multi-club ownership rules. Textor, who also holds a majority stake in Lyon, is at the center of this controversy. Crystal Palace has appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, arguing that Textor does not have decisive influence over the club.

Parish remains optimistic about the appeal's outcome, expressing his confidence in a recent podcast:

"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."

As Crystal Palace navigates these challenges, the addition of Woody Johnson to its ownership group brings both financial stability and a wealth of experience in sports management. Fans of the Eagles can look forward to an exciting new chapter in the club's storied history.