Who Owns Crystal Palace Football Club?

• Parent Company: Crystal Palace FC (John Textor & Steve Parish)
• Ownership Type: Majority owned
• Acquisition Year: 2025
• Company Type: Privately Held

• Founded: 1905
• Founders: Sydney Bourne
• Acquired by Crystal Palace FC (John Textor & Steve Parish): 2025

• Founded: 1905
• Headquarters: London, England, United Kingdom
• Company Type: Privately Held
• Revenue: ~$150 million (estimated)
• Employees: ~400

Visit Crystal Palace FC (John Textor & Steve Parish) website

• Headquarters: Selhurst Park, South London, United Kingdom
• Manufacturing / Operations: London (Selhurst Park), Beckenham (training ground)

Crystal Palace operates under the club's comprehensive 'Palace for the Planet' environmental sustainability program, which demonstrates the club's commitment to minimising environmental impact across all operations. The program includes detailed initiatives addressing energy consumption, waste management, transportation, and sustainable procurement.

Clean Energy and Efficiency: Crystal Palace's energy supplier generates electricity from 100% renewable sources. The club has installed solar panels at the Academy facility, saving 9 tCO2e annually, and is exploring additional renewable energy options at other sites. All Selhurst Park floodlighting is 100% LED, and the club is in a phased process to replace all lighting across sites with LED technology. New LED advertising boards at Selhurst Park are 2.68% more energy efficient than previous panels.

Sustainable Transportation: Crystal Palace has implemented comprehensive sustainable transport initiatives. The first-team and U21s main coach now runs on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a fossil-free fuel with up to 90% lower net CO2 emissions, saving 13.18 tCO2e per season. The club offers a Cycle to Work scheme for staff, provides bike storage for 20 bikes on matchdays, and has partnered with Train Hugger, the UK's first green train booking service, which plants one tree for every booking made through the club's website.

Plastic Reduction and Waste Management: Crystal Palace is actively phasing out single-use plastics across operations. The club trials paper beer cups, uses wooden or non-plastic disposable cutlery and paper straws, and provides water machines in offices to reduce plastic bottle usage. All retail bags at Selhurst Park are paper-based, and the club has removed plastic packaging from certain retail products. Tens of thousands of plastic membership and Season Ticket cards have been phased out, with 64% of international members opting not to receive physical membership packs in 2023/24.

Sustainable Procurement and Supply Chain: Crystal Palace's match day kits are made by Macron using Eco-Fabric, 100% polyester sourced from recycled plastic and certified by the Global Recycled Standard. The club favors local food suppliers wherever possible and includes environmental and sustainability factors in the tendering process for goods and services. Sustainability has been embedded in the Main Stand redevelopment project and Academy development, which incorporates energy efficiency measures exceeding building regulations.

Carbon Monitoring and Reporting: The club participates in the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme and Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting, developing strategies to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption. Crystal Palace's Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions are publicly disclosed in the club's Annual Report, demonstrating transparency in environmental performance.

Crystal Palace has received recognition for its sustainability initiatives and community engagement, though the club maintains a focused presence on football performance rather than pursuing extensive independent awards programs.

Premier League Sustainability Recognition: Crystal Palace's 'Palace for the Planet' program has been acknowledged by the Premier League as part of the league's Environmental Sustainability Commitment. The club's comprehensive approach to environmental sustainability, including renewable energy adoption, waste reduction, and sustainable transportation, has been highlighted as an example of effective club-level environmental programming.

Sustainable Transport Leadership: The club's partnership with Train Hugger and promotion of sustainable travel options for supporters has received recognition within football sustainability circles. Crystal Palace fans demonstrate above-average use of public transport for matchday travel, with 57% using public transport in the 2023/24 season and 43% traveling to home matches by train, significantly higher than the Premier League average.

Energy Efficiency Achievement: The club's comprehensive LED lighting conversion and energy efficiency measures have been acknowledged as demonstrating practical steps toward carbon reduction in sports venues. The installation of solar panels at the Academy and the use of HVO fuel in team coaches represent innovative approaches to sustainable sports operations.

Community Engagement Recognition: Crystal Palace's community programs and local engagement initiatives have been acknowledged for their positive impact in South London. The club's stable presence in the Premier League and commitment to community development represent sustained achievement in professional football management.

Crystal Palace has faced significant controversies related to multi-club ownership rules and UEFA competition eligibility, as well as regulatory sanctions for football-related breaches. These issues have impacted the club's European competition participation and required management attention to resolve.

UEFA Multi-Club Ownership Controversy (2025): Crystal Palace was demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League for the 2025/26 season following a UEFA ruling on multi-club ownership conflicts. The controversy arose because former owner John Textor owned shares in both Crystal Palace and French club Lyon, with both clubs qualifying for Europa League places. Under UEFA rules, clubs with the same ownership group cannot participate in the same competition. Despite Textor selling his 43% stake in Crystal Palace to Woody Johnson after the March 1 deadline and resigning from Lyon leadership roles, UEFA upheld the decision, forcing Palace to compete in the Conference League instead of the more prestigious Europa League.

Court of Arbitration for Sport Appeal: Crystal Palace appealed the UEFA decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but on August 11, 2025, CAS dismissed the club's appeal. The legal challenge centered on whether Textor had operational control at Crystal Palace, with the club arguing he held only 25% of board voting rights alongside co-owners Steve Parish, Josh Harris, and David Blitzer. However, CAS upheld UEFA's decision, representing a significant financial and competitive impact for the club.

FA Regulatory Sanction (2026): In February 2026, Crystal Palace was sanctioned by the Football Association for breaching FA Rule E21 during a Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest FC on August 24, 2025. An independent Regulatory Commission found the charge proven after the club initially denied it, imposing a £50,000 fine. While specific details of the breach were not publicly disclosed, regulatory sanctions typically relate to player conduct, crowd incidents, or failure to control participants.

Ownership Transition Challenges: The rapid ownership changes between 2021 and 2025, involving multiple American investors and eventual majority ownership by Woody Johnson, created periods of uncertainty about the club's strategic direction and long-term stability. These transitions required careful management to maintain football operations and supporter confidence during significant structural changes.

Financial Fair Play Considerations: Like many Premier League clubs, Crystal Palace operates under Premier League financial regulations and must balance competitive investment with financial sustainability. The club's ownership structure and commercial partnerships must comply with both domestic and European football financial regulations.