Crystal Palace open to selling naming rights to redeveloped Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish on Wednesday confirmed the club are exploring selling the naming rights to Selhurst Park when the stadium is redeveloped.

Palace plan to build a new main stand that will expand the capacity of the ground to more than 34,000 and could cost up to £100million. A planning application has been submitted to Croydon Council and the club hope to get approval for the design in April.

Speaking at a Sports Industry Breakfast Club meeting in London on Wednesday, Parish explained how the club could recoup some of the money in the long term.

He said: “We are looking at a naming-rights opportunity for the stadium, maybe with a headquarters office space within the structure of the stand. Because there is loads of space in these things that you do not really use. At the moment we are looking at all the non-matchday things.

“The new stand is the biggest project the club have undertaken since 1964. We are very excited about it and it will make a huge difference to the club. Hopefully come mid-April, when the plans are determined, we will get the nod to carry on.”

Asked if it was gamble to invest in the redevelopment when Palace are in danger of relegation from the Premier League, Parish said: “Palace have been going since 1905 and I am sure in 3005 it will still be going as well. Relegation and promotion are temporary things. I have got to make sure, whether eventuality, we can fulfil the long-term goals of the club.”

With 10 games of the season remaining only goal difference is keeping Palace out of the relegation zone and Parish has started to make contingency plans should they go down.

Their survival hopes have been dealt a blow by a knee injury to Wilfried Zaha but Parish insists the team can get results without their talisman.

Palace have not won in the Premier League without Zaha since September but Parish said: “We hope to get him back as soon as possible but I believe we can win games without Wilfried.

“He is somebody who carries the club in his heart. In a day when a lot of people think football players have mercenary attitudes, this is a lad who genuinely 110 per cent cares about his football club. And, of course, he is an exceptional talent and makes a big difference to us when he plays.”