Sam Hammam
| Sam Hammam | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Samir Georges Nassib Hammam 17 July 1947 Shweir, Lebanon |
| Nationality | Lebanese |
| Known for | Football club chairman |
Samir "Sam" Hammam (Arabic: سمير همام) is a Lebanese businessman, well known for his high profile involvement in British football clubs, and presently holding a life presidency at Cardiff City.
Originally moving to the area due to being a keen tennis fan, Hammam became involved in football by buying £40,000 worth of shares at non-league Wimbledon F.C. in two years, eventually taking full control of the club in 1977.
Under Hammam, Wimbledon achieved four promotions in nine years, becoming a Football League First Division club in 1986 and winning the FA Cup in 1988.
In 1990, before Wimbledon had moved out of their ground to groundshare at Selhurst Park with local rivals Crystal Palace, Hammam bought out a covenant held on the ground by the Council that required it to be retained for sporting use. During the 1990s, Hammam failed in an attempt to relocate the club to Dublin, Ireland.
In 1997, Hammam sold 80% of his shares in Wimbledon to Bjørn Rune Gjelsten and Kjell Inge Røkke. He sold the remaining 20% to Gjelsten and Røkke in February 2000, three months before the club's relegation from the Premier League. In 2004, Wimbledon F.C. was relocated to Milton Keynes and rebranded as the MK Dons, with the newly formed AFC Wimbledon often considered the successor club to the original Wimbledon.
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