Organizers retain Wembley accreditation rights, although reporters are excluded from the fight

Organisers who hire Wembley will continue to have the final say in accreditation disputes after a Telegraph journalist was denied entry to the fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois at the weekend.

Oliver Brown, chief sports writer for the Telegraph, said he was denied entry to Saturday's heavyweight world title fight after writing an op-ed on Friday criticising Saudi Arabia's involvement in the sport.

The Football Association, which owns Wembley, is apparently disappointed with the way Brown was treated. Journalists have been asked to contact the governing body if similar disputes arise in the future, saying the association will endeavour to resolve them.

However, under the venue rental agreements concluded with the FA, the organisers continue to have the final say in this matter.

Brown had described the event as a “brazen assertion of Saudi sporting dominance in the heart of London” and said the British capital had been transformed into a “Saudi Disneyland”.

He said he was contacted by a PR executive after the article was published, asking if his “opinions” should be considered to mean he no longer wanted to take part in the fight.

Brown replied that he would still be happy to attend the event and discuss the article with the PR manager, but his offer of an interview was not accepted.

He only found out that there were problems with his accreditation when he arrived at the stadium to collect his wristband. People present told him that he was denied entry and that there was nothing they could do about it.

Queensberry Promotions, which managed accreditation for the fight, has not commented on the matter, but sources close to the organization stress that it had nothing to do with the decision to bar Brown from the fight and that they would never deny a journalist access because of an opinion they expressed.

The Sports PR Company, which reposted numerous social media posts about the fight over the weekend, was contacted for comment.

Saudi Arabia has been heavily involved in boxing and its promotion for several years, and the country is also gaining increasing influence and power in numerous other sports.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the majority owner of Premier League football club Newcastle and the country is set to win the right to host the 2034 Men's World Cup later this year.

The PIF also funds the LIV golf tour, which features some of the biggest names in the sport.