Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha and grime artist Stormzy are part of a three-man consortium that has agreed to buy AFC Croydon Athletic, a non-League club that plays in the ninth tier of English football. The pair, who both grew up in the South London borough will become the joint owners of the club. The deal is still subject to approval from the Football Association and the league.
AFC Croydon Athletic announced the news on their official Twitter account on Tuesday, June 27, saying that the consortium will "own, operate and develop their childhood hometown football club".The other member of the consortium is Danny Young, the head of player care at Crystal Palace. Young has been instrumental in bringing Zaha and Stormzy on board, as they all share a connection with Croydon, a borough in south London.
Announcing the agreement, the club said: "The consortium will own, operate and develop their childhood hometown football club. Whilst completion is subject to legislative and governance procedures, the three consortium members are excited about developing a community asset in the borough that gave them their own opportunities."
Zaha, 30, was born in Ivory Coast but grew up in Croydon and joined Crystal Palace's academy at the age of 12 and is the club's all-time leading scorer in the Premier League. Stormzy, whose real name is Michael Owuo Jr, is one of the most successful and influential musicians in the UK. He was born and raised in Croydon and has won three Brit Awards and three MOBO Awards. Zaha also tweeted, “May the journey begin.”
AFC Croydon Athletic, also known as The Rams, was formed in 2012 after the previous club, Croydon Athletic, collapsed due to financial problems. The club plays at Mayfield Stadium and competes in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South. The club's chairman Paul Smith said that the consortium was impressed by the club's community ethos and vision for the future and also said that the club's members have been in discussions with the consortium for months and have given their approval for the sale.
The deal will see Zaha and Stormzy join the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, and Michael B Jordan as celebrities who own football clubs in England. Reynolds and McElhenney own Wrexham AFC, which plays in League Two, while Jordan is a part owner of AFC Bournemouth, which plays in the Premier League.
