Back in the day, we had the likes of Sir Elton John and Delia Smith involved with the likes of Watford and Norwich City respectively, and it seems the celebrity connection to English football is still standing today.These days, however, things are slightly different, with Wrexham taking up a Hollywood role, now owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in what has been an extremely successful stint so far. And, now, famous rapper Stormzy is taking to the football stage alongside Wilfried Zaha.The duo are combining with Crystal Palace’s head of player care Danny Young to buy non-league side Croydon Athletic, Zaha confirmed.
What’s the latest on Wilfried Zaha?
It appears Zaha will soon bid farewell to Crystal Palace following eight years at the club, which will come to an end this month if he doesn’t sign a new deal.
According to Ed Aarons of The Guardian, the former Manchester United man is set to reject a move to Saudi Arabia this summer, which would have seen him earn £30m per year.
With Paris Saint-Germain also reportedly interested, the 30-year-old could end up staying in Europe and becoming a surprise replacement for Lionel Messi.
A move to France would finally see Zaha get his big move and the trophies that could follow after playing a key part in keeping Palace afloat in the Premier League for several years.
Who are Croydon Athletic?
The former Crystal Palace winger released a statement, confirming his purchase of the club, which you can see below:
As per The Guardian, a source close to Zaha said they want to “do what’s right for the local community.” While he added: “Stormzy is like a little brother to Wilf and he’s a big fan of football. He is very excited to link up for this project.”
Zaha and Stormzy’s new club currently sit in the Combined Counties Football League Premier South Division where they finished 15th last season to avoid relegation.
They are in step five of non-league, which means that they are five promotions away from becoming a professional football club in League Two. So, whilst dreams of the EFL may be a long way off, the investment put into the club by Zaha, Stormzy and Young will undoubtedly improve things on and off the pitch.
The first goal will be to stay at step five, and what would be a disastrous relegation. Then the attention can turn to beginning their climb through the divisions.
If their ownership is anything like what has happened to Wrexham under Reynolds and McElhenney, then Croydon Atheltic fans are in for a treat in the coming years, which could be filled with trophies and promotions up into the top leagues.
