Stormzy and Wilfried Zaha team up to buy hometown football club Croydon Athletic
Rapper Stormzy and Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha have agreed to buy their hometown football club, AFC Croydon Athletic.
Stormzy and Zaha are part of a three-man consortium, which also includes former Palace kit man Danny Young, that has exchanged contracts for a takeover with the current ownership.
No financial details have been disclosed and the deal is subject to sign-off from the Football Association and league chiefs.
AFC Croydon 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. They hope to take the entire community on this exciting journey with them.”
Stormzy – real name Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr – was born in Croydon and has previously funded scholarships for disadvantaged children in the borough.
The three-time Brit Award winner, 29, also has a publishing imprint, Merky Books, which is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House.
Zaha, 30, was born in the Ivory Coast but settled in Croydon aged four and went to school in the area before joining Palace.
He has spent most of his career at the Eagles, earning club legend status, but is tipped to leave this summer when his current contract expires.
Croydon Athletic play in the Premier Division South of the Combined Counties Football League, the ninth tier of English football.
They finished 15th in the 20-team league last season. The Rams were formed in 2012 after a previous club of the same name folded.
The move would see Stormzy and Zaha become the latest celebrities to dip their toe into football club ownership.
Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have succeeded in reviving Wrexham, while fellow actor Michael B Jordan is part of the ownership group at Bournemouth.
Star Wars star Natalie Portman and tennis greats Serena Williams and Billie Jean King are part-owners of US women’s team Angel City.