Combine a Glastonbury-headlining, Brit-winning rapper with a skillful, club-legend Premier League winger and what do you get? A star-studded football club takeover in south London.
Rapper Stormzy and footballer Wilfried Zaha have joined forces, alongside former Crystal Palace kitman Danny Young, to purchase a football team. AFC Croydon Athletic are the team in question, and two of the most recognisable names in the area are set to become business partners in this new sporting venture.
The trio makes up a three-man consortium to purchase AFC Croydon Athletic, with the deal at the stage of exchanging contracts between the two parties, and the deal is now subject to final FA and league approval.
AFC Croydon Athletic
Should the takeover go through, Stormzy, Zaha, and Young would be at the wheel of a club in the ninth tier of English football. Playing in the Combined Counties League Premier South Division, the club were founded in 2012 when Croydon Athletic FC folded. AFC Croydon Athletic plays at Mayfield Stadium in Thornton Heath, around where both Zaha and Stormzy grew up.
Wilfried Zaha, who has enjoyed multiple spells at Crystal Palace after playing for their academy since 2004, moved to Croydon from the Ivory Coast when he was four years old. His future as a Crystal Palace player may remain unclear with his contract expiring on June 30, though this move is yet another indication of his love and commitment to where he grew up. Whether he remains at Crystal Palace or not, he will always be viewed as a legend for both Crystal Palace and the surrounding area of Croydon.
Stormzy was born and grew up in the area, and the most recent of his accolades include a UK Number One album last year with his third record This Is What I mean. As the statement on AFC Croydon Athletic reads, the club is excited to welcome the trio who have a deep understanding for the area and the community.
AFC Croydon Athletic play at Mayfield Stadium in Thornton Heath, around where both Zaha and Stormzy grew up.