Rapper Stormzy and Crystal Palace striker Wilfried Zaha have partnered to purchase Croydon Athletic, an English soccer team in the ninth tier. Zaha, originally from the Ivory Coast but raised in Croydon since the age of four, and Stormzy, a popular Grime artist from the same London borough, have joined forces with former Palace head of player care Danny Young to acquire the club.
“The consortium will own, operate and develop their childhood hometown football club,” Croydon said in a statement.
“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.”
Several famous individuals have recently put their money into football clubs. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, both Hollywood actors, purchased Wrexham in November 2020 and have seen success as the Welsh club achieved promotion to the English Football League in April after being absent for 15 years. Actor Michael B. Jordan is an investor in Bournemouth, while NBA legend LeBron James has a share in Liverpool.
