Steve Parish (businessman)

Stephen Parish (born 1965) is the part-owner and chairman of Crystal Palace Football Club.

Steve Parish
Born (1965-07-18) 18 July 1965
Lewisham, London
NationalityBritish
Alma materColfe's School
OccupationInvestor chairman Crystal Palace Football Club
Known forPart-owner of Crystal Palace Football Club
Net worth£45 million (2016)[1]
Children3
Websitewww.cpfc.co.uk

Early life and education

Parish was born in Forest Hill, London, attending Christ Church School and later Colfe's School.[2]

Career

Steve Parish began his career working in computer graphics. He went on to buy a stake in a company called Adplates Ltd, assuming control of the business and renaming it Tag Worldwide, transforming it from a London-based business to a global production powerhouse with 2,800 employees in 13 countries. He sold the business to Deutsche Post DHL Group’s Willliam Lea in 2011.[3] In April 2017, it was announced that Parish was going to join the Dragons' Den line-up for the 15th series of the show. However, it was later announced by Parish that he had withdrawn.[4]

Crystal Palace Football Club

In June 2010, Parish led a consortium called 'CPFC 2010' to acquire Crystal Palace and save the club from a second spell in administration and from imminent liquidation after negotiating a £3.5m deal to buy Selhurst Park from Lloyds Bank. He became chairman and leading shareholder of the Club with three fellow supporters, Stephen Browett, Jeremy Hosking and Martin Long.[5]

In January 2011, Parish unveiled plans to move Crystal Palace to a new 40,000-seat stadium at their original home – now the National Sports Centre. In May 2013, the South London based club were promoted to the English Premier League after beating Watford in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium, beginning an unbroken seven-season stay in English football’s top division, a record for the Club.

A deal was completed in December 2015 with US investors David Blitzer and Josh Harris, in which they each took an 18% stake in the Club, injecting £50m capital and becoming co-owners alongside Parish, who remained chairman.[6] In 2016, Crystal Palace reached the FA Cup Final but were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United.

In December 2017, Parish announced £75m-£100m plans to redevelop Selhurst Park, commissioning stadium architects KSS to build a new five-story Main Stand to increase the capacity from 26,000 to 34,000, transforming the matchday experience and providing enhanced community facilities.[7] After the scheme was granted planning permission by Croydon Council in April 2018, Parish said: "This project will not only transform the stadium, which has been our home since 1924, but it will also have a positive impact on the south London community”.[8]

Parish revealed plans in October 2019 for a £20m redevelopment of the Club’s Academy, having secured a long-term lease for the site in Beckenham in December 2018, with enhanced playing and welfare facilities for the Club’s young players.[9] In July 2020, a month after Bromley Council granted planning permission, the Academy was awarded Category 1 status by the Premier League.[10]

In May 2020, Parish was credited by influential TV pundit Gary Neville with playing a key role in the return of Premier League football after the coronavirus pandemic following his support for ‘Project Restart’ in a Sunday Times column.[11][12]

In a Sunday Times column in October 2020, Parish explained why the Premier League was right to reject ‘Project Big Picture’, a plan by six of its members to restructure the league.[13]

References
  1. Football, Mirror (12 August 2015). "How much is YOUR Premier League club's owner worth?".
  2. Trotter, Sarah (27 February 2014). "Crystal Palace's Steve Parish visits his old school in Lee to inspire pupils". This is Local London. London: Newsquest. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  3. "Worldwide CEO Steve Parish to stand down". Print Week.
  4. Nerssessian, Joe (2017-04-27). "Crystal Palace boss Steve Parish pulls out of Dragons' Den". mirror. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  5. Scott, Matt (2010-06-01). "Crystal Palace saved from liquidation by CPFC 2010". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  6. "Palace agree deal with US investors". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  7. Ballinger, Chris (2017-12-04). "Crystal Palace unveil plans for brand new Selhurst Park". croydonadvertiser. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  8. "Palace granted green light over stadium redevelopment". ITV News. 2018-04-20. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  9. "Palace unveil Academy plans as it targets Category 1 status". www.cpfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  10. Cawley, Richard (2020-07-07). "Crystal Palace academy awarded category 1 status – joining England's elite clubs in terms of junior set-up". South London News. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  11. Stead, Matthew (2020-05-29). "Neville credits surprise figure for 'big moment' in PL return". Football News -. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  12. chairman, Steve Parish, Crystal Palace. "Why I'm backing the Premier League's Project Restart". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  13. Parish, Steve. "Steve Parish: Why we had to say no to Project Big Picture". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
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