World renowned comedian Eddie Izzard has backed Crystal Palace to mix it with the big boys ahead of their first Premier League campaign in eight years.

Izzard has supported Crystal Palace since the 1960s when he went to games with his father and brother.

The comedian became an associate director at the club in July 2012 and was at Wembley to see the Palace’s promotion to the Premier League in May.

The boyhood fan spoke to the Croydon Guardian ahead of the new season and said he does not want Palace to be in a basement battle.

He said: “Love for Palace isn’t quite the right word for me.

"I was a complete fan when I was a teenager and since then I have become a supporter, but I just want us to win everything.

“I want us to win every game now, and the next, and the next season and the season after that. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen.”

“I don’t mind us being in the middle of the Premier League but I just do not want to be doing a relegation battle at the end of next year.”

He added: “I just want us to defeat every team. In fact I would quite like us to play some national teams and beat them.

"I would quite like a whole continent to come and play us and for us to beat them. That would be great.”

 

Izzard also paid homage to the club’s four owners, Steve Parish, Stephen Browett, Martin Long and Jeremy Hosking.

The owners saved the club from the brink of liquidation in 2010 and have now overseen their team go from relegation contenders in the Championship to promotion to the Premier League.

Izzard said: “I trust that the care and attention being put in by the owners we have now can pay some dividends. We need to be like teams like Swansea who have gone up and stayed up.

“The effort the owners have put in is fantastic and I hope they are rewarded as they really care about the club.”

Mr Izzard, who has also featured in the new Hannibal series on TV, also offered his own thoughts on how Palace could survive in the Premier League.

He said: “I remember the last time we were in the Premier League, Chelsea turned up and left some of their star players on the bench and they still beat us. I just thought ‘screw this’.

“I don’t know the correct way to approach a season like this. I am so glad we are there but I just want to win. I am a crap loser.

“Manchester United and Germany have these reputations where they just knock goals in. That is what I have to do in comedy, some nights you just have to get the comedy out there and lay it out.

“That is what Palace have to do. If we are scrappy and we aren’t playing well and we get a 0-0 draw then that is fine. I don’t want teams thinking they can walk over us.”

With the Tottenham game just over a week away Izzard said he is unable to attend the first game of the season but will be checking his phone for updates.

He added: “Unfortunately I can’t make the Tottenham game as I am working but I will certainly make a few games. I get updates to my phone but I just want to see the goals we score to be honest.

“It would be good to find a way to filter it so I just get our goals coming through.

“I haven’t moved really from being a kid when I watch football.”


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