Photo: Kirsty O’Connor/WPA Pool/Shutterstock
It’s well known thatPrince Williamis a serious soccer fan, and the prince is putting his passion for the pitch into action.
William, 39, visited Dulwich Hamlet club in southeast London on Thursday afternoon, joining forces with podcaster and former soccer star Peter Crouch to keep the ball rolling on a new initiative.
William’s meeting with players, club management and football fans from a range of clubs was the next step in the Fan Led Review, a program set up in April 2021 to provide a comprehensive examination of the English football system and explore ways of improving the governance, ownership and financial sustainability of clubs across all levels of the sport.
Kirsty O’Connor/WPA Pool/Shutterstock
William greeted Crouch – who is director of football at Dulwich Hamlet – with a fist bump and they joked about the take-away meal they shared over a podcast recording (William joined theThat Peter Crouch Podcasthost, whointerviewed the princeto help publicize theHeads Up mental healthcampaign last year.) “The last time I saw you we were having a curry, now you’ve got a proper job!” William told him.
William, who is President of the Football Association, was intrigued about Dulwich Hamlet’s close relationship with fans, asking, “What is it about the model here that’s worked so well? What’s the best practice that can be replicated elsewhere?”
When he was told that the prices were kept low, enabling more 2,000 fans to come in for weekend matches, he quipped that they could be in for some new entertainment: “Crouchy will do a half time dance!” (Crouch was known for his robot dance when he scored goals.)
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William is said to want to ensure that the review remains at the front of people’s minds, and he hopes to boost the voices of the fans he considers central to the future of football.
Dulwich was an apt setting — with around 2,400 people watching their games each week, it’s the most attended club outside the main Football League, so they have some knowledge of how the sport survives away from the more glamorous Premier League and the international game.
And perhaps as a bit of prep for Thursday’s event, William went to seehis favorite team, Aston Villa, take on Chelsea in West London on Wednesday evening. Sadly for him, Villa did not win and was knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalty kicks.
source: people.com
