Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has publicly questioned his long-term future in football, expressing a strong desire to return to the world of advertising where he first built his fortune.
From Adland to Wembley Glory
The 60-year-old executive, who led the consortium that rescued the club from administration in 2010, made his remarks on the Winning podcast hosted by Ian Rosenblatt. Parish founded and later sold the marketing production giant Tag Worldwide before embarking on his football journey.
While subsequent stake sales have reduced his ownership to approximately 10 per cent—an asset valued at around £40m following Woody Johnson’s investment—Parish remains the operational leader of the South London club.
The Allure of AI and Advertising's New Frontier
Parish confessed a lingering fascination with his former profession, particularly with the rise of generative AI. “I’ve often thought about going back into advertising,” he stated. “I had the happenstance to exit a moment of change. And there’s another one happening with Gen AI. When you can make a commercial from words… it’s extraordinary. So I think that’s quite interesting.”
Despite this temptation, his immediate focus remains firmly on Crystal Palace. He is determined to ensure the club capitalises on its recent success, notably the FA Cup victory in May 2025, and is structurally sound before he considers departing.
Securing Palace's Future Under a New Regime
“Right now I’m focused on what I wanted to achieve with the football club,” Parish explained. “I want the club to make sure it uses that as a platform to go on without me.”
A key priority for the chairman is navigating the upcoming independent football regulator. He emphasised the need to establish a solid foundation for the club under this new regulatory environment. “I’ve got to work that out, I’ve got to make sure that that’s really on solid ground. And then, who knows?” he added, leaving the door open for a future in marketing services, the field he “innately knows.”
In a surprising aside, Parish also praised the unconventional methods of Chelsea's ownership, led by Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly. He highlighted their strategy of offering eight-year contracts to players, a move initially criticised but which he now sees as a brave and clever alternative to football's established norms.
