Croydon (Parliament Politics Megazine) – AFC Croydon Athletic, co-owned by Stormzy and Wilfried Zaha, faces safety and environmental risks after an illegal camp appeared on June 25, 2025, causing massive fly-tipping and cancelled youth events.
As South London Community Matters News reported, AFC Croydon Athletic is facing a major problem at Mayfield Stadium, their home ground, due to a growing issue of illegal trash dumping connected to an unauthorised camp. This situation began on the night of Wednesday, June 25th, 2025, when a group reportedly broke through a locked gate and set up camp on the property.
They mentioned that since then, the number of campervans has increased, bringing with it a large and dangerous amount of rubbish. The club reports that the rising piles of waste are putting public safety, wildlife, and the future of community sports at risk.
As a result of the worsening conditions, AFC Croydon was forced to cancel a youth football event planned for the upcoming weekend due to safety concerns. Officials are increasingly concerned that the dumped trash could ignite and spread quickly, causing significant damage.
“It is disrupting everything, really,”
Said Paul Pickering, Director of AFC Croydon.
“We don’t feel the site is safe right now.”
Why hasn’t the Croydon council stepped in to help AFC Croydon?
According to officials, AFC Croydon has dealt with trash dumping before, but this is the worst it’s been. They tried to stop it by locking the gates, but that didn’t work. Now the gates are open for ambulances, and people are taking advantage. Someone from the club said the trash is “massive” and getting bigger every day.
The club doesn’t own the land, so the council should fix it. But people in the area are asking the club what’s going on. AFC Croydon says if this keeps up, cleaning it up will be a huge job and cost a lot, which will be hard on everyone.
Paul Pickering added:
“The fly-tipping is taking place on unadopted land, which we have been trying to buy off the council for a long time.”
According to Paul Pickering, other places like Duppas Hill and Purley Way Playing Fields have also been affected by people setting up camps without permission. This is causing problems like trash, safety issues, and damage to the environment. The council didn’t respond to AFC Croydon for almost a week after the group came. A club official, Paul Pickering, was upset about this.
AFC Croydon is also preparing for its FA Cup campaign, set to begin in just four weeks.
“We are meant to be playing in the FA Cup in four weeks, but there is still a security risk with the gate at the moment,”
Said the associate.
The community is also worried. A horse owner is concerned about fires because of the trash, especially near a dry tree. There’s also been a report of a young girl being harassed. The stadium is close to South Norwood Country Park, which has wildlife like hedgehogs.
These issues are making people feel uneasy. Croydon Council didn’t respond. AFC Croydon, owned by Stormzy and Wilfried Zaha, is trying to help the community. But this situation is making it hard for them, and there’s no solution yet.