Showing football support, as he runs with Olympic Torch

Eddie Izzard has become an associate director of Crystal Palace, the football club he supported as a child.

He said that in his new role – announced just before he runs with the Olympic Torch – he wants the team ‘win every game from now until the end of time’

In a statement, he said: ‘I am very happy to lend my support to Crystal Palace FC by becoming an associate director of the club.

‘With Dougie Freedman as our manager and the new young players coming up through our academy I hope that Crystal Palace will be pushing forward to new heights with all of them succeeding to the best of their ability – and further.

‘All I really want is for Crystal Palace to win every game from now until the end of time. That's all. I know that's a tough thing to ask but that really is what I want. You see, I've been a fan or a supporter of Palace since 1969.

‘At times I've been a fan and at times I've been just a supporter because I'm afraid I'm a bad loser and if we don't win games – I don't deal with it well.

‘I tend to swear in front of children and shout at televisions in pubs. I know everyone has to deal with this and I've tried to mature my behaviour as my life has progressed, but in this one area I am still like the teenager I was in the 70s, living and dying every week for the football games I was playing myself or watching Palace play.

‘So I have circled the idea of trying to do something to help Palace for years and now I'm in. What I can actually do – I'm not sure. But if you know anything about me, I am a determined bastard and I don't like to give in.’

Palace chief executive, Phil Alexander, said: ‘I am delighted that Eddie has signed up to be an associate director at Palace. He is an iconic entertainer and we hope that he can find enough time during his busy year to attend as many games as possible.’

Izzard is not the first comic to become a director of a football club. Stephen Fry is on the board at Norwich City, Eric Morecambe was a director of Luton Town and Tommy Trinder was Fulham's chairman for almost 20 years.

Izzard, 50, will this afternoon run through his childhood home of Bexhill, East Sussex, with the Olympic flame.

Published: 17 Jul 2012