Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish expects more small clubs to 'do a Leicester'

Upset: Steve Parish expects smaller clubs to challenge the status quo
(Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
Giuseppe Muro18 March 2016

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish believes the rise of Leicester will not be a one-off and says more smaller clubs can challenge the biggest teams in England.

Leicester travel to Palace tomorrow and Parish feels there could be more surprise stories next season as a result of the new Premier League television deal.

Even the worst clubs are guaranteed a windfall of around £100million and Parish expects smaller teams to benefit from having more spending power.

He says Leicester have given clubs like Palace hope of competing with the traditional elite and hopes other clubs will “continue challenging the status quo”. He said: “Each season you are more likely to see a club of our nature challenging up there. The Premier League money goes up again next year and that gives everyone more buying power.

“The bigger clubs are in transition. But I think other clubs can get in there, certainly into the top four. I do not see why not. West Ham are fifth as well. It could be Leicester and West Ham in the Champions League next season, which is unheard of.

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“It is great for everyone in and around us to be inspired by that and long may it continue. I am on record last year saying this could be done, though I think we all expected it to be a Swansea or a Southampton that did it.”

Leicester can go eight points clear of second-placed Tottenham with a win against Palace.

Fairytale: Leicester went five points clear at the top with victory at home to Newcastle on Monday
PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

Parish says the biggest lesson to be learned from their remarkable success is the way Claudio Ranieri’s side have not been intimidated by the biggest clubs.

“The lesson more than anything is belief and not being intimidated by going to places like Arsenal, Man United and Man City,” he said. “That is what we really need to learn from it. I am really pleased for them and the owners there. I hope they lose tomorrow and go on and win the league!”

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