Crystal Palace F.C.
File:Crystal Palace FC logo.svg | |||
Full name | Crystal Palace Football Club | ||
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Nickname(s) | The Eagles, The Glaziers | ||
Short name | CPFC | ||
Founded | 10 September 1905 | ||
Ground | Selhurst Park | ||
Capacity | 26,255[1] | ||
Owner | Steve Parish Joshua Harris David S. Blitzer Jeremy Hosking Martin Long Stephen Browett | ||
Co-chairmen | Steve Parish Stephen Browett | ||
Manager | Alan Pardew | ||
League | Premier League | ||
2014–15 | Premier League, 10th | ||
Website | http://www.cpfc.co.uk/ | ||
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Crystal Palace Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Norwood, London, that plays in the Premier League, the highest level of English football. Since 1964, the club has mostly played in the top two leagues of English football.
The club was founded in 1905 at the famous Crystal Palace Exhibition building by the owners of the FA Cup Final stadium, who wanted their own team to play at the historic venue.
Palace played their home games at the Cup Final venue until 1915, but then the First World War forced them to move out and play at Herne Hill Velodrome and The Nest. In 1924, they moved to their current home at Selhurst Park.
Their best achievement in the top flight so far came in 1990–91, when they challenged for the League title, eventually finishing in third place, their highest league position to date. Palace were denied the chance to play in Europe the following season due to the partial UEFA ban on English clubs caused by the Heysel Stadium disaster. Palace also became founder members of the Premier League in 1992. Palace were FA Cup runners up in 1990. The club returned to Wembley the following year and won the Full Members Cup. Palace have been League Cup semi finalists four times. Palace have been second tier champions twice and have been winners of the play offs a record four times. The club also hold the distinction of achieving promotion to the top flight at four different locations, (Selhurst Park 1989, Old Wembley 1997, Millennium Stadium 2004 and New Wembley 2013). Palace became inaugural champions of the newly formed Third Division in 1920–21.
In 1973, the club changed its original nickname from The Glaziers to The Eagles and introduced the red-and-blue vertical stripes now associated with the club. The club had previously played in claret and blue colours.
Palace have rivalries with Brighton & Hove Albion, with whom they contest the M23 derby, and fellow South London club Millwall.
History
In 1895, the Football Association had found a new permanent home for the FA Cup Final at the site of the famous Crystal Palace Exhibition building. Some years later the owners of the attraction, who were reliant on tourist activity for their income, sought fresh attractions for the venue, and decided to form their own football team to play at the Palace stadium. There had been an amateur Crystal Palace team as far back as 1861, which was formed by workers from the exhibition building, but they had disappeared from historical records around 1876. The owners of the venue wanted a professional club to play there and tap into the vast crowd potential of the area.
Crystal Palace Football Club, originally nicknamed "The Glaziers", was formed on 10 September 1905 under the guidance of Aston Villa assistant secretary Edmund Goodman.[2] The club applied to enter the Football League alongside Chelsea and Southampton, but was the only unsuccessful team of the three. The club instead found itself in the Southern League Second Division for the 1905–06 season. The club was successful in its inaugural season and was promoted to the First Division, crowned as champions.[2] In their first season Crystal Palace also played in the mid-week United Counties League, finishing runner-up to Watford, and it was in this competition that the club played their first match, winning 3–0 away to New Brompton.[2][3]
Palace remained in the Southern League up until 1914, their one highlight the 1907 shock First Round victory over Newcastle United in the FA Cup.[4][5] The outbreak of World War I led to the Admiralty requisitioning The Crystal Palace and the club was forced to move to the home of West Norwood F.C. at Herne Hill Velodrome.[2] Three years later the club moved again to The Nest due to the folding of Croydon Common F.C. The club joined the Football League Third Division in the 1920–21 season, finishing as champions and gaining promotion to the Second Division. During this period, Palace also won the London Challenge Cup three times in 1913, 1914, and 1921. Palace moved to the purpose-built stadium Selhurst Park in 1924, the ground the club plays at today.[2][6]
The opening fixture at Selhurst Park was against Sheffield Wednesday, Palace losing 0–1 in front of a crowd of 25,000. Finishing in twenty-first position, the club was relegated to the Third Division South. Before World War II Palace made good efforts at promotion, never finishing outside the top half of the table and finishing second on three occasions. During the war years, the Football League was suspended, and the club won two Wartime Leagues, the South Regional League and the South 'D' League. After the war, the club were less successful in the league, their highest position being seventh, and conversely on three occasions the club had to apply for re-election. The club remained in Division Three South until 1957–58. A league reorganisation would see clubs in the bottom half of the table merge with those in the bottom half of Division Three North to form a new Fourth Division. Palace finished fourteenth – just below the cut – and found itself in the basement of English football. Their stay proved brief. With Arthur Rowe appointed manager, the 1960–61 season saw Palace gain promotion. Palace also achieved distinction in 1962 when they played the great Real Madrid team of that era in a friendly match to celebrate the opening of the new floodlights at Selhurst Park. This was the first time that the Spanish giants had played a match in London. Although Rowe then stepped down for health reasons towards the end of 1962, the promotion proved a turning point in the club's history. Dick Graham and then Bert Head guided the club to successive promotions in 1963–64 and 1968–69, taking the club through the Second Division and into the heights of the First Division.[7]
Palace stayed in the top flight from 1969 until 1973, but then experienced great disappointment. Under the management of Malcolm Allison the club was relegated in consecutive seasons, finding itself back in Division Three for the 1974–75 season. It was under Allison that the club became nicknamed "The Eagles" and they enjoyed a run to the semi-final of the 1975-76 FA Cup, beating Leeds and Chelsea along the way. Allison was sacked at the end of the 1975–76 campaign, and it was under Terry Venables' management that Palace were promoted in 1976–77 and again in 1978–79, the latter saw the club crowned as Division Two champions. That team from 1979 was dubbed " The team of the Eighties" and were briefly top of the whole Football League in the early part of the 1979–1980 season, before financial difficulties suffered by the club caused the break up of that talented side, and this ultimately led to the club being unable to maintain their position in the top tier. They were relegated from the First Division in 1980–81, coinciding with Ron Noades takeover of the club. Steve Coppell arrived as manager on 4 June 1984, and under his stewardship and rebuilding the club achieved promotion via the play-offs back to the First Division in 1988–89. The club followed this up by reaching the 1990 FA Cup Final, drawing 3–3 with Manchester United in the first match but losing the replay 1–0. The club built on the success of the previous season in 1990–91 by achieving its highest league finish of third place in the top division. Palace were denied a European place at the end of that season due to the partial UEFA ban on English clubs caused by the Heysel Stadium disaster. The club had also returned to Wembley to win the Full Members Cup. The club beat Everton 4–1 (after extra time) in the final.[2] The following season saw star striker Ian Wright leave the club for Arsenal. Palace finished tenth, allowing the club to become a founding member of the FA Premier League in 1992–93.[8]
The club sold Mark Bright to Sheffield Wednesday the following season, but failed to rebuild the squad adequately, and Palace struggled to score throughout the season. The club found itself relegated with a record 49 points. Steve Coppell resigned and Alan Smith, his assistant at the club, took over. His first season saw the club win the First Division title and gain promotion to the Premier League.[9] Their stay on this occasion proved eventful. On 25 January 1995 Palace played Manchester United at Selhurst Park in which Eric Cantona was sent off. He was taunted by Palace fan Matthew Simmons,[10] and retaliated with a flying kick.[11] Cantona was sentenced to two weeks in jail,[12] reduced to 120 hours community service on appeal. Simmons was immediately banned from Selhurst Park,[13] and found guilty on two charges of threatening Cantona.[14] More was to follow in March, when Chris Armstrong was suspended by the FA for failing a drugs test.[15] On the field, Alan Smith guided the club to the semi finals of both the FA Cup and the League Cup, but League form was a concern and Palace once again found itself relegated, finishing fourth from bottom as the Premier League reduced from 22 to 20 clubs.[16]
Smith left the club and Steve Coppell returned as technical director in the summer of 1995, and through a combination of the first-team coaching of Ray Lewington and latterly Dave Bassett's managership Palace reached the play-offs. Palace lost the 1996 play off final in dramatic fashion, Steve Claridge scoring a last minute goal for Leicester City to win the tie 2–1. The following season saw Coppell take charge as first-team manager when Dave Bassett departed for Nottingham Forest in early 1997[17] The club was successful in the play-offs at the second time of asking when the club defeated Sheffield United in the final at Wembley.[18]
This stay in the Premier League was no more successful than the previous two, and in true yo-yo club fashion the club was relegated back to the First Division for the 1998–99 season. The club competed in European competition during the summer when they played in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Palace went into administration in 1999, when owner Mark Goldberg was unable to sustain his financial backing of the club.[19] The club emerged from administration under the ownership of Simon Jordan, and Steve Coppell left the club, replaced by Alan Smith for a second time. The club flirted with relegation in Jordan's first season, 2000–01. Smith was sacked in April and Steve Kember managed to win the two remaining fixtures that would guarantee survival, Dougie Freedman scoring the winner in a 1–0 victory over Stockport in the 87th minute on the final day of the season. Steve Bruce was appointed manager for the 2001–02 season.[20] A good start to the season gave Palace hope for a promotion challenge, but Bruce attempted to walk out on the club after just four months at the helm to take charge of Birmingham City.[21][22] After a short spell on 'gardening leave',[23] Bruce was eventually allowed to join Birmingham City,[24] succeeded by Trevor Francis, who had ironically been his predecessor at Birmingham.[25]
Under Francis, Palace finished mid-table for two successive seasons, and Francis left[26] to be replaced by long-serving coach Steve Kember.[27] Kember guided Palace to victories in their opening three games of the 2003–04 First Division campaign, which put Palace at the top of the table, but he was sacked in November after a terrible loss of form saw the team slip towards the relegation zone.[28] Iain Dowie was appointed manager and guided the club to the play-offs, securing promotion with a 1–0 victory over West Ham. Again Palace could not maintain their footing in the top tier and were relegated on the last day of the season after drawing at local rivals Charlton Athletic.
Jordan was unable to put the club on a sound financial footing after 2008, and in January 2010 the club was once again placed in administration, this time by a creditor.[29] The Football League's regulations saw the Eagles deducted ten points,[30] and the administrators was forced to sell key players including Victor Moses and José Fonte. Neil Warnock had also departed as manager in the early part of 2010. He had taken over as manager in 2007, replacing Peter Taylor who had a brief spell as manager. Paul Hart took over as caretaker manager for the final weeks of the season. Survival in The Championship was only secured on the final day of the season after a memorable 2–2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday, which was itself relegated as a result.[31]
During the close season CPFC 2010, a consortium consisting of several wealthy fans successfully negotiated the purchase of the club. Led by Steve Parish, the vocal representative for a consortium of four that also included Stephen Browett, Jeremy Hosking and Martin Long. Crucially, CPFC 2010 also secured the freehold of the ground, the consortium paying tribute to a fans' campaign which helped pressure Lloyds Bank into selling the ground back to the club. The consortium swiftly installed George Burley as the Eagles' new manager.[32] However a poor start to the season saw the club hovering around the bottom of the table by December. On 1 January 2011, after a 3–0 defeat to Millwall, Burley was sacked and his assistant Dougie Freedman named caretaker manager. Freedman was appointed manager on a full-time basis on 11 January 2011.[33] Palace edged up the table and by securing a 1–1 draw at Hull City on 30 April, the club was safe from relegation with one game of the season left. Freedman departed to manage Bolton on 23 October 2012,[34]
In November 2012, Ian Holloway became the club's manager. He guided Palace to the Premier League after an 8-year absence by defeating Watford 1–0 in the Championship Play-Off Final at the new Wembley.[35] On 23 October 2013, Holloway left his post as manager on mutual consent terms.[36] This came after only managing one win in the first nine games of the 2013–14 season. Assistant manager Keith Millen was named caretaker manager while Palace searched for a new manager. On 23 November 2013, former Stoke City boss Tony Pulis was confirmed as the new manager of Crystal Palace.[37] On 19 April 2014, Crystal Palace ensured they were mathematically safe from relegation from the Premier League for the first time in five attempts. Pulis resigned on 14 August 2014, just two days before the start of the 2014–2015 season and was replaced by Neil Warnock who returned to the club for a second spell as manager. However, Warnock was sacked by the club at Christmas after a poor run of results. On 2 January 2015, former Palace player Alan Pardew was confirmed as the new manager, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract with the club after a compensation package of £3.5 million was agreed with Newcastle United.[38] Two days later, in his first match in charge, Palace won 4–0 away to Conference club Dover Athletic in the third round of the FA Cup.[39] Pardew then guided the club to comfortable mid-table safety and a third consecutive season in the Premier League.
Colours and crest
When Crystal Palace were founded in 1905, they turned to one of the biggest clubs in the country at the time, Aston Villa, to seek advice. Villa helped the club in a number of ways, not least by donating their kit.[40][41] As a result, Palace's colours were originally claret and blue shirts paired with white shorts, socks tending to be claret. They kept to this formula fairly consistently until 1938. The 1937–38 strip saw them try vertical stripes of claret and blue on the jersey rather than the claret body and blue sleeves, but then in 1938 they abandoned the claret and blue and adopted white shirts and black shorts with matching socks. Although they returned to claret and blue from 1949–54, the 1955 season saw them return to white and black, now using claret and blue as trim.[42]
Variations on this theme lasted until 1963 when the club adopted the away strip of yellow jersey as the home colours. 1964 saw them adopt an all-white strip modelled on Real Madrid whom the club had played recently in a friendly, before they returned to claret and blue jerseys with white shorts in 1966. The club employed variations upon this theme up until Malcolm Allison's arrival as manager in 1973.[42] Allison overhauled the club's image, adopting red and blue vertical stripes for colours and kit, inspired by Barcelona and Levante.[40] The club have played in variations of red and blue ever since, bar the centenary season of 2005 which saw them deploy a version of their 1971–72 claret, blue and white kit.[42]
The club were relatively late in establishing a crest. Although the initials were embroidered onto the shirt from the 1935–36 season, a crest featuring the façade of the Crystal Palace did not appear until 1955. This crest disappeared from the shirt in 1964, and the team's name appeared embroidered on shirts in 1967–72. 1972 saw a round badge adopted with the club's initials and nickname "The Glaziers" before Allison changed this too.[42] The nickname became "The Eagles", inspired by Portuguese club Benfica, and the badge adopted an eagle holding a ball.[42] This emblem remained until 1987 when the club married the eagle with the Crystal Palace façade,[43] and although updated in 1996 and again in 2013 the crest retains these features.[42] Since mid-2010, the club has made use of an American bald eagle, called Kayla, as the club mascot, with the bird flying from one end of the stadium to the other at every home game.[44][45]
Kit manufacturers & sponsors
Since 2014 Crystal Palace's kit has been manufactured by Macron. Previous manufacturers include Umbro (1975–77), Admiral (1977–80, 1987–88, 2003–04), Adidas (1980–83, 1996–99), Hummel (1984–87), Bukta (1988–92), Ribero (1992–94) Nutmeg (1994–96), TFG Sports (1999-2001) Le Coq Sportif (2001–03), Diadora (2004–07), Errea (2007–09), Nike (2009–12), and Avec (2012–14). The club's shirts are currently sponsored by Mansion.com, and have previously been sponsored by Red Rose (1983–84), Top Score (1985–86), AVR (1986–87), Andrew Copeland (1987–88), Fly Virgin (1988–91), Tulip Computers (1991–93), TDK (1993–99), Churchill Insurance (2000–06), GAC Logistics (2006–14), and Neteller (2014-15).[42]
Stadium
In 1905, the owners of the FA Cup Final venue, The Crystal Palace Company wanted a professional club to play there and tap into the crowd potential of the area. A new club, Crystal Palace F.C., was formed to use the ground.[46] When World War I broke out the Palace and grounds were seized by the military, and in 1915 the club were forced to move by The Admiralty. They found a temporary base at the Herne Hill Velodrome. Although other clubs had offered the use of their ground to Palace, the club felt it best to remain as close to their natural catchment area as possible.[47] When Croydon Common were wound up in 1917, the club took over their old stadium at The Nest,[48] but in 1919 they began the purchase of the land on which they would build Selhurst Park, their current home.[49]
Archibald Leitch, the renowned stadium architect, was employed to draw up plans, and the club constructed and completed the ground in time for the 1924–25 season.[49] It remained relatively unchanged, with only the introduction of floodlights and maintenance and updating until 1969 when the Arthur Wait stand was constructed. The Main Stand became all-seater in 1979 and more work followed in the 1980s when the Whitehorse Lane End was redeveloped to allow for a Sainsbury's supermarket, club offices and a club shop. The Arthur Wait stand became all seater in 1990, and in 1994 the Holmesdale Terrace was redeveloped, replaced with a two tier Stand. Selhurst's attendance record was set in 1979, with an official total of 51,482.[50] After all the redevelopments to the ground and safety requirements due to the Taylor Report, the ground's current capacity is 26,309.[51] Proposals were put forward to move the club back to the Crystal Palace National Stadium in 2010,[52] but after the club gained promotion to the Premier League in 2013 there has been a renewed focus on redeveloping their current home into a 40,000 seater stadium.[51][53]
Support base
Crystal Palace have a fan base drawn predominantly from the local area which draws on South London, Kent and Surrey. The club's original home, The Crystal Palace, was on the boundary with Kent, while Selhurst Park was within Surrey's borders until the London Government Act 1963 saw Greater London encompass Croydon. The club's passionate support at home games emanates from the Holmesdale Road Stand, in which the ultras group the Holmesdale Fanatics have been based since 2005. The fans have established at least two other supporters groups. The Palace Independent Supporters Association was set up to raise supporter concerns with the club,[54] while the Crystal Palace Supporters' Trust was originally established to enable fans to purchase the club during the administration of 2000. The Trust remained in existence, and now lists one of its aims as building "a new state-of-the-art training ground to lease to the Club".[55]
A number of fanzines have been produced by the fans over the years. Eagle Eye launched in 1987 and ran until 1994, with a number of contributors launching the replacement Palace Echo in 1995, running until 2007.[56] The Eastern Eagles, So Glad You're Mine and One More Point were also published by fans in the 1990s.[57] When One More Point ceased publication, Five Year Plan launched in its place,[58] and maintains an online presence.[59] Supporters also congregate on two internet forums, The BBS and Holmesdale.net which the club use as channels to communicate with fans.[60]
Being a London club means they compete against a number of other local clubs for the attention of supporters but the club does have a recognisably large catchment area of 900,000.[53][61] When the new owners took control of the club in 2010, they sought the fans' input into future decisions. They consulted on a new badge design, and when their chosen designs were rejected the club instead opted for a design based on a fan's idea from an internet forum.[62] The club are also strengthening their ties with the local community, and through the Crystal Palace F.C. Foundation they work with local London boroughs of Croydon, Bromley and Sutton to provide sports and educational programmes. Through this work the club hope to develop their supporter base and geographical base. The Foundation's work was recognised by The Football League in August 2009 with their Silver Standard Community Scheme Award.[63]
The club also maintains a healthy celebrity support. Kevin Day and Jo Brand host an annual comedy night for Comic Relief and the Palace Academy,[64] and the club also count fellow comedians Eddie Izzard, Harry Enfield, Sean Hughes, Mark Steel, Jim Piddock, Ronnie Corbett and Roy Hudd amongst their fans. Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrissey developed Palace Ale, a beer on sale in the ground,[65] while actor Bill Nighy is patron of the CPSCC, a Crystal Palace-based charity.[66] Two of the stars of The Inbetweeners, James Buckley and Simon Bird are also Palace fans.[67] Smooth Radio DJ David Kid Jensen is chairman of the Crystal Palace Vice Presidents Club[68] and acted as spokesman for the CPFC 2010 consortium during their takeover bid for the club. Also, the heavy metal journalist Dave Ling is a passionate follower.[69] Actor, writer and producer John Salthouse was on the books of Crystal Palace from 1968 to 1970,[70] and was also a mascot for the club as a child.[71] He incorporated the club into his role as Tony in Abigail's Party he was under the name of John Lewis at Palace.[72] Susanna Reid revealed her love of Palace while taking part in Strictly Come Dancing, visiting Selhurst Park for inspiration.[73] Rebecca Lowe, currently the host of Premier League coverage for NBC Sports, is also a supporter.[74]
Rivalries
Because of their location in the capital, Crystal Palace are involved in a number of local derbies, mostly across South London. Their strongest rivalry in London is with Millwall. They also enjoy a smaller rivalry with former tenants Charlton. They have a fierce rivalry with Brighton & Hove Albion which did not develop until Palace's relegation to the Third Division in 1974, reaching its height when the two teams were drawn together in the first round of the 1976–77 FA Cup. The game went to two replays, but the controversy was based on referee Ron Challis ordering a successful Brighton penalty be retaken because of Palace player encroachment. The retake was saved, Palace won the game 1–0 and a fierce rivalry was born.[75]
Ownership
Due to the Football League not wishing the owners of the FA Cup Final to also own a team, a separate company was established to found and own the team. The first chairman, Sydney Bourne, was found by club secretary Edmund Goodman after he had examined records of FA Cup Final ticket purchasers. Goodman noted his name as one that had bought a number of tickets every year, and so he met with Bourne and found him very agreeable to the idea of the new club. Bourne was invited onto the board of directors and elected chairman at the club's first ever meeting. Bourne remained chairman until his death in 1930.[76]
Arthur Wait established a consortium of seven businessmen to purchase the club in 1949, and initially they rotated the chairmanship.[77][78] In 1958 Wait became the Chairman, before being replaced by Raymond Bloye in 1972.[79] Bloye's ownership lasted until 26 January 1981, when property developer Ron Noades and his small consortium took control of the club. Noades eventually sold the club to Mark Goldberg on 5 June 1998, becoming the second longest serving chairman behind Sydney Bourne. Goldberg's tenure of the club was not a success and the club entered administration in March 1999. Although the fans established a group, The Crystal Palace Supporters Trust in a bid to gain control of the club, millionaire Simon Jordan negotiated a deal with creditors and the administrator, and a new company, CPFC 2000 took control. This company entered administration in January 2010, leaving administration in June of that year after a takeover by a consortium of four wealthy fans, CPFC 2010.[80]
Crystal Palace F.C. is currently owned by CPFC 2010 Limited, a Private Limited Company registered at Company House. CPFC 2010 was established by a consortium of four businessmen, Steve Parish, Martin Long, Stephen Browett and Jeremy Hosking in 2010, each owning a 25% share of the company.[81][82] The four successfully negotiated a take-over with the administrator Brendan Guilfoyle and a company voluntary arrangement was formally accepted by company creditors on 20 August 2010.[83] CPFC 2010 also purchased the ground from Lloyds Bank after a demonstration by fans put pressure on the bank to agree terms.[84][85]
On 18 December 2015, it was announced that a new deal had been signed with American investors Josh Harris and David Blitzer.[86] The club stated that Steve Parish would continue as chairman alongside Harris and Blitzer and that Browett, Long and Hosking would also retain a substantial investment.[87]
Statistics and records
Jim Cannon holds the record for Crystal Palace appearances, having played 660 first-team matches between 1973 and 1988.[88] He also holds the record for most League appearances, making 571.[89] Cannon joined the club as a trainee, and of his appearances only four of them were made as a substitute. His first appearance was made aged 19, scoring in a home win against Chelsea on 31 March 1973. Cannon's last game was on 7 May 1988, a home win against Manchester City.[90] Peter Simpson holds the record for the most goals scored in a season, 54 in the 1930–31 season in Division Three (South). Simpson, who signed for the club from Kettering Town, is also the top scorer over a career – 165 between 1929 and 1935.[88] He died in 1974. Aki Riihilahti holds the club record for most international caps, with 36 appearances for Finland while at Palace.[89][91][92]
Crystal Palace hold a number of records and achievements. They are one of only a small group of clubs to have been inaugural champions of a Football League Division, winning the newly formed Third Division in 1920–21. Their average league attendance of 19,092 achieved in the 1960–61 season and the attendance of 37,774 for the Good Friday game at Selhurst Park between Palace and Millwall the same season are Fourth Division attendance records.[93] The club's widest victory margin in the league was their 9–0 win against Barrow in Division Four in 1959, while their heaviest defeat in the league was by the same scoreline, 9–0, against Liverpool in 1989 in Division One.[94]
Palace's record home attendance is 51,482 for a Division Two match against Burnley, achieved on 11 May 1979.[94] With the introduction of regulations enforcing all-seater stadiums, it is unlikely that this record will be beaten in the foreseeable future. The highest transfer fee received for a Palace player is £15 million, from Manchester United for Wilfried Zaha in January 2013, while the highest transfer fee paid by the club to date was for Yohan Cabaye from Paris Saint-Germain in July 2015, thought to be around £13 million. The club's highest league finish was third in the Football League First Division which is now the Premier League achieved in 1990–91, under the management of Steve Coppell. The club were runners-up in the FA Cup in 1990 and have also reached the semi-final twice. In 1991 they won the Full Members Cup, and they have reached the semi-finals of the Football League Cup four times, most recently in 2012.
Palace remain the only team ever to be relegated from the Premier League even though they finished 4th from bottom. In the 1994/1995 season, the Premier League was reduced from 22 teams down to the current standard of 20. Palace also hold the record for relegations from the Premier League with a total of 4, (1992/93, 1994/95, 1997/98, 2004/05), they also hold the record for most Play Off wins resulting in promotion to the Premier League amassing 4 Play Off victories, they also hold the record (in any division) for winning promotion at 4 different locations, (Selhurst Park 1989, Old Wembley 1997, Millennium Stadium 2004 and New Wembley 2013).
Players
First-team squad
- As of 26 January 2016.[95]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Development squad
Crystal Palace Reserves joined the London League in the year 1906–07. Crystal Palace has gained a reputation for their academy which produced players such as Wilfried Zaha, Nathaniel Clyne, Victor Moses, Wayne Routledge, Ben Watson, Clinton Morrison, Gareth Southgate etc.[99][100]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable former players
- Past (and present) players who are the subjects of Wikipedia articles can be found here
Crystal Palace "Centenary XI"
To celebrate Crystal Palace's centenary in 2005, the club asked Palace fans to vote for a "Centenary XI" from a shortlist of ten players per position, provided by the club.[101]
- Nigel Martyn (1989–96)
- Paul Hinshelwood (1974–83)
- Chris Coleman (1991–95)
- Jim Cannon (1972–88)
- Kenny Sansom (1975–80)
- John Salako (1986–95)
- Geoff Thomas (1987–93)
- Andy Gray (1984–87,1989–92)
- Attilio Lombardo (1997–99)
- Andrew Johnson (2002–06, 2014)
- Ian Wright (1985–91)
Player of the Year
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Club staff
Position | Name |
---|---|
Co-Chairman | Steve Parish |
Co-Chairman | Stephen Browett |
Chief Executive | Phil Alexander |
Manager | Alan Pardew |
Assistant Manager | Keith Millen |
First Team Coach | John Salako |
Goalkeeping Coach | Andy Woodman |
Fitness Coach | Scott Guyett |
Managers
- As of matches played 1 March 2016. Not including caretaker managers. All competitive matches are counted.
Name | From | To | G | W | D | L | %W |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
John 'Jack' Robson | July 1905 | 30 April 1907 | 77 | 35 | 18 | 24 | 45.45 |
Edmund Goodman | 1 May 1907 | 24 November 1925 | 613 | 242 | 166 | 205 | 39.48 |
Alex Maley | 24 November 1925 | 12 October 1927 | 83 | 36 | 16 | 31 | 43.37 |
Fred Mavin | 21 November 1927 | 18 October 1930 | 132 | 63 | 33 | 36 | 47.73 |
Jack Tresadern | 27 October 1930 | June 1935 | 213 | 98 | 44 | 71 | 46.01 |
Tom Bromilow | July 1935 1 January 1937 |
July 1936 July 1939 |
162 | 71 | 40 | 51 | 43.83 |
R. S. Moyes | July 1936 | 8 December 1936 | 23 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 26.09 |
George Irwin | July 1939 | July 1947 | 45 | 15 | 11 | 19 | 33.33 |
Jack Butler | July 1947 | June 1949 | 88 | 23 | 24 | 41 | 26.14 |
Ronnie Rooke | June 1949 | 29 November 1950 | 62 | 19 | 15 | 28 | 30.65 |
Fred Dawes/Charlie Slade | 29 November 1950 | 11 October 1951 | 40 | 8 | 10 | 22 | 20.00 |
Laurie Scott | 11 October 1951 | October 1954 | 145 | 43 | 41 | 61 | 29.66 |
Cyril Spiers | October 1954 | June 1958 | 181 | 52 | 53 | 76 | 28.73 |
George Smith | July 1958 | 12 April 1960 | 100 | 42 | 27 | 31 | 42.00 |
Arthur Rowe | 15 April 1960 | 30 November 1962 | 132 | 52 | 32 | 48 | 39.39 |
Dick Graham | 30 November 1962 | 3 January 1966 | 150 | 68 | 41 | 41 | 45.33 |
Bert Head | 18 April 1966 | 30 March 1973 | 328 | 101 | 96 | 131 | 30.79 |
Malcolm Allison | 30 March 1973 1 December 1980 |
May 1976 26 January 1981 |
155 | 53 | 48 | 54 | 34.19 |
Terry Venables | 1 June 1976 9 June 1998 |
14 October 1980 15 January 1999 |
220 | 80 | 76 | 64 | 36.36 |
Dario Gradi | 26 January 1981 | 10 November 1981 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 23.33 |
Steve Kember | 10 November 1981 18 April 2003 |
June 1982 3 November 2003 |
53 | 15 | 14 | 24 | 28.30 |
Alan Mullery | July 1982 | June 1984 | 98 | 31 | 27 | 40 | 31.63 |
Steve Coppell | July 1984 July 1995 28 February 1997 15 January 1999 |
21 May 1993 8 February 1996 13 March 1998 1 August 2000 |
565 | 221 | 146 | 198 | 39.12 |
Alan Smith | 3 June 1993 1 August 2000 |
15 May 1995 29 April 2001 |
163 | 62 | 43 | 58 | 38.04 |
Dave Bassett | 8 February 1996 | 27 February 1997 | 60 | 29 | 15 | 16 | 48.33 |
Attilio Lombardo[A] | 13 March 1998 | 29 April 1998 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 28.57 |
Steve Bruce | 30 May 2001 | 31 October 2001 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 61.11 |
Trevor Francis | 30 November 2001 | 18 April 2003 | 78 | 28 | 22 | 28 | 35.90 |
Iain Dowie | 22 December 2003 | 22 May 2006 | 123 | 50 | 29 | 44 | 40.65 |
Peter Taylor | 13 June 2006 | 8 October 2007 | 60 | 21 | 16 | 23 | 35.00 |
Neil Warnock | 11 October 2007 27 August 2014 |
2 March 2010 27 December 2014 |
146 | 50 | 45 | 51 | 34.25 |
Paul Hart | 2 March 2010 | 3 May 2010 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 21.43 |
George Burley | 17 June 2010 | 1 January 2011 | 25 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 28.00 |
Dougie Freedman | 11 January 2011 | 23 October 2012 | 90 | 32 | 27 | 31 | 35.56 |
Ian Holloway | 3 November 2012 | 23 October 2013 | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 30.43 |
Tony Pulis | 23 November 2013 | 14 August 2014 | 28 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 42.86 |
Alan Pardew | 2 January 2015 | Present | 55 | 26 | 7 | 22 | 47.27 |
Honours
Crystal Palace's honours and achievements include the following:
League
- First Division (Top Level)
- Third place : 1990–91
- Second Division/First Division/Championship (Level 2)
- Third Division (Level 3)
- Third Division South ( Joint Level 3 with Third Division North )
- Fourth Division (Level 4)
- Runners up (1): 1960–61
- South Regional League
- Champions (1): 1940–41
- South 'D' Wartime League
- Champions (1): 1939–40
- Southern Football League Division One
- Runners up (1): 1913–14
- Southern Football League Division Two
- Champions (1): 1905–06
Cup
- FA Cup
- Finalists (1): 1990
- Full Members Cup[C]
- Winners (1): 1990–91
- London Challenge Cup[D]
In popular culture
In the 1999 Michael Winterbottom film Wonderland the scenes of the character Dan and his son at a football match were filmed at Selhurst Park, the ground of Crystal Palace in a 1–1 draw against Birmingham City on 6 February 1999.[102] In the Mike Leigh play Abigail's Party, the character Tony mentions that he used to play professionally for Crystal Palace but it "didn't work out", something actor John Salthouse brought to the character in rehearsals based on his own life.[72] Salthouse also incorporated the club into the children's television series he wrote, Hero to Zero, in which the father of the main character once played for Palace reserves.[103] In the first series of Only Fools and Horses a Crystal Palace scarf could be seen on the coat rack, placed there by producer Ray Butt.[104] Headmaster Keith Blackwell, who played Crystal Palace mascot "Pete the Eagle" in the late nineties fronted a series of Coca-Cola advertisements in 1996. Blackwell spoke about his role and the embarrassment it brought to his family, and clips of him in costume were used in the campaign.[105][106]
Crystal Palace Ladies
Crystal Palace Ladies is the women's football club affiliated to Crystal Palace, founded in 1992. They are managed by Ian Jackson. Crystal Palace LFC compete in the Women's South East Combination League, in the third tier of English women's football.[107] They play their home games at the Hayes Lane, Bromley, London.[107]
Their kits are sponsored by the insurance broker Lark (Group) Limited.
Notes
- ^ Player-Manager
- ^ For all three occasions the club were not promoted as only the champions of the two Division Three championships were promoted.
- ^ This was an association football cup competition held from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992. The competition was created after the Heysel Stadium disaster, when English clubs were banned from European competition, as an additional competition for clubs in the top two divisions
- ^ This was a football tournament organised by the London FA. The London Challenge Cup was first contested in 1908, and other than during the World Wars, was contested every season until 1974, when the tournament was disbanded.
References
- Bibliography
- King, Ian (2012). Crystal Palace: The Complete Record 1905–2011. Derby Books Publishing Company Limited. ISBN 978-1-78091-221-9.
- Matthews, Tony (editor). We All Follow The Palace. Juma, 1998. ISBN 1-872204-55-4
- Citations
- ^ "Premier League Handbook Season 2013/14" (PDF). Premier League. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f History, CPFC, retrieved 14 October 2013
- ^ King, p. 10
- ^ Hutchinson, Roger (2011). The Toon: A Complete History of Newcastle United Football Club. Random House. ISBN 978-1-78057-314-4.
- ^ Porter, Steve. "All time greatest F A cup giant killings Number 11 Newcastle United 0–1 Crystal Palace". The Giant Killers. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
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- ^ King, pp. 19–20, 32–7
- ^ King, p. 39–48
- ^ King, p. 48
- ^ Whitfield, Martin (27 January 1995). "The Cantona affair: Palace offer Frenchman no sympathy". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ^ "Soccer star attacks a fan". The Gainesville Sun. The Associated Press. 27 January 1995. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ^ Boggan, Steve (24 March 1995). "Jail term may make Cantona quit UK". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ^ "Attack on fan new low for soccer". The Register-Guard. Eugene. Associated Press. 28 January 1995. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ^ "Soccer fan goes ballistic after guilty verdict". Southeast Missourian. Associated Press. 2 May 1996. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ^ Moore, Glenn (7 March 1995). "The FA has suspended Chris Armstrong of Crystal Palace for smoking a private spliff. Our football correspondent calls for a sense of proportion". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ^ King, p. 50
- ^ "Bassett quits Palace and joins Forest". The Nation. Bangkok: Nation Multimedia Group. Reuters. 1 March 1997. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ King, pp. 51–2
- ^ "The Company File: Palace on the rocks". BBC News. 3 March 1999. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
- ^ Rookwood, Dan (31 May 2001). "Bruce confirmed as Palace manager". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ Fifield, Dominic (3 November 2001). "Palace farce as Bruce awaits escape to Blues". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ Stewart, Colin. "Bruce Left in Limbo as Palace Turn Down Resignation." The Scotsman: 3. 3 November 2001. ProQuest. Web. 31 May 2013. Archived on 3 June 2013.
- ^ Johnson, William (12 November 2001). "Palace stand firm over Bruce dispute". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ "Bruce finally joins the Blues". The Guardian. 12 December 2001. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ Rookwood, Dan (30 November 2001). "Palace name Francis as manager". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ Fifield, Dominic (19 April 2003). "Francis sacked for failing to decorate Jordan's Palace". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ Bright, Richard. "Palace Turn to Kember as Manager." The Daily Telegraph: 05. 24 May 2003. ProQuest. Web. 31 May 2013
- ^ Ley, John (4 November 2003). "Kember sacked by Palace". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ^ "Championship side Crystal Palace go into administration". BBC Sport. 27 January 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ "Crystal Palace deducted 10 points". BBC Sport. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ Fletcher, Paul (2 May 2010). "Sheff Wed 2–2 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ "Crystal Palace appoint George Burley as new boss". BBC Sport. 17 June 2010.
- ^ "Crystal Palace appoint Dougie Freedman as their new manager". The Guardian. London. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ "Dougie Freedman confirmed as Bolton boss by Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
- ^ "Holloway enters his new Palace". FFO. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ Burt, Jason (3 January 2015). "Alan Pardew confirmed as Crystal Palace manager after Newcastle receive £3.5m compensation". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
- ^ Rose, Gary (4 January 2014). "Dover 0–4 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
- ^ a b Georgina Turner; James Dart (23 November 2005). "Nicking the shirts off their backs". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ Mitten, Andy (2010). The Rough Guide to Cult Football. Rough Guides UK. ISBN 1-4053-8796-3.
- ^ a b c d e f g Moor, Dave. "Crystal Palace". Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ Elliott, Ken (27 March 2012). "Facelift for Crystal Palace's 'Benfica eagle'". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Crystal Palace Eagles will be flying high with new mascot". Bromley Times. Archant Community Media. 8 September 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
- ^ "Kayla – The Next Breed Of Mascot". Howzit MSN Sport. Microsoft. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
- ^ King, p. 62
- ^ King, p. 63
- ^ King, p. 64
- ^ a b Matthews pp. 30, 33–5
- ^ King p. 67–71
- ^ a b Johnson, Simon (29 May 2013). "Crystal Palace: Selhurst Park set for a 40,000 makeover". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Crystal Palace unveil plans for National Sports Centre". BBC News. 20 January 2011. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ a b Stevens, Rob (30 May 2013). "Crystal Palace: Steve Parish faces 'luxury problems' after promotion". BBC News. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
- ^ "About Us". Palace Independent Supporters Association. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "What we do". Crystal Palace Supporters' Trust. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "About Palace Echo". Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "Football Fanzines For Sale – (Part 2 – Clubs From C – D)". Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "About FYP". Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "Five Year Plan". Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "Crystal Palace F.C.Fans' Charter Season 2012/13" (PDF). Crystal Palace Football Club. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "Aston Villa: Martin O'Neill ready to rotate squad again". Birmingham Mail. 14 February 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
- ^ Bloss, Andrew (8 May 2013). "Crystal Palace unveils new football club crest". Croydon Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
- ^ "What We Do". Crystal Palace F.C. Foundation. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
- ^ Bloss, Andrew (30 May 2013). "Tickets still on sale for Crystal Palace comedy night". The Croydon Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Palace launch their own ale". Football League. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "CPSCC". Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Crystal Palace Vs Brighton & Hove Albion". Shortlist.com. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ King, Mark (9 December 2011). "David 'Kid' Jensen: my Saturday job". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ Daly, James. "Palace D-Day LIVE: Hours from the end". Five Year Plan. Archived from the original on 27 June 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ Salthouse, John (8 June 1997). "Scholes Shatters Kop Legend". Sunday Mirror. p. 72.
- ^ "John Is Top Of The Bill". Evening Times. 11 November 1985. p. 13.
- ^ a b Duvitski, Janine (14 October 2007). "Party Central: The Players". The Observer. London. p. 6.
- ^ Strictly Come Dancing, broadcast BBC1 12 October 2013
- ^ "Men in Blazers: 8/29". 29 August 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
- ^ Burnton, Simon (27 September 2011). "How Brighton v Crystal Palace grew into an unlikely rivalry". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
- ^ King, pp. 8–23
- ^ Matthews, John (August 1972). "Behind-The-Scenes Shuffle At Palace". Croydon Advertiser.
... whose board he joined in 1948
- ^ "New Man Bloye Kills 'Moneybags' Tag", Croydon Advertiser, 27 October 1972, p.58"Twenty two years ago ... seven men formed a board ... (n)ow the last of the seven, Arthur Wait, steps (down)"
- ^ "New chairman ends freeze at Palace." Times [London, England] 27 October 1972: 10. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 May 2013.
- ^ King, pp. 42–60
- ^ Moody, Graham (6 March 2012). "Crystal Palace post £5m loss". Croydon Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
- ^ Certificate of Incorporation, 29 March 2010
- ^ "Crystal Palace come out of administration". 20 August 2010. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Crystal Palace fans stage demonstration against Lloyds Bank as deadline looms". Press Association. 1 June 2010. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ Wilson, Jeremy (1 June 2010). "Crystal Palace granted reprieve after principle agreement over sale of club and ground". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 27 June 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Crystal Palace: Deal agreed with US investors Harris and Blitzer". BBC Sport. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
- ^ "Investment Deal Is Signed". cpfc.co.uk. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Crystal Palace all time records". Soccerbase. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
- ^ a b King, p. 441
- ^ King, pp. 392–3
- ^ Byfield, Terry (3 July 2012). "Player Records". Crystal Palace Football Club. Archived from the original on 16 July 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
- ^ "Suomen Palloliitto – Riihilahti Aki" (in Finnish). Suomen Palloliitto. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ a b King, p. 444
- ^ "Crystal Palace FC Player Profiles". Crystal Palace F.C. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
- ^ "Jonny joins the Dons". mkdons.com. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ "Inniss Moves On Loan". cpfc.co.uk. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ "Jerome Binnom-Williams leaves Crystal Palace for Leyton Orient loan". skysports.com. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- ^ "CRYSTAL PALACE RESERVES".
- ^ Smith, David (25 October 2011). "What's the secret to Crystal Palace's amazing academy?".
- ^ "Centenary: All-Time XI". CPFC. Archived from the original on 8 May 2005. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
- ^ "Results saturday 6th February 1999". Statto.com. 17 June 2012.
- ^ Maume, Chris (26 February 2000). "Owen's method is latest pitch at football's screen test". The Independent. p. 28.
- ^ Simons, Raoul (25 May 2006). "Football Talk". The Evening Standard. p. 59.
- ^ Earls, John (19 October 1997). "Game for a laugh; Soccer club mascots keep thousands of fans entertained at every game by dressing up as lions, dinosaurs – and even a giant hammer! But what makes them want to face the taunts of cheeky away fans?". The People. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
- ^ Leach, Conrad (15 November 1998). "Mascot men, mascot cats and dogs". The Independent. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
- ^ a b "Crystal Palace Ladies FC". Retrieved 27 June 2013.
Further reading
- The Crystal Palace Story by Roy Peskett, published by Roy Peskett Publishing Ltd (1969).
- 100 Years of Crystal Palace Football Club by Rev. Nigel Sands, published by The History Press Ltd, (2005), ISBN 978-0-7524-3608-1.
- Crystal Palace Football Club by Rev. Nigel Sands, published by NPI Media Group, (1999), ISBN 978-0-7524-1544-4.
- Classic Matches: Crystal Palace FC by Rev. Nigel Sands, published by The History Press Ltd, (2002), ISBN 978-0-7524-2733-1.
- Crystal Palace Miscellany by Neil McSteen, published by Legends Publishing, (2009), ISBN 978-1-905411-55-9.
External links
- Crystal Palace F.C. on BBC Sport: Club news – Recent results and fixtures
- Official website
- CPFC BBS online fans forum
- Palace Radio 1278am