Classic Clash: Crystal Palace vs Hull City

Crystal Palace √ hull city » sunday 14th may 2017 premier league » Kick−Off 12.00pm

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28/07/2016 12:55:37

CPFC v HCAFC / / CONTENTS

THE PALACE PROGRAMME PROGRAMME EDITOR Jonathon Rogers CONTENT EDITOR Terry Byfield GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Billy Cooke, Andrew Makin PRINTER Bishops Printers

DIRECTORS Steve Parish (Chairman), David Blitzer, Joshua Harris.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Phil Alexander

PHOTOGRAPHY Neil Everitt, Action Images, Michael Hulf.

CONTRIBUTORS Jonathon Rogers, Terry Byfield, Samuel Jordan, Ian King, Louise Court, Chris Waters, Dominic Fifield, Richard Spokes, Emma Wright, Phil Morgan, Gianni Buttice.

04 MANAGER

43 SELHURST STUNNERS

Sam Allardyce gives his final thoughts ahead of this crunch game with the Tigers.

We go back to last season and take a look at a thunderbolt from Chelsea’s Willian.

13 FRAIZER CAMPBELL

58 2016/17 SEASON REVIEW

The striker looks back on his now-vital equaliser up on Humberside in December.

Reflect on the last nine months which have seen the muchchanged Eagles fight bravely to retain their top-flight status.

71 FLASHBACK

21 OPPOSITION

It was four years ago that Kevin Phillips bagged a hat-trick to help beat the Tigers 4-2, and we catch up with the striker.

Get all the information on Marco Silva’s side who currently occupy a spot in the bottom three.

32 #ASKTHEEAGLES

81 STATISTICS

Damien Delaney tackles your Twitter questions including dressing room music, coffee clubs and number 27.

Take a look at how the first-team, development and academy sides have ended their respective seasons.

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CPFC v HCAFC / / THE MANAGER

After last weekend’s performance against Manchester City, we are determined to get back on track today and ensure our Premier League status for next season.

t was a disappointing display at the Etihad Stadium and after showing plenty of resilience and defensive solidarity in recent months, it was frustrating to see our commitment towards nullifying the opposition go completely out of the window. The team, individually and collectively, didn’t perform as they should do against a team like Manchester City, and that was a big blow. We lost our understanding of why we have won so many games recently, so that coupled with a 5-0 thrashing made it an unacceptable afternoon for me.

However we have to move on from that now, because today’s game against Hull City is massive. We have another game after this so it’s not quite all on the line, but we don’t want it to come down to next weekend at Old Trafford. We need to get a win or a draw to avoid relegation, so we’ll require the mentality that I’ve been stating to everyone over the last few months of respecting the point, and if we can’t win the game then don’t lose it. We have to keep our cool, stick to our strengths and the players not to try and win it as individuals or do things that don’t suit us. If we do that, I’m confident we will get what we need to survive.

The outstanding position we got ourselves in with five games to go following the Liverpool game was phenomenal, when we needed just one more win to be mathematically safe but

“

WE HAVE TO HANDLE THE PRESSURE THAT OCCASIONS SUCH AS THESE BRING, AND SO DO YOU, THE FANS

”

faced some tough games in a short space of time and it didn’t happen for us. Now we’re into the final two games but we just need one last point, so our fate is in our own hands.

We also have to handle the pressure that occasions such as these bring, and

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so do you, the fans. You have a massive effect on the players out on the pitch, and if you pass on positive support to the team, whatever situation they may be in during the 90 minutes, that will lift them, while nervous energy will obviously have the opposite effect, and we can’t afford to have that inside the stadium on an afternoon such as today.

I’m sure that won’t be the case though, as during my short period of time as manager here the support has been fantastic. I knew how good it was before I got here, but it has been sensational recently. I have to thank you all very much for all the backing you have given me and the team since I took charge, and you’ve made me feel very welcome. You stuck with us through the bad times, and hopefully by the end of today we will all feel a sense of relief and can begin to look forward to next season.

CPFC v SFC / / THE MANAGER

05

CPFC v HCAFC / / THE CAPTAIN

Today’s game has probably come a couple of days too soon for me to be involved, however I’m hoping to be available again for the final day of the season.

he injury is coming along really well; I’m back outside running again and hopefully I’ll be training with the lads by the start of next week, so I could play a part in the Manchester United game. Hopefully it won’t be a crucial one for us, and we’ll get the job done this afternoon.

We’ve lost three games on the bounce, but going into this one we still have the confidence from our good form before then.

We’re aiming to get the result we need to put survival to bed today, so we won’t need anything at Old Trafford next week.

It’s disappointing to be so close to safety but not quite seal it yet. The Burnley game was a missed opportunity and you can never count on the teams around you losing games, so you have to concentrate on your own results. Going to Manchester City is never easy so you don’t expect to get a result up there, albeit we’ve beaten most of the big teams in recent months, but we’re still in a good position knowing it’s in our hands. We know we can get the result, and if we do that then it’ll be done and dusted.

Due to injuries, we’ve had a patched up defence recently which has robbed us a little bit. It’s been unfortunate as I got injured,

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EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW BIG A GAME THIS WILL BE, AND IT’S ALL ABOUT STAYING CALM

”

then James and finally Mamadou which isn’t ideal because as a defender, you get better playing with someone in a partnership week in, week out. When the backline is chopped and changed around, it’s never easy to put in the same kind of performances. However, the lads who are fit need to stand up and be counted and show what good players they are, and hopefully they’ll do that this afternoon.

Having our destiny in our own hands is all you can ask for. Obviously, we don’t want to be in this position but when you

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consider where we were a few months ago and the results we’ve had, that should give us confidence. Everybody knows how big a game this will be, and it’s all about staying calm and producing your best performance despite everything that’s riding on the result. We can’t get caught up too much in the occasion because if we perform to our best, then we’ll get what we need, so we just need to focus on the task in hand.

When you get to this stage of the season, things can get nervy and the fans feel that. However, you guys are brilliant at getting behind the lads when you know that we need a result, and I’m sure that will be the case again today, and hopefully by the end of the afternoon we’ll all be happy.

On that note, I would like to thank you for all your support home and away this season, and rest assured we’ll do everything we can to send you into the summer still in the Premier League.

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CPFC v HCAFC / / THE CHAIRMAN

Firstly I would like to welcome Hull City to Selhurst Park this afternoon for our final home game of the season.

ell, it has certainly been an eventful campaign. I guess that a few months ago, had we been offered a draw or better against Hull at home to retain our Premier League status we would have taken it, but having beaten the teams we have over the last few months we are probably all a little disappointed that we haven’t got the job done sooner.

Nonetheless, it makes today’s game a huge one for both teams. We have the advantage of being at home and we need to make that count, and we need you to do what you always do and raise the roof in support of the team. The Middlesbrough game sticks in the mind as the one where you made the biggest difference, lifting the lads from the kick-off to get the first of our recent huge results. I know you will give us everything today, as will the players, and hopefully we can celebrate securing a record fifth successive year of top-flight football at full-time.

As these are my final notes before the summer, I’d just like to personally thank everyone that’s been to a game home and away this season. As I have said, it hasn’t always been easy to watch but you have

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I KNOW YOU WILL GIVE US EVERYTHING TODAY

”

stuck with us. To the people that have provided counsel and support to me, thank you also, especially Josh and David who are unwavering in both of those aspects. I would also like to thank the players for their efforts - things haven’t always gone as we would want but we have a great bunch and I want today to be a successful end to the season for them as much as anyone.

Finally, I would like to bring your attention to a few things going on off the pitch. Firstly, today sees the launch of our 2017/18 Memberships, which not only give fans the opportunity to purchase match tickets next season but come with a variety of other benefits, including Junior Members receiving one of next season’s shirts with

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their packs. All the details are online now, so make sure you check these out.

There is also the increasingly popular Selhurst Park Beer Festival on 27th May which gives you the chance to sample some fantastic local beers while watching the FA Cup final and various musical entertainment. Tickets are on sale now, so try and come along to that if you can.

Then of course, there are still season tickets available for 2017/18. We have sold a record number already, but there are a few still to be snapped up. They won’t last long, so make sure you get yours as quickly as you can to ensure you get to see all the action at Selhurst next year for the best possible price.

We hope that after today’s game, we’ll be able to guarantee that you will be watching Premier League football in SE25 once again, so be loud, be proud and be Palace and help roar us on to get this vital result.

Up the Palace!

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CPFC v HCAFC / / NEWSROOM

2017/18 MEMBERSHIPS LAUNCHED Memberships for the 2017/18 season are now available with a host of benefits on offer to suit all Palace fans, including priority ticket booking, club shop and stadium tour discounts, and exclusive member-only events.

Our memberships for the new campaign come with more benefits than ever before, making it simple for members to watch Palace play, while still being able to feel involved when they can’t make it to a match. Gold and Junior Gold members can purchase

home match tickets one day before other fans with their ticket priority, and International Members can again reserve their seats before tickets go on general sale. All members will receive a welcome pack including their membership card and exclusive Palace merchandise to show your colours during the next 12 months.

We have also split our Junior Member packs by age, meaning our younger fans will be able to enjoy gifts more relevant to them. The new Junior

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Gold Membership includes 24-hour priority booking on match tickets, and a 2017/18 home or away shirt of your choice.

Plus, all Junior Members will be given the opportunity to attend a number of exclusive events and enter competitions throughout the season, where they can have the chance to meet their Eagles heroes up close and personal.

For more information, and to order your 2017/18 Membership, head to cpfctickets.com.

CPFC v HCAFC / / NEWSROOM

END OF SEASON AWARDS Palace fans have been voting online for their Player and Goal of the Season for 2016/17, with six Eagles battling it out for the top prize.

Christian Benteke, Yohan Cabaye, Jason Puncheon, Mamadou Sakho, Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha were the nominees put forward for the Player of the Year award, which last season was won by Zaha for the first time.

Meanwhile, the winger also has two entries for the Goal of the Season competition, which saw his strikes against Hull City and Swansea City recognised. The other contenders for that prize are Townsend’s solo effort against West Bromwich Albion, Benteke’s goal against Chelsea and Cabaye’s curler against Arsenal. Voting has now closed, with the winners announced next week.

EAGLES SUPPORT THOMAS CHALLENGE Last week, five amateur cyclists led by former Palace captain Geoff Thomas, began the Three Tours Challenge that will see the team cycle the Giro D’Italia, Le Tour de France and La Vuelta a España consecutively, one day ahead of the professionals.

Ahead of this monumental challenge, Thomas met Sam Allardyce and his Palace squad who wished him well as he aims to raise £1 million for Cure Leukaemia.

"I had a meeting with Steve Parish and Stephen Browett a couple of months ago and I was very emotional when they told me how much they would financially back the challenge,” Thomas said. “I am very proud and honoured at the way that once again Crystal Palace have got behind me and supported my fundraising."

Donations can be made at justgiving. com/fundraising/3tours.

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NEWS IN BRIEF -

If you have renewed your Season Ticket for the 17/18 season and kept the same seat and age band then your 17/18 season ticket will be loaded on to your existing card, so please make sure you keep hold of it.

Christian Benteke was nominated for the Premier League’s Player of the Month award for April, but lost out to Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min.

You need to purchase your 2017/18 Season Ticket before 9am on Tuesday 2nd May to get the best available prices for the remaining seats next season. After that date, prices will increase.

Last Friday saw a group of Palace fans, including Sasa Curcic and Robert Quinn, lose 2-1 to their Brighton counterparts in the annual Robert Eaton Memorial Fund game, staged at Lewes FC. The Selhurst Superdraw winning number from the Burnley game was 0762, and the prize of £1,120 has been claimed. The winning from the Tottenham game (ticket number 1513) has yet to be claimed.

Patrick van Aanholt was named man of the match for the Burnley game by Liz Grimsey.

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With Hull City and Manchester United on the horizon, the striker will be hoping to once again strike against his former clubs, just as he did when the Tigers and Eagles last faced off.

By Jonathon Rogers

“

LOOKING BACK AT IT NOW, THAT WILL BE ONE OF MY MOST IMPORTANT GOALS FOR PALACE BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION WE'RE IN NOW

”

14

CPFC v HCAFC / / FRAIZER CAMPBELL

He may have only found the net once so far this season, but Fraizer Campbell’s late header against Hull City at the KCOM Stadium back in December could prove to be Palace’s most crucial goal of the entire campaign.

The striker ghosted in between Curtis Davies and Michael Dawson to head home Wilfried Zaha’s cross two minutes from time to snatch a 3-3 draw for the Eagles from their trip to Humberside, costing the Tigers two precious points. Had the striker not found himself in the perfect place to haunt his old side, then today’s visitors could have leap-frogged the Eagles with victory today, potentially sending them spiralling into the bottom three at just the wrong time.

Thankfully, Campbell’s strike means Palace are in control of their own destiny, and he believes that that goal five months ago could well be the most vital of the eight he’s bagged during his time in SE25.

“It was an important goal at the time as we would have lost the game, but while every goal is important, looking back at it now that will be one of my most important goals for Palace because of the situation we’re in now,” he said. “It was also nice because I was getting some stick from a section of their fans who weren’t too pleased with me!

“It doesn’t matter too much about playing against your former clubs though, you try and do the best you can for your current team, so I’ll be doing everything I can over the next couple of weeks to make sure that Crystal Palace remain in the Premier League. If I could get on the scoresheet against them again it would be nice but it’s more important to get the win. We don’t want it to go down to the final game against Manchester United; you want your fate in your own hands and secure that as early as possible.”

Opportunities have been limited for the 29-year-old this season due to the arrivals of Christian Benteke and Loic Remy and a couple of ill-timed injuries that halted his momentum, but he is now back in Sam Allardyce’s plans again with three appearances in the last four games and enjoying being in thick of the action as the season heats up towards its climax.

“It’s definitely much better to be getting a few more minutes here and there,” the one-time capped England international added about his recent outings from the bench. “The best thing about being a footballer is actually playing in matches, and when you’re not doing that it’s a bit disheartening.

“It’s been an up and down season for me, I’ve picked up some injuries at bad times and when I have been fit the team have been doing well, so it’s been a difficult one for myself but hopefully we can finish the season well and stay in the Premier League.

“The game on Sunday has the potential to be very nervy but we’re focussed. We’ve worked hard all season and it all boils down to these next two games which will determine what league we’ll be in next season. There’s a lot of pressure in football and you can let that get on top of you, so we need to keep things as normal as possible.

However we’re all conscious that it’s a big game and know the job in hand, but we have more than enough in our changing room to get what we need.”

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CPFC v HCAFC / / FINAL SCORE

PREMIER LEAGUE | SELHURST PARK | 29TH APRIL 2017 | ATTENDANCE: 25,013

SHOTS OFF TARGET

06

14

CORNERS

04

02

OFFSIDES

01

11

FOULS

12

64

POSSESSION

36

CRYSTAL PALACE 13. Wayne Hennessey 02. Joel Ward 34. Martin Kelly 27. Damien Delaney 03. Patrick van Aanholt 18. James McArthur 28. Luka Milivojevic 42. Jason Puncheon 11. Wilfried Zaha 17. Christian Benteke 10. Andros Townsend SUBSTITUTES 01. Julian Speroni 31. Jeffrey Schlupp 04. Mathieu Flamini 14. Chung-yong Lee 26. Bakary Sako 08. Loic Remy 09. Fraizer Campbell Goal

Own Goal

MILIVOJEVIC

03

Yellow Card

16

First Sub

04

PASSES IN OPPOSITION HALF

43

WE WON THE ONE V ONE BATTLES, WHICH WE KNEW WE WOULD HAVE TO DO AGAINST A TEAM WHO ARE ON A ROLL

WE GOT NERVOUS. WE STARTED VERY WELL, BUT THEN FELL FOUL TO OUR INEFFICIENCIES AND THAT GOAL GOT THE NERVES JANGLING

Red Card

BENTEKE

10

MOST SHOTS

VAN AANHOLT

03

11.72KM

HEATON

SHOTS ON TARGET

11.23KM

VOKES

05

MOST DISTANCE COVERED BOYD

Palace’s chance to virtually seal their Premier League status was thwarted by Burnley after the Clarets picked up their first away win of the season at Selhurst Park.

Ex-Brighton and Hove Albion man Ashley Barnes opened the scoring after seven minutes when he netted in scruffy fashion, and then the striker had a goal chalked off for handball as Sean Dyche’s side enjoyed the better of the first half.

The Eagles rallied after the break but couldn’t find a way through a resolute defence, and late in the game substitute Andre Gray raced clear on a counterattack to score their second, clinching a massive win for the visitors who leapfrogged the Eagles in the table, making Sam Allardyce's side wait to secure their top-flight status.

Second Sub

32 BURNLEY 01. Tom Heaton 02. Matthew Lowton 05. Michael Keane 26. James Tarkowski 23. Stephen Ward 21. George Boyd 18. Ashley Westwood 13. Jeff Hendrick 37. Scott Arfield 09. Sam Vokes 10. Ashley Barnes SUBSTITUTES 29. Nick Pope 04. Jon Flanagan 28. Kevin Long 16. Steven Defour 12. Robbie Brady 25. Johann Gudmundsson 07. Andre Gray Third Sub

CPFC v HCAFC / / FINAL SCORE

17

CPFC v HCAFC / / FINAL SCORE

PREMIER LEAGUE | ETIHAD STADIUM | 6TH MAY 2017 | ATTENDANCE: 54,119

14

SHOTS OFF TARGET

03

09

CORNERS

03

02

OFFSIDES

00

12

FOULS

08

69

POSSESSION

31

MANCHESTER CITY 13. Willy Caballero 25. Fernandinho 04. Vincent Kompany 30. Nicolas Otamendi 22. Gael Clichy 42. Yaya Toure 19. Leroy Sane 17. Kevin De Bruyne 21. David Silva 07. Raheem Sterling 33. Gabriel Jesus SUBSTITUTES 54. Angus Gunn 03. Bacary Sagna 05. Pablo Zabaleta 11. Aleksandar Kolarov 06. Fernando 15. Jesus Navas 72. Kelechi Iheanacho Goal

Own Goal

DE BRUYNE SANE

05

Yellow Card

18

First Sub

01

PASSES IN OPPOSITION HALF

76

MY TEAM WAS UNRECOGNISABLE FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST TWO OR THREE MONTHS HOPEFULLY THAT IS A ONE-OFF

OUR PERFORMANCE WAS HIGH LEVEL. I'M PLEASED FOR OUR PEOPLE, WE CAN FINALLY ENJOY A LOT OF GOALS HERE

Red Card

MOST SHOTS

TOURE

02

11.81KM

HENNESSEY

SHOTS ON TARGET

11.63KM

BENTEKE

12

MOST DISTANCE COVERED MCARTHUR

For the second season in a row, Palace suffered a heavy defeat against a slick Manchester City side at the Etihad Stadium on a disappointing afternoon for Sam Allardyce and his team.

It took less than two minutes for the hosts to grab the lead when David Silva fired home from close-range, but after Palace had weathered the storm and nearly equalised through a Christian Benteke header, moments after the restart Vincent Kompany lashed the ball home to double the lead.

Kevin De Bruyne then bent a shot into the bottom corner around the hour mark before Raheem Sterling added a fourth, and then in stoppage-time Nicolas Otamendi netted a flying diving header from a free-kick to complete the rout.

Second Sub

22 CRYSTAL PALACE 13. Wayne Hennessey 02. Joel Ward 34. Martin Kelly 31. Jeffrey Schlupp 03. Patrick van Aanholt 18. James McArthur 28. Luka Milivojevic 42. Jason Puncheon 10. Andros Townsend 11. Wilfried Zaha 17. Christian Benteke SUBSTITUTES 01. Julian Speroni 27. Damien Delaney 04. Mathieu Flamini 14. Chung-yong Lee 26. Bakary Sako 08. Loic Remy 09. Fraizer Campbell Third Sub

CPFC v HCAFC / / FINAL SCORE

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20

CPFC v HCAFC / / RECENT FORM

HULL CITY’S LAST FIVE RESULTS:

6th May

Sunderland (H)

29th April

Southampton (A)

D 0-0

22th April

Watford (H)

W 2-0

15th April

Stoke City (A)

L 1-3

8th April

Manchester City (A)

L 1-3

L 0-2

The Tigers head to Selhurst Park this afternoon having fallen into the relegation zone following defeat to Sunderland, leaving them fighting for their Premier League lives.

Last month started well for Marco Silva’s men as they picked up back to back wins in the space of four days to move out of the bottom three for the first time since October. Firstly, a late Andrea Ranocchia goal was enough to beat West Ham United 2-1 before a fine 4-2 win over fellow strugglers Middlesbrough was recorded thanks to strikes from Lazar Markovic, Oumar Niasse, Abel Hernandez and Harry Maguire.

However consecutive 3-1 defeats to Manchester City and Stoke City continued Hull's poor away form this season, but back on their own patch at the KCOM Stadium, Silva kept up his three-year long record of not losing a home match as Watford were dispatched by a 2-0 scoreline. Despite seeing Niasse red-carded in ridiculous circumstances early in the game, goals from Markovic and Sam Clucas claimed another vital three points against a lacklustre Hornets.

A trip to St Mary’s followed to take on Southampton and another vital point was claimed in a dull affair which only livened

up in the final few moments when Eldin Jakupovic saved a lastminute penalty from Dusan Tadic.

However eight days ago they welcomed Sunderland to the KCON Stadium and Silva saw his home record finally come to an end following goals from Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe.

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CPFC v HCAFC / / THE MANAGER

PLAYING CAREER: (1996-2011): Belenenses, Atlético, Trofense, Campomaiorense (loan), Rio Ave, Braga B, Salgueiros, Odivelas, Estoril (all Portugal).

MANAGERIAL CAREER: 2011–2014: Estoril 2014–2015: Sporting CP 2015–2016: Olympiacos 2017–present: Hull City HONOURS: 1x Portuguese Segunda title 1x Portuguese Cup 1x Superleague Greece title HULL RECORD: P20, W8, D3, L9

SILVA ON...

Last weekend’s defeat to Sunderland: "It's disappointing.

We had chances to score in many moments of the game.

Ultimately there was big tension in some of the team. We need to be calm in some moments. When you don't do this you start to lose focus and we conceded two from set-pieces.

We didn't achieve what we wanted from the match but we have two more games."

afternoon for us but it doesn't change anything. It is clear this afternoon our players don't play calm. They tried to do everything too fast, and fast and well is not easy. If you're not calm, it is impossible to play well."

Speculation linking him with jobs elsewhere: "It is normal that it will start now, but we will never lose our focus and we have one goal in mind. I see my future today and tomorrow to prepare the team and I am focused on playing well and winning next Sunday. This is what is important – not what happens in two months. I prepare one day then the next day and the next game, and this is my way."

Harry Maguire’s future: "He is a young player, and it's important for Hull to keep these kinds of players. There have been no offers for the player, so I don't want to talk too much about his position. I want to talk about the players keeping focused on our goal and to keep going until the end of the season."

The tight basement battle: “Goal-difference is important.

The last two home games, we have scored two goals and not conceded any. That is important. We try to get a clean sheet and score as many goals as possible but the most important thing is to win the game.”

Trying to keep his players calm: "Nothing is finished this afternoon [after Sunderland]. Even if we achieved a good result, these are my words to you. Of course it is a not a good

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CPFC v HCAFC / / THE OPPOSITION

16 ELDIN JAKUPOVIC GOALKEEPER | AGE 32

Having waited for five years, the one-time capped Switzerland international has finally managed to enjoy extended runs between the Tigers’ sticks this term, firstly filling in for the injured Allan McGregor and then, following Marco Silva’s appointment, managing to wrestle the goalkeeper’s jersey away from David Marshall. He is on course to play as many games this term alone then he had managed in his previous four seasons, having arrived from Greek side Aris in July 2012. His career started in his homeland with Grasshopper and FC Thun before switching to Russia with Lokomotiv Moscow, and then he returned on loan to Grasshopper for a couple of seasons before moving to Greece with Olympiakos Volou and Aris.

03

06

ANDREW ROBERTSON

CURTIS DAVIES

DEFENDER | AGE 23

DEFENDER | AGE 32

An international teammate of James McArthur, Robertson was snapped up from Dundee United for £2.85 million in 2014 having been named the Young Player of the Year north of the border in his only season with the Tangerines. Since arriving at the KCOM Stadium he has been a regular, and has missed just three league games this season which saw him surpass 100 for the Tigers.

Now in his fourth season at the club, the veteran centre-back’s career began at Luton Town before spells in the Midlands with West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa, Leicester City and Birmingham City. He pitched up at Hull at the start of the 2013/14 season, and scored three of his seven Tigers goals in their run to the FA Cup final that year, including one in the 3-2 defeat to Arsenal at Wembley.

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ANDREA RANOCCHIA

OMAR ELABDELLAOUI

DEFENDER | AGE 29

DEFENDER | AGE 25

The former Inter Milan captain is currently on loan from the Italian giants, having spent the end of the last campaign on a similar deal at Sampdoria. He featured for Arezzo, Bari and Genoa before moving to the San Siro, where he won one Italian Cup and has made 166 appearances for Inter since 2010, which was also the year of the first of 21 caps for Italy.

A teammate of Luka Milivojevic until January, the Norwegian right-back also left Olympiakos to link up with Marco Silva once again on loan. He was once a product of Manchester City’s academy but after being loaned out to Norway, Holland and Germany, he signed for Eintracht Braunschweig before moving to Olympiakos a year later where he has won two league titles.

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CPFC v HCAFC / / THE OPPOSITION

21 MICHAEL DAWSON DEFENDER | AGE 33 The current club captain cost Hull £3.5 million back in 2014 and brought a wealth of experience to the side having featured regularly for Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League, winning the 2008 League Cup and playing four times for England during Fabio Capello's reign. In total he made 324 appearances for Spurs having arrived from Nottingham Forest in 2005.

05 HARRY MAGUIRE DEFENDER | AGE 24

One of the stars of the Tigers’ recent resurgence under Marco Silva, the centre-back was named captain for the recent win against Middlesbrough which saw him score his first ever goal at the KCOM Stadium. It has taken him a while to find his feet on Humberside, having started his career with hometown club Sheffield United where he made the majority of his 166 appearances in League One, scooping the Blades’ Player of the Year three seasons in a row between 2012 and 2014. That prompted newly-promoted Hull to snap him up for £2.5 million but he played just three times in the Premier League before being loaned to Wigan Athletic, but upon his return he helped the Tigers reach the top-flight again last season before establishing himself as a regular

27 AHMED ELMOHAMADY DEFENDER | AGE 29 Remarkably, the Egyptian international has missed just 11 league games over five seasons on Humberside since his move from Sunderland in 2012, and played a key role in both of Hull’s promotions to the top-flight during that time. As well as helping the Tigers to the 2013 FA Cup final, he also reached the final of the 2017 Africa Nations Cup, and has won 74 caps for his country.

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TOM HUDDLESTONE

ALFRED N’DIAYE MIDFIELDER | AGE 27

MIDFIELDER | AGE 30 The four-time capped England international’s career started at Derby County before being quickly snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur, and after further experience at Wolves he established himself as a regular in the heart of Spurs’ midfield, and alongside Michael Dawson won the League Cup in 2008. He later signed for the Tigers for nearly £6 million in August 2013.

Hull became the latest stop on the defensive midfielder’s European tour when he signed on loan from Villarreal in January.

He began in France with Nancy in 2008 but after a stint with Turkish side Bursaspor, he briefly spent time at Sunderland before being loaned to Eskisehirspor and Real Betis, whom he signed for permanently until joining Villarreal last summer.

25

CPFC v HCAFC / / THE OPPOSITION

Two goals and four assists show that the Serbian winger is enjoying a second crack at the Premier League after he failed to hit the heights expected at Liverpool back in the 2014/15 season, which saw him farmed out on loan across Europe.

Starting at Partizan Belgrade, Markovic netted 14 goals in 65 appearances to help clinch two league titles and show plenty of early promise, which instigated a move to Benfica in 2013.

They would achieve a domestic treble in his only season at the Estadio da Luz, and so Liverpool shelled out £20 million to bring him to Anfield, but made just 19 league appearances before being loaned to Fenerbahce and Sporting Lisbon.

Unable to establish himself at Sporting, the Reds cut short that deal, allowing him to join Hull in January.

50LAZAR MARKOVIC MIDFIELDER | AGE 23

17

11 SAM CLUCAS

KAMIL GROSICKI

MIDFIELDER | AGE 26

MIDFIELDER | AGE 28 Another January recruit by Marco Silva, the Polish winger arrived from Rennes and has made a big impact, registering five assists already to aid the Tigers’ survival hopes. His early career saw him play in his homeland, Switzerland and Turkey before he moved to France with Rennes in 2014. He featured for his country in both Euro 2012 and Euro 2016, and has 49 caps to his name.

When Clucas scored against Leicester City in March, he achieved the feat of netting in five different divisions over five years in ascending order. That run started at Hereford United in the Conference, before spells with Mansfield Town, Chesterfield and then the Tigers, whom he helped to promotion last season via the play-offs to hand him a first taste of Premier League action.

40

22

MARKUS HENRIKSEN

EVANDRO MIDFIELDER | AGE 30

MIDFIELDER | AGE 24 The Brazilian playmaker joined from Porto where he had played just four times earlier this season. He spent the first five years of his career playing in the Brazilian top-flight, winning it in his first season with Atlético Paranaense in 2005. Stints in Serbia with Red Star Belgrade and Portuguese outfit Estoril followed, before he pitched up at Porto in 2014.

Initially arriving on loan until January, Henriksen made his move from AZ Alkmaar permanent that month after featuring 11 times in the Premier League. The attacking midfielder won two league titles with Rosenborg in Norway before moving to Holland in 2012, where he lifted a Dutch Cup and was named AZ’s Player of the Year in his first season. He has 30 caps for Norway.

26

CPFC v HCAFC / / THE OPPOSITION

09

ABEL HERNANDEZ MIDFIELDER | AGE 26

Hull’s reining Player of the Year, the Uruguayan striker completed a century of Tigers appearances last month against Watford. Signed in the summer of 2014 for £10 million from Palermo, the hitman netted 22 times last season to help the Tigers bounce straight back to the Premier League. He won the Copa America with his national side in 2011, whom he has 11 goals for in 27 outings.

24 OUMAR NIASSE ATTACKER | AGE 27

Having barely had a look in during his year at Everton, the Senegal international has netted four crucial goals to help try and keep Hull in the Premier League. Having started in Senegal with US Oukam, spells with Brann in Norway and Turkish club Akhisar Belediyespor followed before Niasse arrived at Lokomotiv Moscow in July 2014. After winning a Russian Cup in his first year, he hit 13 goals in 23 games in his second season to be named the Russian Premier League Player of the Year, which prompted Everton to pay £13.5 million for his services in January 2016. However he would play just 152 minutes in the second half of last season before being banished to train with the development squad, and seeking an escape, he accepted a loan move to Hull in January.

15

SHAUN MALONEY

ATTACKER | AGE 34

The veteran striker has been a peripheral player since Marco Silva arrived on Humberside, however he has a wealth of experience having won 13 domestic honours with Celtic, including five league titles, the 2006 Scottish PFA Player of the Year and the 2013 FA Cup with Wigan Athletic. He had been playing in MLS with Chicago Fire before moving to Hull in August 2015.

20

29

ADAMA DIOMANDE

JARROD BOWEN

ATTACKER | AGE 27

ATTACKER | AGE 20

Another Norway international at Hull, the striker arrived from Stabaek in September 2015, and netted on his Premier League debut with a fine bicycle kick against Leicester City on the opening day. He won the 2013 Tippeligaen title with Strømsgodset, moved to Dinamo Minsk in Belarus and netted 25 goals in 26 games for Stabaek before moving to the Tigers for £1.7 million.

Like Sam Clucas, Bowen featured for Hereford United in his early days, but after breaking through into the Bulls’ side, he moved to Hull in 2014 after the club were forced to fold. He continued his development on Humberside, and was rewarded for his progress by being handed a Tigers debut against Exeter City in the EFL Cup back in August, and has also featured five times in the Premier League.

27

CPFC v HCAFC / / SCOUTING REPORT

Since pitching up in January, Marco Silva has transformed Hull from relegation certainties to having a fighting chance of beating the drop.

The Portuguese boss prides himself on a watertight defence and setting his team out in a 4-2-3-1 shape allows him to do just that.

Andrea Ranocchia and Alfred N’Doye have added extra steel, while Evandro works hard to defend when necessary and push forward in times of need.

Back when Silva was at Olympiakos, the Greek press joked that he was so eager to counter-attack that his side would deliberately give the ball to the opposition. That isn’t so much an issue with the Tigers, but the arrivals of Lazar Markovic and Kamil Grosiki have injected some much-needed pace into the side whenever the opportunity to attack swiftly arises.

When defending, the wingers drop into the backline, creating a hard-to-penetrate line of six defenders, while the two holding midfielders attempt to cut out passes and spring counters.

Silva’s signings have certainly done the trick, with those five players mentioned all arriving on Humberside back in January, alongside Oumar Niasse who possesses pace and power in attack to lead the line effectively and finish off opportunities.

However, Hull are slow starters and have only scored in the first half in four of their 16 games under Silva as the Tigers aim to keep their opponents at bay in the early stages. An early goal for Palace could see him having to quickly shelve his defensive gameplan with Hull desperate for points at this crucial stage of the season.

LIKELY LINE-UP

NIASSE EVANDRO

GROSIKI

N’DIAYE

CLUCAS

HUDDLESTONE

ROBERTSON

ELMOHAMADY

MAGUIRE

RANOCCHIA

JAKUPOVIC

16/17 PREMIER LEAGUE

CPFC

HULL

TOTAL SHOTS

312

295

SHOOTING ACCURACY (%)

43

41

CORNERS

194

170

GOALS SCORED

46

36

GOALS CONCEDED

61

69

STAT ATTACK Hull have only picked up two points on their travels this season since Marco Silva took charge.

Silva has equalled Steve Bruce’s record of seven home wins in a Premier League season for Hull set in 2013/14.

The Tigers have conceded 12 penalties this season, the most of any side in a single Premier League campaign.

Of the four red cards given in the Premier League for handball on the line this season, three have been to Hull.

Eldin Jakupovic has made two penalty saves this season in the Premier League, no other keeper has more.

28

CPFC v HCAFC / / OPPOSITION INTERVIEW

The Scottish defender spoke to the Tigers’ official website after their hopes of Premier League survival took a hammer blow as they lost 2-0 to Sunderland last weekend.

econd half goals from Billy Jones and Jermain Defoe saw the already-relegated Black Cats end Marco Silva’s three year unbeaten home run, and Robertson believes his teammates are going to have to dig deep in the last two games of the season to keep their Premier League hopes alive, something that seemed highly unlikely at the start of the campaign when they could barely name enough players to fill their bench.

“People have been writing us off since day one and I have no doubt that they will be doubting us again after the results at the weekend,” said Robertson. “We know we have to dig deep now to prove them wrong. We need to tap into the people that have been successful in these situations before, lift the performances of those that need them lifting, and if we can do that it can see us to positive results in the next two games to hopefully get us above that line at the end of the season.”

Reflecting on Saturday’s defeat, Robertson, who features for Scotland alongside James McArthur, had some choice words for some of his Tigers teammates who now find themselves in the bottom three at just the wrong time.

“We knew what was at stake and I thought we were the better side for the first hour without really creating a lot, although their goalkeeper made two brilliant saves," he added.

“However, you can’t let a side that has just been relegated come and beat you 2-0 and if we’re being honest about it, not enough of us showed up on Saturday.

“The manager had us focussed and had related the week to two years ago when Burnley came and beat us here. Sadly, that has been repeated and it’s left us needing at least one win from our last two games. It’s not the best situation to be in but we’re determined to go out and do what we can.”

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- club shop -

end of season retail.cpfcstore.co.uk » 30

CPFC v HCAFC / / INSTAGRAM

@stephenbrowett A better photo from last night.

Thanks again to Palace photographer @michaelhulfphotography

@longlivezaha Mind focused!

@christianbenteke Wilf that's my ball!! Stop touching me (Bak is like should I join them?) Anyway big game for us this weekend

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CPFC v HCAFC / / #ASKTHEEAGLES

This season, you get to grill the Palace players. Follow @CPFC on Twitter and Samuel Jordan will pose your questions. Today is the turn of Damien Delaney.

HAS THE MUSIC IN THE DRESSING ROOM SERIOUSLY DECLINED OR GOT REMARKABLY BETTER SINCE MY DEPARTURE? @Gabbidon35

It fell off to the point beyond description! It’s all French rap now.

Rap is bad enough, but French rap is unbelievable. It sounds so angry, I don’t understand the language so I don’t know what he’s angry about. I’m outnumbered. Gabbs used to mix it up, it was a bit of everything, it was smooth and kept everyone happy. It was nice.

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BEST MATE AT THE CLUB? @FilthFromWilf

I’ve got to think of that one. Probably Wardy or Punch – that’d be about it! (*laughs*)

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WHY DO YOU WEAR THE NUMBER 27 SHIRT? @willdonnelly27

Only because Brian the old kitman gave it to me on my first day. I walked in the changing room and it was just there. Nothing more to it, it was a spare number.

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE WIN AND GOAL OF THE SEASON?

FAVOURITE EVER FOOTBALL BOOTS? @Lil_Scanz93

@CPFC27

The Mizunos I wore in the play-off final. They were old-school leather, proper leather leather that moulds on your foot, not this new fake stuff. They were beautiful.

I’d probably say Wilfried’s away at Middlesbrough early on in the season. We went 1-0 up then it was back to 1-1 and Wilf scored early in the second half. That was a good win away from home up there.

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DO YOU MISS TAYTO CRISPS?

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@AdeleKeough

FAVOURITE GOAL YOU’VE EVER SCORED?

Yeah I do actually – terribly. I’ve found a few Irish bars around London that sell them, so I sniff them out every now and then.

@WizardLikeWilf

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It’s got to be the one against Liverpool, hasn’t it?

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CPFC v HCAFC / / #ASKTHEEAGLES

HAVE YOU SORTED THAT SLICE OUT IN TIME FOR THE SUMMER? I DON’T WANT TO SPEND HALF THE ROUND LOOKING FOR YOUR PROV1 AGAIN…

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR BEST MANAGER AT CPFC? @ChrisPalacefc

I’ll say Dougie. He started the whole thing and that often gets lost given what we’ve done. He put the blueprint in place that technically we’re still using today. For him to sign the players that got us where we were, he deserves an awful lot of credit.

@peterramage83

Yeah, me and Rambo… I’m going out to see him in June. He’s promising me a lot of golf, beers and the American Dream!

-

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FAVOURITE PLAYER YOU’VE PLAYED WITH?

FAVOURITE MOMENT AT PALACE? @PTIDCPFC

@TomMason2610

It would probably have to be when we beat West Ham away in the first season up and we all did that long-line handshake thing. We avoided going straight back down and to secure it at a famous ground like Upton Park, there was a real satisfaction in that. It summed up that side, we were together in front of the fans – that was special.

I’d have to say Glenn Murray. He made me look a better player by just smashing balls at him. I hate him though and he hates me, we don’t get on at all but I really liked playing with him!

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WHAT FELT BETTER: THE GOAL IN THE LIVERPOOL 3-3 OR THE ASSIST AGAINST MANCHESTER UNITED THIS SEASON?

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@__Joshua____:

Both of them I didn’t really know what I was doing, so I’ll probably go for the assist against United!

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WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO AFTER RETIREMENT? MAYBE HAVE A GO AT COACHING? @jonnylatimer

Definitely not. You will not see me in coaching or management. I will probably not be anywhere near football.

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DOES THE COFFEE CLUB STILL EXIST? @S_J_C82

Yeah, there’s just one person now though –me. The lads have started another one and I’m not in it! Wayne, Macca, Joe, they all have their own coffee club. Tomkins is involved too actually. I didn’t get invited!

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WHAT’S THE BEST CAR YOU’VE EVER OWNED? @EliasTheEagle

I’m not really much of a car person if I’m being honest with you.

I did get very excited when I bought a Nissan GTR, the new ones when they first came out, but that was about 10 years ago.

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cpfctickets.com Live music & entertainment, including The Voice’s Lawrence Hill cpfc.co.uk

Drink Responsibly 34

CPFC v HCAFC / / LOUISE COURT

Journalist, Palace fanatic and former editor of Cosmopolitan Louise Court gives her take on the world of football in each edition.

o-one could have predicted this season, apart from those of us who have learnt the hard way that Palace have a habit of making life complicated. Many times non-Eagles have looked at me incredulously over the past nine months when I have refused to accept we would be safe from relegation until the maths confirmed it.

True to form, just as it seemed that we could relax we were pulled back into the danger zone. While we have to take full responsibility for our performances in matches that we should have won, I cannot sign off this season without lamenting some desperately poor refereeing decisions.

I know supporters of every club feel like officials get key decisions wrong for their sides, but time and again poor calls from officials have contributed to our current uncomfortable position. Some say it evens itself out but I don’t think that is true. If Wilf played for a top five team (please no, unless it is us!) he would be protected by the men in black. Instead, time and again he is kicked around the park and accused of diving.

According to Sky Sports, a Premier League referee makes around 245 decisions

per game. In other words they have to make one decision every 22 seconds. They make approximately five errors per game, meaning they are right 98% of the time.

Clearly it’s not an easy job and when all is considered they have a high success rate, but some of those mistakes could prove incredibly costly at the end of the season.

Today we have to forget all that. In this, our last home game, we have the opportunity to cement our top-flight status.

Along with our club’s ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, we also have many magnificent wins in our history when the chips have been down.

By the time you read this, the Sunderland v Swansea City game will have

35

been played, either helping our situation or prolonging the agony. Whatever that result, we need to get back in control of our own destiny and safeguard our position with authority.

We could have done without last week’s result at the Etihad Stadium, but back in August we all looked at that fixture fearing the worst. We also felt the same looking at other matches in our run against Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool!

Today we need to forget every injustice and wobble we may have had along the way. This is a game we have to win and everyone who calls themselves a fan needs to support the players on the pitch to get the job done. You know it’s true…

CPFC v HCAFC / / MESSAGEBOARD

Happy 11th birthday Georgina Wymer for the 4th June. All our love, Mummy and Daddy x

Happy 13th birthday Callum Willacott Cardiff's number one Palace fan. Hope you have a great day, from Mum, Dad, Lauren, Kieran and Jaiden xxx

Happy 16th birthday Aidan Fryer on 14th May. Our CPFC fanatic, love from Mum, Dad and Aaron xx

Happy seventh birthday to Cameron McHardy. He's a Junior Eagle and follows Palace home and away Love Mummy, Daddy, Ciaran and Millie xx

Happy 18th birthday to Nathan Blair for 19th June. A lifelong Palace supporter.

Love and best wishes, Mum, Dad, Phoebe and Sean xxx

Pete Waters: congratulations on completing 50 years of attendance at Selhurst Park and a very happy 61st birthday. Best wishes, G&J xx

Looking forward to a win today are Skerries Eagles from Dublin enjoying the build-up to the Everton game. Glad All Over!

Happy 10th birthday Charlie, love Dad xxx

Happy birthday Simon McHardy, have a great day. Love Nicola, Ciaran, Cameron and Millie. xx

Mum, I'm pleased that you decided to join me and Dad for our last home game of the season! Let's hope it's a victory for the red and blue! Lots of love, Zac xxx

Congratulations to James McCollum for running the London Marathon in 3hrs 47m in memory of Terry Turner and raising funds for Pancreatic Cancer charity.

Good luck to Matthew Clark who is off to Monash University in Melbourne for the third year of his Economics degree. Have a great year Down Under! Love from Mum & Dad.

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CPFC v HCAFC / / MESSAGEBOARD

Send your message (max 25 words) with a picture to programme@cpfc.co.uk for a chance to be in a future edition of the Palace programme.

Happy 16th birthday to Kieran Reidy! Love from your Palace fans, Big Sam, Wilf, Speroni and Damo xxx

Ian Philbey is a quinquagenarian! Happy 50th birthday, love from Lesley, Joe and Becky xxx

Luke - so glad I converted you to a Palace fan, I'm glad all over... hope you had a great ninth birthday. Your best friend, Alistair x

Happy 30th birthday wishes for 14th May to our son Antony Deeley. Hope you have an amazing day! Love Mum, Dad and all the family.

A very happy 12th birthday to season ticket holder Mia Collins on 23rd May. Lots of love from Mum and Dad xx

Happy birthday to William who turned one on the 10th May! Lots of love, Mummy, Daddy and Jessica. Eagles! X

Happy 23rd birthday to Helen McGhie.

With love from Mum, Dad and Karen.

Happy 15th birthday Christina!

Happy birthday Matt! Love Lisa xxx

Happy 10th birthday Harry (pictured on the right alongside his brother Harvey) for the 17th July. Lots of love from all the family xxx

I am so happy to bring my brother HĂĽkon Pharo Skaug to another Palace game, together with additional seven family and friends from Norway! Fredrik Pharo.

Sam Clark’s family and friends would like to wish him a speedy recovery. His strength, bravery and determination have made us even prouder than we ever were.

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An unmissable season on Sky Sports

38 For full fixture information visit skysports.com/football

CPFC v HCAFC / / GLOBAL EAGLES

MARCUS HANSEN

SUPPORTERS CLUB: CPFC San Diego LOCATION: San Diego, California, USA TWITTER: @CPFCSanDiego

t seemed that I was the only Crystal Palace supporter in southern California for the longest time. It got frustrating to see many new “fans” of Premier League teams tend to follow Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool, and it wasn’t until an MLS event in San Diego that I met a fellow Eagles supporter.

Then, luckily, I met another when I stopped by the Shakespeare Pub to watch a match. It seemed to be a bit of destiny, as we were outnumbered by Chelsea fans, yet Palace went on to win that day 2-1 at Stamford Bridge. I thought to myself that we need to spread the word about CPFC, and hopefully there will be others that will come together to watch the games. That is when I decided to simply start a Twitter page for fans and supporters in San Diego.

After getting an account, we were welcomed by Palace fans and supporters across the US, and also from some around

the world. We started to network and get in contact with other “isolated” Palace supporters. One of our group is a local sports talkshow host on the radio, whereas some are ex-pats and others are attracted to the club and supporters in south London, and what they represent. Many of us are looking forward to making a trip to attend a match and support the team in full voice sometime soon.

We are an unofficial club, but hope to get even more organized. Our first event together garnered six people, but there has been more interest of late. Of course we would love to continue to grow the group to support the best club in England.

We are meeting up at the Shakespeare Pub, just a quick drive from downtown San Diego and San Diego International Airport. It has great food (having just won the award for best fish and chips in the US!) and breakfast specials, and numerous televisions to watch the match, so if you’re ever in San Diego, come and join us supporting the Red and Blue!

39

CPFC v HCAFC / / MY FIRST GAME

PALACE 1-0 BARNSLEY | FIRST DIVISION | SELHURST PARK | 23/04/1994 | 20,522

STEFAN HAGAN AGE: 30 PLACE OF BIRTH: ORPINGTON CURRENT LOCATION: BECKENHAM

MARTYN HUMPHREY

YOUNG

SOUTHGATE

GORDON

COLEMAN RODGER

SALAKO

NDAH

STEWART

SAVILLE

McMINN

PESCHISOLIDO

WHYTE

HARDING PARIS

ARMSTRONG

SMITH

WALLACE FENWICK

DRYDEN

MILLER

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y dad was tight and didn’t really like football. He once told me he’d gone to a few Charlton games a youngster, which might explain it. But when I managed to get some £3 tickets from my primary school in Bromley, not even he could turn that down!

I went with him and my older, equally non-sport-interested brother, and remember being sat at the back of the Arthur Wait Stand and not being able to see much at all! It was a boring game from memory, which is why one girl from school kept popping out to get some sweets every 10 minutes. I kept on asking my dad for the same, but it was always refused. However, he finally gave

CPFC v HCAFC / / MY FIRST GAME in and low and behold I missed the only goal of the game!

I thought Bruce Dyer scored, but according to online research it was actually Eric Young. It was either after this game, or the next one I attended (a far more satisfying six-goal thumping of Southend United a few years later) I wrote up a contract and got my dad to sign it, whereby he would have to take me to at least one Palace game a season or give me ÂŁ20 as a fine!

He reluctantly signed but never took me to Palace again, nor paid the fines, but luckily some friends at school had fathers who took pity on me and took me occasionally. I remember finally getting to go with friends for a League Cup game aged 13 and sit in block B, after which point I fell in love with the atmosphere, community spirit and what Palace stands for.

I have had a season ticket ever since, even throughout uni where I would travel back. I got into the away scene at just

41

the wrong age to ruin my GCSE studies, using the free travel on official coaches as a steward at an age far too young (the gangly legs deceived Robbie) to hold such a role; until complaints about the terrible garage music on the way back from Stockport in 2001, or maybe it was selling beer on that happy day instead!

I still sit in the same block with most of the same people who I now consider mates, which has softened the blow when other close friends stopped renewing. And despite years of struggle, lost girlfriends and a lot boredom to the level of the aforementioned Barnsley game, I don’t regret a single moment. Although I gave up the solicitor path which Palace started me on and became a teacher, the one thing I have always taught my students is who Crystal Palace are.

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CPFC v HCAFC / / SELHURST STUNNERS

This season we have been profiling some of the best ever goals seen at Selhurst Park, but not scored by Crystal Palace. Here we look back at a wonderstrike from last season.

WILLIAN CRYSTAL PALACE V CHELSEA PREMIER LEAGUE 3RD JANUARY 2016 Palace: Hennessey, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare, McArthur, Jedinak (Ledley 67), Puncheon, Zaha, Lee (Williams 80), Campbell (Chamakh 67).

Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Mikel, Willian, Oscar (Matic 88), Hazard (Pedro 16), Costa.

ack in January Palace fans were scratching their heads when magical goals from Olivier Giroud and Andy Carroll flew past them, but while they were questioning why they were the victims of such moments of brilliance, just 12 months after a similar situation had occurred.

Dele Alli’s Goal of the Season winner from Tottenham Hotspur may have overshadowed this sumptuous strike by Willian also netted in the same month, but it doesn’t mean the Blues midfielder’s effort should be forgotten.

At the turn of the year, the Eagles were sitting seven places in the table higher than Chelsea who had consequently dismissed Jose Mourinho and brought in Guus Hiddink for another

stint as caretaker manager ahead of this game. The turnaround was swift, and the west Londoners found themselves ahead just before the half-hour mark when Oscar tapped home.

However, in the 60th minute came the game’s abiding memory. Willian picked the ball up on the halfway line and, under pressure from James McArthur, played it into Cesc Fabregas.

A first-time pass from the Spaniard found Oscar in a pocket of space 30 yards from goal, but he was muscled off possession by Scott Dann.

Just as Palace thought they were safe, Willian sprinted towards the loose ball and not allowing the defence to realign, he hammered it with the outside of his foot without taking a touch, and

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having done so with such ferocity it lifted off like a rocket.

Within fractions of a second, it had found a way past Wayne Hennessey’s 6’8” frame and crashed into the back of the Whitehorse Lane net, with the Brazilian prematurely beginning his celebrations next to the hoards of Blues fans assembled nearby.

Some more samba magic from the winger created a third for Diego Costa six minutes later to put the result to bed, but it was Willian’s thunderbolt that stole the show. It also proved to be a turning point in Chelsea’s recent history, which has seen them continue on an upward curve from that moment to almost certainly reclaim the Premier League crown this campaign.

enjoy a

beer and BURGER e t a m i t Ul the

day h c t a m R BURGE

at your local wetherspoon 44

CPFC v HCAFC / / CHRIS WATERS

Each edition we challenge Chris Waters to take a sideways look at various aspects of the club. This week, he looks back at a similar clash against the Tigers.

alace love to keep it interesting! It wouldn’t be a typical season supporting the Eagles if there wasn’t some sort of end-of-season drama, and so we find ourselves needing a point in today’s game against Hull City to guarantee our Premier League status. Such a situation against the Tigers won’t be unfamiliar to Palace fans, albeit five years ago it was in a different division.

On the 30th April 2011, Palace travelled up to the KCOM Stadium knowing a point would mean the Eagles remained in the Championship for another year, avoiding taking the issue of survival to the last game at home to Nottingham Forest.

City had enjoyed a decent season, floating around the fringes of the play-offs, while Palace had found it difficult to adjust to life after administration as George Burley had departed after a Jason Puncheon-inspired 3-0 drubbing at Millwall on New Year’s Day, with Dougie Freedman taking over the reins and gradually leading the team away from the relegation zone.

However, defeat at home to Scunthorpe United in mid-April had set alarm bells ringing, and despite a goalless draw at Doncaster Rovers and a 1-0 Easter Monday win at home to Leeds United, the Eagles still had it all to do as they made the long journey up to Humberside.

In such drama are fairytales written, and so it proved the case for Ibra Sekajja, an 18-year-old striker. With the team 1-0 down thanks to an Anthony Gerrard goal on the half-hour mark, Sekajja was brought on to make his professional debut for the club in the 87th minute for Jermaine Easter.

As debuts go, Sekajja’s was firmly up there in the dream category, as with just two minutes left a Darren Ambrose corner was cleared away, only for the ball to be sent back into the box.

A header by Claude Davis was blocked by a Hull defender, and Sekajja managed to force the ball into the back of the net with his knee from just four yards out.

Pandemonium ensued as the youngster delightedly performed three backflips before being mobbed by the entire team, as Championship status for another season had been assured.

Ibra himself went on to make one more appearance for the Eagles, before being released in 2014. He moved north of the border to Inverness and then Livingston, subsequently turning out for Hemel Hempstead and Braintree, and then joined Dulwich Hamlet at the end of last year. He racked up 17 goals in just six months as Dulwich reached the Ryman League Premier play-off final, but after his heroics on Humberside six years ago, let's hope that history repeats itself today.

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PLAY

THE JOURNEY NOW!

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CPFC v HCAFC / / LOAN ROUND-UP

Two of the Eagles’ loanees have had their seasons extended as Luke Croll and Jordon Mutch saw their respective teams qualify for the Football League play-offs last weekend as they aim to help their temporary clubs clinch promotion.

Croll came on for the final 20 minutes of Exeter City’s 3-2 defeat to Carlisle United which saw the Cumbrians come from two-goals down to clinch a spot in the League Two play-off places, and they will meet the Grecians twice more in the semi-finals after finishing directly below Croll’s team in the table.

The first leg will take place on Sunday 14th May, before the teams meet for the third time in a row at St James Park the following Thursday. Meanwhile, Noor Husin’s time in the division came to an end as an unused substitute against Stevenage as Accrington Stanley rounded off their season with a 3-0 victory.

Name Keshi Anderson Kwesi Appiah Hiram Boateng Luke Croll Noor Husin Ryan Inniss Sullay Kaikai Freddie Ladapo Jordon Mutch Jonny Williams

In the Championship, Reading secured third spot and a playoff tie against Fulham after beating Burton Albion 4-2 at the Pirelli Stadium last weekend, however Mutch wasn’t involved once again. The Royals head to Craven Cottage on Saturday 13th May, before hosting the Whites three days later.

The previous weekend saw the League One action come to its conclusion, and Northampton Town pair Hiram Boateng and Keshi Anderson saw the curtain come down on their time at Sixfields with a 0-0 draw against Gillingham that left the Cobblers with a 16th place finish for their efforts this season. Boateng started the game but gave way to Anderson after 65 minutes.

Meanwhile, Shrewsbury Town saw their campaign end with a 2-0 defeat at Oxford United, with Freddie Ladapo remaining on the bench for the entirety. Avoiding the nine-goal defeat that could have sent them down, the Shrews finished in 18th spot, two points above the relegation zone.

Club Bolton Wanderers Northampton Town Viking Bristol Rovers Northampton Town Exeter City Accrington Stanley Southend United Brentford Oldham Athletic Shrewsbury Town Reading Ipswich Town

Games 4(6) 9(5) 4(2) 12 11(5) 18(3) 7(4) 10(2) 6(12) 15(7) 10(5) 8(1) 1(7)

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Goals 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 3 4 1 0

CPFC v HCAFC / / THE NEXT GENERATION

While most Palace players young and old will be looking forward to a relaxing summer break, Andre Coker is preparing himself for the exact opposite.

n anticipation of the challenges that lie ahead for the winger, he has booked himself on a summer-long fitness camp to ensure he is in prime condition to continue his development after what he believes has been a watershed campaign where the penny has dropped.

Revealing his summer plans, he said: “I’m going to go to a training camp and get ready for next season because I’ve got high hopes for it. There will be loads of fitness and gym work, as well as football-based work, so it’s basically just carrying on the season. I’ve done a similar thing over the past two years and I always come back firing and I need to keep that consistency. Sometimes I let it slide but this year I want to keep it going.

“I’ll be 20 next year so I need to push on. I’ve done a lot of learning; I started off taking that in slowly but now I’m starting to realise the importance of what is being said to me, so I’ve matured.

I’ve had hardships such as being left out of the team and games where I didn’t perform to my full potential. For that I’ve been punished; in the younger age groups

“

I’LL BE 20 NEXT YEAR SO I NEED TO PUSH ON. I’VE DONE A LOT OF LEARNING

”

I got away with it, but at under-23s level it’s all action and you have to go hard every week.

“Mentally is where I’ve always been told my problem is, and I’m making steps towards improving that. Now whenever I lose the ball or miss an opportunity, I’m not beating myself up as much as I used to, or let it affect the rest of my game. I put it in the back of my head and reflect on it when I get home.”

The Eagles’ youngsters were handed a tough learning curve by Richard Shaw this term who blooded many players in his development team still eligible to feature

48

for Paddy McCarthy’s academy side, but Coker believes that it’ll only benefit them next year as they target a much improved finish in 2017/18.

“This season was a transitional year where we were going for a younger squad and there’s been players playing against people who are six years older than them, so it was always going to be hard,” he evaluated. “I can see within the team that a lot of players have blossomed. We’ve had a little chat and we have high hopes for next season.”

A keen learner, Coker is aiming to become the next tricky home-grown winger off the Palace production line, and believes that some up-close studying of the current wide men can only help his game improve.

“From the moment I stepped through the doors as a scholar I’ve watched them train after my sessions,” he said. “When I was 15 and watching on TV, I was like ‘oh I can do that’, but now you realise it’s a different level. When I watch I’ll take little bits and pieces, such as when Wilf goes at players, there’s no dwelling – he just picks the ball up and goes and gets people out of the way. It’s great to see.”

Kindly sponsored by

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CPFC v HCAFC / / ACADEMY REPORT

U18S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE | PLAYFORD ROAD, IPSWICH | 20TH APRIL 2017

addy McCarthy’s academy side finished the campaign in third spot in the U18s Professional Development League despite a poor first half costing them dearly in Suffolk.

The Tractor Boys netted three times before the break to condemn the Eagles to defeat in their final encounter of the season, however they can be pleased that despite a change in manager and a host of opportunities given to some of the club’s under-15s and under-16s in recent months, they still managed to claim a highly respectable bronze medal spot.

However McCarthy won’t have been happy with the final outing of the campaign, which saw his team trail early on when a poor clearance by Oliver Webber allowed Ben Morris to receive possession and finish past the Eagles keeper, and things went from bad to worse around the half-hour mark when a freekick by the same man was deflected wide for a corner, and after the Eagles failed to clear their lines, midfielder Flynn Downes tucked the ball home.

Not long after that, it was virtually game over when Town added a third from the penalty spot when Connor McKendry was

brought down inside the box, and despite the best efforts of Webber the winger found the net from 12 yards to put the hosts into a commanding lead at the break.

Playing for pride, Palace put in a better display after the interval with the introductions of Jayden Onen and Giovanni McGregor helping things improve. The visitors managed to keep their opponents off the scoresheet for the remainder of the game, but it would prove to be a routine win for Ipswich despite them ending the game with 10 men when goalscorer Morris was dismissed for a second bookable offence midway through the second half.

However they held firm to finish their campaign one spot behind the Eagles, who showed some good form following the turn of the year which will give McCarthy plenty of optimism as he plans for next season.

Palace: Webber, Russell (Fundi 75), Lynch, Onoabhagbe, Gurung, Demby (McGregor 45), Robertson, Hungbo, Kargbo (Onen 45), Daly, Jno Baptiste. Subs not used: Funnell, Coates.

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CPFC v HCAFC / / DEVELOPMENT REPORT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE | SELHURST PARK | 2ND MAY 2017

alace saw their Professional Development League campaign end in defeat as Bristol City ran out victors at Selhurst Park.

It took 20 minutes for the game to see its first piece of goalmouth action when a low cross into the box caused the Eagles problems and Freddie Hinds tried to cleverly flick the ball goalwards, but Nikola Tavares was perfectly placed on the line to clear the danger.

Palace’s first opportunity came soon after when a long pass was neatly controlled by trialist Sam Barratt who sped down the left before getting a shot away which was comfortably dealt with by Jojo Wollacott in the Robins goal, however on 34 minutes the visitors took the lead in fortunate circumstances when another break down the left by Jonny Smith led to a teasing cross, and in an attempt to clear, Michael Phillips inadvertently sliced it into his own net.

It nearly got worse for the Eagles a few minutes later when Joe Morrell slid in Edwards and only a good block by Kleton Perntreou prevented the lead being doubled before half-time.

At the break, Shaw introduced Everton trialist Delail Brewster and he nearly equalised four minutes after the restart when Levi Lumeka centred for the striker, however he couldn’t get enough contact onto his shot and a good opportunity went begging, but the chances kept coming for the hosts and Jonathan Benteke fired over when a corner was played low into the box.

The Eagles’ bright start to the second half continued and they had the ball in the net on 58 minutes through Lumeka after a free-kick was whipped into the box but it was disallowed for offside, and then good chances for Benteke and Andre Coker failed to trouble Wollacott.

However, those missed opportunities proved costly and City wrapped up the win with nine minutes to go, when Opanin Edwards raced onto a long ball down the right flank and burst into the box, and after taking a touch the attacker rifled the ball past a helpless Perntreou to claim all the points.

Palace: Perntreou, Wan-Bissaka, Woods, Phillips, Tavares (Coker 46), Barrett, Dreher, Flanagan (McGregor 78), Lokilo (Brewster 46), Lumeka, J. Benteke. Subs not used: Webber, Lynch.

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CPFC v HCAFC / / PALACE LADIES

FA WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE | EDEN PARK AVENUE, BECKENHAM | 30TH APRIL 2017

alace Ladies secured a resounding victory as they smashed seven goals past Portsmouth in their penultimate league game of a fine season, however the result was tarnished somewhat due to a serious injury sustained by Francesca Ali. The match had started brightly for the visitors who put together some effective passing phases, but in the ninth minute the ball ran loose to Rosie Paye who hammered home from six yards to give Palace the lead, which was doubled seven minutes later when Roschelle Shakes slid the ball home after a flowing move.

It took until first half stoppage-time for Palace to add a third, and unsurprisingly it came through their leading scorer Gemma Bryan. Another good move was latched onto by the striker, who was initially

thwarted by Pompey keeper Emily Paines but she was unable to retain the ball and Bryan coolly fired home, and there was still time for Paye to head home her second before half-time to make it 4-0 at the break.

The second half started as the first had ended, with Palace seeking to pressure the visitors. This again generated results on 49 minutes when Bryan was set free by a pinpoint pass, and saw a somewhat inevitable outcome as she slotted the ball under Paines.

With the afternoon going perfectly, it was marred when Ali was abruptly halted on a surging run by a harsh tackle from behind. In an impact that was immediately serious, Ali was down and treated for some time before being stretchered off with a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle.

Everyone connected with Palace Ladies

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would like to wish Fran the very best for a speedy recovery.

Following a long delay, the hosts continued to add more goals, and three minutes from time the sixth came following a good run and pass by Jade Davenport which allowed Ellie Bailes to score from close range, while the final strike came from young substitute Darcey Charlesworth who steered the ball into the far corner to score her first goal for the senior team.

The Eagles finish their season at Beckenham Town FC against Cardiff City on 14th May in a 2pm kick-off.

KINDLY SPONSORED BY

WILDER’S AWAY DAYS

CPFC v HCAFC / / TICKETS & TRAVEL

TICKET UPDATE -

ON THE ROAD -

PRICING PRICING “A” “A” GRADE GRADE

Manchester United v Crystal Palace

Sunday 21st May

Adult £45.00

Premier League Kick-off: 3pm This game is now sold out.

the 17/18 season and kept the same seat

Holmesdale Lower Concession Junior £26.00 £20.00

Adult £40.00

Holmesdale Upper Concession Junior £26.00 £20.00

Adult £45.00

Holmesdale Gallery Concession Junior £30.00 N/A

and age band then your 17/18 season ticket will be loaded on to your existing card, so please make sure you keep hold of it.

Season tickets 17/18 deadline You need to purchase your 2017/18 Season Ticket before 9am on Tuesday 2nd May to get the best available prices for the remaining seats next season. After that date, prices will increase.

Manchester United v Crystal Palace Coach travel: Departs Selhurst Park at 7.30am, costing £24.

By road: Postcode for satnav: M16 0RA By train: Go from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, and then the Metrolink tram service can be caught to Old Trafford or Trafford Bar stations.

BOX OFFICE OPENING HOURS -

Monday to Friday: 9am - 5:30pm

Saturday - Matchdays: 9am to kick off Open for 30 mins after the final whistle.

Saturday - Non-matchdays: In person: 9am - 5:30pm Phone lines: 9am - 12:30pm Sunday: In person: 10am - 4pm More information: cpfctickets.com Ticket sales: 08712 00 00 71* *calls cost 10p a minute

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Junior £22.50

Adult £40.00

Season card reminder If you have renewed your Season Ticket for

Main Stand Concession £30.00

Adult £40.00

Arthur Wait Concession £26.00

Junior £20.00

Adult £35.00

Whitehorse Lane Concession £24.00

Junior £17.50

“B” “B” GRADE GRADE Adult £35.00

Main Stand Concession £24.00

Junior £17.50

Adult £30.00

Holmesdale Lower Concession Junior £21.00 £16.00

Adult £32.00

Holmesdale Upper Concession Junior £21.00 £16.00

Adult £35.00

Holmesdale Gallery Concession Junior £24.00 N/A

Adult £32.00 Adult £25.00

Arthur Wait Concession £21.00

Junior £16.00

Whitehorse Lane Concession Junior £18.00 £13.00

CPFC v WBA / / FINAL SCORE

Since 2000, the Football Foundation has invested in £1.3 billion of grassroots sports projects and has developed more than 600 artificial grass pitches, 1,000 changing pavilions and 3,000 natural grass pitches.

Find out more at: www.footballfoundation.org.uk

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ARTIFICIAL

GRASS PITCHES

www.footballfoundation.org.uk @FootballFoundtn Youtube.com/Footballfdn flickr.com/footballfoundation linkedIn.com/football-foundation instagram.com/footballfoundation Charity No: 1079309 Company No: 3876305

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The Football Foundation is the UK’s largest sports’ charity. Funded by the Premier League, The Football Association and the Government, via Sport England.

CPFC v HCAFC / / DOMINIC FIFIELD

The Guardian's London Football Correspondent gives his take on recent events surrounding the beautiful game.

Friday night at Lewes' atmospheric Dripping Pan ground and one Crystal Palace cult hero is discussing another in the making. “He's a big character in the dressing-room, a leader, and we need that,” said Sasa Curcic, still clad in his kit having played for the club's supporters in the annual Robert Eaton Memorial Fund match against their Brighton counterparts.

“I just think he feels how Palace loves him, and how Palace is his home. It's the place for him.”

Curcic was discussing the impact Mamadou Sakho has made at Selhurst Park since his January move from Liverpool. It says everything about the impression the Frenchman has made at this club that, even after only eight appearances, he is already being spoken of as one of Palace's greatest loan signings.

Life has been trickier for Sam Allardyce's side in Sakho's absence but, whether it is possible or not to secure long-term a player who would normally expect to be competing in Europe, his cult status almost feels assured. He is up there with Ashley Cole, who had joined a club crippled by a year in administration

back in February 2000. Cole made 14 starts for Palace in Division One, scoring a memorable goal against Blackburn Rovers on the day Steve Coppell's side secured their status in the second tier, before returning to Highbury.

The left-back, a key member of Arsene Wenger's Invincibles of 2003/04 and a multiple trophy winner with Chelsea, has always acknowledged the tough education in SE25 that helped shape his career. There are others from that testing era who will always be remembered at Selhurst Park, from Matt Jansen to Hermann Hreidarsson, and Attilio Lombardo to Curcic himself.

The Yugoslavia international joined a rather rudderless Palace team from Aston Villa in March 1998, the latest forward-thinking player in a bloated squad destined for relegation. The highlights of his chaotic spell in south London were

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probably the quick-footed shimmy on the touchline which bamboozled his marker in the build-up to an opening goal against Derby County, a winner against Sheffield United for Terry Venables' team the following season and a one-man protest, placard in hand, against NATO's bombing of his homeland.

His Palace career did not actually extend beyond 25 appearances, and yet he is still remembered with affection for those flashes of brilliance, the close control and bustling bursts up-field with the ball glued to his instep.

“Wearing the shirt again brought back some nice memories for me,” added Curcic down at Lewes. “I had one year in a Palace shirt so, when I got the invitation [to play in the REMF game] I was so honoured.” His cult status is assured. As is that of Sakho.

The personnel might have changed, but this season has been a case of “same old Palace�. It is never dull at Selhurst Park around this time of the year, and after nine months filled with numerous shocks, heady highs and heartbreaking defeats, it will hopefully end with a happy conclusion for those in red and blue.

By Jonathon Rogers

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CPFC v HCAFC / / 2016/17 – A REVIEW

upporting Crystal Palace has often been likened to strapping yourself in for a rollarcoaster ride, but this particular season fits that metaphor perfectly. The 2016/17 campaign has brought extreme highs and sudden lows, mixed with thrills, spills, fear and joy, but hopefully there will be no unexpected twists and turns as the white-knuckle ride reaches its conclusion.

Aiming to pick up a squad reeling from a late-season collapse, subsequent relegation dogfight and a devastating extra-time FA Cup final defeat, Alan Pardew opted for quality rather than quantity when he looked to refreshing his squad for the season ahead. Andros Townsend, James Tomkins and Steve Mandanda were recruited with the promise of more to come, and upon the dawn of the opening day, Eagles fans were filled with slightly more hope than usual. Leicester City’s unexpected but marvellous title triumph had fuelled optimism levels for supporters of all 20 teams taking their places in the Premier League starting blocks, and Palace’s were no different.

However, when the starting gun went off on that glorious summer afternoon back in August with the sun shining over Selhurst Park, their latest set of heroes were slow to react.

A second half Solomon Rondon header was enough for West Bromwich Albion to spoil the beginning of the 38-game marathon, while déjà vu would occur seven days later as Victor Wanyama ensured the Eagles’ last trip to White Hart Lane ended in defeat.

The poor start gave added importance to the transfer window, and big changes were afoot. The pack was shuffled with recent icons in Yannick Bolasie and Mile Jedinak departing to allow the club to smash their transfer record to bring in Christian Benteke from Liverpool, who made his league bow against Bournemouth in the final game of the opening month. Little seemed to have changed when Joshua King scored and Yohan Cabaye missed a penalty, but with seconds to go skipper Scott Dann literally led from the front to register Palace’s first goal of the season and snatch a draw in the dying seconds.

The relief was palpable, and gave Pardew’s team a launchpad to belatedly kick-start their season, and in September they were virtually unstoppable as the new-look squad clicked perfectly. A first league win of the season at Middlesbrough saw Benteke open his Eagles account, before Stoke City were thrashed 4-1 with a clinical display. The burly Belgian continued to prove his worth by firstly heading home in stoppage-time to turn

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IN SEPTEMBER PALACE WERE VIRTUALLY UNSTOPPABLE AS THE NEW-LOOK SQUAD CLICKED PERFECTLY

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WHAT UNFOLDED WAS A PREMIER LEAGUE CLASSIC THAT NO PALACE SUPPORTER WILL EVER WANT TO WATCH AGAIN

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CPFC v HCAFC / / 2016/17 – A REVIEW

a 2-0 defeat into a 3-2 victory at Sunderland, and cancelled out Romelu Lukaku’s opener as a point was then claimed at Goodison Park.

By now, the Eagles were flying high in the top eight of the division, but with winter closing in, their form cooled. A fruitful September gave way to a lean couple of months where six defeats in a row were suffered, which included three heartbreaking late collapses in succession. Having again battled back from two-down at Turf Moor, Ashley Barnes’ last-gasp goal claimed a 3-2 victory for Burnley, before seasoned tormentor Yaya Toure netted the second of his brace with seven minutes remaining to deny Pardew’s men a point against Manchester City.

However, neither of those dramatic defeats could match what was to come next. Palace travelled to Swansea City for what looked to be a routine game at the Liberty Stadium, but what unfolded was a Premier League classic that no Palace supporter will ever want to watch again. Finding themselves 3-1 down after 68 minutes, the visitors dug in and recovered to be 4-3 ahead going into injury-time after netting three goals in nine minutes. With a hard-earned three points seemingly in the bag, two scrappy strikes from Fernando Llorente sent the shellshocked Eagles to the canvas in devastating fashion as they came out on the wrong end of a ridiculous 5-4 scoreline.

Due a touch of luck after so many recent setbacks, Pardew got it in the next encounter with Southampton where a costly slip by Fraser Forster was pounced upon by Benteke to set the Eagles on their way to a 3-0 win, ending a 70-day wait for a victory, but it would be the final one that the Palace boss would experience at the helm.

Late drama continued to follow him around; the Eagles were the beneficiaries after another topsy-turvy encounter at Hull City as Fraizer Campbell came back to haunt his former club to salvage a point in a 3-3 thriller, but two minutes away from claiming a draw at home to Manchester United, Zlatan Ibrahimovic pounced to leave the Eagles once again rueing their fortunes against the Red Devils.

Unable to stop Chelsea’s rampant surge towards the league’s summit a few days later, the 1-0 defeat would be Pardew’s final appearance in Selhurst’s home dugout. A huge call needed to be made with the Eagles hovering perilously close to the relegation zone, and with a survival expert in Sam Allardyce waiting in the wings, the board acted swiftly. Seeing his festive plans scrapped, the former England manager was wrapped up in an Eagles coat and on the bench for a Boxing Day draw at Watford, with a poor Benteke penalty miss typifying the kind of start he would endure.

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CPFC v HCAFC / / 2016/17 – A REVIEW

The new manager bounce failed to materialise and four successive defeats were undergone as 2017 began with a whimper. Goal of the Season contenders from Olivier Giroud and Andy Carroll plus two more defeats at the death against Swansea and Everton contributed to the Eagles finally dropping below the fabled dotted line and into the bottom three, with relegation concerns heightening rapidly.

Handed a war-chest to improve the chances of avoiding that, Allardyce reinforced by bringing in Patrick van Aanholt

EVERYTHING CAME TOGETHER FOR PALACE AS THEY TORE ARSENAL APART IN SE25 IN THEIR PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON

and Jeffrey Schlupp, before a huge few hours for the Eagles would come on transfer deadline day at the end of January.

Moments after the new gaffer recorded his first league victory at the helm at the sixth attempt at Bournemouth, the signings of Luka Milivojevic and Mamadou Sakho were completed, but the corner wouldn’t be turned immediately. One of the most bizarre afternoons in the club’s recent history would see rock-bottom Sunderland go into the Selhurst changing rooms at the interval shaking their head in disbelief at holding a 4-0 lead, having remarkably scored three times in five minutes at the end of the half.

Coinciding with the now-fit Sakho’s inclusion, the home game with Middlesbrough had an air of make or break about it, and Van Aanholt’s first goal clinched a gritty, nervy but glorious win against a relegation rival, and then things snowballed as some much-

needed momentum began. Two wonderful goals by Wilfried Zaha and Townsend clinched back-to-back wins for the first time since September at the expense of West Brom, and then that became three via Troy Deeney’s own goal against Watford.

Palace were now out of the bottom three, but all season long pundits had been pointing out the hellacious culmination to the campaign that the fixture computer had fiendishly handed the Eagles back in June, that seemed to lead to certain peril. Undaunted, a confidence-filled Palace headed across the capital for their toughest assignment of their final fixtures against champions-elect Chelsea, and quickly found themselves behind thanks to Cesc Fabregas’ opener. However, the newly discovered resilience came to the fore and before 12 minutes had been played, goals from Zaha and Benteke put the Eagles in front. For the next hour-and-a-half, Allardyce’s men clung on by their fingertips to keep the Blues at bay, end their 13-match unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge and prove that anything was possible.

A blip at Southampton followed, but then everything came together for Palace as they tore Arsenal apart in SE25 in their performance of the season, which saw them run out comfortable 3-0 winners on a magical night inside the old ground. The Eagles seemed up for any challenge at this point, and yet again, a two-goal deficit was overturned against reigning champions Leicester City to add another point towards the cause, before more Merseyside glee was enjoyed as a Benteke brace overturned Philippe Coutinho’s opener to claim a third straight win at Anfield and reach Allardyce’s intended target of 38 points.

With that, it seemed the task of securing Premier League safety had been completed, but a fourth scalp in a month against one of the division’s elite was a bridge too far as Christian Eriksen’s 30-yarder kept Tottenham’s slight title aspirations on track. The biggest blow that night saw Sakho stretchered off, and with the Eagles squad feeling the effects of a tough and arduous campaign battling against the odds, the injury list continued to grow at just the wrong time.

That led to a patched-up side falling to defeats against Burnley and Manchester City and the cushion between the Eagles, Hull and Swansea shrink as the season reached the final straight. With Palace on the brink of safety with two games to go, and their fate in their own hands, Allardyce’s goal of survival is tantalisingly close, and Palace will be hoping that this particular thrill ride culminates with the Eagles safe and sound in the top-flight, ready to do it all again in August.

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CPFC v HCAFC / / CHRISTIAN BENTEKE

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CPFC v HCAFC / / COMMUNITY

palace for life

FO ACE R L

u n d a tio

n

fo

IFE

PAL

Helping young south Londoners grow through the power of sport, inspiring them to find a better path in life, for life.

y now we hope you’ve seen and heard lots about the newly named Palace for Life Foundation after our launch event at Selhurst Park last month with Steve Parish and Sam Allardyce.

With a mission to help young south Londoners grow through sport, it’s been a busy season for our Foundation. Together with BT Sport, the Premier League and the Julian Speroni testimonial fund, we were able to fund more chairs for our Powerchair football team while our disability teams have thrived with a fully established Downs Syndrome team, national tournament-winning Mental Health side and the launch of our amputee football team.

We’ve also had a major impact in primary schools across south London. Mark Bright helped us showcase the Healthy Eagles programme which teaches children about healthy lifestyles, whilst Jason Puncheon went back to his old primary school in Croydon.

Meanwhile, Scott Dann and Martin Kelly helped teenagers on their journey to work as part of our employability programme and former PL Kicks participant Wilfried Zaha recognised the efforts of

Foundation coach Michael Lacey with a specially designed comic strip. There has been success too for Head of Foundation Donald Forde who won a Football Black List Award, and we were shortlisted at the London Football Awards for our Powerchair football project.

As the official charity of the club, we hope Palace fans will support our next couple of big fundraising efforts. There’s still a week left to be part of ‘Play at Palace’ where you can turn out for team managers Julian Speroni and Eddie McGoldrick alongside former Eagles like Fitz Hall and Simon Osborn on Saturday 27th May at Selhurst Park.

Finally, we hope you can support the Palace for Life Marathon March on Saturday 7th October. The 26.2 mile walk will be led by Eagles legend Andy Johnson between Selhurst and central London, via Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park and the River Thames.

Registration is £25 and you’ll need to commit to raise £300 each in sponsorship. We’ll help you set up a JustGiving page to make raising funds simple. See palaceforlife.org or email us at admin@palaceforlife.org for more info.

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CPFC v HCAFC / / PROUD & PALACE

proud & palace In each edition of the matchday programme, Emma Wright will provide an update on how the group's first season as the club's official LGBT fan group is progressing

e marked our first birthday recently and none of the committee could quite believe how much we have managed to achieve already, and we want to thank some people without whom we couldn't have done it.

First of all, the club’s media team including Terry Byfield and Sam Jordan who agreed to make us an official fan group, Chris Grierson and Michael Hulf who have been an incredible source of support, and Jonathon Rogers who kindly gave us a regular programme column, something no other LGBT fan group has in British football.

Anwar Uddin of the Football Supporters Federation provided us with funding for t-shirts and a massive banner for the FA Cup final, and at our August launch at Selhurst Park our panellists Phil Alexander, Richard Spokes of Palace Ladies, Donald Forde of the Foundation, Kwesi Appiah, Dickie Davis of Sky Sports, Kevin Day and everyone else who attended made it a superb event.

We have worked with Stonewall on the Rainbow Laces campaign, and for Football v Homophobia month, Soye Briggs of

the Palace for Life Foundation helped get the players wearing our group’s t-shirts in the warm-up, which was a sight that I don't think any of us could quite believe.

Most importantly, thanks to every single fan who has connected with us on social media, said hello in the pub and defended us when inevitably our presence brought out online trolls. This positive reaction and support keeps us going.

At every point this season the club has gone above and beyond, exceeding the steps taken by other clubs to fight inequality in football and to showcase that this is a sport for communities, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs or anything else. We are so proud to have been part of that.

Last year, London Pride marked the start of a journey. This year it marks an incredible year of progress in partnership with the club we love. We'd love as many of you as possible to join us at Pride on 8th July, so if you’re interested, please email cpfclgbt@outlook.com or find us on social media.

67

68

CPFC v HCAFC / / QUIZTAL PALACE

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS 1. Who bagged a brace for Hull on their last visit to Selhurst Park in April 2015?

2. Which Palace player was sent-off in their 1-0 win against the Tigers at the KC Stadium in November 2013?

3. Which future Eagle opened the scoring as Hull claimed a 2-1 win over Palace in April 2008?

TEAM TRAIL WHICH FORMER PALACE PLAYER’S CAREER STARTED LIKE THIS?

4. Who scored two of Palace’s five goals as they thumped Hull back in December 1986?

5. Which centre-back got on the scoresheet in a 2-0 Palace success back in the 1968/69 season?

CLASSIC KIT

LINKED

Can you name the kit supplier and sponsor from this Palace kit from the 1998/99 season?

1. Which youth team product played 66 times between 1979 and 1983 before moving to Reading?

2. Which Aussie defender featured for the Eagles in the 1998/99 season?

3. Which Scot played over 200 games for the club between 1983 to 1987?

4. Which defender scored his only Palace goal against Bristol City back in the 2007/08 campaign?

5. What links these four answers?

DITLOID T g f WZ b B i t 2013 C p-o s-f

ANSWERS Previous encounters: 1. Dame N’Doye 2. Yannick Bolasie 3. Fraizer Campbell 4. Tony Finnigan 5. John McCormick Linked: 1. Shaun Brooks 2. Craig Moore 3.

George Wood 4. Lee Hills 5. things you would see on a hike Classic kit: Adidas and TDK Team trail: Marco Gabbiadini Ditloid: Two goals from Wilfried Zaha beat Brighton in the 2013 Championship play-off semi-final.

69

CPFC v HCAFC / / FIRST-TEAM SPONSORS

SAM ALLARDYCE

SAMMY LEE

JULIAN SPERONI

PATRICK VAN AANHOLT

MATHIEU FLAMINI

PALACE DETECTIVES Proud supporters of CPSCC

JOEL WARD

SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE

JAMES TOMKINS

SCOTT DANN

YOHAN CABAYE

FRAIZER CAMPBELL

ANDROS TOWNSEND

www.phase-electrical.co.uk daniel.poole@phase-electrical.co.uk – 01424 736204 GOOD LUCK FOR THE SEASON – WILLIAM POOLE

LOIC REMY

SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE www.imaginethis.uk.com - 020 7164 6856

WILFRIED ZAHA

MAMADOU SAKHO

WAYNE HENNESSEY

JOE LEDLEY

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE

Greenwich Roastery Coffee Superior Coffee for Superior Power www.greenwichroastery.com

CHUNG-YONG LEE

WWW.LASTCONTRACTING.COM

JAMES McARTHUR

CONNOR WICKHAM

The Natural Source of World Hardwoods supporting Crystal Palace F.C. www.nhgtimber.co.uk

PAPE SOUARE The Natural Source of World Hardwoods supporting Crystal Palace F.C. www.nhgtimber.co.uk

best wishes for the 2016/17 season. the silverstein and tucker families.

DAMIEN DELANEY

LUKA MILIVOJEVIC

STEVE MANDANDA

JEFFREY SCHLUPP

MARTIN KELLY

JASON PUNCHEON

To sponsor your favourite player, please call Liam Connery on 020 8768 6004 or email liam.connery@cpfc.co.uk 70

71

CPFC v HCAFC / / FLASHBACK - THE GAME

CHAMPIONSHIP | SELHURST PARK | 5TH MARCH 2013 | 16,230 ome say there is never a dull season if you are a Palace fan, and this campaign was no different. At its start Dougie Freedman was manager and saw his charges into a challenging place for promotion, and then in late October inexplicably jumped ship to take over at Bolton Wanderers.

10 days later, Ian Holloway was appointed in his place and although there was a dip in results in December and January, Palace were still in sight for one of the two automatic promotion slots, with Cardiff City seemingly sewn top spot up. Then as the transfer window drew to a close at the end of January, Wilfried Zaha was sold to Manchester United for a reported £15 million and immediately loaned back to the Eagles for the rest of the season.

This encounter with Hull City was one of the season’s crunch games as the Tigers came to Selhurst in second place on 65 points with the Eagles four behind. Holloway was forced to make changes with the on-loan right-back Jazz Richards injured, so another loanee in Jacob Butterfield came into midfield together

with Jonny Williams, as Kevin Phillips, our third loanee, returned to the attack. Hull selected recent signing George Boyd, who had joined the Tigers ahead of the Eagles despite being a Palace fan.

Both sides attacked from the kick-off and the Eagles had the first chance when David Stockdale fumbled a free-kick from Butterfield and a shot from Peter Ramage was cleared off the line, only for the ball to fall to Phillips who saw his effort blocked.

However the deadlock should have been broken after half an hour when Williams was played in by Dean Moxey only to be bundled over in the penalty area, and up stepped Glenn Murray for the spotkick but his ferocious attempt was superbly saved by Stockdale.

Ahmed Elmohamady then had an opportunity to give Hull the lead but he volleyed over when well-placed following a corner, but on the stroke of half-time the Eagles were awarded another penalty when Murray’s shot from inside the area was handled. This time the responsibility was taken on by Phillips who saw Stockdale get a hand to his kick, only for the ball to ricochet over the line.

72

CPFC v HCAFC / / FLASHBACK - THE GAME

- TEAM LINE-UPS -

- THE 2012/13 SEASON -

It got even better after the break for the 39-year-old striker as he added two more goals in two minutes to complete an eight-minute hat-trick. Zaha broke down the right and his square ball across the area was dummied by Murray for Phillips to tuck home in the bottom corner. A minute later, Zaha was again the provider as his pass inside was picked up by the veteran forward who curled in a shot from 25 yards, which took a slight deflection to loop over Stockdale and send Selhurst crazy.

Hull manager Steve Bruce sent on Jay Simpson and with 17 minutes left the substitute reduced the arrears with a header past Julian Speroni from Elmohamady’s cross, but any thought of a comeback was snuffed out four minutes later when Zaha grabbed Palace’s fourth by racing onto a ball down the right and, playing a neat one-two with Murray, cut inside to angle a shot past Stockdale. Right on the final whistle, David Meyler headed home Robbie Brady’s inswinging free-kick but it wouldn’t affect the Eagles cementing their position in the top six, while Watford replaced Hull in second place.

Come the end of the season Hull managed to claim automatic promotion with Cardiff, while the Eagles were paired with arch-rivals Brighton in the play-offs to face either Watford or Leicester City in the final at Wembley, where naturally Phillips had the last say.

Ian King

-

-

-

-

73

CPFC v HCAFC / / FLASHBACK - THE PROGRAMME

CRYSTAL PALACE V HULL CITY - 5TH MARCH 2013

he 2012/13 season was the last that saw the programme regularly produced using the saddlestitching method with staples along the spine, as since then the programme has been perfect bound.

Edited by Mike Sinnerton, the 80 pages cost £3 and each edition was numbered on the laminated cover, this one against Hull City being number 19, together with a clock face showing the kick-off time of 8pm and also portrayed Damien Delaney who had previously spent six years with the Tigers.

Manager Ian Holloway in “From The Dugout” praised the team for their recent performances and felt that with two

successive home games coming up, the season could be right back on track and implored the fans to keep believing. In “From The Dressing Room” captain Mile Jedinak echoed his manager’s comments about the support at Selhurst Park, and mentioned that the Eagles were on a long unbeaten run of games at home on a Tuesday night.

Eight pages were afforded to our visitors which included a chart showing how Hull had risen from League Two to the Premier League in five years. There were brief profiles on 17 of their squad, of which now barely a handful are still with the club, and also their manager Steve Bruce who

74

had a record of only seven defeats in the 40 games since he joined the club in June 2012.

Comedian Kevin Day was a regular contributor to the programme and in “From The Stand” he took issue over the fact that Watford had appeared to have exploited a loophole in the loan system which saw players loaned from a foreign club (in Watford’s case ‘sister’ clubs Udinese and Granada) counting as a transfer and therefore allowed them to loan more than the limit allowed.

In each edition a Palace player was asked for his “First and Last” and Yannick Bolasie revealed his first professional goal was with Barnet, and the last time

CPFC v HCAFC / / FLASHBACK - THE PROGRAMME he laughed was watching Holloway doing charades to footballer’s names!

Delaney was the subject of a profile interview by current programme editor Jonathon Rogers, and the Irishman said how much he enjoyed his time on Humberside helping the Tigers climb up from the fourth tier, and revealed he was the last Hull player to score a goal at their old ground of Boothferry Park. Damien had signed for the Eagles on a short-term deal the previous summer and had recently signed a two-year extension.

Aki Riihilahti was the subject of Chris Waters’ “Cult Heroes” and Leigh Edwards provided “Names and Games” between Palace and Hull. The 5th March over previous years was looked at by Ian King for “On This Day”, which in 1969 had witnessed an important victory at Derby County on our way to the top-flight for the first time, and Andy Carey reflected on one of his 12 visits to Hull - this one in 1985 when Ian Wright had just begun his career with the Eagles and two goals from Trevor Aylott sealed a 2-1 victory.

As we move towards the last quarter of the programme there was an interview with Glenn Murray whose rich vein of scoring had taken him to 28 so far, averaging a goal every 97.6 minutes which made him the second-highest goalscorer in Europe. Alex Warner in “View From The Upper” gave his take on the music provided on matchdays at Selhurst Park and bemoaned the absence of “Americanos”.

Line-ups, results and statistics for the first-team followed (those for the development squad and academy had appeared earlier) and for the final inside page Terry Byfield continued his “Byfield’s Bygones” series looking back at his 28 years at Selhurst Park, giving his account of the time Bruce arrived as Palace manager.

Ian King

75

CPFC v HCAFC / / FLASHBACK - THE PLAYER

2013-2014 | 21 APPEARANCES | 7 GOALS Terry Byfield chats to a man who wasn’t at Selhurst Park for very long, but made one of the biggest impacts in the club’s recent history to help them reach the Premier League.

It may have lasted just under a year, but how do you look back on your time with Palace?

This match against Hull saw you break the club’s record for the fastest ever league hat-trick, what are your memories of that night?

I absolutely loved it. Ian Holloway was very good to me because I was travelling from my home in the Midlands so he was very understanding about me training away from the group when needed. The place felt right for me from the minute I walked through the door and there was a good set-up. It always makes it easier going into a new club when people make you feel welcome, and of course it certainly helped knowing the manager. I look back on my time there with fond memories because from a personal point of view, it was a successful period for me.

We knew it would be a difficult game but it also wasn’t going to be easy for them coming to Selhurst with our crowd behind us. It would have been good to get off to a good start but Glenn Murray missed a penalty and we suddenly started thinking “is it going to be one of those nights?”

When we got another Glenn wasn’t so keen but I was more than happy to step up and take it. Even though it wasn’t one of my most convincing penalties, it was a nice feeling when it hit the back of the net and gave everyone a huge lift. The atmosphere at that point was great and to follow it up with a second and third after half-time from myself was incredible. To beat the side that were second in the table 4-2 when we could have scored a few more made it a great night for us.

Securing our spot in the play-offs proved to be a tough task didn’t it?

Following that Hull result, we went through a difficult period until the last day of the season, which was certainly unexpected and something we didn’t see coming - maybe we became a little complacent. We had plenty of meetings amongst the squad, without the management, to say if we were not careful we would end up not even making the play-offs, and therefore you have to give credit to the lads for keeping at it and getting us there. As a group we all stuck together when people outside the club started writing us off.

76

CPFC v HCAFC / / FLASHBACK - THE PLAYER

You will always be remembered for your penalty against Watford in the play-off final, how do you reflect back on that game?

It was a strange afternoon as it was against the club where it all started for me, but being named as a sub I watched from the bench and witnessed many missed chances, and when you don’t take them you begin wondering. When I got told I was going on I thought that at that stage of my career it could be a wonderful end to it all.

As soon as the penalty was awarded there was no discussion about who would take it and I didn’t have too much time to think about it. People ask how nervous I was in such a big game, but I had been more nervous in other games for some reason. I just focussed on where I wanted to put the ball and was probably one of the sweetest penalties I have hit in my whole career. It was magnificent feeling for everyone connected with the club when it hit the back of the net.

What were the reasons for your departure in January 2014?

It was sad leaving but ultimately I had a chance to go to Leicester City which was nearer my home, and we went on to win the Championship that year and therefore it all worked out really well. I have to thank the board, management, fans and the fellow players for making it all happen for me at Crystal Palace. It was all really amicable from the board of directors downwards about me returning home, but the year I had at Palace will live with me for the rest of my life.

77

78

CPFC v HCAFC / / NOTICEBOARD

SMOKING Smoking is not permitted anywhere inside Selhurst Park. To smoke you need to be outside the club’s property on Holmesdale Road or beyond the gates to Sainsbury’s car park.

EQUALITY Crystal Palace Football Club is committed to identifying, confronting and eliminating discrimination and intends to ensure that everyone who wishes to engage with the club, whether as matchday fans, staff, players, board members or participants in Foundation programmes has a real and equal opportunity to do so.

LUCKY NUMBER Don’t forget to check the number on the back cover of your programme – you could win some signed Palace merchandise! Listen out for the winning number which will be read out at half-time, and if you have it then please report to the Main Reception, which is open for 30 minutes after full-time, to collect your prize.

EARLY BIRD OFFER Fans who are in the ground up to 45 minutes before kick-off can grab themselves a special offer at the food outlets, with a burger and a drink available for just £5.

The club is also supporter of the Kick It Out programme and would like to remind all supporters to refrain from racist, homophobic or discriminative chanting.

TEXT ALERT NUMBER If you notice an issue on a matchday and want to report an incident, we have a confidential text alert number on 07507 477669 to contact the club directly.

SAFEGUARDING Free young supporter wristbands which can include your contact information to keep your family safe can be collected from the Information Centre, which is located in the main car park by Entrance 9.

Take your pick from a hamburger, chicken burger or falafel burger and combine with the choice of a beer, cider, soft drink, water or a hot beverage to start your matchday the right way!

OPENING TIMES The club shop will be open until kick-off and then for an additional hour after the game, while the box office will also be open until kick-off but closes

30 minutes after the final whistle.

Please note that all views from external contributers in this programme are not necessarily those of Crystal Palace Football Club.

CONTACT DIRECTORY Main Switchboard 020 8768 6000 Box Office 08712 000071 Disabled Ticket Enquiries 020 8768 6080 Corporate Sales 020 8768 6010

Conference & Events 020 8768 6013 Club Shop 020 8768 6100 Press Office 020 8768 6020 Catering 020 8768 6009

79

CPFC Foundation 020 8768 6047 Study Centre 020 8768 6066 Customer Services customer.services@cpfc.co.uk

80

CPFC v HCAFC / / STATISTICS

s the season comes to its conclusion, the Eagles have a few landmarks that could be reached in their final two games.

Wilfried Zaha could reach a century of Premier League games for the Eagles if he plays today and against Manchester United on the final day, while Palace are just two goals shy of equalling their previous best of 48 netted in a campaign in this league. They could also beat Manchester United in the division for the first time, at the 16th attempt.

Other milestones that have come about this season include Christian Benteke becoming only the third Palace player to hit double figures in a Premier League season, while the Eagles took part in their highest-scoring Premier League game, although they were on the wrong end of the odd goal in nine against Swansea City.

Meanwhile, last weekend saw the Eagles equal their biggest margin of defeat in a Premier League game, with the 5-0 loss to Manchester City matching the 6-1 defeat by Liverpool in August 1994 and the 5-0 mauling at the hands of the Reds in October 1992.

PALACE v HULL : HEAD TO HEAD ALL-TIME PLAYED: 53 PALACE WINS: 15 DRAWS: 18 HULL WINS: 20

LAST PALACE WIN: 28TH JANUARY 2014 - 1-0 (SELHURST PARK) LAST BURNLEY WIN: 25TH APRIL 2015 - 0-2 (SELHURST PARK) LAST DRAW: 10TH DECEMBER 2016 - 3-3 (KCOM STADIUM) LAST GOALLESS DRAW: 27TH NOVEMBER 2012 (KCOM STADIUM) LAST PLAYER TO MOVE TO HULL FROM PALACE: HARRY HAVELOCK - MAY 1931 LAST PLAYER TO MOVE TO PALACE FROM HULL: PAUL MCSHANE - LOAN, JANUARY 2012

LAST 10 v HCAFC

D

W

D

PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYED: 5 PALACE WINS: 2 DRAWS: 1 HULL WINS: 2

D 81

W W W

L

L

D

CPFC v HCAFC / / STATISTICS

ATTACK MINUTES PER GOAL

GOALS SCORED

SHOTS BLOCKED 109

12-

OFF TARGET 179 OFF THE WOODWORK 07 ON TARGET 133

22-

70

-10

GOALS 46 SHOOTING ACCURACY 43%

DEFENCE GOALS CONCEDED 61

CLEAN SHEETS 06

SHOTS FACED 499

TACKLE SUCCESS RATE 72%

GENERAL PLAY AVERAGE POSSESSION 46% PASSING ACCURACY 73% DUEL SUCCESS 51%

DISCIPLINE

INDIVIDUALS MOST SHOTS

BENTEKE 99

MOST SUCCESSFUL PASSES

PUNCHEON 1,120

MOST DRIBBLES COMPLETED

ZAHA 137

MOST TACKLES

WARD 84

MOST AERIAL CHALLENGES WON

BENTEKE 308

FOULS WON

RED CARDS

00

434 YELLOW CARDS

74 82

FOULS CONCEDED

447

CPFC v HCAFC / / STATISTICS

Under 18s

Under 23s Name

Games

W3-2

Jason Akiotu

14

A

D 2-2

Corie Andrews

19

Cardiff City

A

W 5-3

Date

Opposition

H/A

Result

13/08/16

Sheffield Weds

H

20/08/16

Leeds United

27/08/16

Games

Goals

2

Goals 4

Brandon Aveiro

03/09/16

Bristol City

A

W 2-1

Jonathan Benteke

7

10/09/16

Crewe

H

L 1-2

Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong

10

1

Date

Opposition

H/A

Result

15/08/16

Notts Forest

A

W 1-0

22/08/16

Barnsley

H

D 2-2

30/08/16

Bristol City

A

W 1-0

05/09/16

QPR

A

L 1-4

12/09/16

Sheffield Weds

A

D 2-2

17/09/16

Barnsley

A

W 7-0

6

1

David Boateng

19/09/16

Hull City

H

W 3-1

24/09/16

QPR

A

W 3-0

16

2

Lewis Bryon

26/09/16

Birmingham

A

L 0-5

01/10/16

Colchester

H

D 2-2

11/10/16

Huddersfield

H

L 0-2

15/10/16

Notts Forest

H

L 5-6

18

5

James Daly

17/10/16

Millwall

A

L 0-1

17

2

Andrew Demby

Andre Coker

22/10/16

Bolton

A

L 0-2

29/10/16

Ipswich Town

H

D 3-3

12/11/16

Charlton

H

L 1-2

14

19/11/16

Millwall

H

L 0-1

20

26/11/16

Watford

H

W 2-1

3

03/12/16

Cardiff City

H

W 1-0

5

22

3

25/10/16

Coventry City

H

L 1-3

Luke Dreher

15

1

31/10/16

Cardiff City

A

L 0-3

5

Kian Flanagan

14

1

14/11/16

Watford

H

D 0-0

6

Victor Fundi

2

21/11/16

Ipswich Town

A

L 3-4

Matthew Funnell

28/11/16

Charlton

H

L 0-1

Bivesh Gurung

12/12/16

Colchester

A

W 1-0

09/01/17

Milwall

H

W 2-0

23/01/17

Coventry City

A

D 0-0

10/12/16

Colchester

A

L 2-5

20

3

Bryce Hosannah

17/12/16

Liverpool (FAYC)

A

D 2-2

24

1

Joseph Hungbo

2

07/01/17

QPR

H

W 4-3

Noor Husin

14

2

30/01/17

Watford

A

L 0-3

28/01/17

Charlton

A

L 0-2

21

13

Francis Jno Baptiste

3

1

06/02/17

Cardiff City

H

W 3-0

04/02/17

Millwall

A

W 4-3

10

1

Jalen Jones

2

11/02/17

Bristol City

H

L 1-2

Sullay Kaikai

2

20/02/17

Ipswich Town

H

L 3-0

1

06/03/17

Charlton

A

D 2-2

13/03/17

Leeds United

A

W 1-0

1

20/03/17

Bolton

H

L 0-2

27/03/17

Crewe

A

L 0-3

18/02/17

Watford

A

W 2-1

Ryan King-Elliott

10

04/03/17

Sheffield Utd

A

L 1-2

Nya Kirby

9

18/03/17

Hull City

H

W 3-0

3

25/03/17

Coventry City

H

W 2-1

16

5

Jason Lokilo

13

1

03/04/17

Sheffield United

H

L 0-3

01/04/17

Huddersfield

A

W 2-0

8

5

Levi Lumeka

18

6

10/04/17

QPR

H

W 2-1

Nathan Linton

08/04/17

Birmingham

H

D 1-1

15

Kyle Lynch

24/04/17

Colchester

H

L 1-2

11/04/17

Coventry City

A

L 0-3

13

Colm McAdden

01/05/17

Bristol City

H

L 0-2

18/04/17

Ipswich Town

A

L 0-3

14

2

2

4

1

8 2

5

1

CLUB

P

PTS

1

Coventry City

28

65

2

Charlton Athletic

28

61

3

Crystal Palace

28

43

7

4

Ipswich Town

28

41

5

Millwall

28

35

6

Watford

28

32

7

Bristol City

28

30

8

Cardiff City

28

30

12

9

Colchester United

28

23

12

10

QPR

28

17

Tyrick Mitchell

5

Oliver O'Dwyer

9

U23S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE 2

Emmanuel Okorougo Jayden Onen

27

POS

15

Drew Matthews

15

U18S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE 2

Giovanni McGregor

Tariq Ossai Will Ozono

POS

CLUB

P

PTS

1

Charlton Athletic

28

53

2

Millwall

28

42

Sean Robertson

3

Cardiff City

28

38

6

Jude Russell

4

Coventry City

28

38

2

Jordan Serrato

5

Callum Sturgess

14

5

Bristol City

28

36

Nikola Tavares

12

5

QPR

28

36

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

25

7

Ipswich Town

28

35

8

Colchester United

28

33

9

Watford

28

32

10

Crystal Palace

28

29

Kleton Perntreou 4

Malachi Peynado-Peart Michael Phillips 2

7

12

20 20

1

1

Oliver Webber 1

1

Sam Woods

16

Randell Williams

16

Ben Wynter

17

2

Emmanuel Yeboah

U23s: 3 apps: Fraizer Campbell. 2 apps: Kwesi Appiah, Hiram Boateng, Mathieu Flamini, Ryan Inniss, Steve Mandanda.

1 app: Keshi Anderson, Yohan Cabaye, Luke Croll, Scott Dann, Zeki Fryers, Joe Ledley, Chung-yong Lee, Jordon Mutch, Julian Speroni, James Tomkins.

U18s: 1 app: Joshua Ajayi, Di'shon Bernard, Liam Coates, Kie Douglas, Joshua Malcolm, Ehizojie Onoabhagbe.

83

JULIAN SPERONI

JOEL WARD

PATRICK VAN AANHOLT

MATHIEU FLAMINI

JAMES TOMKINS

SCOTT DANN

YOHAN CABAYE

LOIC REMY

FRAIZER CAMPBELL

YANNICK BOLASIE

ANDROS TOWNSEND

WILFRIED ZAHA

MAMADOU SAKHO

CPFC v HCAFC / / STATISTICS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

10

11

12

DATE

OPPOSITION

KICK-OFF

H/A

RESULT

ATT

AWAY

POS

Sat 13 Aug

West Bromwich Albion

3pm

H

0-1

24,490

2,096

19

Sat 20 Aug

Tottenham Hotspur

3pm

A

0-1

31,447

2,431

19

Tue 22 Aug

Blackpool

7.30pm

H

2-0

7,533

214

R2

1

Sat 27 Aug

Bournemouth

3pm

H

1-1

23,503

2,024

15

1

Sat 10 Sep

Middlesbrough

3pm

A

2-1

30,551

1,291

11

Sun 18 Sep

Stoke City

2.15pm

H

4-1

23,781

763

8

Wed 21 Sep

Southampton

7.45pm

A

0-2

14,080

1,243

R3

Sat 24 Sep

Sunderland

3pm

A

3-2

38,941

909

7

Fri 30 Sep

Everton

8pm

A

1-1

38,758

988

7

Sat 15 Oct

West Ham United

5.30pm

H

0-1

25,643

2,849

8

Sat 22 Oct

Leicester City

3pm

A

1-3

31,969

3,275

11

Sat 29 Oct

Liverpool

5.30pm

H

2-4

25,628

2,909

12

Sat 05 Nov

Burnley

3pm

A

2-3

19,196

1,548

14

Sat 19 Nov

Manchester City

3pm

H

1-2

25,529

2,859

16

1 1

Swansea City

3pm

A

4-5

20,276

1,603

17

1

Sat 03 Dec

Southampton

3pm

H

3-0

25,393

2,772

14

1

Hull City

3pm

A

3-3

17,403

1,392

15

Wed 14 Dec

Manchester United

8pm

H

1-2

25,547

2,859

16

Sat 17 Dec

Chelsea

12.30pm

H

0-1

25,259

2,852

17

Mon 26 Dec

Watford

12.30pm

A

1-1

20,304

2,108

17

Sun 01 Jan

Arsenal

4pm

A

0-2

59,975

3,010

17

Tue 3 Jan

Swansea City

8pm

H

1-2

24,913

889

17

Sat 7 Jan

Bolton Wanderers

3pm

A

0-0

11,683

1,456

R3

Sat 14 Jan

West Ham United

3pm

A

0-3

56,984

2,984

17

Tue 17 Jan

Bolton Wanderers

8pm

H

2-1

7,149

980

R3R

Sat 21 Jan

Everton

3pm

H

0-1

25,594

2,869

18

Sat 28 Jan

Manchester City

3pm

H

0-3

13,979

3,662

R4

Tue 31 Jan

Bournemouth

7.45pm

A

2-0

11,286

1,332

17

Sat 4 Feb

Sunderland

3pm

H

0-4

25,310

2,637

19

Sat 11 Feb

Stoke City

3pm

A

0-1

27,007

2,273

19

Sat 25 Feb

Middlesbrough

3pm

H

1-0

25,416

2,889

18

Sat 4 Mar

West Bromwich Albion

3pm

A

2-0

24,051

2,436

17

Watford

3pm

H

1-0

25,109

2,803

16

Sat 18 Mar

1

1

Sat 26 Nov Sat 10 Dec

1

1

1

1

1

1

1 1

Chelsea

3pm

A

2-1

41,489

2,926

16

Wed 5 Apr

Southampton

7.45pm

A

1-3

29,968

2,421

16

Mon 10 Apr

Arsenal

8pm

H

3-0

25,648

2,869

16

1

Sat 15 Apr

Leicester City

3pm

H

2-2

25,504

2,756

15

1

Liverpool

4.30pm

A

2-1

53,086

1,576

12

Tottenham Hotspur

8pm

H

0-1

25,596

2,796

12

Wed 26 Apr Sat 29 Apr

Burnley

5.30pm

H

0-2

25,013

1,343

16

Sat 6 May

Manchester City

12.30pm

A

0-5

54,119

1,257

16

Sun 14 May

Hull City

12pm

H

Sun 21 May

Manchester United

3pm

A

Home Fixture

Away Fixture

Cup Fixture

2016/17 Games 2016/17 Goals Palace Career Games Palace Career Goals

84

1

1

Sat 1 Apr

Sat 23 Apr

1

2

40

390 184 4

1

7(2) 6(7) 23(2) 21(4) 26(8) 3(5) 1(11) 0(1) 32(7) 33(2) 1 3 4 4 1 3 6 9 1

13

25

118

74

3

14

10

8

49

144

39

256

8

13

3

33

8 8

CPFC v HCAFC / / STATISTICS

30

31

34

35

36

AARON WAN-BISSAKA

28

MICHAEL PHILLIPS

27

BEN WYNTER

26

NOOR HUSIN

25

JASON PUNCHEON

24

HIRAM BOATENG

23

KLETON PERNTREOU

22

FREDDIE LADAPO

PAPE SOUARE

21

LUKE DREHER

JORDON MUTCH

19

MARTIN KELLY

CONNOR WICKHAM

18

JEFFERY SCHLUPP

ZEKI FRYERS

17

STEVE MANDANDA

JAMES MCARTHUR

16

LUKA MILIVOJEVIC

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE

15

DAMIEN DELANEY

JOE LEDLEY

15

- Unused Sub 1 - Goal(s) scored

BAKARY SAKO

JONATHAN BENTEKE

14

- Used Sub

KESHI ANDERSON

MILE JEDINAK

13

- Started match

SULLAY KAIKAI

CHUNG-YONG LEE

- Red Card

WAYNE HENNESSEY

- Yellow Card

38

40

42

43

44

45

46

REFEREE Pawson Oliver

1

Madley Dean

1

Swarbrick 1

Pawson Adcock

1

1

1

Taylor

1

Moss Atkinson Oliver 2

Marriner

1

1

Taylor

1

Madley

1

Friend

2

Swarbrick

1

Jones 1

Pawson Moss Clattenburg Marriner Tierney East Swarbrick

2

Attwell Taylor Jones

1

Moss Marriner Atkinson Madley Jones Atkinson

1

Pawson

1

East 1

Oliver

1

Dean

2

Marriner Moss Madley Oliver

29 8(12)

1

75

40

179

2

2

10

0(1) 16(5) 36(2) 24(5) 3(9) 5(5) 4(4) 1 16 5 3 1

96

38

93

6

16

9

14

34 9

40

4 55

1(1) 1(6) 24(8) 12 1 4

30

188

12

1

2

7

1

10 10(4) 27(5) 10

14

83 1

85

34(3) 3

147 16

CPFC v HCAFC / / PREMIER LEAGUE

POS

CLUB

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD

PTS

1

Chelsea

35

27

3

5

75

29

46

84

(3pm unless stated)

2

Tottenham Hotspur

35

23

8

4

71

23

48

77

MATCHWEEK 37

3

Liverpool

36

20

10

6

71

42

29

70

4

Manchester City

35

20

9

6

70

37

33

69

5

Arsenal

35

20

6

9

68

42

26

66

6

Manchester United

35

17

14

4

51

27

24

65

7

Everton

36

16

10

10

60

41

19

58

8

West Bromwich Albion

35

12

9

14

41

45

-4

45

9

Leicester City

35

12

7

16

45

54

-9

43

10

Southampton

35

11

9

15

39

46

-7

42

11

Bournemouth

36

11

9

16

52

65

-13

42

12

West Ham United

36

11

9

16

45

59

-14

42

13

Stoke City

36

10

11

15

39

52

-13

41

Thursday 18th May Leicester City v Tottenham (19:45))

14

Burnley

36

11

7

18

37

51

-14

40

MATCHWEEK 38

15

Watford

35

11

7

17

37

58

-21

40

16

Crystal Palace

36

11

5

20

46

61

-15

38

17

Swansea City

36

10

5

21

41

69

-28

35

18

Hull City

36

9

7

20

36

69

-33

34

19

Middlesbrough

36

5

13

18

26

48

-22

28

20

Sunderland

35

6

6

23

28

60

-32

24

TOP GOALSCORERS

MOST ASSISTS

1. Romelu Lukaku

Everton

24

1. Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City

15

2. Harry Kane

Tottenham Hotspur

21

=2. Christian Eriksen

Tottenham Hotspur

12

=3. Diego Costa

Chelsea

20

=2. Gylfi Sigurdsson

Swansea City

12

=3. Alexis Sánchez

Arsenal

20

4. Cesc Fàbregas

Chelsea

11

5. Sergio Agüero

Manchester City

18

=5. Wilfried Zaha

Crystal Palace

9

=6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Manchester United

17

=5. Alexis Sánchez

Arsenal

9

86

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Sunday 14th May Crystal Palace v Hull City (12:00) West Ham United v Liverpool (14:15) Tottenham v Man United (16:30) Monday 15th May Chelsea v Watford (20:00) Tuesday 16th May Arsenal v Sunderland (19:45) Man City v West Brom (20:00) Wednesday 17th May Southampton v Man United (19:45)

Sunday 21st May Arsenal v Everton Burnley v West Ham United Chelsea v Sunderland Hull City v Tottenham Leicester City v Bournemouth Liverpool v Middlesbrough Man United v Crystal Palace Southampton v Stoke City Swansea City v West Brom Watford v Man City

All stats in this programme are correct up to 11/05/17.

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03/04/2017 23:19

hull city a.f.c.

Crystal Palace Football Club Manager: Sam Allardyce (GK) Julian SPERONI Joel WARD Patrick VAN AANHOLT Mathieu FLAMINI James TOMKINS (C) Scott DANN Yohan CABAYE Loïc RÉMY Fraizer CAMPBELL Andros TOWNSEND Wilfried ZAHA Mamadou SAKHO (GK) Wayne HENNESSEY Chung-yong LEE Jonathan BENTEKE Joe LEDLEY Christian BENTEKE James McARTHUR Zeki FRYERS Connor WICKHAM Pape SOUARÉ Sullay KAIKAI Bakary SAKO Damien DELANEY Luka MILIVOJEVIC (GK) Steve MANDANDA Jeffrey SCHLUPP Martin KELLY Jason PUNCHEON

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 23 25 26 27 28 30 31 34 42

Manager: Marco Silva TODAY'S MATCH OFFICIALS Referee M. Atkinson Assistants S. Burt A. Nunn Fourth Official K. Friend

LUCKY NUMBER

02 03 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 29 32 36 40 50

Moses ODUBAJO Andrew ROBERTSON Harry MAGUIRE Curtis DAVIES David MEYLER Tom HUDDLESTONE Abel HERNÁNDEZ Alfred N'DIAYE Sam CLUCAS Andrea RANOCCHIA Omar ELABDELLAOUI Shaun MALONEY Eldin JAKUPOVIC (GK) Kamil GROSICKI Dieumerci MBOKANI Will KEANE Adama DIOMANDÉ Michael DAWSON (C) Markus HENRIKSEN David MARSHALL (GK) Oumar NIASSE Ryan MASON Ahmed ELMOHAMADY Josh TYMON Jarrod BOWEN Greg LUER Greg OLLEY EVANDRO Lazar MARKOVIC

Next: Away Match

manchester UNITED F.C.

2017/18 thank you for your support, see you next season.

Saturday 21st May 2017 Kick-off: 3.00pm