CPFC v Tottenham Hotspur programme

Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur Sunday 13th December 2020 // 2:15pm

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Directors Steve Parish, Chairman David Blitzer Joshua Harris Chief Executive Phil Alexander Chief Financial Officer Sean O’Loughlin

palace √ tottenham hotspur

Sporting Director

13.12.20

Dougie Freedman Club Secretary Christine Dowdeswell

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Head of Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning

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luka milivojevic

Scott Guyett

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steve parish

Head of Medical Dr. Zaf Iqbal

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darren ambrose

Academy Director

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junior eagles

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Daniel storey

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Sion Spence

Gary Issott Director of U23 Development Mark Bright Head Groundsman Bruce Elliott

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Commercial Director Barry Webber Operations Director Sharon Lacey Head of Consumer Sales Mike Pink Head of Ticketing Dan Clarke Head of Legal David Nichol Head of Content & Production

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James Woodroof Head of CRM & Campaigns Tom McGuiness Editor Dan Blazer Design Billy Cooke, Luke Thomas Contributors Ben Mountain, Ian King, Daniel Storey, Darren Ambrose, Grace Cullen Photography Neil Everitt, Seb Frej, Reuters, Pinnacle, Rex Features Printer Bishops Printers

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palace for life

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1994/95 season

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paddy m©carthy

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Coral-Jade Haines

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fixtures & results

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premier league

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official matchday programme

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nothing can replace the feeling of being back in the stands, watching a game unfold

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elcome to José, his staff and

– they are consistently a difficult team with a

players and hello to each of you

competent squad and a high calibre manager. I

reading this. I am delighted to

have great respect and mutual affection for José

finally be able to say ‘welcome back’ to the few

and enjoy competing with him – something that

joining us at Selhurst today.

has become more frequent since I joined Palace

The highly anticipated return of supporters has been long awaited and I will look out at the

three years ago.

Our last game at home to Spurs

2,000 spectators in the stands this afternoon

foreshadowed the task we face today; we did well

with great pleasure. We are well aware that

to secure a point from that clash and I hope to see

less than 10% of a relatively low capacity

something similar this afternoon.

stadium is unlikely to have a major impact on the

We are, of course, responding to frustrating

atmosphere or playing conditions, but then our

recent matches, with our games against Burnley

satisfaction with your return does not relate to

and Newcastle United ending in harsh scorelines.

enhancing our on-field fortunes.

I completed my notes for this page before we

Instead, it is due to the pleasure that watching football in person can deliver to a longexcluded fan. Football has certainly provided

faced West Bromwich Albion, so can only have hoped for a better outcome in that match.

Finally, the club are supporting the Rainbow

relief and a focus for many of us during these

Laces campaign in this fixture. We are committed

difficult recent months, but nothing can replace

to equality in our game and for all football

the feeling of being back in the stands, watching

followers to feel welcome in the community.

a game unfold directly in front of you and, with

Football is a great uniting force and the only

luck, enjoying a well earned result. The feeling

barrier to enjoying it ought to be one’s inclination

of actual participation on an event can only be

for the sport. So I am proud we are again

experienced when you are physically present.

supporting such a significant campaign.

However ensuring those here today and

Today, I hope for and expect a performance

those of you following from home witness any

that will reward your continued support. For

tangible success will not be an easy task as we

those of you here in person, welcome back. For

host a talented, in-form Tottenham Hotspur.

those of you waiting to return, I very much look

That Tottenham are currently challenging for the league’s top places is no surprise to me

forward to seeing you again.

Enjoy the game.

The manager

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To put five goals past any opposition in this great league is a big challenge for any side

I

was delighted to return to my team and to

These attacking ways of playing are

the pitch for Crystal Palace last week and

things that we work on when together on the

it was the perfect result to come back to.

training pitches with the manager.

Isolating was very frustrating for me as I

After defeat, the soonest you can get

prefer to be active and, more importantly, to be

back to winning ways is so important. We

playing with the lads. However I was fortunate

were frustrated by the Burnley and Newcastle

that I was asymptomatic and that I have now

results and our reaction against West Brom

recovered fully. My thoughts are with those

could not have been better.

worse affected by the virus.

The West Brom performance highlighted

Turning attention to today’s clash, we face big and in-form opposition in Tottenham

our strength, even if it was against 10-men. We

Hotspur. They are getting the results that make

were enjoying a close and competitive game

them deserve to sit first and I was impressed

in the first-half and, yes, their red card could

by their recent performances against Arsenal

be seen as harsh, but this is football and in

and Manchester City in particular.

football moments like that balance out.

In the second-half in particular, we

As with every game, the lads understand today will be a challenge and are prepared

showed just how good we are going forward,

for it. We respect the opposition but not

with Ebs, Jeff, Wilf and Christian looking very,

so much that we will give them space or

very sharp. They were supported well by all

respect on the pitch.

the lads behind them and each of them were hungry to score. That’s exactly what we did.

To put five goals past any opposition in

Finally, the best news. You are finally returning to Selhurst Park and I cannot wait to look out and see you supporting us again in

this great league is a big challenge for any

person. It may only be 2,000 of you, but soon

side. Whether they are at full strength or with

we will see more. I am excited for that day.

10-men, every team in this competition are tough to break down, so I was very pleased to be part of such a good victory.

Whether you’re here in person or still supporting from home, remember…

Make some noise!

The captain

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It will be truly fantastic to see 2,000 of you today – and I know you’ll do everything you can to make your presence known

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elcome back, finally, to each and every one of you here with us at Selhurst Park today. I’d like to

win was very satisfying for everyone.

I was absolutely delighted to see Christian back amongst the goals. He’d been knocking

thank you for your patience and especially

on the door before that match, almost securing

your commitment to the club during these

the equaliser at Burnley, as well as bringing

unprecedented recent months.

out an excellent save from the ‘keeper in the

Today is a big day for everyone associated with the club, as we are reunited with 2,000 supporters – playing in front of our fans for the

Newcastle game; I’m sure it will be the first two of many this season.

I was also heartened to see Joel go and

first time since March. Of course it’s nowhere

visit the club chefs in the Palace Kitchen at

near the scale we want to be at, but it’s a start

Selhurst Park, as they are creating 350 meals

– and it is a situation I hope will accelerate

a day in order to feed 5,000 before Christmas.

in the new year as the vaccine is rolled out

As our longest standing player, Joel knows

and we hopefully return to a more normal

how seriously we take our commitment to our

existence. The people here today are some

local community and he spoke effusively of

of our longest standing supporters who also

the entire club galvanising behind such a good

bought a Season Ticket into the unknown. I

cause of feeding people who need help.

hope you enjoy this really unique experience.

Today, we are proud to shine a light on

Our visitors today are top of the table

the Rainbow Laces campaign which promotes

Spurs, but Roy and the team are in high spirits

inclusivity in football, and further embraces the

after the magnificent win at West Brom last

LGBT community. This is everyone's game, and

Sunday. It was an important performance after

everyone is welcome here at Palace.

a tough few weeks, but it was a result richly

It will be truly fantastic to see 2,000 of you

deserved. Once again VAR played a part with

today – and I know you’ll do everything you can

the red card in a very similar incident to Luka’s

to make your presence known in support of

sending off last season – going down to 10-

Roy and the players.

men doesn’t always mean an easy win for the opposition side and the manner we went on to

Up the Palace.

The chairman

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official matchday programme

11 What do you ask a Premier League, FA Cup, Europa and Champions League winner? Yes, exactly: what are your recollections of the six games you played with Gábor Király at Aston Villa.

Here, Daniel Blazer finds out about Gary Cahill’s opinion on trouser-wearing goalkeepers, what it’s like to play against Zlatan Ibrahimović and plenty more.

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nce we found out that former Eagle, Ashley Cole, features in Gary Cahill’s

most played-with career XI to date, it seemed like a befitting place to start our chat.

“Ashleyyyy!” Cahill exclaims, with the added ‘ys’ giving away a hint at plenty of untold on-pitch stories. But for now at least, they shall remain that way: untold.

“In terms of success, Ashley’s career had it all – the caps he got for England were unbelievable,” Cahill says with such astonishment you’d be forgiven for forgetting Palace’s centre-back himself has 61 caps.

“You have got to play 10 years solid to reach that level of caps, and that is not easy to do. I played for England, finished with 61 caps and played quite regularly in the years I did and I’m still miles away from him,” the astonishment is not subsiding in Cahill’s voice.

But, all that said, it is no surprise to Cahill that Cole retired with 107 Three Lions appearances in his extensive honours collection: “What stood out for me with Ash was the amount of work he put in. I always say to youngsters coming through that's no fluke players like Ash have the success they do.

“Maybe they have that perception of him or they don’t but the first time I saw him working in training and working outside

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In terms of success, Ashley’s career had it all – the caps he got for England were unbelievable

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of training, wanting to win all the time, and that kind of mentality rubs off on players.”

Talk of Cole leads naturally to talk of another Palace fan favourite who, at Chelsea, became something of a defensive partner to Cahill: Academy graduate Victor Moses.

“Oh, Victor! Victor is a class guy and a good friend,” Cahill again says in the manner that suggests for a second he is reliving a few memories in his head. “I actually sat next to him in the changing room for a couple of seasons. A wicked guy, such a laidback fella. Takes everything in his stride, nothing seems to bother him.”

Cahill begins laughing before continuing: “He has that mentality where he seems half asleep but then when he goes out on the training pitch, he produces for you.

“Nothing but great memories of Victor. He was a massive part of the season when we won the league at Chelsea.”

For Palace fans, though, seeing Moses making up part of a back five would’ve been an unfamiliar sight from his time tormenting defences in the final third at Selhurst Park. However, for Cahill, “it was just a befitting role for him; it fit his game perfectly.

“He was a very fit lad and had the stamina to get up and down.

I was on the left-hand side of the

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three, and he would’ve had Azpi [César Azpilicueta] behind him – a great player to have behind you, dictating to you.

“His game didn’t change much really. Defensively he could do a job but his attribute was carrying the ball forward. It was just the perfect role for him and he took to it very, very well.”

The third and final full-back we discuss is now a current teammate, but Nathaniel Clyne and Cahill’s partnership actually started at international level.

It’s great to see Nathaniel back at the club, His pedigree is always there throughout his career, getting in the England squads and moving to Liverpool

“It’s great to see Nathaniel back at the club,” Cahill echoes the sentiments of everyone involved. “His pedigree is always

with Palace and with Cahill may well have been

there throughout his career,

brief, but it was certainly impactful.

getting in the England squads and moving to Liverpool.

“But it is how you react off the back of a bad injury. And I know

“Straight away, as soon as you mentioned him, I remember just thinking: ‘Wow’ watching him after training.

“His finishing was unbelievable. I used to

that it was difficult because when

hang about after training just to watch him work

he came back from his injury it

on finishing practice on his left and right foot.”

was almost lockdown immediately,

Phillips’ time with Aston Villa almost

right at the key time when you are

coincided with Király’s brief loan spell there.

looking to get your fitness back

And as any mention of our former ‘keeper does,

and get game time again.

Cahill chimes in: “With the trousers?!

“Through what he has been

“The strangest thing was the trousers.

telling me, it delayed him so much.

Not sure if it was a superstition or he just

To see him now back in the game

felt comfortable [we don’t bother interjecting

and performing well… it is always

but, Gábor previously told the club, it was

nice to see people come back

superstition after a mistake in shorts]. It was

from such a bad injury in the way

certainly unique; his kind of trademark.

in which he has, and I hope he stays fit and carries on.”

Talking of footballers who carried on, Kevin Phillips’ spell

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“He was a bit of a character like most ‘keepers are! Goalkeepers are mad; they are a different breed.”

Talk of different footballing breeds turns

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attention away from former teammates and on to opponents.

The player which Cahill has, so far, faced the most in his career is a former servant of today’s opponents: Peter Crouch.

“I’ve had so many battles with him, even with England when training with each other,” Cahill says. “I know it gets said about him, so didn’t go unnoticed, but for someone so big and awkward to play against his feet were so great.

“Naturally, being the size he is, he was a massive threat. I had loads of tussles against him – I’m

I disliked him and he disliked me in games, I’m sure, because of that physical battle, because of the competitiveness of both teams and the stakes in the game

not sure if he liked to play against me because of the physical battle we always had. I always felt he was dangerous when, as soon as the ball went wide, he would pull on to the back post, and I hated it.”

But for Cahill, he’d rather the big centre-forwards any day of the week: “Any tall, big centreback will tell you that playing against someone who is really sharp and nippy – someone like a Raheem Sterling, for example, who manipulates the ball very quickly and you have to move your feet really quickly - is really difficult for the big guys who are centre-backs.

“Every striker poses different threats, though, don’t they?”

That they do. And none more so than Zlatan Ibrahimović. Despite, ultimately, hating every minute played against the current AC Milan striker, Cahill would have

liked nothing more than to line-up on the same team as the Swede.

“I played against Ibrahimović a few times.

One of those being for England when he scored a hat-trick and destroyed us in that game. I played against him when he was at PSG a couple of times, and those encounters were…” Cahill pauses before laughing and diplomatically saying: “not very nice.”

“Hate is a strong word… I disliked him and he disliked me in games, I’m sure, because of that physical battle, because of the competitiveness of both teams and the stakes in the game. I’m sure he didn’t like me nibbling his ankles and tackling him as hard as I did every time we played.

“I disliked him in the games but outside I always used to think to myself: ‘I bet he’d be unbelievable to play with.’

“I’ve never said that and I’m sure he is not even interested! ”Well, Ibra, if you are, you know where to find us.

Just don’t expect Gary to go easy on you in training.

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Eberechi Eze

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Copers cope

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NATURAL CAFFEINE ZERO SUGAR HYDRATION ENERGY official matchday programme now available countrywide

for SPORT

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Club legend Darren Ambrose has gone from the squad list on the back page to guest columnist. The Eagles icon will be bringing you his opinions, insight and untold stories throughout the 2020/21 season.

darren ambrose

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Fans back at Selhurst

I was in talks to sign with Ipswich permanently but the manager, Jim

The Sheffield Wednesday game was the first

Magilton, was sacked and I ended up

thought that entered my head when I read that

going back to Charlton and to the most

fans would, finally, be returning to stadiums.

negative experience I’ve ever had with

En route home from that crazy game at Hillsborough in 2010, we stopped off at a service station halfway, and it was filled with Palace fans.

It was fantastic and surreal at the same

fans – well, in truth, a whole stadium.

I was on the bench in the league after my return and Phil Parkinson brought me on with about 20 minutes to

time. You are standing at the urinal trying to go

go. As soon as my number was shown

but the toilets are just filled with Palace fans

on the fourth official’s board, the whole

singing your name.

Valley booed me.

I didn’t expect that. Especially as I had scored the winner away at Norwich City in the FA Cup in my first game back after my loan spell.

That reaction caught me off guard so much that when I received the ball for my first touch, I ended up rushing the pass and somehow put the opposition through for a one-on-one.

They hit the post.

Imagine if they had scored…

FA Cup It’s hard not to retell stories from the day Danny Butterfield got a hat-trick now that we have drawn Wolves in the Third Round.

Ahead of the replay, Neil Warnock On the flipside, though, it hasn’t always been

came into the dressing room and said:

fans chanting with you in service station toilets!

‘Right, guys, big game today. Now, my

I remember when I was at Charlton Athletic and

wife had a dream last night, and her

I had gone on loan to Ipswich Town.

dream was that my right-back is going

Whilst back at Ipswich, I was interviewed and I wasn’t massively complimentary about Charlton – I felt that in my last year with them I wasn’t treated particularly well.

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to score the winning goal today. So, Danny you are playing upfront.’

We all were laughing, as Neil regularly came up with entertaining

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team talks and Butts thought he was having him on, laughing away.

Butts and I still couldn’t believe this was happening when we were both lining up to kick-off at the start of the game. We kept looking over to gaffer and basically our faces were saying: ‘Is this really happening?!’

You know the rest.

Rest in peace, Papa Bouba Diop I was just going on air for talkSPORT when I found out the news, and as a former teammate of his, it did get to me.

I was at Birmingham for a few months with Papa, as the club knew we needed a bit of bite in midfield. With a nickname like ‘The Wardrobe’, plus the lads’ recollections of the physical battles we’d had against him, he was perfect.

Papa ended up grabbing the locker next to mine in the dressing room, so we became good friends.

The term does get thrown around, but just because something is a cliché doesn’t mean it isn’t true: he was a gentle giant.

Talking to people at Birmingham, a club he was only with for roughly 10 weeks, makes you realise what a lovely bloke he was due to the high regard in which he is held there.

In fact, his best game for Birmingham came against Palace. He got the equaliser to secure the comeback from 2-0 down.

All my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

darren ambrose

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Quizzes, Games & MORE! Junior EAgles

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Schools In Focus The Foundation have been working with Raglan Primary in Bromley for several years now, and full-time coach Alhaji Alghali has been teaching PE at the school for over two years.

Alhaji supported the school throughout lockdown and the children’s remote learning by filming weekly PE lessons for both KS1 and KS2, which were uploaded to the school’s YouTube channel.

Since classes have resumed for all pupils, Alhaji has been supporting the school in a variety of ways on top of his PE lessons by teaching phonics and supporting individual children with their learning in different subjects.

Guess who

Badge jumble

Can you guess the four players from today’s

Can you work out the four clubs that Nathaniel

opponents in the below face mash-up?

Clyne has played for from the mixed up badges?

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02

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29 Check out the answers at the bottom of this page!

wordsearch

spot the difference

Can you find the six hidden football-themed

Can you find the five differences in these

words below?

two Jeffrey Schlupp pictures?

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Six words to find:

Mourinho, Lilywhites, Spurs, Adebayor, Davids & Townsend.

Now make a sentence that includes all of the words you’ve found!

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answers

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sleeve sponsor missing 5 Number 2 on shorts changed colour. changed colour to orange 3 W88 logo missing a number 4 Newcastle Bournemouth Spot The Difference: 1 PUMA logo missing 2 Football Moura. Badge Jumble: 1 Palace 2 Southampton 3 Liverpool 4 AFC

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Guess Who: 1 Gareth Bale 2 Tanguy Ndombele 3 Harry Kane 4 Lucas

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Junior EAgles

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Happy 10th Birthday, Ethan.

George Nash: husband, dad,

Enjoy the day. Love from

grandad, great grandad &

Happy 7th Birthday. Love

Grandma, Mummy, Auntie

friend to all. Fly high. “Even

Mum, Dad, Nan, Grandad

Munya and Mwaita, uncles,

when I die, I’m watching from

and Uncle Michael.

Nyasha, Pedzi, Tyson, Allan,

the sky.” 18/10/41-09/10/20.

Wishing Jordan Elsden a

Nhamo, Tondi and Paul

Wishing lifelong Palace fan,

Happy 50th Birthday, Uncle

Have a lovely birthday, darling.

Terry Penfold, a very Happy

Darren! Once an Eagle, always

All my love, Debs xx

80th Birthday on the 6th

an Eagle! Have a great day from

December. From all the family x

Tom and the Palace family.

Happy 70th Birthday to Steve

Wishing my Dad a very Happy

Hi to my Eagles-supporting friends

Gough, a lifelong Eagles fan.

49th Birthday. Looking forward

(Dan Eaton and Katie Russell).

Have a great day, love from all

to attending games again

Enjoy the game. May the best

of your family & friends xxx

soon. Love Alfie and the Zzzz

team win. FANS UNITED.

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Merry Xmas, Stewart, Nigel, Lee

Harvey, I cannot wait until

and family. See you soon and,

we can both come back to

for a big win, we are right

above all, keep safe, Mandy Ditto,

Selhurst Park - hopefully very

behind you. Colin & Chris.

in these strange times. Keith.

soon! Love you, mate. Dad.

Come on you Eagles, time

Happy 11th Birthday on the

Happy 30th Birthday to our

Happy 1st Birthday, George Foudy.

15th, Rafe. Let’s hope we

daughter, Nicky Fielding, a Crystal

Lots of love Nan and Grandad’s

can get to the match!

Palace fan. Love Mum and Dad.

Red and Blue Army xxx

Love from Mum and Dad xxx Come on you Eagles!

“When I was a young boy, my father said to me, listen here my son, you’re CPFC.” Ever since my father gave me my first shirt, that’s exactly what I have been. Thank you. Forever Red n Blue. RIP Ian Gent.

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Est.

1882 opposition

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tottenham match preview A goal from Jeffrey Schlupp on the final day of last season helped Crystal Palace end a

josé mourinho

frustrating run of league defeats to Tottenham.

The 1-1 draw at Selhurst in July was the first time the points were shared between the sides in fiveand-a-half years, but Spurs haven’t had it all their way against Palace.

Roy Hodgson was able to mastermind a 2-0 win over the north London club in the FA Cup during the 2018/19 campaign and that competition also saw Palace progress at Tottenham’s expense in 2016.

While Spurs have held the advantage in recent league meetings, those wins have largely

When we needed to have the ball, we had it. When we needed to be aggressive in transitions, we were.

When we needed two world-class strikers to score amazing goals, they did

been by the odd goal with Jose Mourinho’s predecessor, Mauricio Pochettino, securing five consecutive 1-0 wins over Palace in his tenure.

last three

Despite a Harry Kane goal, Palace last tasted league success over the Lilywhites in 2015 and the England captain will be the danger again today. He has struck four times in these meetings

2-0

w {H) 06.12.20

3-3

d {A) 03.12.20

0-0

d {a) 29.11.20

- each one in SE25 - and already has double figures for Spurs this term.

Goals have been hard to find for the Eagles against Spurs, but Jordan Ayew will hope to continue his fine form against London clubs. Since he moved to England five years ago, the Ghanaian has struck 10 times against teams from the capital and also scored four goals against Hertfordshire outfit Watford to show his talent inside the M25.

By: George Sessions, reporter for PA Sport.

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the lilywhites

premier league wins

all-timers Hugo Lloris

158

Jan Vertonghen

129

Aaron Lennon

127

Jermain Defoe

125

150

Teddy Sheringham

97

Jermain Defoe

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Robbie Keane

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premier league goals

Harry Kane

last time out 1 24 4 15 3 17 5 23 18 7 10

Lloris Aurier Alderweireld Dier Reguilón Sissoko 5Højbjerg Bergwijn Lo Celso Son Heung-Min Kane

2-0 1 4

15 3

24 17

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player profile

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Age

33

Height

1.88m

Joined

31st August, 2012

Debut

20th September, 2012 v Lazio (Europa League)

PREVIOUS CLUB: Nice & Lyon

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Hugo Lloris POSITION: GOALKEEPER NATIONALITY: FRANCE

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Les Blues’ No.1 continued his push to become France’s most-capped player of all-time in the recent international break, reaching 120 caps, leaving him three behind Thierry Henry and 23 off Lilian Thuram’s record of 143.

At club level, should he pass

Matt Doherty

Sergio Reguilón

POSITION: DEFENDER NATIONALITY: REP OF IRELAND

POSITION: DEFENDER NATIONALITY: SPAIN

Ledley King and Jermain Defoe

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this season for Spurs Premier League appearances, he will leave just Darren Anderton’s 299 to hunt down next campaign.

271 apps 97 clean sheets official matchday programme

Davinson Sánchez

Eric Dier

POSITION: DEFENDER NATIONALITY: COLOMBIA

POSITION: DEFENDER NATIONALITY: ENGLAND

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24

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Serge Aurier

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

POSITION: DEFENDER NATIONALITY: IVORY COAST

POSITION: MIDFIELDER NATIONALITY: DENMARK

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182 apps 63 clean sheets

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17 Toby Alderweireld

Harry Winks

Moussa Sissoko

POSITION: MIDFIELDER NATIONALITY: ENGLAND

POSITION: MIDFIELDER NATIONALITY: FRANCE

POSITION: DEFENDER NATIONALITY: BELGIUM

player profile

A stalwart in the Spurs backline Age

31

Height

1.87m

Joined

8th July, 2015

Debut

8th August, 2015 v Manchester United

since joining from Atlético Madrid in 2015, Alderweireld has proven one of club and country’s most solid defenders.

A Player of the Season award marked his success throughout his first campaign in London - 2015/16 - when he also made the PFA’s Team of the Year.

PREVIOUS CLUB: Ajax & Atlético Madrid

opposition

38

18

30

Giovani Lo Celso

Gedson Fernandes

POSITION: MIDFIELDER NATIONALITY: ARGENTINA

POSITION: MIDFIELDER NATIONALITY: PORTUGAL

07

31 apps 03 goals

28 10

Harry Kane

Tanguy Ndombele

POSITION: FORWARD NATIONALITY: SOUTH KOREA

POSITION: FORWARD NATIONALITY: ENGLAND

POSITION: MIDFIELDER NATIONALITY: FRANCE

player profile

Son Heung-Min

This season it appears José

Age

23

Height

1.81m

by midfielder Tanguy Ndombele,

Joined

2nd July, 2019

start – and scoring - against

Debut

10th August, 2019 v Aston Villa

Mourinho has been won round and after being selected to Manchester United in Spurs’ fourth league game of the season, the France international has become a key player for the Lilywhites.

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Amiens & Lyon

official matchday programme

09

player profile

39

Age

31

Height

1.85m

Joined

25th May, 2007

Debut

26th August, 2007 v Manchester United

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur & Real Madrid

11

Gareth Bale POSITION: FORWARD NATIONALITY: WALES

23

Gareth Bale’s first stint in north London got off to a slow start, however, after 42 goals in the topflight from 146 appearances, Real Madrid came knocking to make the Wales international the world’s then-most expensive player.

After four Champions League

Erik Lamela

Steven Bergwijn

POSITION: FORWARD NATIONALITY: ARGENTINA

POSITION: FORWARD NATIONALITY: NETHERLANDS

final victories, two La Liga titles

27

and a Copa del Rey medal, Bale is now back at the Lilywhites, with all those associated with the club

45

hoping he can emulate the 21 league goals he scored in his final campaign before heading to Spain.

149 apps 43 goals

Lucas Moura

Carlos Vinícius

POSITION: FORWARD NATIONALITY: BRAZIL

POSITION: FORWARD NATIONALITY: BRAZIL

opposition

40

#22

#17

MŠCarthy

Sissoko

player comparison

Age 31

position Midfielder

nationality R.0.i

Age 31

position Midfielder

nationality fra

apps

Passes

yellow cards

apps

Passes

yellow cards

48

37

Interceptions

Clearances

goals

passes per match

Tackles

Interceptions

Clearances

8,740

Tackles

243

passes per match

10,920

goals

261

13

42

681

423

369

14

36

292

175

186

official matchday programme

Hit woodwork

Tackles

Big chances created

interceptions

Passes per match

Hit woodwork

Tackles

Big chances created

interceptions

Schlupp

#15

154 player comparison

Age 27 position Midfielder nationality gha Age 28 position Midfielder nationality arg

apps

goals

assists apps goals assists

11 8

159

16

21.25

0

284

11

182

25.67

9

251

29

106

opposition

Statistics shown are all-time Premier League - correct as of 08/12/20

Passes per match

41

#11

Lamela

23

42

LIGHT

SPEED

FINISHING

official matchday programme

43

Crystal Palace are looking to collect points from Spurs in consecutive fixtures for the first time since 2005, having drawn earlier this year.

16

Tottenham have kept a clean sheet in 12 of their last 22 Premier League meetings with Crystal Palace (including eight in the last 10).

13 1

0

match facts

17

23

GOALS

112 125 SHOTS

12

16

16

9

EXPECTED GOALS

GOALS CONCEDED

40

15

49

AVERAGE POSSESSION %

15

12

EXPECTED GOALS AGAINST

18

0

SHOT CONVERSION RATE %

6

POINTS GAINED AFTER TRAILING

1

5

CLEAN SHEETS

2

4

POINTS DROPPED AFTER LEADING

goal times time

SCORED

CONCEDED

time

SCORED

CONCEDED

0-15

5

2

0-15

7

1

16-30

3

4

16-30

3

0

31-45

1

1

31-45

3

1

46-60

2

1

46-60

2

2

61-75

4

1

61-75

4

0

76-90

2

7

76-90

4

5

opposition

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what’s the storey @danielstorey85

onus will be on Spurs to break them down. This is hardly alien to the Lilywhites, who had 59% possession or higher away at Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion and Burnley and won all three games.

However it does give

Columnist, Daniel Storey, can be

Palace options on the counter.

heard on The Totally Football Show

With Zaha and Eze in tandem,

and seen in the Irish Examiner, the

opponents are unable to double-

i Paper and many more.

mark one player and shut down the threat on the break. That

Who gets to counter attack?

pair have played 400 minutes together this season and, in that

In their north London derby win over Arsenal, José Mourinho’s side had just 30% possession - lower than Palace’s home average - but effectively won the game with two first-half counters

time, Palace average a goal

This fixture pits together two

every 40 minutes. The Eagles

of the best counter-attacking

are reduced to a goal every 84

teams in the Premier League.

minutes when one or neither of

indeed dominate possession.

Palace have the lowest average

the frontmen are playing.

Ndombele has the ability to

home possession in the division,

beat his man in a one-on-one

an apparent handicap which,

situation (no Tottenham player

conversely, is particularly

completes more dribbles) but

and Wilfried Zaha stay high up

How do Spurs shift formation?

the pitch and spring into action

Mourinho prefers to use one of

against a deep-lying defence.

when the ball is turned over.

two starting formations: 4-2-3-1

The other way Tottenham shift

effective when Eberechi Eze

also to pass the ball quickly in tight spaces. Both will be key

or 4-3-3 but there is plenty of

shape in possession is by

same. In their north London

crossover between them.

switching from a 4-2-3-1 to a

derby win over Arsenal, José

Against Arsenal, Tottenham

3-4-3. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg or

Mourinho’s side had just

nominally started in a 4-2-3-1

Moussa Sissoko drop into the

30% possession - lower than

but Giovani Lo Celso repeatedly

middle of defence, with the

Palace’s home average - but

dropped deep into midfield to

two central defenders shifting

effectively won the game with

give them added steel as they

wider, and the advanced central

two first-half counters.

looked to soak up pressure.

midfielder drops a little deeper.

But Tottenham are the

The chances are that

One option at Selhurst Park

That cover allows the full-

Tottenham will need to play on

could be for Tanguy Ndombele

backs to push forward and

the front foot at Selhurst Park.

to return in the 4-2-3-1 shape,

create overlaps on the flanks

Palace will be happy to sacrifice

but for the Frenchman to stay

- Mourinho prefers Serge Aurier

the ball and, as favourites, the

higher up the pitch if Spurs do

in this role but Matt Doherty is

official matchday programme

45

Kane drifting away from goal either drags defenders up the pitch, creating space, or forces them to stay deep and thus creates an overload in midfield

equally capable. That in turn allows Son Heung-Min on the left and Steven Bergwijn or Gareth Bale on the right to drift in as inverted wingers.

They both get close to Harry Kane - again key against a deep defence - with the full-backs looking to get close to the byline to cross the ball.

Watch out for the right-back runs Within this 3-4-3 shape in another trick to create space:

What to do about Kane dropping deep

overloading the left flank.

They are the form strike partnership in world football,

With Sergio Reguilón pushing

complementing each other’s attributes perfectly and enjoying

forward from left-back, Son

a telepathic understanding that allows them to create chances

also stays wide and Ndomble

almost at will. Stop Kane and Son and you might just stop

drifts left from his central

Tottenham, but it is easier said than done.

position. Having three players

The keys to this run of form are Son’s remarkable chance

in the same area of the pitch

conversion - he has had 21 shots in the league, including those

necessitates the opposition

blocked, and scored 10 goals - and Kane’s tendency to drop

drifting over to that side of the

deep to play as a creator rather than goalscorer (although it

pitch to cover.

has hardly hampered his strike rate).

And that’s when Tottenham

Kane drifting away from goal either drags defenders up

switch play. The right-back

the pitch, creating space for the two wide forwards in behind

charges down the right-wing,

them, or forces them to stay deep and thus creates an overload

often finding plenty of space

in midfield in which Kane can pick his pass.

on the far edge of the penalty

Palace have three options. Either they pick an additional

area. From that position he

defensive midfielder who is given man-marking duties and

can either cross the ball or

stays touch-tight with Kane at all times, or they work on a

play a pass into the right-sided

shared strategy where a central defender partially sticks with

forward, who then has options

Kane but then passes on duties as he drifts further from goal –

as those players on the left

something that takes great discipline and communication. The

dash into the penalty area to

rogue third option is to accept that Kane will create chances

create danger.

and plan for a high-scoring, end-to-end thriller.

daniel storey

Statistics scorrect as of 08/12/20

possession, Tottenham have

46

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47

Questions linking Palace and today’s opponents that will test even the biggest Eagles fan. Time to earn your ‘Palace Encyclopaedia’ nickname.

01

06 Neil Sullivan had a brief loan spell at Selhurst

Former Spurs and Palace player, Peter Taylor,

Park during his 12 years with Wimbledon. How

managed Kerala Blasters. But which other

many appearances did the ‘keeper make for

former Eagles manager has had a spell with

the Eagles?

the Indian Super League side?

07

02 Which Palace manager brought Dean Austin

Taylor briefly combined his managerial stint in

to Selhurst Park from White Hart Lane?

south London with which international job?

03

08 Gary O’Reilly opened the scoring in the famous

Andy Gray was with Palace for his solitary

3-3 FA Cup final v Manchester United. But in

international appearance for England in a Euro

which minute did the defender find the back of

’92 qualifier against which nation?

the net?

09

04 Anthony Gardner initially had a loan spell

Edgar Davids represented both of today’s

from which club before joining Palace on a

London teams but from this list, which side

permanent deal?

didn’t the footballing icon play for: Ajax, AC Milan, Barcelona, Barnet and Real Madrid.

05 Gardner’s one appearance for England came

10

in 2004 as a half-time substitute for Jonathan

Chris Armstrong left Palace for Spurs but

Woodgate. Which manager handed the

which London club did the striker join the

defender his Three Lions bow?

Eagles from?

answers manager 8 Poland 9 Real Madrid 10 Millwall 1 One 2 Terry Venables 3 18th 4 Hull City 5 Sven-Göran Eriksson 6 Steve Coppell 7 England Under-21s opposition quiz

48

49

fantasy dinner party This week, Palace’s assistant manager Ray Lewington reveals he once played against England great, Sir Bobby Moore, and had regular calls with another Sir: Elton John. Not

Muhammad Ali “Greatest sportsman and character that has ever lived, for me. Just brilliant, in awe of the man and would love to meet him.”

Bobby Moore “I played against him, at the back end of his career, when has was at Fulham – I actually joined Fulham the year after he left. But from what everyone tells me he was a lovely, lovely man and obviously a top footballer.”

sure if Dusty Springfield would be more Fulham or Watford, though?

a lovely, lovely man and obviously a top footballer Elton John “When I was manager of Watford, he was in the background and he phoned me once a week and he knew everything that was going on even though he wasn’t officially attached to the club.”

Winston Churchill “You read about him, and he was an awkward character. But I like people like that, who call it like they see it, and accept

ay

the consequences. You listen to those wartime speeches and they still give me a tingle now.”

Dusty Springfield “One of my favourite singers – although I’m not sure she is a real personality. I thought she had the most incredible voice.”

fantasy dinner party

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51

Over the road at Copers Cope

Sion Spence Copers Cope Road is home to Palace’s firstteam Training Ground and, just a few steps down on the other side of the road, you’ll find the Eagles’ Category 1 Academy complex.

over the road at copers cope

52

B

randon Pierrick crosses the ball, Sion Spence meets it at the back post and the ball

ends up in the back of the net via a defensive mishap from Sunderland’s Bobby Beaumont. Own goal, then?

Not a chance.

“You have got to claim that, haven’t you? Got to claim them,” Spence laughs, before going on to admit that “some of them [teammates] are letting me have it but most are saying ‘no.’”

However, being managed by Shaun Derry, who scored just three Palace, Spence was always going to get the backing of his manager: “But the coaches are letting me have it.”

Spence’s ‘goal’ caps off a good few weeks for him, having returned from two excellent performances with Wales’ Under-21s over the international break. Only the final game resulted in a 2-1 defeat to Germany having overcome Moldova 3-0. Spence admits “we could’ve nicked a point” against Die Mannschaft.

With international pedigree, it is no surprise Palace offered Spence – who says he likes to “nick a goal from midfield” – a contract after a postlockdown trial in the summer.

But why did Spence opt to leave Cardiff City, a club he had been with since the age of seven, for the famous red and blue?

“They [Palace] have a great track record with players, and moving up to Category 1 was a big factor. The staff

official matchday programme

ion randon ierrick pence

goals in 168 league appearances for

53

The setup so far has been brilliant.

I’ve enjoyed going in to training every day and hopefully it will continue like that across the coaches, the analysts… they’ve all been really good right away, even from when I was just on trial.

“The setup so far has been brilliant. I’ve enjoyed going in to training every day and hopefully it will continue like that.”

Luckily for Spence, though, Palace didn’t hold any grudges for what happened earlier in the year: “My last game for Cardiff was actually against Palace before lockdown. We won 3-2 and I managed to score the winner last minute.”

Thankfully, having former Eagle Jermaine Easter as your agent helps smooth over any potential tongue-incheek grudges. In fact, Easter’s stint between 2011 and 2013 was more than enough for him to know that Palace was the perfect place for his client.

“Jermaine knew the club inside out and said it is a great place to develop your game and he was one of the main reasons I decided to come here.”

Here’s hoping the Easter bunny continues to deliver in south London.

over the road at copers cope

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Palace Kitchen to feed thousands in need this winter Crystal Palace Football Club and Palace for Life Foundation have reopened The Palace Kitchen – the pioneering project that provides healthy and nutritious food to thousands of local people in need.

Initially, club chefs will prepare around 350 meals a day, four days a week, throughout December with a commitment to create more than 5,000 meals before Christmas.

The club will continue to work with Croydon Council to identify vulnerable individuals and families in the greatest need of support. This will include those in emergency housing, the elderly, families and homeless people.

Donate here: www.justgiving.com/palacekitchen

55

From current or past club employees to unsung heroes, people looking to make a difference to those who have found fame: south London is a special place to live, work and experience.

This week, historian Peter Manning discusses his role in unearthing the club’s legitimate claim to having been formed in 1861 and therefore making Palace the world’s oldest professional football club.

Voices of south london

56

T

here has long been talk in Crystal Palace circles that the club is, in fact, one of the oldest in the world. It’s a story told hazily to

But the grandiose claim has humble origins in Manning’s passion for history.

“I’ve always been interested in

fledgling fans and briefly frowned over in pre-match

history,” he says, “and interested in the

pub huddles.

history of Crystal Palace and the football

Until Peter Manning began researching it, it

club, because obviously it’s my local team

was a loose and general tale based on misquoted

and area. I remember visiting Crystal Palace

parents and hearsay. Today, it is a factually

and seeing the dinosaurs in the park when I

supported claim endorsed by Crystal Palace F.C:

was a young kid.

the oldest professional club in world football.

“I became particularly interested in

“I was born in Croydon, raised in South

trying to acquire memorabilia of Crystal

Norwood,” Manning says, explaining how his

Palace’s time at the Crystal Palace, which

connection with Palace began. “In my era, kids

was only 10 years… Very rarely something

supported the local team and all the kids from my local school, South Norwood Junior, were Palace fans.

“I first got taken to a Palace match by a friend’s father; I don’t know which match it was but it would have been in the late ‘50s, in the old Fourth Division. So it goes way, way back and I gradually

I was always aware of the club ‘legend’ that there had been a team in 1861

became more and more of an ardent fan and have been ever since.

“Players that really stood out for me were

comes up from the Crystal Palace that

Johnny Byrne and Peter Taylor, who both played

relates to the football club’s time there and

for England when Palace were in the Third Division.

five or six years ago, a tankard came up for

Kenny Sansom was the best left-back we and this

auction which was inscribed ‘Crystal Palace

country have ever had and I liked the mercurial Don

Football Club’ and dated 1873-1874.

Rogers, too.”

“I thought it was a little bit odd because

Manning’s name has been well-read by

the club technically didn’t exist at that time,

supporters in recent times, after he published the

or at least it was only amateur ground staff.

ground-breaking book, Palace at the Palace: A

“It made me want to inquire more

History of the Crystal Palace and its Football Club.

about it, and about that time the British

The book outlines Palace’s claim to being founded

Library, which holds the national collection

in 1861, before turning professional as the same

of historical newspapers, started digitising

side in 1905.

old papers and putting them online to enable

In April 2020, the club officially endorsed

people to search them… I started looking

this theory and publicised its newly documented

around in the digitised Victorian newspapers

heritage widely. Media across the continent

and a very different story emerged.

published the story and Eagles fans were provided with a new, exciting history for their club.

official matchday programme

“It was rather like an archaeological dig. You think you’ve found a Roman villa,

57

and you keep digging and keep digging and a Roman town and city emerges.”

Manning’s pursuit of Palace’s true history allowed him to publish over 400 pages on both the Crystal Palace and the football club, and it didn’t take long until his team’s most senior figures began to take note.

“I was so convinced we had a valid claim that I sent complimentary copies [of the book] to a few people to see what they thought. The man who really followed it up was [former co-Chairman] Stephen Browett, who very kindly got me a meeting with Steve Parish before the Fulham game in 2018.

“He [Parish] was very enthusiastic. His bottom line was: ‘Okay, let’s make the claim.’ I then got introduced to [Palace TV presenter] Chris Grierson to talk about an interview with the club. I met him before a game and his view was that this would make a really good video and it grew from there. “[In April], the club’s media team then pushed the story out and it appeared in the national press, the Guardian ran a big story on it, the Evening Standard, and it even appeared in the press in parts of Europe: Gazzetta Dello Sport from Italy.

“I was always aware of, if you like, the club ‘legend’ that there had been a team in 1861 but that it was not connected to today’s club. Now that we can show it was, by virtue of it always having been the team of the Crystal Palace and its owners, the Crystal Palace Company, from 1861 onwards, we can claim to be the oldest professional league club in the world.”

With the claim spreading across football and even as high as the FA, Peter Manning has turned hazy stories to fledgling fans and pre-match pub huddles into a legitimate, history-changing theory.

Peter’s book Palace at the Palace can be purchased via our online Club Shop and in-store at Bromley, Croydon and Selhurst.

voices of south london

58

palace for life The Premier League Charitable Fund (PLCF) has been supporting the outreach work of community football organisations, like Palace for Life Foundation, for 10 years. As part of the recent PLCF 10-Year Anniversary Awards, we have been celebrating the achievements of people who have gone above and beyond to make a positive difference to others in south London over the past decade.

One of those individuals is Qudus Popoola, who was first involved with Palace for Life in 2006 when he attended our Premier League Kicks football sessions as a 15-year-old with aspirations of becoming a coach.

After gaining experience on a voluntary basis and undertaking his FA coaching badges, Qudus went on to become one of our first participants to be offered a job at the Foundation.

official matchday programme

I want young people to be able to feel safe and to keep fit. I want them to understand that there’s more to football than the playing side

59

He is a very worthy winner of this award and I’m delighted his contributions have been recognised Fast forward 14 years and Qudus is now a University graduate and Head of Year at a local secondary school, but still finds time to work as a coach and mentor on our Premier League Kicks programme and is committed to inspiring the next generation.

He said: “I want young people to be able to feel safe and to keep fit. I want them to understand that there’s more to football than the playing side. There’s the coaching side, there’s education, there are many branches to football and Kicks is the tree that pulls it together. It’s all about the engagement and being part of the community.”

dedicates his time to helping young people through

po

p

as a positive role model in Croydon. The fact he still

su

local participants and parents who look up to him

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Palace for Life Community Sports Manager, Roxanne Bennett, added: “Qudus has an array of

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Enter the Palace for Life Super Draw

Kicks alongside his successful teaching career

this month and support The Palace

speaks volumes about his character. He is a very

Kitchen. From just £5, you can win

worthy winner of this award and I’m delighted his

great Palace prizes or a cash jackpot

contributions have been recognised.”

The other Palace for Life winners in the PLCF 10 Year Awards were James Jenden (Primary Stars), Lauren Campbell (Primary Stars), Elise Wilson (Kicks), Pat Gordon (Inspires) and Paul Funnell (PFA).

Find out more at palaceforlife.org or

of £1,500, with proceeds helping us to produce thousands of nutritious meals for people in need this winter.

Join today at palacesuperdraw.com

@palaceforlife

palace for life

GAME CHANGER footballfoundation.org.uk

61

game that changed my career 3-1

A footballer’s debut is, understandably, usually the game that means the most to them; hard work rewarded and a dream achieved. However, that

1st September, 2012 Championship

footballing bow doesn’t necessarily represent the 90 minutes that had the biggest impact on a player’s career.

Throughout this season, we will be talking to

From a Palace point of view, I’d probably pick the

past and present Eagles to find out which match

Sheffield Wednesday game. Because I went from a

has had the biggest bearing on their career.

bad atmosphere, bad feelings and losing to all of a

This week it is Palace cult hero, Damien Delaney, who talks us through the Palace clash that

sudden being in a changing room where there was a good feeling and winning a game of football.

made him fall back in love with the beautiful game.

Ultimately that’s why everyone plays and winning a game of football on a Saturday is the best feeling you could ever get.

That one win brought the love back. Maybe the love that I had lost for football or the real passion and desire that I had was kind of beaten out of me or lost. But that Sheffield Wednesday game, I came back in the dressing room afterwards, everyone

amo

was so happy.

I think Palace were the same as me: there was

administration, there were troubles, it wasn’t a great start to the season – they weren’t winning games either and I wasn’t having a particularly good time.

But then all of sudden, one win flips everything

on its head. I remember being in the changing room after that game and it was like we had won the Champions League. But I bought into that, even though I was only in the building for 24 hours, because I hadn’t won a game either myself in a long time and hadn’t felt good about a win in a long time.

game that changed my career

62 @pnm1979

official matchday programme

63

1994/95 The good, the bad and the ugly: Kit or Miss will review those desirable gems, those best-forgotten strips and do a bit of market research for those of you looking to snap up some of the Eagles’ iconic shirts.

This week, Scott Dann models the away kit from the 1994/95 season.

kit or miss

64

1994 T he dawn of the club’s next-mostrecent crest, 1994/95 provided us with not only a fondly held,

memorable badge, but another yellow jewel in the club’s crown, too.

The ‘94/95 away kit closely resembled its fine predecessor from ‘92/93, but took a slightly bolder step forward than that more understated marigold forerunner.

What we like: Finally, the collar’s fixed. Palace hit the nail on the head with their kits from the late ‘80s to the late ‘90s, but always seemed to struggle with a collar that fastened properly.

A nice, chunky button sorted them out in ‘94/95, and made the hidden blue streaks inside the collar a rare, hard to spot detail.

Along with the new badge design, Palace adopted a mottled pattern subtly hidden away in their shirts, which with this away kit only came to the fore under certain light.

Even better if: The dark green collar was so dark it looked black in certain lights. Go up a shade.

Perhaps most gloriously, however, the club amended its choice of blue shorts from ‘92/93 by making the inside

Wore it best:

collar of the ‘94/95 shirt light blue, too.

Simon Rodger

They also printed a gold band across the shorts, and twinned the dark green of the collar with the sponsor’s colour, neatly tying the whole scheme together. Very satisfying.

official matchday programme

Story of the season After winning the First Division the season before, Palace came

1995

painfully close to consolidating their Premier League status in

The finest hour:

‘94/95, but sadly it wasn’t to be.

A pre-season friendly v Carshalton was,

With the top flight slimming down to 20 teams, a fourth club would be

poignantly, one of Ray Wilkins’ few appearances in a Crystal Palace shirt.

relegated at the end of the season and Palace were the unfortunate fall-guys for such a cut. In fact, they would slip to the second tier with the record points total for a relegated Premier League side and bounce straight back under Steve Coppell the following season.

With five promotions or relegations in six campaigns, this would truly be the heart of Palace’s ‘yo-yo’ years.

However, the Eagles did also reach the semi-finals of both the League and FA Cup in 1994/95, and overall this effort would be regarded as a season hit by misfortune rather than inability.

Where are they now?

The iconic Palace crest revealed in ‘94/95 stayed with the club for almost 20 years, finally being replaced upon the club’s return to the Premier League in 2013.

It was originally designed to adapt the crest of the 1980s to look more like an eagle, and less like a phoenix, as per Ron Noades’ request.

Buyers’ guide: This is not an easy shirt to buy online. After all, who would want to sell such a classy retro kit? But you’ll see them around on matchdays so, we don’t know, get friendly with the stylish bloke next to you?

kit or miss

65

66

We’ve made the beer better.

Worth a try? Probably.

Carlsberg Danish Pilsner.

Rebrewed for a crisper taste.

67

Club Historian, Ian King, looks back at the 1990/91 campaign that saw a Wembley return and confirmed Palace, for one season at least, as the third-best club in the country.

1990/91 seaon

68

Cup tie. It was Orient’s second visit to Selhurst in a matter of weeks having overcome tenants Charlton Athletic in the previous round.

The same team took to the pitch that had been involved in the sevengoal thriller with Wimbledon three days earlier.

t

For Palace, the most consecutive appearances record is held by former ‘keeper, John Jackson, with 254 in a row across league and cup. owards the end of October, 1990 it was revealed that manager Steve Coppell had been offered

a place in the England setup to take responsibility for the Under-21s.

Terry Long holds the club-record for an outfield player having amassed 234 league and cup appearances from 5th September, 1956 to 4th March, 1961.

However, he declined the opportunity.

There was further acclaim for what the south Londoners were achieving,

And for John Humphrey it would

too, when Geoff Thomas was awarded

mark his 150th consecutive first-team

the Evening Standard Footballer of the

appearance, stretching back to 1987

Month award for October.

with Charlton Athletic.

The game would end in a goalless draw, in large part thanks to Orient

“This award, I think, reflects the success of the team as a whole. It has been a real team effort.”

‘keeper Paul Heald who made a string of exceptional saves.

In fact, it may well have been this performance that resulted in the Eagles

Geoff Thomas speaking upon collection of his Evening Standard Footballer of the Month award for October

signing Heald on loan for three months in 1992.

The following day, Everton sacked manager Colin Harvey and the press speculated that Coppell was in-line for

The next team to visit Selhurst Park were Third Division Leyton Orient,

the vacant Toffees job.

If the possibility of losing the

with the O’s making the short journey

manager was bad enough, Palace’s

to SE25 for a Third Round League

record-run of 13 unbeaten league and

official matchday programme

69

cup games from the start of the season came to a halt at Old Trafford – two goals in the first 20 minutes securing the 2-0 win for the Red Devils.

Steve Coppell was philosophical after the defeat, saying: “We are still a bit naïve at times

Round tie against Southampton.

After the game Coppell commented: “All credit to Orient. If they had beaten us it might have put doubts in some minds about the future.

Some people say we are a flash in the pan.”

but we are making progress. Losing against United will be interesting because we will find

MARK BRIGHT

JOINED FROM: Leicester City, November, 1986 - £75,000 DEBUT: out the character of the side.”

Next up was the League Cup replay and a trip to Brisbane Road, and another goalless 90 minutes seemed to be on the horizon.

However, three minutes from the end, with extra time looming, Palace produced the only real moment of quality in the game with

15th November, 1986 v Ipswich Town (H) FINAL PALACE GAME: 5th September, 1992 v Aston Villa (A) LEFT FOR: Sheffield Wednesday, September, 1992 APPEARANCES:

Ian Wright cutting in from the right to release

286

the perfect pass for Mark Bright, who steered

GOALS:

the ball home to send the Eagles into a Fourth

113

1990/91 season

70

official matchday programme

71

it will be hugely beneficial to the squad if that Brighton game sees the return of their family and friends

T

ayo Adaramola has followed Fionn

weekend. Fixture runs like we are currently

Mooney and Jadan Raymond in

on continue to highlight the jump from

signing his first professional contract

Category 1, and our year closes out next

with the club, and it is another well-deserved achievement for a hard-working young man.

As an Under-16, Tayo competed in our FA

weekend against Brighton & Hove Albion.

I get asked whether the rivalry is there at this level and I respond the same way each

Youth Cup team, and regularly played up with

time: ‘Look, it is Crystal Palace v Brighton.’

the Under-18s. He was a sought-after talent,

The players understand the importance of

who comes with international experience, so

that fixture to everybody involved at the

for us to secure him on professional terms is

football club. I’m confident that the lads

hugely pleasing.

will approach that game in the way that is

Tayo is a really humble and down to earth kid, who finds comfort when he steps over

befitting of a derby clash. It is a big match on our fixture list, like it is for the first-team.

that white line to play football. He works his

With fans now slowly returning to

socks off every day in training and is always

stadiums, it will be hugely beneficial to the

looking to develop every aspect of his game.

squad if that Brighton game sees the return of

You are reading this two days after we faced Fleetwood Town in the FA Youth Cup. I’m

their family and friends to the stands.

It has been really tough for the parents

under no illusions that, whatever the outcome

to continually miss out during the pandemic.

was from the 90 minutes yesterday, it will have

There has been a select couple of games that

been an extremely tough game for us.

one parent only has been allowed in under

I know their first-team manager, Joey Barton, and assistant manager, Clint Hill, well,

extremely strict protocols.

The parents play a massive part in the

and I know they will have built an exceptional

players’ development, and the sacrifices they

philosophy throughout the club’s age groups.

make in terms of travelling around the country

Taking part in the competition comes

cannot be understated. I have continually

bang in the middle of a testing run for us. We

understood their disappointment and

faced top of the table Aston Villa a couple

frustrations during this time, so it will be great

of weeks back and Tottenham Hotspur last

to get them all back in on a regular basis.

paddy m©carthy

72

official matchday programme

73

Having my family and friends finally able to come and see me play in the red and blue will be a special moment

i

trained for quite a while with the club before

encouragement with is picking up the ball for set

signing a contract in the summer, which

pieces. It’s always nice to slot home a couple

allowed me to work out if Palace was the

of penalties but the free-kick I scored against

right fit for me and also for the club to work out if

London Bees in our 1-4 win in the league is

I was the right fit for them, too.

certainly a highlight from my time so far.

In the end, the welcome the coaches and

Again, though, I must mention the staff,

players gave me, the passion amongst the

and James Marrs in particular. Although I’ve

setup and the high level of coaching made it

never shied away from the responsibility of

an easy decision.

set pieces, Marrsy has worked with me on my

The confidence which Dean and the management team have instilled in me and the

technique and the best ways to strike a ball to improve accuracy.

plans they had for my position – developing

We played Liverpool last weekend, and

my impact in the final third from midfield –

although I feel many would’ve expected them to

excited me.

run away with the league after their relegation

There is now a real desire from Dean for

from the Women’s Super League, it showcases

me to showcase my attacking capabilities

the high quality in the Championship that prior to

and to be confident when in possession, and I

facing us they were in fourth place.

believe that this season my game has gone up another level in that regard.

That being said, there have been occasions

The coming months will hopefully see me experience my first home game as a Palace player with fans back in the ground. Having

this season where I’ve been required to have a

my family and friends finally able to come

defence-minded role. Again, it’s not necessarily

and see me play in the red and blue will be a

a natural part of my game but the coaches at

special moment.

Palace arm with you the knowledge and skills

The girls have continually mentioned to

required to carry out any specialist roles across

me about how loyal and loud the Palace fans

a variety of formations.

are, and it is something I have been eagerly

One thing I’ve not needed too much

anticipating since I signed.

coral-jade haines

74

First-team sponsors

Roy Hodgson

Joel Ward

2020/21

Patrick van Aanholt

Luka Milivojevic

James Tomkins

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL 01737 225 711 |

Sponsorship Available

W S PA . C O . U K

logo-crystal-palace-dec-2017.indd 1

29/12/2017 09:17

Scott Dann

Max Meyer

Cheikhou Kouyaté

Jordan Ayew

Andros Townsend

Wilfried Zaha

Mamadou Sakho

Wayne Hennessey

Jeffrey Schlupp

James McArthur

James McCarthy

Michy Batshuayi

Gary Cahill

Eberechi Eze

Vicente Guaita

Martin Kelly

Nathan Ferguson

Jaïro Riedewald

Sponsorship Available

Christian Benteke

Sponsorship Available

Tyrick Mitchell

Sponsorship Available Contact liam.connery@cpfc.co.uk to discuss our player sponsorship packages.

official matchday programme

Sep

oct

nov

dec

jan

2-3

0-2 1-4 0-3 2-4 3-1

Blackburn Rovers

London Bees

Lewes

Durham

Leicester City

Sheffield United

Bristol City

Coventry United

London Bees

Liverpool

Lewes

Charlton Athletic

London City Lionesses

Durham

Leicester City

Blackburn Rovers

London Bees

Sun 27

Sun 4

Wed 7

Sun 11

Sun 18

Sun 1

Thu 5

Sun 8

Thu 19

Sun 6

Sun 13

Sun 20

Sun 10

Sun 17

Sun 24

Sun 7

Sun 14

Lewes

Coventry United

Sun 25

may Sun 2

Sheffield United

Sun 4

Liverpool

1-1

London City Lionesses

Sat 12

0-4

6-1

2-1

4-1

2-2

Charlton Athletic

Result

Opposition

Sun 6

mar Sun 7

feb

apr

Sep oct nov dec JAN FEB MAR

Burnley Wolverhampton Wanderers Leeds United Reading Sunderland Stoke City

Mon 15 Sun 21 Mon 1 Fri 12 Mon 22 Mon 12

STATS

2-5

0-1

4-3

Home Fixture Away Fixture Cup Fixture (Crystal Palace score shown first)

Middlesbrough

Newcastle United

Aston Villa

Fri 5

Mon 26

Norwich City

Mon 1

Fulham

Mon 04

West Bromwich Albion

Stoke City

Mon 30

Mon 25

Sunderland

Mon 23

Fulham

6-0

Reading

Mon 9

Mon 18

1-4

Leeds United

Sun 1

Newcastle United

2-1

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Mon 26

Middlesbrough

1-0

Burnley

Mon 19

Sun 10

0-1

Aston Villa

Fri 2

Mon 21

0-3

Norwich City

Fri 25

3-3

West Bromwich Albion

Mon 21

Result

Opposition

Date

may Mon 3

APR

Sep oct Nov dec Jan feb MAR APR may

Date

1-0 1-2 1-5

Norwich City Leicester City Reading West Ham United Aston Villa Tottenham Hotpsur Brighton & Hove Albion West Bromwich Albion Fulham Southampton Arsenal Fulham Chelsea Norwich City Leicester City Reading West Ham United Aston Villa

Sat 17 Sat 24 Sat 31 Sat 7 Sat 28 Sat 5 Sat 19 Sat 9 Sat 16 Sat 23 Sat 30 Sat 06 Sat 13 Sat 20 Sat 27 Sat 13 Sat 20 Sat 17

Sat 8

Sat 1

West Bromwich Albion

Brighton & Hove Albion

Tottenham Hotpsur

1-0

Chelsea

Fri 2

Sat 24

3-2

Arsenal

Sat 26

2-1

1-0

2-3

2-1

Southampton

Sat 19

Result

Opposition

Date

75

May

April

March

February

January

December

November

October

September

Date

Opposition

Result

Position

Sat 12

Southampton

1-0

7th

Tue 15

Bournemouth

0-0

Sat 19

Manchester United

3-1

Sat 26

Everton

1-2

6th

Sat 3

Chelsea

0-4

12th

Sat 17

Brighton & Hove Albion

1-1

14th

Sat 24

Fulham

2-1

8th

Sat 31

Wolverhampton Wanderers

0-2

13th

Sat 7

Leeds United

4-1

8th

Mon 23

Burnley

0-1

11th

Fri 27

Newcastle United

0-2

15th

Sat 5

West Bromwich Albion

1-5

11th

Sat 12

Tottenham Hotspur

Tue 15

West Ham United

Sat 19

Liverpool

Sat 26

Aston Villa

Mon 28

Leicester City

Sat 2

Sheffield United

Tue 12

Arsenal

Sat 16

Manchester City

Wed 27

West Ham United

Sat 30

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wed 3

Newcastle United

Sat 6

Leeds United

Sat 13

Burnley

Sat 20

Brighton & Hove Albion

Sat 27

Fulham

Sat 6

Tottenham Hotspur

Sat 13

West Bromwich Albion

Sat 20

Manchester United

Sat 3

Everton

Sat 10

Chelsea

Sat 17

Southampton

Sat 24

Leicester City

Sat 1

Manchester City

Sat 8

Sheffield United

Wed 12

Aston Villa

Sat 15

Arsenal

Sun 23

Liverpool

official matchday programme

(10-11)

R2 5th

Cheikhou KouyatĂŠ

Card Red Card

Max Meyer

Yellow

Scott Dann

Goal(s)

James Tomkins

Unused Sub

Luka Milivojevic

Used Sub

Patrick van Aanholt

Started

Joel Ward

Home Fixture Away Fixture Cup Fixture - Palace score shown first.

Jack Butland

76

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Jordan Ayew Andros Townsend Wilfried Zaha Mamadou Sakho Wayne Hennessey Jeffrey Schlupp Nathaniel Clyne James McArthur Stephen Henderson Christian Benteke James McCarthy Michy Batshuayi Gary Cahill Eberechi Eze Tyrick Mitchell Vicente Guaita Jaroslaw Jach Martin Kelly Sam Woods Nathan Ferguson Nya Kirby Brandon Pierrick JaĂŻro Riedewald

77

9 10 11 12 13 15 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 27 31 33 34 35 36 37 40 44

Fixtures & results

78

Club

P

W

D

L

F

A

GD Pts

1

Tottenham Hotspur

11

7

3

1

23

9

14

24

2

Liverpool

11

7

3

1

26

17

9

24

3

Chelsea

11

6

4

1

25

11

14

22

4

Leicester City

11

7

0

4

21

15

6

21

5

Southampton

11

6

2

3

21

17

4

20

6

Manchester United

10

6

1

3

19

17

2

19

7

Manchester City

10

5

3

2

17

11

6

18

8

West Ham United

11

5

2

4

18

14

4

17

9

Everton

11

5

2

4

20

18

2

17

10

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

11

5

2

4

11

15

-4

17

11

Crystal Palace

11

5

1

5

17

16

1

16

12

Aston Villa

9

5

0

4

20

13

7

15

13

Newcastle United

10

4

2

4

12

15

-3

14

14

Leeds United

11

4

2

5

16

20

-4

14

15

Arsenal

11

4

1

6

10

14

-4

13

16

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

11

2

4

5

15

18

-3

10

17

Fulham

11

2

1

8

11

21

-10

7

18

Burnley

10

1

3

6

5

18

-13

6

19

WEST BROMWICH ALBION

11

1

3

7

8

23

-15

6

20

Sheffield United

11

0

1

10

5

18

-13

1

Gameweek 10

premier league

Statistics correct as of 5pm Tuesdsay 8th December

leeds √ west ham

southampton √ sheffield utd

11th December 20:00

13th December 12:00

wolves √ aston villa

crystal palace √ spurs

12th December 12:30

13th December 14:15

newcastle √ west brom

fulham √ liverpool

12th December 15:00

13th December 16:30

man utd √ man city

arsenal √ burnley

12th December 17:30

13th December 19:15

everton √ chelsea

leicester √ brighton

12th December 20:00

13th December 19:15

Crystal Palace and the rest of the Premier League will not tolerate racism, anywhere, and we are taking action to combat all forms of discrimination.

But we can all do more.

Challenge it, report it, change it, and together we can make a positive impact.

Visit premierleague.com/noroomforracism to find out more. #NoRoomForRacism

Challenge it.

Report it. Change it.

Crystal palace f.c.

(GK) Jack BUTLAND Joel WARD Patrick VAN AANHOLT Luka MILIVOJEVIC James TOMKINS Scott DANN Max MEYER Cheikhou KOUYATÉ Jordan AYEW Andros TOWNSEND Wilfried ZAHA Mamadou SAKHO Jeffrey SCHLUPP Nathaniel CLYNE James McARTHUR (GK) Stephen HENDERSON Christian BENTEKE James McCARTHY Michy BATSHUAYI Gary CAHILL Eberechi EZE Tyrick MITCHELL (GK) Vicente GUAITA Martin KELLY Sam WOODS Nathan FERGUSON Jaïro RIEDEWALD

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 15 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 27 31 34 35 36 44

tottenham hotspur f.c.

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 14 15 17 18 20 22 23 24 25 27 28 30 33 40 41 45 47 49

Hugo LLORIS (GK) Matt DOHERTY Sergio REGUILÓN Toby ALDERWEIRELD Pierre-Emile HØJBJERG Davinson SANCHEZ Heung-Min SON Harry WINKS Gareth BALE Harry KANE Erik LAMELA Joe HART (GK) Joe RODON Eric DIER Moussa SISSOKO Giovani LO CELSO Dele ALLI Paulo GAZZANIGA (GK) Steven BERGWIJN Serge AURIER Japhet TANGANGA Lucas MOURA Tanguy NDOMBELE Gedson FERNANDES Ben DAVIES Brandon AUSTIN (GK) Alfie WHITEMAN (GK) Carlos VINICIUS Jack CLARKE Dennis CIRKIN