Crystal Palace v Chelsea 30.12.2018 // 12pm
08 THE CHAIRMAN
focused on progressing Welcome to the supporters, staff and players of Chelsea, and of course to each and every Palace fan. As today’s match marks the last of the year, here I will look forward to what we have planned in 2019.
When I penned my notes for the Cardiff City match, it was amazing to think about what we had achieved in a calendar year. I have no doubt that 2019 will be even more action-packed as we look to accelerate our growth and maintain our status as a stable Premier League club, on and off the pitch. As usual, we begin with the January transfer window. Our squad is in good shape as we have invested significantly in recent windows, but naturally Dougie and I will be looking for suitable additions in areas where we need cover. Much of our energy in 2019 will be focused on progressing the Selhurst Park redevelopment project, working with Croydon Council and several other parties. Considering we only unveiled our plans to the world a year ago and secured planning permission within four months of launch, we have made immense progress. But of course, I’m sure you all appreciate the scale of this mammoth project, and whilst we will encounter setbacks along the way, rest assured we are making progress and are absolutely committed to this gamechanging build. We recently announced the 75-year lease we have secured on our academy site in Beckenham, which we will reap the dividends from in years to come. Having long-term security will help us develop facilities that our coaches and young players deserve, and also help us attract the very best talent in south London. The development work will begin in earnest in 2019.
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THE CHAIRMAN 09
Our focus will also be on improving your Selhurst Park matchday experience even further. You may be aware of the Visit Football awards, which are run in conjunction with the Premier League. When I arrived at the club, we were ranked bottom for the matchday experience we provide for supporters. Over the years we’ve climbed that table through a concerted effort to improving our service to you, whilst maintaining Selhurst unique charm. They recently informed us that we’ve risen to fourth place in the rankings, and even won the “Extra Mile Award” for the second year running. Catering on a matchday remains a real challenge because everyone wants to grab something to eat and drink just before kick-off, and in a tiny window at half-time. So we’ve been trialling a new food and drink pre-order service in the Main Stand via our app, which has cut down queuing times. We will also be making our concourse bars mainly cashless to help quicken up the queues further, so make sure you bring a credit or debit card! We’re also looking to enable your tickets to be synced to the app so you will be able to enter Selhurst using your phone, as well as trying to improve your mobile phone reception. It really never stops!
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We are going to be doing even more in local schools to help inspire a new generation of Palace fans, and are also exploring a new ‘free’ Junior Membership for local children to take advantage of which will provide ticket access for new young fans. Last, but by no means least, our singing section in the Lower Holmesdale will become a reality which I believe will further enhance the amazing atmosphere you create at Selhurst Park, and have an even greater impact on our team. There is tons to do across the whole club, and I feel as excited as I ever have to get cracking on with everything. As for today, we’ve enjoyed some brilliant wins over Chelsea in recent seasons, and we all know Roy’s team are capable of toppling the best in the country. Let’s make some noise, and sign off 2018 in style. Up The Palace!
Jordan Ayew's exploits over the past few years have helped him become a household name, but what you might not know is that he is a part of one of world football’s most decorated dynasties. Jonathon Rogers speaks to the youngest of three brothers who have all starred for their country having descended from one of Africa’s greatest ever players.
36 GABOR KIRALY
Official beer of
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Whether he’s building huge scale replicas of some of Britain’s best stadia or reproducing famous Palace photographs, you can be sure that Eagles fan Chris Smith has enough Lego bricks to create something spectacular. Here he chats to Jonathon Rogers about combining his two passions to wow fans all over the world.
52 DREAM TEAM
Combined xi
Palace & Chelsea Neil Sullivan
Paddy Mulligan
Charlie Cooke
Micky Droy
Steve Kember
Bobby Tambling
Steve Wicks
Ray Wilkins
Ashley Cole
Jerry Murphy
Neil Shipperley
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DREAM TEAM 53
A foot in
Both camps
IN EACH EDITION, WE WILL TRY AND FORM THE BEST STARTING LINE-UP POSSIBLE COMPRISED OF PLAYERS WHO HAVE REPRESENTED BOTH THE EAGLES AND TODAY’S OPPONENTS, AND SEE WHICH CLUB COMES OUT ON TOP WHEN IT COMES TO APPEARANCES AND GOALS.
GK: Neil Sullivan – CPFC 1/0 CFC 8/0 Better known for his stints at Wimbledon and Tottenham Hotspur, the Scot spent time on loan at Palace in 1991 and was Carlo Cudicini’s deputy in 2003/04.
CM: Ray Wilkins – CPFC 1/0 CFC 198/34 A hugely popular figure at Chelsea, a teenage Wilkins led his boyhood club into the First Division in 1977, nearly two decades before his solitary Palace appearance.
RB: Paddy Mulligan – CPFC 64/2 CFC 84/2 A UEFA Cup Winners Cup victor with Chelsea in 1971, Mulligan joined the Glaziers 12 months later and famously netted twice in that year’s 5-0 win over Manchester United.
LM: Jerry Murphy – CPFC 269/25 CFC 39/3 One of the ‘Team of the Eighties’, Murphy won two FA Youth Cups at Palace as well as top-flight promotion in 1979 but injuries blighted his time at the Blues.
CB: Micky Droy – CPFC 58/7 CFC 313/19 A loyal Blues servant over 14 years that saw them bob between the top two tiers, Droy switched to Palace in 1984 where he spent two seasons.
ST: Bobby Tambling – CPFC 76/17 CFC 370/202 After breaking Chelsea’s goalscoring record during 11 years with the club, the hitman would net both goals in Palace’s 2-1 win at Inter Milan in the 1971 Anglo-Italian Cup in the San Siro.
CB: Steve Wicks – CPFC 19/1 CFC 164/8 Wicks started and ended his career at Stamford Bridge and would also have a pair of successful stints at QPR, but spent just the 1981/82 campaign in SE25. LB: Ashley Cole – CPFC 14/1 CFC 338/7 The loanee helped Palace survive in Division One in 2000 before lifting eight major trophies at Chelsea, including the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. RM: Charlie Cooke – CPFC 49/1 CFC 373/30 After tasting FA Cup and UEFA Cup Winners Cup success in six years in west London, Cooke played for Palace in the topflight before returning to the Blues in 1974. CM: Steve Kember – CPFC 291/38 CFC 156/15 Sandwiched between the Eagles legend’s two Selhurst stints were four years at Chelsea, but he suffered relegation during that spell in 1975.
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ST: Neil Shipperley – CPFC 122/32 CFC 61/10 Given his start at Chelsea, Shipperley would later have two successful spells with the Eagles and netted a Division One play-off final winner against West Ham United in 2004.
TOTAL APPEARANCES
CPFC 964
cfc 2,104
TOTAL GOALS
CPFC 124
cfc 330
RESULT
cfc win
60 THE GLORY YEARS
1988/89
19th November 1988
Crystal Palace 4 Leicester City 2
Match report reproduced from the Croydon Advertiser
L
oads of goals is becoming the catchphrase for Palace-Leicester matches. Spectacular and bizarre, the goals come thick and fast. Remember the 4-4 extravaganza at Filbert Street last season? Hard to follow, but Saturday’s meeting ran it very close. Entertaining certainly, although they don’t enhance the health of goalkeepers. George Wood suffered his Palace kiss of death in the last, and Brian Parkin and Paul Cooper had their heart-fluttering moments in this one. Poor Parkin could do nothing about Leicester’s stunning fifth-minute goal and later, was given the fright of his life as his own skipper Geoff Thomas crashed the ball against his own post! However, the game had some good points for some. Phil Barber turned the game with his double strike in the space of four minutes, and Mark Bright hooked in a superb fourth goal. Thomas, despite his one lapse, has never hit the ball so sweetly. His 22nd-minute goal, hammered in from a 20-yard free-kick, was just the fillip Palace needed after a sluggish start. And he nearly bettered that in the second half with a sizzling drive which smacked off the crossbar. It was a happy outcome of a game which had raised some doubt at the outset. An injury-wrecked week forced three changes in Palace’s backline. With John Pemberton and Gary O’Reilly not recovering
sufficiently from treatment and the unlucky Chris Powell having to stand down in the cause of experience, Palace rebuilt their last line of defence with Richard Shaw, Gavin Nebbeling and Glenn Pennyfather. Between them they could only count three full first-team appearances this season. And those doubts increased when Leicester made a flying start and caught Palace cold in the fifth minute. Gary McAllister’s brilliantly hit ball out to the right was seized by Paul Reid and a cross of equal accuracy saw Mike Newell volley past Parkin. Thomas’ reply restored the confidence and Palace finished the half having the edge. Only a full length PALACE
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Bright skilfully steered in a cross in the 73rd minute to make it 4-1. Bright followed Wright to the touchline before, in the 84th minute, Leicester sprang another surprise and replied, McAllister lofting the ball home with colleagues standing in offside positions. The Palace defence looked amazed, and so did the flag-waving linesman when referee D. Hutchinson (Marcham) called for the ball to be returned to the centre, but then it seems that Palace-Leicester meetings lend themselves to tales of the unexpected. Palace – Parkin, Shaw, Pennyfather, Pardew, Hopkins, Nebbeling, Dyer, Thomas, Bright (Powell), Wright (Salako), Barber. Leicester – Cooper, Paris, Spearing, Mauchlen, Brien, Morgan, Reid, Cross, Newell, McAllister, Quinn. Subs: Russell, Groves (not used).
save by Cooper kept out Pennyfather’s attempt to match his skipper’s goal from a free kick at almost the same spot. After the break Leicester lost their way as Palace, now getting better support from behind, played with more direction. Although Ian Wright was still suffering from a tender ankle and was not really in full flight, Barber proved again a good insurance and between the 60th and 64th minutes turned the game right round. Goalkeeper Cooper was given scant help as Barber picked up an attempted clearance and shot home. Then, in Palace’s next raid, he netted again, off a deflection. Wright withdrew in the 69th minute and allowed John Salako to see the good work of Bright at close quarters. And new signing Alex Dyer, looking tentative early on, finished the game with his confidence growing. His good work on the right paid off when
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