Crystal Palace v Manchester City matchday programme 2223

Crystal Palace √ MANCHESTER CITY

saturday, MARCH 11 2023 | 17:30

Directors

Chairman Steve Parish, David Blitzer, Joshua Harris, John Textor Chief Financial Officer

Sean O’Loughlin

Sporting Director

Dougie Freedman

Club Secretary

Christine Dowdeswell

Head of Sports Medicine

Dr. Zaf Iqbal Academy Director

Gary Issott

Director of U21 Development

Mark Bright

Chief Operating Officer

Sharon Lacey

Chief Commercial Officer

Barry Webber

General Counsel

David Nichol

Head of Ticketing

Paul McGowan

Head of Retail

Foz Bowers

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

James Woodroof

Head of Safeguarding

Cassi Wright

Head Groundsman

Bruce Elliott

Editor Will Robinson

Design Billy Cooke, Stu Ellmer, Lucas Gough

Contributors Ian King, Robin Johnson, Ben Bailey Smith, Toby Jagmohan, Tommy Macarthur, Josh Bednash, Lizzie Waldie

Photography Neil Everitt, Sebastian Frej, Pinnacle Photo Agency, Getty, Toby Jagmohan

Printer Bishops Printers

I would love to finish my career here, if it’s this year or next year. This is the club I love and it will always have a special place in my heart

Olise up for double LFA recognition

Michael Olise is up for a London Football Awards double when the annual ceremony takes place on Monday evening, having been nominated in both the Men’s Young Player of the Year and the Goal of the Season categories.

The 21-year-old has kicked on again this season and has won the club’s Player of the Month award three times this season, most recently in February. His goal against Manchester United – a sumptuous dipping free-kick in added time which cannoned in off

On this day: march 11th

Bert Head masterminded a victory over Joe Mercer’s Manchester City in 1970, as bottom-of-thetable Crystal Palace earned a huge two points to move ahead of Sunderland in the race for survival. Gerry Queen scored the only goal at Maine Road under the lights, as Francis Lee, Colin Bell and co. were put to the sword by the men from south London.

the underside of the crossbar –has been recognised as one of the standout strikes of the season. He is up against Tottenham’s Son Heung-Min, Watford’s Ismaïla Sarr, Leyton Orient’s Paul Smyth and Arsenal Women’s Laura Wienroither for the award. In the Young Player of the Year category he faces Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba; and Millwall’s Billy Mitchell.

Olise is not the only Palace representation on this year’s London Football Awards shortlist, with the Palace for Life Foundation also up for the Community Project

Good luck to both Michael and the Palace for Life team as the London Football Awards kickoff on the evening of Monday, 13th March.

Fan update

Selhurst Park tours are still available to book via cpfc.co.uk, where you can explore parts of Crystal Palace’s historic ground usually only used by players and staff.

What’s inside

Find out… how Academy signing Franco Umeh is hitting the ground running (Page 46) and cast your mind back to an England legend who had the briefest of dalliances with Selhurst (Page 64).

of the Year Award for their ‘Get Involved’ initiative.

palace √ manchester city sat 11 mar | 17:30

Welcome to Selhurst Park to everyone supporting us today, and welcome also to Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City coaching staff, directors, players and visiting fans.

The disallowed goal we scored against Aston Villa showed exactly how we wanted to expose them. We knew that there was space behind the back four, and we were denied by a marginal offside. Going down to 10 men made it more difficult, but we took risks by keeping the front two on with three midfielders, and we tried to get back into the game.

It was great to have Wilf back because he is an important player for us, but at the same time every player on the field is important. The focus has been there in training: the determination, the discipline, the elements that we have to raise to grow to a different level. Macca was also back on the field, and his experience, competitiveness and leadership is good for the squad.

It is good to have a Palace player nominated for any kind of award, so I want to congratulate Michael on his nomination for the Young Player of the Year at the London Football Awards. He is progressing in his journey as a Premier League player: he has played more games than last year,

been involved a lot in the game and is growing in possession and out of possession to be more disciplined on the field. I believe that this year he has taken a massive step forwards. There is still a long way to go to get to where I believe

I believe it is the responsibility of a football club to be involved in the local area. What they are achieving is beyond expectations, and they are a good example for footballers to get involved and bring happiness to a community.

Against any side in the Premier League you have to play with concentration, discipline and aggression. Then, against those four or five teams at the top, you have to give even more. We have to be focused for 95 minutes to compete against Manchester City. We know how good they can be, but at the same time we can make it really difficult for them.

he can be, but he is making huge progress, which is good for the football club and good for him.

I also want to congratulate Palace for Life – for them to be nominated show the good work they are doing in the community.

We are always up for these kinds of games. We have managed to perform well against Man City in the past, and hopefully we can do it again at home. We will have to work well as a team on how we want to defend, but at the same time we have to be good going forwards because we will create some opportunities and it will be important for us to take them. I know you will be with us from the first whistle until the last.

Thank you for your support .

we will create some opportunities and it will be important for us to take them.

I know you will be with us from the first whistle until the last

manager

Defeat at Aston Villa was disappointing, but sometimes in football the crucial moments go against you and we felt that we fought hard despite going down to 10 men.

We were unfortunate in the way we conceded and we battled for 90 minutes to try to find the equaliser, but in the end it wasn’t to be. We know that this run has been difficult and the fixture list has thrown up a unique challenge, but we are all more determined than ever to get a crucial three points on the board and remind everyone of our quality.

Our games against Manchester City in the past have been memorable. Last season we were the only side in the league to keep clean sheets both at home and away, winning at the Etihad – and this season we started so well before they came back into the game.

We know that we can make it hard for Man City to play their usual game, and that is exactly what we will try to do this afternoon. It is important for us to win our individual battles, but also to work hard as a team to put our game plan into action.

This run of fixtures has been challenging, but we have

competed on a level playing field with some of the best sides in the league. Manchester United, Newcastle United

I want to congratulate Michael on his nomination for the London Football Awards, and wish him all the best for the ceremony on Monday night. It just goes to show how much exciting talent we have here at Palace, and I’m sure you will join me in congratulating him on his achievement.

Finally, I want to thank you all again for your support this past week. We could hear you loud and clear at Villa Park and you stuck with us for the entire 90 minutes. It just goes to show that come rain or shine, whatever the scoreline, you are behind us.

and Liverpool have all come to Selhurst Park and found it difficult to play their natural game, and we picked up three valuable points and perhaps could have claimed more.

Today, in Manchester City, we play one of the best sides in the country as they fight for the league title. But we are fighting too in every game we play as we look to climb up the league table, and I know that you will create an incredible atmosphere at Selhurst Park to drive us on from the stands. I hope we can put in a performance that will make you proud.

Make some noise! .

I know that you will create an incredible atmosphere at Selhurst Park to drive us on from the stands. I hope we can put in a performance that will make you proud

captain

Welcome to the directors, staff, players and supporters of Manchester City to Selhurst Park for this early evening encounter, and to each and every Palace supporter here to get behind Patrick’s side.

Today we face one of the toughest sides in the Premier League in Manchester City, who are seeking a third consecutive league title and are still competing on three fronts domestically and in Europe. The fixture list has not been kind to us in 2023, but we have put in some battling displays – particularly at home – to earn points against some of the top sides in the division, most recently Liverpool. We were the only Premier League side to stop City from scoring last season, winning at the Etihad, and we scored twice in the away game in August, so we have shown that we can go toe-to-toe and I hope we can do it again today.

It was fantastic to see Selhurst Park as the host of the Continental League Cup final, as a record crowd of more than 19,000 people saw two of the best women’s sides in the country compete for silverware. I want to thank everyone who worked hard to ensure that the day was a complete success, and I hope

the experience of watching such a prestigious match in south London can encourage a new generation to support the women’s game. To that end, we are giving 1,000 tickets away for our next Women’s match at Bromley FC on March 26th – which supplements our regular free tickets for under 16s offering – so I encourage you to apply for your tickets before they’re snapped up.

At Academy level, we continue to compete with the best sides in the country and our Under-21s scored an excellent winner to take all three points at Everton, staying in touch with Man City at the top of the table in the process. To be challenging for the title while many of the squad are thriving out on loan just shows the amount of talent we have coming through the club at the moment, and it is a credit to Paddy, Darren Powell and all of the Academy coaches who are turning them into better players on the pitch and mature young men off it. The Under-18s secured a brilliant win at Arsenal too, and once again look to be in and around second place.

We have three huge games before the international break, starting today against Man City before two away matches against Brighton & Hove Albion and league leaders Arsenal. I know your support on the road is always fantastic, and I want to thank you in advance for travelling to get behind the team – especially when there have been countless train strikes and issues. Your support through thick and thin, up and down the country makes an enormous difference to the team and is appreciated by us all.

We intend to release Season Ticket renewals in the coming week, so please stay tuned to the club’s website and app for more information. We have shown at Selhurst Park in recent weeks how difficult we can make it for visiting teams, and that is in no small part down to atmosphere you generate. As always, I hope that you will throw everything you can behind Patrick and the team tonight.

Up the Palace .

trying to help to drive people is something I have enjoyed and relished

When James McArthur entered the fray at Villa Park last weekend, the state of play on the field was the only thing in anybody’s mind. Palace, a goal down, were trying to fight back despite a man disadvantage, and football is about winning – as a team.

But just because the team is sacrosanct does not mean the sport should forget individuals. The players may be part of a wider narrative – the twists and turns of a Premier League season, some joyfully organic, some manufactured by over-eager television directors – but each player is battling every week to keep advancing their own personal story.

When James McArthur replaced Sambi Lokonga for the final ten minutes last Saturday, he began to write a new chapter of his career – one he was unsure he would ever manage to reach. “When you get a hamstring injury, you know it’s a six week injury. When you have a hip operation, especially at my age, you don’t know if you will ever return to playing,” he says candidly.

“That was tough, but I worked with so many great people. The physio I would give the biggest single mention to. He was there every step of the way. So many people help me through the process, but needing to keep up with my rubbish, my banter every day must have been tough for him.

“It’s tough for any player going through a rehabilitative

process – and it’s hard when you don’t know whether you’re going to get back. I try to stay as happy and positive and bubbly [as possible] to try to help the lads. Even though you aren’t on the pitch, you try to help with the mood in training and in games.

“Trying to help to drive people is something I have enjoyed and relished.” This last sentiment is a telling glimpse into McArthur’s personality – and may give some clue as to why Patrick Vieira named him as a potential manager when he eventually hangs up his boots.

He has already taken on something of a mentoring role for another player in the squad that has suffered with terrible luck when it comes to injury setbacks: Nathan Ferguson. “I always feel sorry for people who haven’t had much of a career yet and get these injuries,” McArthur says.

“For me, I’ve had a good career and if I get back that’s amazing and I will work hard to do that. But I knew going into that operation that there was a chance I wouldn’t, and if it was the end

It’s tough for any player going through a rehabilitative process – and it’s hard when you don’t know whether you’re going to get back. I try to stay as happy and positive and bubbly [as possible] to try to help the lads

James M©Arthur

I had had a good run at it. I felt I had done well for the club and they had done well for me. So I was content with what the final outcome was.

“[Nathan and I] did a lot of rehab together. He is such a nice lad. I really believe he can have a big future at this club. He has all the attributes to be a top player. He’s coming into a stage where he is staying fit, starting to play some games. He is the same as me: when he is on the pitch he gives everything, sometimes to the detriment of himself. We have spoken about that. I really believe he is going to come good, turn the corner and make a positive contribution in the future.

“I must say that, given what he has been through, the attitude he has got is a credit to himself and his family. Every single day. Obviously you get some down days when you get injured, but it gets back to the process of: ‘I’m getting fit, I’m getting fit, I’m getting fit!’ That’s why I want him to have the career he deserves.”

That short cameo against Aston Villa saw McArthur reach a memorable landmark: 250 games in a Crystal Palace shirt. It reinforces how much experience the side lost during his time on the treatment table, and the 35-year-old believes that the superlative talent in the dressing room just needs that bit more nous and know-how to achieve special things.

“I didn’t know – Danny [Young] told me when I was sitting on the bench a couple of weeks

ago,” he says. “I didn’t realise how close I was. To get 250 appearances for any club is good, and I have enjoyed every one of them – even the bad games help you become a better player.

“I have enjoyed my time here, I’ve loved it. I would love to finish my career here, if it’s this year or next year. This is the club I love and it will always have a special place in my heart.

“When I first came, we had a lot of experience. We had a different style of play. We have got less experience now, but in my opinion – and no disrespect to the other squads – much more talent. It’s about combining that with experience to get the best out of the squad.”

Blending that youth and experience is certainly a challenge, but McArthur is convinced that it can push Palace to the next level. In the era of tactical complexity and dynamic formations, the mental side of the game is just as important as ever.

“Take Brentford – we should win that game,” he explains. “Maybe in a year or two we do win it, with more experience under our

I have enjoyed my time here, I’ve loved it. I would love to finish my career here, if it’s this year or next year. This is the club I love and it will always have a special place in my heart

James M©Arthur

even the bad games help you become a better player

I’ve been in football for a long time, and I’ve seen it

belts in how to close out games. Something that is better this year than last year is that when we’ve not been good we have nicked a draw. That is very important for the growth of young players and the football club.

“When you go on these runs, experience is important. It’s important to help people get through these moments, and to help the younger lads keep producing moments of magic. We know that inconsistency is a thing with younger teams, so it’s about getting the best out of each other and trying to push on.”

From McArthur’s considerable experience, one win can change everything. Football is a sport where momentum is cherished above all else – and it can come at any time. “I’ve been in football for a long time, and I’ve seen it – be it here or at Wigan or Hamilton,” he says. “One week you can be so low. You come in on a Monday and it’s as flat as anything.

When you go on these runs, experience is important. It’s important to help people get through these moments, and to help the younger lads keep producing moments of magic

we always want to win football matches

“The next Monday you have won and everything is amazing and we are going to do amazing things. It’s important to stay level in football. When you do wrong, try to learn from that experience rather than beat yourself up.

“There are players that haven’t been on these runs, not winning in eight games, but others have seen it all before and know we have to keep calm, keep doing the right things and eradicate the wrongs.

“The gaffer is very much like that. The first manager I went on a run like that with was Roy Hodgson. The experience he had taught him to keep calm, and the new gaffer has got it as well. There is no sudden: ‘Let’s play a different way, let’s kick it long, let’s do something which we are not good at’. There is a calmness, and a demanding from the manager which is so important.”

For Palace fans, the Villa match provided a double helping of welcome news: Wilfried Zaha made his return from injury too. McArthur has played more minutes with the Ivorian than anyone else – more than 15,000 in total – and sees him as the perfect role model.

“Wilf – and I think he would agree – is hard work at times, but in a good way,” he says, smiling. “He is hard work in that he demands and moans at people, but for the right reason and the benefit of the team.

“I’ve had him moaning at me so many times throughout

the years, but we all go back to the same thing: we always want to win football matches. I enjoy playing with him. He’s such a special talent and a great player for the club.

“For young players, he is the player they should be looking at: how ruthless he is, how much he wants to win. Sometimes it may come across as moaning, but it is the intent to win.” Zaha is certainly a good role model, but McArthur is clearly another.

Even during a lengthy injury spell he was an important dressing room figure, a calm personality amidst the frantic pace of a Premier League season. He has offered advice to younger players, presented solutions to Palace’s problems and offered encouragement when things are going well.

It is little wonder he has been touted as a successful manager in the future. But that is then, and this is now, and he has plenty of unfinished business on the pitch first

There are players that haven’t been on these runs, not winning in eight games, but others have seen it all before and know we have to keep calm, keep doing the right things and eradicate the wrongs

James M©Arthur

has spent a long career at the top of the game and has the experience to show for it – so can he share some of his wisdom for our readers?

the follow the follow -up -up

Which sport do you watch the most?

Football, definitely football. Then golf and Formula One. I watch it all

#27 Which football legend would you most liked to have played with?

Gazza [Paul Gascoigne]. Growing up watching him was amazing, when he was playing for Rangers. Such a crazy character as well.

Who is the hardest opponent you have played against?

Moussa Dembele. Even when I was at Wigan and he played for Fulham. As a midfielder, not many players get the ball and run at you with so much power and close control. Normally you go up to players and they pass it around you. Michael Carrick was such an amazing player: when you got up close to him, the ball was away. You couldn’t get close to him. But for someone to get the ball and just run at you in the middle of the park was always tough.

#17 What do you do when you get home from training?

Get a coffee – an espresso – and try to sit down for five minutes and relax before the kids come home.

#51 What is on your bucket list?

I would love to play Augusta – just once. That is such a special place. I watch it every year on the TV. I don’t think I’ll be fortunate enough to do it, but if I could choose to do one thing it would be that

Worth a try? Probably.

Did you know?

Manchester City were initially founded as St Mark’s in 1880, in an effort by church wardens to curb local violence and alcoholism. They were renamed as Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and later Manchester City in 1894.

man city man city

Manchester City’s title battle with Arsenal is set to go right down to the wire, with every point crucial between now and May.

match preview

Palace were the only side in the league to stop Man City from scoring last season and went two goals up at the Etihad in August before the hosts’ second-half comeback.

Pep Guardiola’s side have a habit of putting their foot on the accelerator after Christmas, and are still competing on three fronts with FA Cup and Champions League contests to come.

A confident victory over Newcastle United has kept them within touching distance of the Gunners, and a top-of-the-table clash in April may be all that separates them come Mayunless Palace have something to say about it. There are plenty of twists and turns left.

recent

kevin de bruyne

Having surely earned his place in the list of all-time great Premier League midfielders, De Bruyne is aiming to add a fifth Premier League winners medal to his collection.

Homeawaythird

matches most recent = bottom

last five √ palace

31 6 3 25 2 8 16 10 17 47 9 4 5 14 18 19 20

ederson n. aké r. dias m. akanji k. walker i. gúndogan rodri j. grealish k. de bruyne p. foden e. haaland k. phillips j. stones a. laporte s. ortega j. Álvarez b. silva

most recent = bottom 31 16

26 80 82

3

6 8 25 2 r. mahrez c. palmer r. lewis

27 opposition

When Sun Jihai signed for Palace alongside Fan Zhiyi in 1998, they became the first Chinese players to feature in the English leagues. In 2002, Sun signed for Man City and added more records, becoming the first East Asian footballer to score

Boot in both camps sun jihai 2-0 starting xi subs

RúBEN DIAS

208 apps 346 saves

clean sheets

Height 1.88m

Joined June 1st 2017

Age 29 player profile

Debut August 12th, 2017 v Brighton & Hove Albion

Ederson redefined the Premier League’s idea of a goalkeeper when he signed for Man City in 2017, becoming a creative force with his feet as well as a confident shotstopper between the sticks. He has won the Golden Glove award in each of the last three seasons, as well as earning four title winners’ medals.

career history: Ribeirão, Rio Ave, Benfica

25

SERGIO GÓMEZ

POS DEFENDER

NAT SPAIN

manuel akanji 82

POS DEFENDER NAT SWITZERLAND

04

KALVIN PHILLIPS

RICO LEWIS NATHAN AKÉ

POS DEFENDER

NAT ENGLAND

player profile

Age 27

Height 1.80m

Joined August 5th, 2020

POS MIDFIELDER NAT ENGLAND

POS DEFENDER NAT NETHERLANDS

Debut September 21st, 2020 v Wolves

career history: Chelsea, Reading (loan), Watford (loan), Bournemouth

43 clean sheets

190 apps

15 goals

Netherlands international Aké was forced to reinvent himself after coming through the youth system at Chelsea, and his ball-playing prowess at Bournemouth attracted the attention of Pep Guardiola. After a peripheral role in his first two seasons, he has become a regular in the Manchester City defence.

rodri

POS MIDFIELDER

NAT SPAIN

kevin de bruyne

POS MIDFIELDER

bernardo silva cole palmer

POS MIDFIELDER

NAT PORTUGAL

player profile

Age 32

Height 1.80m

Joined June 2nd, 2016

POS MIDFIELDER

NAT ENGLAND

ilkay gündogan

POS MIDFIELDER

NAT GERMANY

180 apps

Debut September 14th, 2016 v Borussia Mönchengladbach goals

career history:

1. FC Nürnberg, Borussia Dortmund

30 opposition

Gündogan became known to English football fans as the heartbeat of the Borussia Dortmund team that reached the Champions League final at Wembley in 2013, but he has since become a crucial part of Pep Guardiola’s serial title winning side. He scored twice on a dramatic final day last season as they recovered from two goals down..

erling haaland

POS FORWARD

NAT NORWAY

25 apps

5 Assists

27

jack grealish

POS FORWARD

NAT ENGLAND

26

juliÁn Álvarez

POS FORWARD

NAT ARGENTINA

riyad mahrez

POS FORWARD NAT ALGERIA

POS FORWARD

NAT ENGLAND

Height 1.95m

phil foden goals

Age 22 player profile

Joined June 13th, 2022

Debut July 30th, 2022 v Liverpool

Some pundits questioned whether Haaland could maintain his outrageous goalscoring record in the Premier League; how foolish those questions look now. The prolific centreforward is scoring at a rate of more than a goal per game since his move from Germany, and looks nailed on to win the Golden Boot in his first season in English football.

career history: Molde, Borussia Dortmund

stat pack stat pack

Crystal Palace are winless in their last seven Premier League home games against Manchester City (D2 L5), since a 2-1 win in April 2015.

Each of Manchester City's last nine goals against Crystal Palace in the Premier League have come in the second-half of games.

It’s Saturday afternoon, kick-off is ticking closer and you're first to the pub. Before long, hazy memories and almost-accurate stats will fill the air. Brush-up for your Man City pre-match below

DIDN'T they...

Win their first major trophy at Crystal Palace. Man City’s first honours came in 1899 when they earned promotion to the top-flight by winning the Second Division title, but their first major trophy was the FA Cup in 1904.

Facing Bolton Wanderers on 23rd April, 1904 in front of an enormous crowd, City scored the only goal of the game and lifted the prestigious trophy. They were very close to a league and cup double as they finished runners-up in the title race, but it wasn’t to be – and they had to wait another 33 years for a first league title.

In those days, the FA Cup was seen as the more prestigious of the

didn't he...

Once play on with a broken neck. Bert Trautmann’s story is a fascinating one, not just for his footballing career. A German paratrooper captured by the British during the Second World War, he refused an offer of repatriation and instead decided to settle in Lancashire after his release.

His performances in goal for local side St Helens drew the attention of Man City, who signed him in 1949 to play in the First Division. Just four years after the war, the signing understandably drew an emotional response and at one point 20,000 people attended a demonstration protesting his involvement. His stellar performances soon put paid to those discussions, and he went on to play 545 times for the club, ranking fourth on their list of all-time appearance makers. His most famous hour came in the 1956 FA Cup final. Having been named the Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year that season, he was in goal for the final against Birmingham

suffered a serious injury but – with no substitutes – continued to play on, making a series of vital interventions to win Man City the cup.

As he collected his medal, his posture was noticeably crooked. He was taken to hospital for tests,

and it was established he had played the final 17 minutes with a broken neck.

pub talk tibdit

Manchester City once broke the record for the highest home attendance of any club in England. In the club’s run to the 1934 FA Cup final, 84,569 people crowded into Maine Road to see Wilf Wild’s side beat Stoke City. Man City went on to claim the trophy for a second time, beating Portsmouth in the showpiece final.

The record stood until 2016, when Tottenham Hotspur’s temporary move to Wembley Stadium as their new ground was constructed.

wEREN'T they…

Given new colours by Malcolm Allison – just like Palace. Man City have worn their regular sky blue colours since records began, but the story of their red and black away strips is more complicated. There is some indication, although based on archives that are hard to corroborate, that City played in scarlet and black during their period as St Mark’s in the 1880s.

However, when Malcolm Allison took over, the new strip took off. The manager’s belief was that the famous colours would inspire Man City to similar successes enjoyed by AC Milan, who were European Cup winners in 1969.

It may have worked, too, as one of City’s most successful pretakeover periods followed. Allison –as assistant manager to Joe Mercer

– guided the side to the 1969 FA Cup, 1970 League Cup and 1970 Cup Winners’ Cup playing in red and black rather than sky blue.

Palace were given a similar treatment by Allison, who replaced the traditional white strip in 1973 with red and blue stripes to replicate FC Barcelona. The Spanish side had just signed a promising looking Dutch international from Ajax by the name of Johan Cruyff, to work under a Dutch manager with wild ideals: Rinus Michels.

It had a similar effect: just 18 years later, the Eagles signed Glyn Hodges from Watford and won the Zenith Data Systems Cup

Pre-match pint

Pop Up! IPA – 5.0% Pop Up! IPA uses hops from the USA and New Zealand, including Comet, Waimea and Motueka. Tons of dry hopping give it a great tropical fruit nose.

30 YEARS OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Manchester United 1-2 Crystal Palace – August 24th, 2019

The first of consecutive wins at Old Trafford, Palace won this match in the 93rd-minute, just moments after Daniel James’ equaliser appeared to steal a point.

doc brown

lizzie waldie franco umeh

Ben Bailey Smith harks back to some fine guidance

Lizzie Waldie reflects on her journey to Crystal Palace

Josh Bednash on shaping the next generation

40-41 44-45 46-47

42-43

39 viewpoint

doc brown doc brown

Ben Bailey Smith, aka Doc Brown, does it all – acting, rapping, writing, directing, you name it. The multifaceted Palace fan is also a patron of Palace for Life Foundation. In each edition, he offers his unique take on the world in SE25.

FEAR ITSELF

-

In times of distress, there are two profound, timeless quotes that are often deployed as comforting platitudes, both of which you’ve all definitely heard before. One is from the legendary self-help guru and American writer Dale Carnegie: “Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it… That is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.” The other is by former US president Franklin D. Roosevelt: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Both men achieved amazing things in their lifetimes. I mean, Carnegie fought in the First World War, wrote How To Win Friends and Influence People and arguably inspired a generation by demonstrating the power of effective public speaking. Roosevelt oversaw the Second World War, the building of the Pentagon and the Manhattan Project whilst being leader of the free world for an unmatched four terms.

There is no doubt both men did a lot of incredible things with their lives, but I guarantee neither of them ever watched Palace.

If, perhaps via Bill & Ted’s phone box, President Roosevelt managed to plonk himself somewhere near me in the away end for the six added minutes against Brentford last month, his famous quote would surely have to be amended to “The only thing we have to fear is Joachim Anderson missing one more of these defensive headers.”

If my namesake could bundle Carnegie into the DeLorean and gigawatt him pitch-side at Villa Park to witness VAR chalking off a fairy-tale return goal for Wilf, I’d definitely urge him to rethink his own famous words.

Roosevelt mould

I mean: “Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it?” If we followed that advice it would mean getting relegated continuously until we’re playing Sunday League on Hilly Fields.

Thank the football gods, then, that we have a leader in the

Ben Bailey Smith

Sorry Dale and apologies Franklin, but I am SCARED. I’m not feeling the fear and doing it anyway, I’m just plain frightened. I’m scared of Wilf’s hamstring. I’m terrified by Cheick’s suspension. I’m alarmed by the prospect of OG becoming one of our top scorers. And yes, I am petrified of today’s visitors: one of the greatest attacking outfits in the world.

Thank the football gods, then, that we have a leader in the Roosevelt mould.

“I’m not more worried than I was after the game against Liverpool,” Patrick told reporters last Saturday. Good old unflappable Pat. Roosevelt became famous for his “fireside chats” when he’d address the nation and essentially say: “Don’t panic, I got this.” Viera has a similar zen-like approach to crises. Sure, he’s not smiling at the moment, but he also sees that we are a confident striker here, a VAR decision there away from getting more positive results. He has an uncanny knack of returning my heart rate to a more manageable rhythm.

Brentford, Liverpool and Villa all felt like massively missed opportunities to pull away from the redzone, especially when we’re staring at the knee-knocking prospect of City, Brighton and Arsenal all in a horrible, remorseless row.

So now I’m re-analysing those legendary quotes, digging deeper to find a more comforting takeaway from each. Beginning with Carnegie, I suppose the thing we fear to do at the moment is shoot –

get in the box and have a bloomin’ crack. So let’s start with that. We tend to raise our game against the biggest, scariest enemies and they don’t come much bigger and scarier than Pep’s boys. I guess when you look at the David and Goliath nature of the match-up today, you could even say we have nothing to lose, as the footballing world will be expecting us to do just that anyway. So yes, thank you Dale, we’re gonna go for it!

Some of you (heck, maybe all of you) will read this and think my

optimism has finally tipped over into delusion and damn you, you may well be right. But when you’re faced with fear, whatever coping mechanism you use to overcome it can only be a good thing, right? So even as the shivers go down our spine today in the knowledge that they’ve got (clap, clap) Guardiola, we’ll still be out-singing them with the original version.

Even if in reality I’m feeling (clap, clap) fear all over

Brentford, Liverpool and Villa all felt like massively missed opportunities to pull away from the redzone, especially when we’re staring at the knee-knocking prospect of City, Brighton and Arsenal all in a horrible, remorseless row

Ben Bailey Smith

cpfc women cpfc women

I’m originally from Rochester in Kent. I used to play football with the boys at lunchtime in primary school, and didn’t really think about going to a team or anything like that.

lizzie waldie

One of the girls in the year above mine saw that I was playing with the boys every day. She played for a team, so she told her Dad, and one afternoon, after school, he came up to me and my Mum and asked if I’d like to play for an Under-10s girls team called Ebbsfleet. I turned up, absolutely fell in love with playing football, and became obsessed with it.

My Dad is honestly my biggest supporter. He used to drive me across the country and stay overnight at hotels with me just so I could play. He would get up early in the morning to take me. He’d be shouting from the sidelines, giving me encouragement and teaching me what to do. I don’t think I’d be at Crystal Palace, or there for this long, if it weren’t for him.

My Mum used to wash my clothes all the time, made sure my kit was ready and that I had food. My family are all big supporters. My twin brother always comes to

Crystal Palace Women broke club records in 2021/22, and are looking to do the same this season. In each edition, we hear directly from one of the squad, with Lizzie Waldie reflecting on three seasons in the famous red and blue…

Representing England colleges in an international tournament in Italy, beating Wales in the final of the 2018/19 Calcio E’Rosa Cup.

Take note of

The defender is a versatile performer who can play at centre-back, left-back, wing-back – or even further forwards.

my games. We used to go to the park together with Dad to do some training. My brother used to be shoved in goal, which I don’t think he enjoyed that much!

I didn’t really know about England colleges. My coach at Northgate College in Dartford just told me they’d put me forwards for the trials. I went to the first trial and they put me in as a striker, even though I was a midfielder or centre-back.

turned up, went to a few sessions, played in a friendly match, and then I was given the chance to sign for Crystal Palace.

I went from a tier-five club straight to a tier-two club, so it was massive in my development. Coming up against better players and training more frequently with better players has definitely helped me grow as a player.

One of the best things I learned on my journey was to ‘get comfortable with being uncomfortable.’ Playing football is a very uncomfortable situation. People don’t realise how mentally tough it is, but if you can be comfortable with that feeling, then you’ll have no fear and you’ll climb and be great. That was a big lesson for me.

I got through to the second round, though, and had to travel across the country. My Dad drove me all the way and stayed in a hotel overnight with me. I managed to get through and was picked to be part of England colleges.

We went over to Italy with people I’d never met before and it was the best group of girls. I had one of the best weeks of my footballing times there. We won in the end; it was great, beating Wales in the final.

I was proud. The whole thing only sinks in when you start singing the national anthem! It was a proud moment for my family as well.

One of the coaches at Northgate College, coincidentally, played for Crystal Palace, so she invited me along to training. I just

My love for the club grows with every season. I love the people around Crystal Palace and all the coaching staff. They’ve really helped me in developing as a footballer, so I honestly couldn’t picture myself anywhere else. Being at Palace for three seasons now, you can’t help but become a Palace fan!

Those fans have a sea of flags every game. When you’re warming up and you see them putting them out, and then when you walk out and see them up, it’s really special. They’re definitely our 12 th player.

You can hear them from the first minute to the last, and they definitely give us a boost. They are special fans, and I don’t think anyone in the league has fans like ours

I love the people around Crystal Palace and all the coaching staff. They’ve really helped me in developing as a footballer, so I honestly couldn’t picture myself anywhere else

I went from a tier-five club straight to a tier-two club, it was massive in my development

academy academy

josh bednash - Foundation Phase Lead and Under-12s Head Coach

I joined in 2018 as Under-14s assistant coach with Darren Powell, who was Head Coach at the time and then I moved to Under-15s with Mark Newson in January 2020.

Last season, I was Under15s Assistant Coach with Dave Cooper. I learnt a lot from all of these guys throughout the ranks – they are all former professionals and it was a pleasure to work with them. I was also the Senior Football Development Coordinator with the Palace for Life Foundation while I was with the U15s, but in September I became full-time in this role with the U12s and the Foundation Phase.

Things are always different day-to-day. The sessions vary as they are catered for each individual, within a structure of the team, to facilitate their learning – it’s about trying to get the best out of them. Whether it is social, psychological, physical, technical, tactical – whatever they need. We are trying to maximise their individual development at that age.

The games are important because it gives the boys an opportunity to compete, but they are designed to develop them in any way possible. We play nine-a-side, 11-a-side,

futsal tournaments and all sorts throughout the Foundation Phase to get them ready for the next stage, which is the Youth Development Phase.

Academy in Multidisciplinary Teams; understanding players' Independent Development Plans; understanding what the game model is and connecting with parents. All of these feed into the session and help us understand how the boys are getting on and how best we can support them.

We are only training for two hours per day, three days per week, so it is vital to put 100% of your effort into these sessions to get the most out of the limited time we have. My time is more officebased, as opposed to being on the pitch, so I’m always preparing, planning and evaluating between sessions and a match on Sunday.

The most important thing is planning the sessions and making sure that everything is lined up for the coming couple of weeks. Throughout the week, you are liaising with other staff at the

We keep it fun, creative and give them an opportunity to explore. From my experience, you can do a fun, creative game or drill with a nine-year-old and you can do the same with a 15-yearold and they will both enjoy it. The coaching methodology remains similar, so it’s about how you deliver the information and how much you give them. They are only young once – they have a lot of time to progress

My time is more office-based, as opposed to being on the pitch, so I’m always preparing, planning and evaluating between sessions and a match on Sunday

over the over theroad road

franco umeh

Highlights so far

Take note of

Getting to know Franco Umeh

-

After joining on deadline day in January, Franco Umeh is one of the latest additions to the Academy fold. “I can't put it into words,” he said upon joining. “I’m full of joy – it’s such a precious and priceless moment. The hard work starts now. I think we are really going to step on the gas pedal. I feel like Palace has the coaches and the facilities to develop my game to an even better level.”

The youngster previously featured for Cork City, making his first-team debut at the age of 17 as a second-half substitute against Longford Town. He made an additional appearance against Cobh Ramblers in the FA Ireland Cup.

“The coach Colin Healy said: ‘Franco, you’re coming on’, but I didn’t even have my shin guards on. I wasn’t ready, and I had to ask someone next to me for their shin guards! I was over the moon, I didn’t expect that at all and once I had that moment I continued to work towards trying to play in the first-team every week.”

Joining Crystal Palace after impressing for the first-team at Cork City during pre-season.

Umeh is a versatile forward who can slot in anywhere in the front-three. He has played on the right for Rob Quinn’s side so far, cutting inside on his favoured left-foot.

Franco is a tall, exciting, attacking player with blistering pace and a strong leftfoot. For him to be in and around the first-team at Cork at such a young age is a major achievement. He now comes into our vibrant squad and will add competition in the attacking third of the pitch

Gary Issott

As the ability to adapt to different positions across the pitch becomes commonplace in modern football, Umeh models his game on a number of different players – including some in red and blue. “It’s kind of a coincidence [now that I’m at Palace, because] I definitely look at Michael Olise, as a left footer on the right-hand side. I like to

look at his game, how direct he is, how he can also use his rightfoot and how he varies his one on ones.

“I also enjoy watching Wilfried Zaha, Rafael Leão and Leroy Sané. They are exciting attacking players who can play anywhere across the front three – I myself don’t really prefer a position. I just like playing anywhere across the front three, though I’ve mostly been playing on the right.

“When I came back in preseason with Cork I was doing very well in that position and that must have picked up some interest from Palace. I heard that people were here to watch the game, but I just continued to work to the best of my ability and then two days later I got the call that I was coming to Crystal Palace and I was delighted.”

I just continued to work to the best of my ability and then two days later I got the call that I was coming to Crystal Palace and I was delighted

academy director

Keeping you posted on all things south London. Over the page, hear from Level Playing Field as the Unite for Access campaign kicks off in south London and around the country…

Bill Nighy

Nighy went to school in Purley and worked as a messenger for The Croydon Advertiser, before heading to drama school to train for a career on the stage and the screen. His latest film Living has earned him a nomination for Best Actor at the 95th Academy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, 12th March.

PECKHAM SALVAGE YARD

Copeland Park and Bussey Building, Peckham

12th March 2023

With over 50 stallholders as well as local sellers, the Peckham Salvage Yard is the place to get your hands on vintage gear at the best prices. It costs just one pound on the door and the event is dog-friendly, with DJs providing a musical backdrop to your shopping.

Unite for Access is a campaign run by Level Playing Field, who are a charity advocating accessibility and inclusion for disabled people attending sporting events in south London and around the country. As the 2023 campaign kicks-off across the Premier League, let’s allow them to explain…

Hey, how are you doing? We hope you’re enjoying the match!

We’d like to introduce ourselves. We are Level Playing Field, the leading charity in England and Wales campaigning and advocating on behalf of disabled sports fans.

Today, your club is using this match day to participate in our new national campaign, ‘Unite For Access’. A celebration of disabled fans, accessibility, and inclusion at sports venues.

Did you know that an estimated 22% of the UK population are disabled?

you

be reading this as someone who is disabled yourself.

Quick question – how did you get to the game today? If you came by train, did you know that 40% of railway stations don’t have step-free access? Meaning that if you’re a wheelchair user or ambulant disabled, even getting to a match can be a considerable barrier to attending this game.

Talking of barriers, Level Playing Field conducted a survey last year which found that nearly 29% of disabled fans considered the ‘Attitudes of others’ to be a barrier when attending live sports.

That means it’s very likely that you know someone who is disabled, or you might

We appreciate that talking about disability can be daunting sometimes, it’s a complex subject matter. That’s why we invite all supporters, disabled and non-disabled, to engage with your club, Disabled Supporters Association (DSA) if it has one, and ourselves, because it’s not

Did

know that an estimated 22% of the UK population are disabled?

That means it’s very likely that you know someone who is disabled

just down to disabled people to highlight the importance of access and inclusion at your club…

THROUGH THE LENS

The Premier League celebrates its 30th anniversary this season, with Palace there at the start in 1992/93 and still there today – with a few detours along the way. Here, we break down the club’s Premier League spells, letter by letter.

S S Skills and super-subs

In the modern game, all it takes is a few retweets for rumours to start to grow. A club is linked to a player no one has ever heard of, and within minutes excitement reaches a frenzied level. Videos start to appear on YouTube: ‘Welcome to Arsenal, Finto Giocatore | Best Goals, Skills and Moments 2022/23’. If you’re passions are annoyingly loud techno music, nausea-inducing video editing and bizarre camera angles, then these are the videos for you.

If you are wondering why you have never heard of Mr Giocatore, worry not – it just means ‘fake player’ in Italian. But you see how easy it is to get excited.

For the real legends of the game, however, these YouTube compilations are something of a guilty pleasure. Try to watch six minutes of Ronaldinho

turning defenders into balloon animals without smiling. Tell me that you don’t let out a satisfied sigh seeing Zinedine Zidane kill a 60-yard pass with all the nonchalance of a man making his morning cup of tea.

For many players, Wilfried Zaha was another such example – his new teammate being one of them. “When I was at Arsenal, I used to watch Wilf on YouTube,” says Malcolm Ebiowei. “Life is so crazy, man!”

For Zaha, however, the focus has changed from skills and highlights to goals and more goals. “Me personally, I don’t do as many skills and all that stuff anymore,” he explained after his Premier League Goal of the Month winning strike against Norwich City last season.

“I’m just trying to score goals, that’s the main thing.

Every game my mindset is that I need to try to score, assist or do something that I’m working on instead of just dribbling.

“OK, it’s good seeing tricks and stuff on YouTube, but at the end of the day scoring a goal is much more memorable for me now. Getting a nutmeg, my mates high-five me but me

scoring a goal helps my team and is more memorable to me.

“I just thought to myself: I’d much rather cut out the stepovers – if I can get a shot off I’ll do that.” Goals are all very well, Wilf, but won’t someone think of the YouTubers.

SUPER-SUBS -

When Ebere Eze came off the bench to score against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, it was another example of a substitute’s ability to change the game. Palace have had some wonderful substitute cameos over the years.

Jobi McAnuff’s last-minute winner at Brighton in 2005?

Julian Speroni

Who else? One of Palace’s greatest players and a legend between the sticks, Speroni signed for Palace in the Premier League, suffered relegation, administration, revival, promotion and survival before hanging up his gloves in 2019, having made more than 400 appearances for the club over a 15 year career.

After promotion in 2013 he spent two more years as the club’s No. 1, winning a record-breaking fourth Player of the Year award in 2013/14, before the arrival of Wayne Hennessey and later Vicente Guaita saw him drop down the pecking order. Ever the club servant, he dutifully fulfilled his role in the squad as Palace secured their Premier League status time and again.

Now working as a coach within the club’s Academy system, he is passing on his knowledge of the club to the next generation. Could you ask for a better role model?

Darren Powell’s Sunderland equaliser in 2004? Clinton

Morrison’s crowd-pleaser against Sheffield Wednesday in 1998? Delve through the archives and plenty more examples reveal themselves.

But this column is confined to the past decade in the Premier League, and when it comes to substitute cameos since promotion in 2013 there can be only one winner.

Benteke. Brighton. Smash ‘n’ grab, baby. Need we say more? The Belgian came on in the 75 th minute for Jean-Philippe Mateta and volleyed his way into Palace folklore. What a moment – if only fans had been there to witness it .

Having been on the brink of collapse in 2010, Crystal Palace earned promotion back to the Premier League 10 years ago this season. Here, Club Historian Ian King tells the story of a dramatic campaign – with a little help from the stars of When Eagles Dare

February 19th: Palace

2-1 Bristol City

Yannick Bolasie returned against a City side fighting relegation as captain Mile Jedinak, with his face protected by a mask, took hold of the midfield. After 20 minutes, loanee Jazz Richards netted what he thought was his first Palace goal but was erroneously ruled offside, before Bolasie hit the underside of the bar with a bicycle-kick – but 10 minutes before the break a quick free-kick by Jedinak found an unmarked Glenn Murray to give Palace the lead.

It was more of the same in the second-half and around the hour mark Stephen Dobbie entered the fray. He made an instant impact, curling home a glorious 25-yard free-kick a few minutes later. Kevin Phillips, another substitute, joined in as his nonchalant shot on the

turn hit the crossbar from 30-yards. It made sure of the result, which proved important when Jonathan Parr, under no pressure, nodded a header past Julian Speroni. Another victory kept the Eagles in the hunt for automatic promotion although Hull, Watford and Brighton also win.

February 23rd: Sheffield Wed 1-0 Palace

It was three months since the Eagles last secured an away victory and that run continued on a stodgy Hillsborough pitch in unrelenting sleet. Wilfried Zaha was unavailable due to a knock and the only notable moment of the first-half occurred when a Wednesday player accidentally clashed heads with the referee with both requiring treatment.

february 21st

Palace were more lively after the break and with 20 minutes left Bolasie had a clear run at goal, but his shot from the edge of the penalty area was finger-tipped away by Chris Kirkland. The coup de gras arrived in the 80th minute as Michail Antonio crossed the ball for Leroy Lita to head home, in what was Wednesday’s only chance of the game.

Hull and Leicester failed to win and Watford claimed second place as Brighton move into sixth with Middlesbrough losing.

March 1st: Derby 0-1 Palace

Breakout teenage midfielder Will Hughes was missing from Derby’s line up for this Friday evening game but the hosts were able to field ex-Palace loanee Chris Martin at Pride Park, and Zaha was back in the Palace team.

The club is shortlisted for a Football League award in the ‘Best Use of Digital Content’ category

The Eagles started on the front-foot and in the 13th minute Jedinak won a 50-50 challenge in his own half that ricocheted into space; Bolasie was too quick for the defenders, and rounded the ‘keeper to score. Minutes later, Jedinak let fly from 30-yards and saw his effort smack the crossbar but then the Rams began to apply some pressure and also struck the woodwork.

After the break Holloway’s side were reduced to counter-attacking but still able to produce chances as Bolasie’s lob over the ‘keeper cleared off the line. With the clock ticking down, the home side were awarded a penalty but Speroni managed a final heroic intervention to tip the spot-kick over the bar and win Palace all three points.

The following day saw defeat for Leicester and Cardiff as Hull and Brighton were victorious and Middlesbrough put paid to leaders Cardiff .

Stephen Dobbie player in focus

BORN: 5 th December, 1982 – Glasgow

APPEARANCES: 15

GOALS: 3

Dobbie had already appeared in three play-off finals with Blackpool and Swansea when his former manager Ian Holloway signed him on loan from Brighton on 31st January, 2013. He made a telling contribution and added three goals.

Unable to feature in the semi-final and final, Stephen signed permanently in the summer but could not break into the Premier League side, making only two appearances. He is now is a Development Coach with Blackpool.

[Ian Holloway] kept you ready, wanting to do more and wanting to be part of that journey. I was having a fantastic time with the whole group. Some of the best moments of my career were in that season

Mile Jedinak

february 24th

Crystal Palace set to re-apply for Category One Academy status next season

february 25th

Former Palace player Ernie Price passes away aged 85

Times have changed over Crystal Palace’s rich and storied history. In each edition, we dust off the archive and reprint a story from one of the club’s historical programmes. This week, we republish a guest column from The Times’ Paul Newman bemoaning 1982’s lack of London football awards.

PRESS REPORT -

You can always tell when the end of the football season is near, just by watching the television. Players whom you had never seen before in anything other than a grubby shirt and shorts, appear sitting around dinner tables dressed up to the nines. The end of the football season, of course, is the height of the awards season. Watching Cyrille Regis receive the Midlands Football Writers’ Player of the Year award the other night made me wonder why no one, as far as I know, has organised a similar scheme for London. If there were any such awards, here, for what it is worth, is where some of my votes would go after a season spent watching most of the leading London clubs. There can hardly be much doubt about who would win a Team of the Year award. No matter how the FA Cup final goes, Tottenham Hotspur have been

magnificent ambassadors for London this season. They have taken their superbly entertaining brand of football all around the

Rangers at Wembley – their success in going so far in so many competitions has been a triumph for good football. A Player of the Year award would probably end up at White Hart Lane as well. Trevor Brooking and Alan Devonshire have been important factors in a useful first season back in the First Division for West Ham and Graham Rix has again impressed at Arsenal, but none of their claims can match those of Tottenham’s leading contenders. Nor does any single player stand out from the lower divisions.

country and into Europe and won admirers everywhere. Even if they end up with only one trophy this season – and I cannot see them losing to Queen’s Park

So who does it go to at Tottenham? Ray Clemence, Garth Crooks, Osvaldo Ardiles and Mike Hazard would all be contenders, but I suspect none would poll anywhere near the number of votes that would go to Glenn Hoddle. If Hoddle could consistently reproduce for England the form he has shown this season for Spurs, particularly at White Hart Lane, we surely would have a national team to be reckoned with.

A Young Player of the Year award would probably amount

Crystal Palace v Wrexham –May 11th, 1982

Watching Cyrille Regis receive the Midlands Football Writers’ Player of the Year award the other night made me wonder why no one, as far as I know, has organised a similar scheme for London

to a two-horse race between Hazard and Chris Whyte of Arsenal. Whyte shows remarkable composure in the middle of defence for a player in his first in the First Division, but I am afraid my vote would again end up at White Hart Lane (and no, I am not a Tottenham fan). Hazard, for me, has been the find of the season. His direct, uncomplicated style makes a refreshing change from the pedestrian, across-thefield play of some of his elders. How about some divisional awards? Watford (do they count as London?) [Ed. No] and Queen’s Park Rangers would be the contenders for the Second

Steve Wicks, Paul Barron, Luther Blissett, Glenn Roeder, Simon Stainrod and Micky Droy would

In the Third Division the issues are more clear-cut.

Fulham have been playing some first-class football this season and Gordon Davies certainly deserves to show what he can do in a higher grade. Davies scored what was the best goal I have seen this season – a remarkable shot from near the corner flag at home to Chesterfield – and he would trouble the best defences in the land.

Division Team of the Year prize, but I would want to await the outcome of both the FA Cup final and the promotion race before making my decision. A Second Division Player of the Year award would not be so straightforward.

all have to be considered, but in the end I think Roeder would just pip Wicks for my vote.

Finally, one of those special awards for ‘services to the game’. I would not give this to any one player, manager or team but to a club, West Ham United. They have continued this season to play the sparkling, flowing football that has been their trademark for many years and have proved you can be successful at the same time .

The above copy is printed verbatim.

Paul would be delighted to see the London Football Awards in action nowadays, with Palace’s very own Michael Olise and Palace for Life nominated. The ceremony will take place on Monday, 13th March.

from the archive

if there were any such awards, here, for what it is worth, is where some of my votes would go after a season spent watching most of the leading London clubs

There can hardly be much doubt about who would win a Team of the Year award. No matter how the FA Cup final goes, Tottenham Hotspur have been magnificent ambassadors for London this season

palace for life

GIRLS FOOTBALL IN SOUTH LONDON

as we celebrate International Women’s Day, we are putting a spotlight on opportunities for women and girls to play with Palace.

At Palace for Life, we have been providing free football sessions for young people in south London for over 15 years, and are lucky enough to work with some of the best female coaches in the game. With all our coaches coming from a range of backgrounds and experiences, Palace for Life staff have the skills and experience to breathe life into any session and inspire the next generation of budding female footballers to get involved in south London life.

Palace for Life is all about using the power of sport to help change the lives of young people for the better – our sessions aim to inspire young girls to engage with football, develop fundamental skills, learn new things and create the foundation for a lifelong love of the game.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re taking a look at all of our free women’s and girls’ football sessions, which are available for those of all ages and abilities. Our free weekly sessions are a great way to make new friends, stay fit and improve skills under the guidance of our highly trained coaches.

Check out the options available from Palace for Life below:

Mondays

Free football sessions for girls:

• Ages: 11 – 18

• Location: Selhurst Sports Arena, Dagnall Park, London, SE25 5PH

• Time: 16:00 – 17:00

• Booking: No booking required – just drop in!

Thursdays

Free Women’s Walking and Women’s Recreational football:

• Ages: 18+

• Location: Crystal Palace F.C. Academy, Copers Cope Road, Beckenham, BR3 1NZ

• Time: 20:15 – 21:30

• Booking: To book, contact roxannebennett@palaceforlife.org

Fridays

Free football sessions for both boys and girls at the Crystal Palace Academy:

• Ages: 10 – 16

• Location: Crystal Palace F.C. Academy, Copers Cope Road, Beckenham, BR3 1NZ

• Time: 19:00 – 20:30

• Booking: No need to book – just drop in!

Saturdays

Free football sessions for girls:

• Ages: 5 – 11

• Location: Heavers Farm Primary School, 58 Dinsdale Gardens, London, SE25 6LT

• Time: 9:30 – 11:00

• Booking: Palace for Life website

We also run paid-for, girlsonly Soccer Schools during the school holidays, which provide a fun and enjoyable experience to learn new skills, play in competitions and make friends. Children on our Soccer Schools will be coached by FA and UEFA licenced coaches with vast and different areas of expertise.

For more information on all of our women and girls football sessions, head to palaceforlife.org .

Support Palace for Life in our mission to raise £1 million to help us transform thousands of more young south Londoners’ lives. donate a pint from your pre-match routine below

Some players you simply forget. Maybe they didn’t play much, or they signed without fanfare and left similarly under the radar. But some are footballing household names who once graced the Selhurst turf in red and blue – and many of us have no recollection of it. These are the pages to change that.

Ray Wilkins had the most distinguished of careers.

Chelsea, Manchester United, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain. Spells at Queens Park Rangers and Glasgow Rangers. But there is one club almost always left off that list: Crystal Palace.

The England legend learned his trade in the capital, playing Sunday League football for Senrab, a team with such success in producing players for Chelsea that Ray Lewington – later Palace Assistant Manager – gave them the nickname ‘Chelsea Juniors’.

Their role of honour is something to be reckoned with: Sol Campbell, John Terry, Jermain Defoe, Ledley King, and more. But in the early 1970s, two youngsters were catching the eye. Crystal Palace managed to swoop for one of them. The other got away.

The first was Vince Hilaire. His ability was recognised by Terry

HE WAS A TRUE GENTLEMAN, Ray was a great ambassador for the game, a proud Englishman who loved playing for his country

GARETH SOUTHGATE

Venables and he was handed his first-team debut at 17-years-old, and would go on to be named the club’s Player of the Year in 1979.

The second was Ray Wilkins. Chelsea was his boyhood club, and his ultimate destination. He, too, would make his debut as a 17-year-old novice – and his impact was instant. Following the club’s relegation in 1975, he was handed the captaincy aged just 18 over long-time skipper John Hollins. He kept the armband for four years.

In 1979, Chelsea were relegated again, and Manchester United swooped. His leadership qualities were evident once again, and he regularly captained the side. Palace fans may remember fondly his long-range screamer in the 1983 FA Cup final against Brighton & Hove Albion – the Red Devils went on to win the replay.

Before the supremacy of the Premier League, Serie A was the pinnacle of European football. Soon Wilkins’ performances – which had earned him Man Utd’s Player of the Year award in 1984 – had attracted the attention of AC Milan, who signed him for a hefty fee. He was unlucky to play at the San Siro during a barren period for the club, and after a short-lived spell with PSG he returned to the United Kingdom with Rangers and QPR.

Then came Palace’s turn. By this point, Wilkins was more than a household name; he was something of a national hero. He had earned 84 caps for the national side – he is still 14th in the all-time list of appearances – and captained

England on 10 occasions, featuring in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups in Spain and Mexico respectively.

But by 1994, he was 38 years old and coming to the end of his playing career. Palace manager Alan Smith was determined to add experience and winning know-how to his squad, and

was dead, and Smith headed back to the drawing board.

Having only arrived over summer, Wilkins returned to QPR as player-manager in November of the same year, and bade goodbye to Palace for good. Sometimes a great player and a great club just don’t find themselves in sync.

Wilkins’ reputation in football was already assured, but his coaching career enhanced his legacy further, as he returned to boyhood club Chelsea as Assistant Manager, winning a Premier League title and three FA Cups. Meanwhile, his media career made him a respected and well-loved pundit for fans up and down the land.

Ray Wilkins suffered a cardiac arrest in 2018, and died a week later at the age of 61. “He was a true friend and a gentleman,” former Palace captain Gareth Southgate said in tribute. “Ray was a great ambassador for the game, a proud Englishman who loved playing for his country.

thought Wilkins the perfect fit, signing him as a player-coach to aid his transition from first-team regular to backroom staff.

It did not go as planned. Wilkins broke his left foot on his Palace debut, and never played for the club again; the dream of the cultured midfielder and England legend lighting up south London

“When he played with us you could immediately see that his technical ability to play the ball was phenomenal. In the modern game, those attributes would have been appreciated far more than they were at that time, so he really was a top player.”

A respected player on the field and a much-loved figure off it, the footballing world lost Ray Wilkins far too soon. It may have been brief, but Palace can count themselves lucky to have been a part of his journey .

you could immediately see that his technical ability to play the ball was phenomenal. In the modern game, those attributes would have been appreciated far more than they were at that time

GARETH SOUTHGATE

the

The page for Palace supporters: taking your comments from the terraces into the programme. This week, we print your messages. Want to get in touch? Use the details below.

Happy 40th Birthday to Lisa. Hope you enjoy your birthday. Love Mum, Dad and Kenneth xx

Happy birthday to one of our mascots Archie Edwards, who is 11 on the 16th March! We’re very proud of you & love you lots, from Mum, Dad, Honelia-Mae, Lilah-Rae, Dougie & all your family xx

Happy 15th birthday to Devon based home & way season ticket holder James Hughes. Love Mum, Will, Rocks, Matt, Anne, Robert, Ben & Roy x

Happy 21st Birthday Joe. Hope you have a great day and enjoy your celebrations. Lots of love Nan, Grandad, Dad and all the family.

In loving memory of Mary O’Sullivan season ticket holder in the old stand for over 35 years. RIP X

Frida, Hope you enjoy your trip to Selhurst Park and your belated Christmas present. Love Clara x

Happy Birthday Mum. Hope you have a great day today! Xx

Lifelong Palace supporter Ian McDonald sadly passed away in February. From Johnny Byrne and the Real Madrid 62’ game, to Wembley play offs and cup finals, Dad was there supporting the club since 1961. Gone but never forgotten.

Happy 70th birthday to the original bald eagle! Lots of love your family and friends

In loving memory of Norman Harris lifelong Palace fan sadly passed away, age 94. All our love Janet, Sandra, David, Jake, Matthew, Hannah and great grandsons Thomas & Xaver.

Happy 9th Birthday Raffa. Hope you’re having a great day! All our love, Mumma, Dad, Jesse & all your family & friends.

COME ON YOU EAGLES!

Happy 54th Birthday to Paul Roberts. A double celebration today as it’s also his 800th Palace match. COYP!

Happy 16th Birthday today –March 11th – to Ollie Browett – with love from all your family and friends at Palace.

A massive welcome to Dorota Bohdanowicz, who after years of putting up with a house full of Palace fans, has finally made her way to Selhurst Park to celebrate her husband Tony’s, aka Danners, 70th birthday, and understand what’s all the buzz about.

Happy Birthday to Terry Hill who turns 80 today! ‘El Tel’ started coming to Palace in the 50s and is a season ticket holder in the Lower Holmesdale!

Our Dad and lifelong Palace fan passed away on 23 January. Mike has been coming to watch Palace since the age of 8. He will be missed, and forever remembered.

Prep for one of the season’s biggest away trips, look back on a legendary Benteke winner, meet the mascots and pit your wits against Brighty below.

sam smith 2-1

AGE: 9 SCORE PREDICTION:

jude knowles 1-1

AGE: 10 SCORE PREDICTION:

Isabella Andrews 2-1

AGE: 11 SCORE PREDICTION:

Archie Edwards 2-1

AGE: 10 SCORE PREDICTION:

Finley Barker 2-1

AGE: 10 SCORE PREDICTION:

Max Westerman 2-1

AGE: 4 SCORE PREDICTION:

John Dineen 1-0

AGE: 11 SCORE PREDICTION:

Freddie Muirhead 1-4

AGE: 11 Stanley Fraser

Want to feature as a mascot? Email: liam.connery@cpfc.co.uk

next up: brighton

It’s a trip to the south coast for Palace as they take on Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex on Wednesday, 15 th March (19:30 GMT).

Travel:

Follow cpfc.co.uk for the latest communications from the club regarding travel, pre-match activity and policing.

Best memory:

Where to start? Zaha’s play-off double?

Ayew’s fine finish? Of course, it has to be Christian Benteke’s 95th minute winner. ‘Smash and grab, baby!’

BEAT BRIGHTY BEAT BRIGHTY

In each edition, club icon Mark Bright calls it how he sees it and predicts events from the day’s football. See how you fare and try to Beat Brighty!

Scoring:

One point for every correct result, three for a correct scoreline.

Manage to Beat Brighty? Keep track of your total score above!

team stats: women / U21s / U18s

Hollie Olding Olding scored a stunning opening goal as the Women beat Sheffield United in February.

Dylan Reid Reid impressed once again for his new club as Palace put in a confident performance to beat Everton on Merseyside.

Caleb Kporha Kporha scored for the Under-18s as they were beaten in a six-goal thriller at Tottenham Hotspur.

AUGUST

Sat 27 Coventry United

SEPTEMBER

Sun 25 Blackburn Rovers

OCTOBER

Sun 2 Bristol City

Sun 16 Sunderland

Sun 23 Bristol City

Sun 30 Durham

Sun 27 Lewes

FEBRUARY Sun 5 Southampton

Sun 12 Durham

Sun 26 Sheffield United

MARCH

Sun 5 Bristol City

Sun 12 Sheffield United

Wed 22 Birmingham City

Sun 26 Blackburn Rovers

APRIL

Sun 2 Sunderland

Sun 16 Birmingham City

Sun 23 Lewes

Sun 30 Charlton Athletic

SEPTEMBER

Tue 6 Hertha Berlin W 1-0

Wed 28 Paris Saint-Germain W 7-3

FEBRUARY

Sat 4 Dinamo ZagrebL 1-2

Wed 8 SC Braga W 2-1

TBC

TBC Liverpool

MARCH

Sat 4 Tottenham Hotspur L 2-4

Sat 11 Arsenal

Sat 18 Leicester City

APRIL

Sat 1 Southampton

Sat 15 Norwich City

Sat 22 Chelsea

Sat 29 West Bromwich Albion

Home fixture

Away fixture Cup fixture (Crystal Palace score shown first)

22/23 FIXTURES & RESULTS

Home fixture Away fixture Cup fixture (Crystal Palace score shown first) Started Used sub Unused sub Goal(s) Yellow card Red card

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PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE 22/23

Jean-Philippe

Joachim