Crystal Palace v Manchester City matchday programme 2425 by Crystal Palace F.C.

cover story

cover story#8 Welcome back to Selhurst Park – and welcome back to the matchday programme, where we are celebrating 100 years of football at this very stadium, from 1924 to the present day. Every edition of the programme this season will feature a special handillustrated cover, marking one of the many landmark dates that has made this such a unique place over the last century.

as rain hammered down under

to christen the new floodlights,

Selhurst Park’s newly-installed

took place two weeks before Real’s

floodlights. Illuminated by the

upcoming European Cup final with

fresh, electric glare buzzing over a near-

Benfica, but despite facing a third-tier

saturated 1960s pitch played a footballer

side, this was no whitewash. Palace

whose name remains synonymous with

stood tall to take a team of living

the sport over half a century later.

legends to the wire, narrowly losing

oday, we head back to 1962,

In a stadium of 25,000, a single diminutive figure wouldn’t typically

The illustrious friendly, organised

@daveflanagan77

Our cover star this week is none other than Daniel Muñoz, fresh from

metal studs made their maiden voyage

his heroics last time out, sliding

into the viscous South London turf, the

in to challenge Di Stefano, with

squat Hungarian had all eyes on him.

Puskás behind in support as the rain

The 20th century’s highest-

lashes down on a newly illuminated

when Real Madrid came to Selhurst

@daveflanagan

4-3 in the mud and the rain.

stand out. But as Ferenc Puskás’ stubby

scoring player, Puskás was the star

Dave Flanagan

Selhurst Park. Remember, you can keep

Park as arguably the club’s most

collecting each original illustration

eminent opponent ever. Ahead of

throughout the campaign as we journey

him, racing through, is another of the

through our timeline from 1924 to the

all-time greats who played that night:

current day – make sure you get the

Alfredo Di Stefano.

matchday programme each week.

Scan this QR code to quickly, safely and easily report worries, concerns or abuse. You can even do so anonymously.

contents

Crystal Palace √ manchester city sat 7 dec 2024 | 3:00pm k.o. 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. Imtiaz Ahmad Academy Director Gary Issott Director of U21 Development Mark Bright Chief Operating Officer Sharon Lacey Chief Commercial Officer Barry Webber Chief Marketing Officer Aaron Duckmanton General Counsel David Nichol Head of Ticketing Paul McGowan Head of Retail Foz Bowers Head of Marketing Matt Franks Head of Safeguarding Cassi Wright Head Groundsman Bruce Elliott

Editor Will Robinson Design Billy Cooke, Stu Ellmer, Lucas Gough Front cover David Flanagan

06 08 12

25 10 CHAIRMAN 36 HALL OF FAME 38 EAGLE EYE

41 STATS 44 DOC BROWN 46 MACCA 50 ACADEMY

Contributors Robin Johnson, Toby Jagmohan, Ed Dowling, Doc Brown,

56 PALACE FOR LIFE

James McArthur, Ian King, Tommy Macarthur, Simon Bajkowski Photography Neil Everitt, Peter Hurn, Sebastian Frej, Pinnacle Photo Agency, Kontent Haus, Toby Jagmohan, Getty Printer Bishops Printers

60 100 years of selhurst park

64 selhurst stories 70 eagle arcade 72 WHAT’S ON?

Manager

oliver glasner Welcome back to Selhurst Park, and welcome to Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City players and staff for this afternoon’s game.

ast time out at Selhurst Park will be remembered for those celebrations after our late goal, but looking back at the game as a whole we felt we deserved more. We were close to losing, and then when Daniel scored his goal, all my emotions came out and I wanted to celebrate with the players and the fans. When we talk about motivation, what motivates you is not money; for all the big sportsmen and sportswomen, they play for these emotions after a goal, and that is what happened. It’s hard to put into words, but everybody reading this will have experienced it and knows what I’m talking about. That is why so many people go to watch football in the stadium, because it’s different. If you have this live experience, with other fans, with friends, with family, it’s different to watching at home on the TV. Of course, that is also nice, and you get a great feeling, but in this environment at Selhurst Park, that emotion is multiplied even more, and that is why we love football. We took that motivation into our game at Ipswich. They were playing at home, and they have had plenty

We were close to losing, and then when Daniel scored his goal, all my emotions came out and I wanted to celebrate with the players and the fans

Manager

of good performances this season, beating Tottenham and drawing with Manchester United in a game they really should have won. It was clear it would be a fight, but we took the fight to them. It wasn’t a case of everything being brilliant, but it was more about getting the result. In the first-half especially I think we controlled the game, and then we scored a nice goal in the second-half and defended well. Again, it was good progress and hopefully we can continue that upward curve into the match today.

in this environment at Selhurst Park, that emotion is multiplied even more, and that is why we love football.

It’s our third game of the week, and we have made a positive start with four points out of six. With three games in a week our squad becomes even more important. You saw how we were able to rotate Cheick for Jefferson at half-time at Ipswich, how Ebs could play 75 minutes with no issues and how Eddie got some more minutes under his belt. Daichi is back from suspension today, and we hope Adam will be back soon, so it gives us more options and overall is very positive.

Now we face the defending champions, and we can make it an almost perfect week with a win. Defending as a unit will be crucial against Man City, with all the quality they have, and we will have to be patient to wait for our moments – but we will get these moments, just like against any other team, and then it is about being efficient. I know your support today will be behind us from the start, and I look forward to hearing the atmosphere at Selhurst Park this afternoon

Captain

marc Guéhi It’s always a big achievement in the Premier League to take three points away from home, and we were so pleased to come away from Portman Road with a win.

pswich are one of those sides whose league position doesn’t fully reflect their quality, and we have seen against some of the best teams in the league that they are a difficult team to beat. We started well, controlling much of the ball in the first-half, but we had to be patient before making the breakthrough, which came courtesy of a fantastic finish from JP. After that it was about ensuring we came away with the three points – and it’s always nice to do that via a clean sheet. The celebrations at the end with the travelling fans was a special moment. We really do appreciate how much it takes to follow us up and down the country, especially midweek, with time off work or journeys back overnight, so thank you. We were glad we could reward you with three points. Our last time out at Selhurst Park sparked some pretty special celebrations, too. Heading into added time, we felt as though we were particularly unlucky to be trailing, and looking back it was a game that on another day we might have won.

The celebrations at the end with the travelling fans was a special moment. We really do appreciate how much it takes to follow us up and down the country

Captain

Manchester City are one of the very hardest tests every year. We go into this one knowing that we have to defend and attack as a team unit if we are going to get a result, and hopefully we can create another special Selhurst moment that we will remember in years to come

But this group never gives in, and we kept pushing right until the end, with Daniel scoring the equaliser. The moments after those last-minute equalisers are always a bit of a blur, but I certainly didn’t expect

this group never gives in, and we kept pushing right until the end, with Daniel scoring the equaliser. The moments after those lastminute equalisers are always a bit of a blur, but I certainly didn’t expect to see the manager emerging from the group of players celebrating by the corner flag!

to see the manager emerging from the group of players celebrating by the corner flag! It just shows how much each result means to each and every one of us, so it was great to share that moment with a bouncing Selhurst Park.

Today we take on a team that has dominated the Premier League in recent seasons, and we know that – despite recent results – Manchester City are one of the very hardest tests every year. We go into this one knowing that we have to defend and attack as a team unit if we are going to get a result, and hopefully we can create another special Selhurst moment that we will remember in years to come. Thanks as always for your amazing support

chairman

steve parish Welcome back to Selhurst Park for this afternoon’s match, and welcome to the supporters, players, staff and directors of Manchester City this afternoon.

he Newcastle game was one which we thought we deserved to get more from, but in the end it was a a great point with a fantastic equaliser from Daniel, who showed all his qualities and mental strength to keep going and be in the right place with a fantastic finish. The team, the manager and the fans all celebrating together at the end was really incredible, and it was such a great feeling to take into the Ipswich game. It was great to be back at Portman Road with 3,000 travelling fans. Make no mistake: Ipswich are no easy side to play away from home, but we performed with real authority and I think we thoroughly deserved the three points. What a goal it was from Jean-Philippe, and then it was up to us to earn that clean sheet. The connection between the players and the supporters could be seen at the final whistle, and it was great to see so many of you making the journey. It’s never easy in midweek, particularly in the winter months, with travel issues and potential time off work, so thank you once again for your support.

The team, the manager and the fans all celebrating together at the end was really incredible, and it was such a great feeling to take into the Ipswich game

Chairman

we go into this game needing the full support of Selhurst Park behind the team if we are to get a result. When you create an atmosphere which is unique across the Premier League, we always have a chance, so please throw everything behind Oliver and his players

The FA Cup third round draw is always an exciting moment in the football calendar. We’re looking forward to welcoming Stockport County in January, which I know will conjure up memories of that magical day back in 2001. I hope you will get down to Selhurst and push Oliver and the players on at the start of our cup journey.

We want to progress as far as we can in every competition, and having already reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup for the first time since 2012, we want to do the same in the FA Cup – a competition this club has been connected with for more than 150 years We want to progress as far as we can in every competition, and having already reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup for the first time since 2012, we want to do the same in the FA Cup – a competition this club has been connected with for more than 150 years. I want to send my huge congratulations to Lily Woodham, Josie Green and Elise Hughes, who made history with Wales by qualifying for Euro 2025, the first time the

Wales Women’s side has reached a major tournament finals. We will be wishing them well next summer in Switzerland. Commiserations to Abbie Larkin and Izzy Atkinson, who fought hard with the Republic of Ireland – representing your country is a huge honour in itself. Manchester City are the Premier League champions, and we go into this game needing the full support of Selhurst Park behind the team if we are to get a result. When you create an atmosphere which is unique across the Premier League, we always have a chance, so please throw everything behind Oliver and his players from the first whistle to the last this afternoon. Up the Palace

Daniel Muñoz, who sparked last weekend’s iconic celebrations at Selhurst Park, talks making the journey from the stands to the pitch, and looking back at a series of lifelong dreams that have become reality. Words: Will Robinson 12

Daniel Muñoz

ometimes in football, there is very little to look at – other than your watch. Two centre-backs might be exchanging passes on the halfway line, the result has been beyond doubt for half-an-hour, the skies are grey and a quarter of the fans have already made their way out to avoid the rush at the train station. There are other times when the experience is quite the opposite. The senses are overwhelmed, the emotions at bursting point. The tension, the excitement, the release; the noise, the colours, the bodies, the fists in the air and limbs out of sync. Last Saturday afternoon was one of those moments. As the Holmesdale shook with celebration, as the manager Oliver Glasner – usually the calmest man in the room – was sent streaking down the touchline to dive into the huddled Palace players by the corner flag, one man was at the centre of attention, knowing that his goal had sparked this carnival of human exuberance and joy. The best part is, he knew exactly what each and every one of those supporters were thinking, feeling, yelling. He knew because he had been there himself. “These emotions you can’t buy,” Glasner said after full-time. “You have to deserve [them], and everyone here today…deserved these emotions.” Daniel Muñoz certainly did. Every supporter, if they are being honest with themselves, dreams of making it from the stands onto the pitch. A rare few make that journey, and Muñoz is one of them. It allows him a special relationship with the fans.

i think that relationship arises because I lived for so many years encouraging the team, I know how fans suffer, how they think, how they feel, and that’s how I feel on the field. Every time, I always try to give my best to the fan

“I think that relationship arises because I lived for so many years encouraging the team,” Muñoz says. “I know how fans suffer, how they think, how they feel, and that’s how I feel on the field. Every time, I always try to give my best to the fan because when I was encouraging the team, when I was watching football, I always wanted the players to give their best to win. “I have that connection with the fans and I always try to give my best. Many times things won’t go well, but I always try to give my best 100 percent, playing well, always without saving a drop of sweat, and I think that’s what the fan likes: that his players give their best, that they don’t give up. That they never give up even if many times things don’t go the way that they want.”

Daniel Muñoz

I have that connection with the fans and I always try to give my best. Many times things won’t go well, but I always try to give my best 100 percent, playing well, always without saving a drop of sweat, and I think that’s what the fan likes

Daniel Muñoz

A fantastic fan is always there day after day, always supporting whether it goes well or not. They are fans who are always encouraging, always shouting, who never lower their voice, and that makes them special

Daniel Muñoz It will be music to the ears of any South Londoner. Muñoz earned his spurs in the stands following boyhood club Atletico Nacional, helping them earn their reputation as some of the most passionate and loyal fans on the continent. “Nacional fans are one of the biggest in Colombia, one of the biggest in South America – the [club] are characterised by that,” he explains. “I think that a big club always has fans behind it that make it bigger, and I think the Nacional fans have made the club bigger. “A fantastic fan is always there day after day, always supporting whether it goes well or not. They are fans who are always encouraging, always shouting, who never lower their voice, and that makes them special. “I have been in stadiums where the fans of teams only applaud when there is a goal, they only shout when there is a goal, when there is a beautiful play. But [Nacional] have the fans that are supporting whether there is a goal or not, and as a player that is always great.” No wonder he found himself at home at Selhurst Park. The similarities with the Palace fans are obvious to Muñoz. “It is support game after game, the stadium is always full whether we work well or not,” he says. “The fans are always there. “We prepare every day to deliver the best for them, to give them a good show and to win, because I think this is the most important thing: to always prepare to win and to deliver to the fan, no matter what game it is. Whether they are visitors or local, they are always there and they always want you to deliver your best.

The truth is that in other stadiums where I have been, perhaps it is not the [same] atmosphere. It is an atmosphere where people are always there, intensely supporting, screaming, and as a player to feel that support is important

“I think [the atmosphere] is very similar to the one in South America. That is what caught my attention the most, that they are always cheering or always screaming. The truth is that in other stadiums where I have been, perhaps it is not the [same] atmosphere. It is an atmosphere where people are always there, intensely supporting, screaming, and as a player to feel that support is important.” There are similarities, too, between Muñoz’ journey to the Premier League and the journey made by so many South Londoners to the top of the game, most notably in the ‘cages’, be they in the capital or thousands of miles away in the streets of Medellin. “It’s something that I don’t know if it has been lost today, but in our childhood we ate football

Daniel Muñoz for breakfast,” Muñoz remembers. “We ate football and we dined on football, because all the guys from the neighbourhood all day had a ball. “With two stones we made the goals, and we played in the middle of the street, as the cars passed. It was the childhood my friends and I had, because we didn’t play on the field but in the street. “It gives you [perspective], because to play on the street with two stones and then with 80,000 people [watching], you say: ‘Wow’. You transport that dream from when you played on a street to when you play on the field, and you play like a child.” It’s some motivation, and goes some way to explaining why he never stops running. Muñoz joined the club in January, and as he comes to the end of his first calendar year in South London can look back on becoming a crucial member of the side – and learning to love London as a place to call home. “When I arrived I was very impressed,” he remembers. “I had already spoken with Jefferson [Lerma]. He had spoken very well of the club, the people, the fans. It was such a warm welcome, I did not expect it. “It is always difficult to enter a group when you don’t start from the beginning, but they received me as if I had already been part of the club for years. It was a very special treatment and that was what helped me to enter the dynamics of the team. “The players, the staff, the administration gave me the best treatment, to my family and me. That’s what made me learn quickly the football, but also a new life in a new city.

I had already spoken with Jefferson [Lerma]. He had spoken very well of the club, the people, the fans. It was such a warm welcome, I did not expect it. It is always difficult to enter a group when you don’t start from the beginning, but they received me as if I had already been part of the club for years

“The first thing [I noticed about London] is its typical weather! Rainy weather – sometimes sunny, but sometimes it rains. But I like it; it’s a city that has practically everything. “The first time I went [to a Colombian neighbourhood] was with some Colombian friends. Here you find everything: Colombian food, products you want to eat. We went to eat with people with your own roots, and that is always cool. You feel as if you were, for a very short time, in Colombia, and then you leave there and return to reality, but it’s always good to have those spaces. “The truth is that where I live here in South London there are very kind people. My family feel like we have

Daniel Muñoz

The truth is that where I live here in South London there are very kind people. My family feel like we have been living in London for a long time. Here we find diversity, and it’s always great to get to know multiple cultures

Daniel Muñoz

I always fought to get to the national team, First it was to fulfil the dream of playing in the team of which I am a fan, and it was achieved. Then it was to step into Europe, and it was achieved. Then it was to play in one of the best leagues in the world, and it was achieved. Then it was playing in my national team, and it was achieved

Daniel Muñoz

been living in London for a long time. Here we find diversity, and it’s always great to get to know multiple cultures.” When Muñoz looks back on his career, the journey from the stands to the pitch is a marker of years of hard work, of target after target being met, and ambitions being widened. “I always fought to get to the national team,” he says. “First it was to fulfil the dream of playing in the team of which I am a fan, and it was achieved. Then it was to step into Europe, and it was achieved. Then it was to play in one of the best leagues in the world, and it was achieved. “Then it was playing in my national team, and it was achieved. We got to a final [in the Copa America this summer] that

So today I can be here sitting and look back and say: ‘Wow, what I have achieved and what I can achieve if I keep working, if I keep dreaming, if I keep visualizing it, dreams do come true’. You can achieve what you set out to do as long as you work for it

unfortunately I could not play in [through suspension], but I participated in it, so that was achieved. “So today I can be here sitting and look back and say: ‘Wow, what I have achieved and what I can achieve if I keep working, if I keep dreaming, if I keep visualizing it, dreams do come true’. You can achieve what you set out to do as long as you work for it.” It’s a message every Crystal Palace fan can get behind – as is Muñoz’ appraisal of his new home, which applies to supporters and players alike. “For me, I think that we are always fighting. Even though there are difficult moments where everything does not go well, we always fight for each other. I think that is the most important thing.”

captain

SHARE GOOD TIMES WITH

GREAT PILSNER GRAB A BEER THAT’S CRISP, BRIGHT AND REFRESHING 22

And finally...

and finally...

with Daniel Muñoz

Having sent Selhurst Park into raptures in our last home game, how does Daniel Muñoz feel about the ground as it turns 100-years-old this season – and how did he get his famous nickname?

What are your memories of that 4-0 win over Manchester United? What is it like for opposition teams at Selhurst Park? It is difficult, because you can see it is a smaller, enclosed stadium where everyone is there on the edge of the field. Everyone is there supporting the local team, so I think that makes the visiting team uncomfortable. For us it is much better. I have seen the fans who are always there in the middle of the stands, and they are distinguished because they are almost always all in black.

I remember that it was a great game – we always want to play the best games. I have seen everything, exceptional from all the guys. On an individual level I felt very good. I think I showed what I am used to giving, to delivering, and I was very satisfied with the performance and the result. Knowing that you were facing a historic Manchester United, the winners of the Champions League, of the Premier League, I think that gives you an extra plus.

How did you get the nickname ‘fan on the field’? Because I had the opportunity to play for the club where I am a fan, in Colombia! I always followed and attended the stadium as a Nacional fan, and I had the opportunity to play in the team where I am a fan since I was born. That’s where the nickname comes from, because the fan identified with me.

FOR THE CLUB captain

PLAY NOW PLAY NOW PLAY NOW

PLAY NOW 24

PLAY NOW

The World’s Game

manchester city

The Citizens 1894

four in a row

this Season

Last season, Manchester City became the first side to win four Premier League titles in a row. This season, they have broken another record for Pep Guardiola: the first time in his career he has lost four Premier League games in a row. Seven games without a win in all competitions, including six defeats, was the longest barren run of Guardiola’s career, be it at Barcelona, Bayern Munich or in England, and he is desperate to turn things around before the dream of a fifth straight title slips out of reach.

Position

4th

Points

Top Scorer Erling Haaland

Most Assists 3

home

Bernardo Silva

pep’s next step

third

away

Guardiola put an end to speculation about his departure at the end of this season by signing a new contract, keeping him at the club until the end of next season with the option for a further year. Now, the question is whether he can rebuild a hugely successful squad that has become used to sitting atop the pile in the Premier League.

city slip-ups Palace have a habit of causing City problems, coming back from two down at the Etihad last season and winning there twice in the Pep Guardiola era. All eyes will be on South London this afternoon to see if Oliver Glasner’s side can triumph once again.

manchester city

head2head

2-1 √ brighton Amex Stadium

√ tottenham Etihad Stadium

3-3 √ FEYENOORD Etihad Stadium

0-2 √ LIVERPOOL Anfield

3-0 √ nottingham forest

lastfive

0-4

city

draw

palace

0-0

14th March 2022 Selhurst Park

4-2

27th August 2022 Etihad Stadium

0-1

11th March 2023 Selhurst Park

2-2

16th December 2023 Etihad Stadium

2-4

6th April 2024 Selhurst Park

Etihad Stadium

3-0 man city √ nottingham forest Wednesday 4th December / Etihad Stadium

“Our football is always built from the midfield. The quality and they make our tempo and the way we have to play. With the problems that we have in the middle with two holding midfielders injured, Gundo has played an important role for us. Everyone was good” Pep Guardiola

9 Substitutes 31

ederson

S. CARSON

K. WALKER

11 DOKU

SILVA

DE BRUYNE

19 GÜNDOGAN

SAVINHO

M. NUNES

J. WRIGHT

GVARDIOL

N. O’REILLY

R. LEWIS

J. M©ATEE

goal cards

HAALAND

AKÉ

DIAS

18 ORTEGA subs

10 GREALISH

25 AKANJI

manchester city

key players Pep Guardiola’s men have created history by lifting the Premier League title four years in a row – so which of his trusted lieutenants will be crucial again this season? Here, we take a look at four standout stars for the visitors…

MONEY WELL SPENT -

def Josko

Gvardiol age

Height

6’1

joined

from

2023

Although most major European clubs were well aware of Gvardiol’s prodigious talent before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, his performances on the world’s biggest stage made every football fan sit up and take notice. His form en route to the semi-final was phenomenal, and at 20-years-old he became the youngest player to score for Croatia at a major tournament as they were knocked out by eventual champions Argentina. In an effort to steal a charge on their rivals, Manchester City soon made him the most expensive defender of all time. He slotted in on the left of Pep Guardiola’s defence, scoring his first goal for the club in dramatic circumstances: a longrange stunner in a 3-3 draw against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu. He became just the third Croatian player to be crowned Premier League champion last season, after teammate Mateo Kovacic and Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren, who won the title with Liverpool back in 2020.

mid ilkay

Gündogan age

Height

5’11

joined

from

2024

When Rodri suffered his potentially season-ending injury back in September, City must have counted their blessings that they had welcomed back Gündogan over summer. Having lost their most influential and important midfielder, they could at least count on their returning hero to provide the leadership and composure they might otherwise be lacking. Gündogan secured his place in the pantheon of City heroes in his first spell, arriving in 2016 and going on to make 304 appearances, scoring 60 goals and winning five Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League – the latter as club captain. He left for Barcelona in 2023, but saw his future at the club complicated by their continued financial issues. After being told he could leave for free at the end of the campaign, he was soon making a return to the Etihad.

manchester city

HAT-TRICK HOPES Haaland is aiming for a third consecutive Golden Boot in his third season in the Premier League, and it's safe to say he got off to a decent start. He scored two hat-tricks in his opening three games, and had nine goals to his name after four, breaking Wayne Rooney’s record. By scoring against Arsenal in September, he reached 100 goals for Manchester City in just 105 appearances, matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s record at Real Madrid as the joint-fastest player to hit a century for a club in Europe’s top five leagues. It’s safe to say, then, that he has settled into English football with some ease. It seems remarkable that there were doubts in the first place, after a sensational two-and-a-half year period with Borussia Dortmund which saw him score 86 times in 89 appearances. At just 24-years-old, he is already Norway’s all-time top scorer with 34 in 37 games, a tally that will only increase in the future. The question is: can he inspire them to a major tournament for the first time since 2000?

fwd erling

haaland age

9 Height

6’4

joined

from

2022

After bouncing around the City Football Group for two years, Savinho made the move to Manchester City over summer. Despite arriving from Troyes, who had made him their record signing in 2022, he never played a match for the French side; they suffered double relegation, with Savinho sent out on loan to PSV Eindhoven and Girona instead.

fwd

Savinho age

Height

5’9

joined

from

2024

In his time in Spain he lit up La Liga, as Girona secured Champions League qualification for the first time in their history, with Savinho scoring 11 goals in all competitions in the process. His form earned him a first call-up to the Brazil national team, where he has earned nine caps. After joining Manchester City this summer, he has become a regular member of Guardiola’s starting XIs.

manchester city

gk stefan

ortega age

joined

32 2022

def kyle

walker age

joined

34 2017

2 from

def nathan

akÉ age

from

joined

29 2020

from

ederson age

joined

207

def rÚben

dias age

joined

27 2020

def Josko

from

Gvardiol age

joined

22 2023 30

from

gk scott

carson age

joined

39 2021

def john

stones age

joined

30 2016

def manuel

from

5 from

akanki age

joined

29 2022

from

manchester city

def kaden

Braithwaite age

from

def jahmai

simpson-pusey age

from

def rico

lewis age

82 from

academy

mid

Mateo

Kovacic age

joined

30 2023

from

mid Ilkay

Gündogan age

joined

34 2024

from

rodri age

joined

28 2019

mid bernardo

silva age

from

joined

30 2017 31

from

Kevin

De Bruyne age

joined

33 2015

mid Matheus

nunes age

from

joined

26 2023

from

manchester city

mid phil

foden age

47 from

mid Jacob

wright age

from

mid Nico

O’Reilly age

from

academy

mid

fwd

james

m©Atee age

from

erling

haaland age

academy

fwd

from

age

jÉrÉmy

doku age

joined

22 2023

joined

24 2022

from

Savinho joined

20 2024 32

from

jack

grealish age

joined

29 2021

fwd oscar

bobb age

from

52 from

academy

manchester city

squaddepth st Erling HAALAND lw

Jérémy DOKU Jack GREALISH

Phil FODEN SAVINHO Oscar BOBB

am Kevin DE BRUYNE Bernardo SILVA James McATEE Nico O'REILLY cm Ilkay GÜNDOGAN Mateo KOVACIC Matheus NUNES

Dm lb

RODRI Jacob WRIGHT

Joško GVARDIOL

Kyle WALKER Rico LEWIS

Ruben DIAS Nathan AKÉ Kaden BRAITHWAITE

John STONES Manuel AKANJI Jahmai SIMPSON-PUSEY GK

EDERSON Stefan ORTEGA Scott CARSON

New Signing

Academy Graduate

manchester city

through time 1904 Manchester City began existence as St Mark's, named after the church which had sought to curb gang violence by creating a new pastime for young men in the local area. The team quickly made progress, winning promotion to the First Division in 1899 and the FA Cup in 1904, narrowly missing out on a league and cup double. This golden period was blighted by accusations of financial irregularities, however, and in 1906 the manager Tom Maley was banned from football for life while 17 players were given significant punishment. After the charges were proven, City were forced by the Football Association to auction their players, with many bought by emerging local rivals Manchester United, who went on to win the club’s first league title.

1880

Founded as St Mark’s

1894

Renamed Manchester City

1904

FA Cup winners

1923

Move to Maine Road

1934

FA Cup winners

1937

First Division winners

1956

FA Cup winners

1968

First Division winners

1970

European Cup Winners’ Cup champions

1998

Relegated to third tier

2002

Move to City of Manchester Stadium

2008

Bought by Sheikh Mansour

2012

First Premier League title

2016

Appointment of Pep Guardiola

2023

Champions League winners

1934 -

1968 -

City moved into Maine Road in 1923, reaching back-to-back FA Cup finals in the 1930s and winning the latter against Portsmouth. Their attendance of 84,569 in the 1934 quarter-final remained the record home attendance in English football history, until Tottenham Hotspur’s temporary move to Wembley. A first title followed in 1937, before a shock relegation the following season despite being the league’s highest scorers.

After the war City triumphed in the FA Cup again, winning the famous 1956 final which saw goalkeeper Bert Trautmann play on despite sustaining a broken neck. League success evaded them, however, until the arrival of Joe Mercer and assistant manager Malcolm Allison in 1965. The duo guided City to the title in 1968, the FA Cup in 1969 and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1970, bringing in legends like Colin Bell and Mike Summerbee.

manchester city

2002 A long period of decline saw them slip out of the Premier League shortly after its founding, and in 1998 they became only the second ever winners of a European trophy to be relegated to their country’s third tier. A return to the top-flight and a move to the City of Manchester Stadium, initially built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, stabilised the club.

dreamfive GK Bert Trautmann A paratrooper for the Luftwaffe during World War II, Trautmann was captured by the British army and taken to a prisoner of war camp. Upon his release, he stayed in Lancashire and caught the eye of Manchester City, with whom he signed a contract in 1949. Fans protested his arrival – anti-German sentiment was still pervasive after the war – but his performances soon silenced any doubters. His most famous moment came in the 1956 FA Cup final, when, in the era before substitutes, he played on despite sustaining a broken neck early in the match.

cb Vincent Kompany The ultimate captain, not to mention one of the Premier League’s finest defenders. Kompany was a born leader, commanding at the back and inspiring week after week. He won four Premier League titles and two FA Cups, and is now manager of Bayern Munich.

cm David Silva A maestro. When he arrived in the Premier League in 2010, there were questions as to whether his slight frame and languid style would allow him to adapt to English football. Four league winners medals later – as well as a World Cup and two European Championships with Spain – he had proven them wrong.

cm Kevin De Bruyne The icon of the modern, Guardiola-inspired powerhouse. An underwhelming spell at Chelsea meant there were doubts over the enormous fee City paid for him, but he silenced any doubters by becoming one of the world’s best. An all-time Premier League great.

st Sergio Agüero 2008 In 2008, the club were transformed by the arrival of Sheik Mansour, a member of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family, who invested deeply in creating the modern day Manchester City, which has won eight league titles since.

Agüero will always be remembered for the greatest – or at least most significant – goal in City’s history back in 2012, but he was a prolific goalscorer for his entire Premier League career. His 184 goals sit him fifth in the all-time list, with only Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Andy Cole ahead of him.

manchester city

kitstory

celebrity Citizens

best

worst

Home: 1997/98

Home: 2016/17

OK, so they were just the second European trophy winners to be relegated to the third tier – but didn’t they look good doing it?!

Template design with strange dark blue sleeves, which City never bothered with before or since. No wonder Guardiola struggled.

best

worst

RICKY HATTON While Hatton couldn’t stand ‘The Money’ during his defeat to Floyd Mayweather, he enjoys it in football, backing City from birth – his Dad even played for the club’s reserves.

NOEL & LIAM GALLAGHER The dynamically-priced duo have made no secret of their love for Manchester City. Whatever.

JOHNNY MARR away: 1984/85

away: 2019/20

Red and black stripes are just cool, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Add in the old-school sponsor and this is a classic.

‘A yellow to pink gradient’ claimed the ad. Sometimes a garish mix of colours can create an instant cult classic. This was not one of those times.

The mournful tone of The Smiths’ early work may have had something to do with Marr watching City through the 1970s, as one of music’s greatest guitarists fell in love with the blue side of town.

manchester city

greatestgames 2-3 THE GREATEST GOAL Christmas should be a time to relax: put your feet up, watch some football and enjoy a well-earned break. Except, of course, when the festive season requires watching your team at the home of the champions. There’s nothing relaxing about that. In 2018, Palace headed to the Etihad with a series of records and statistics eager for them to fail. City were the Premier League holders with a 100 percent record at home that season. Palace hadn’t won at City for 28 years. But records are meant to be broken, and so they were thanks to a swing of Andros Townsend’s boot, smashing a dropping ball full on the volley, arrowing into the top corner with the goalkeeper given no chance. It was an extraordinary goal, given the rare honour of a nomination for the prestigious FIFA Puskás Award.

0-2 HE’S JUST TOO GOOD FOR YOU Pep Guardiola’s 200th Premier League match was all about the Eagles, inspired by one Wilfried Zaha. After putting Palace ahead inside seven minutes, Zaha raced through again before half-time and was hauled down by Aymeric Laporte, who was shown a straight red card. With City pushing for an equaliser late on, the visitors broke forwards through Zaha and Michael Olise, who set up Conor Gallagher to smash home to seal it.

2-2 CHRISTMAS CHAOS When you go two goals down at the Etihad, you are supposed to submit yourself quietly to defeat. That’s not the Palace way. After Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis had put the hosts in a commanding position with just 15 minutes remaining, Jean-Philippe Mateta bundled home from closerange to set up an intriguing finale. Deep into stoppage time, Mateta was brought down by Phil Foden, and Michael Olise stepped up to equalise from the spot to spark wild celebrations in the away end.

manchester CITY

eagle eye

@spbajko

Simon Bajkowski is the Chief Manchester City Writer at the Manchester Evening News. He has covered City home and away since Pep Guardiola’s arrival in 2016. How can Guardiola turn City’s form around? With great difficulty and with a lot of money spent in the transfer market. City could yet salvage their season and should be in a much better place when most of their injured players return, but the team are shot mentally and physically so it’s very hard for anything to work at the moment, or for the team to be at the standards that they have set for the last seven years.

the outcome hasn’t entirely come out of the blue How have supporters reacted to a rare dip in form? With humour, mostly. The Status Quo lyrics have been changed from City’s won four [titles] in a row to City’s lost four, and then five in a row as the losing run got worse and worse. City fans worry at the best of times and there were major concerns about the squad going into this season, so while the scale of the injury list has been unexpected and unfortunate the current outcome hasn’t entirely come out of the blue.

the team are shot mentally and physically so it’s very hard for anything to work at the moment, or for the team to be at the standards that they have set for the last seven years

manchester CITY

Who could replace Rodri? Nobody can. Which is kind of what you want from the best player in the world, because if they were replaceable they wouldn’t be special. But it doesn’t make it any easier for City, and it has been made harder by the fact that the most natural replacement, Kovacic, is now out for weeks as well. Gündogan, Lewis, Akanji and Silva have all been tried there but nobody has shone.

Will City be active in the January transfer window? They wouldn’t have wanted to be but they will almost certainly have to be unless the injury situation dramatically clears up. City have lost two-thirds of their first choice midfield, and having tried and failed to find replacements within the squad the rebuild that is coming may need to start earlier than expected.

Give us a name for the future to keep an eye on… It doesn’t seem fair to name Oscar Bobb given he last played in the Community Shield back in August, but he looked set to take a major leap forward in the team at the start of this year before he was cruelly struck down with a longterm injury. When City’s rebuild happens, he could become a central figure in it.

west ham united

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manchester city

HEAD TO HEAD

jefferson

lerma age

joined

mid

nat

matheus

Goals

Penalties won

Penalties scored

nunes age

joined

mid

nat

Apps

138

Clean sheets

Apps

Goals

Yellow cards

Goals

Assists

Passes

6,089

Passes

1,677

Passes per match

44.12

Passes per match

26.62

Tackle success

61%

Tackle success

58%

Recoveries

983

Recoveries

208

Red cards

victories against Man City in Palace’s last 18 attempts, with both coming away at the Etihad.

tackles made by Daniel Muñoz this season, the highest number in the Premier League.

players used this season by Man City in the Premier League - only Newcastle have used fewer.

Delivered by:

west ham united

doc brown & james m©arthur

doc brown

the resilience of these lads and the vision of Oliver Glasner. It’s not been perfect, sure, but who genuinely thought it would be

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...

OLIVER JAZZNER & THE SENSATIONS It’s Wednesday morning at time of writing and last night at 8pm I was in a West End thin-based pizza merchant’s watching my supremely talented South East London Aunt and Uncle performing live Jazz as lead singer and bass player respectively. Tickets had been booked for some time which meant using Ipswich v Palace away as an excuse not to come – even for a band packed with SE25 musicians – was never going to cut the mustard. Fine. It was a great show and I was in the back row with a Now TV subscription meaning I could glance down at my (silent) phone between songs and nobody could accuse me of disrespecting Jazz or worse – appearing to favour Ed Sheeran over Louis Armstrong. Half an hour into the show I made my fourth or fifth glance, only to see a tall man with a tightly tucked in shirt kung fu kick a corner flag. This could only mean one thing. Simultaneously, there was loud whooping going on around me in response to a pretty funky musical crescendo, so it didn’t seem too weird

for me to scream “YES!” Although, with me being noticeably louder and more aggressive than the rest of the crowd, after a few heads turned my way, I felt it pertinent to add a “that’s Jazz!” afterwards to avoid any confusion. Naturally I spent the journey home poring over the newly refreshed league table and feeling pretty darn good about life. Yes, everything was suddenly coming up Palace. Hard to believe that three days before Portman Road I was fighting back the anti-Eagle doom and gloom of pundits and fans alike. Just 72 hours and two games later – one we should’ve won (how many times have we said that this season?) and one we actually did win – and the world feels like a different place. I’ve been bullish in this column all season about focussing on the positives, the resilience of these lads and the vision of Oliver Glasner. It’s not been perfect, sure, but who genuinely thought it would be? We need to score more goals, we need to finish more of the myriad of chances we make and great positions we get in, but as the ancient footballing adage goes, “at least you can see what they’re trying to do”.

doc brown So to take you back to this fine Wednesday morning, I woke up realising two things. One: sometimes you have to trust the process. Two: watching Palace is a bit like freeform Jazz. Give it a try at home. Turn the commentary down and whack on some Miles Davis. Some of it is maddening, some of it you just don’t understand, it rarely seems to do what you want it to. Next thing you know it all comes together in a late flourish at the end and you’re totally blown away – see Newcastle at home.

Oliver Glasner himself, pelting up the touchline after Muñoz’s dramatic equaliser to twist crazy limbs with the players in front of a rocking Holmesdale, was just magnificent Which reminds me – in the last issue I said that the photo of young Devenny celebrating would be my favourite image of the season. Days later and I was already proved wrong. The sight of our very own visionary artist – right up there with Fats Domino and John Coltrane – Oliver Glasner himself, pelting up the touchline after Muñoz’s dramatic equaliser to twist crazy limbs with the players in front of a rocking Holmesdale, was just magnificent.

The gleeful acceptance of the yellow card that followed was so beautifully anti-establishment, so reminiscent of Miles in the “America-doesn’t-get-me-I’mgoing-to-Paris” years, that I hereby dub him Oliver Jazzner and there’s nothing you can do about it. And so it is that, weirdly, Jazz Palace is my favourite Palace – unpredictable, untameable, frustrating and satisfying in equal

measure. And suddenly Jazz Palace are confronted today by Manchester City, whose current soundtrack vibe is a lot more Why Does it Always Rain on Me than Stompin’ at the Savoy. Yes, City have been struggling but we all know the deal when we play someone on a terrible run don’t we? So hey, let’s just hope that today we’re Jazz Palace and not Doctor Palace. UTP

James M©arthur

james m©arthur Palace legend James McArthur made 253 appearances for the club, playing over 19,000 minutes in all competitions across nine years. Below, he gives his thoughts on two huge Palace goals, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and an Andros Townsend strike against today’s visitors...

Gaining momentum Even just judging off the stats against Newcastle, it was a dominant display. Obviously, Palace scored at the end and so it feels like a great point, but on another day, it have easily been three. I mentioned in last week’s programme about getting results and creating momentum, and that seems to be the case right now, where you get a point at the end of it by scoring in the last minute, and then you go away to Ipswich and get another great win, which will really give the lads a lot of confidence going into this busy festive period.

it will really give the lads a lot of confidence going into this busy festive period That Muñoz goal was massive. The way I would probably describe it in my terms just now is when you lose a ball at golf, and you

still manage to get a par and a great round. It just keeps you moving forward and keeps up that momentum, keeps pushing everyone and keeps everyone believing. If you lose that game, it’s like that setback again: ‘No, we need to go again’ – rather than everyone buzzing, looking forward to that next game. Especially at this time of year, momentum is so, so key. When you’ve played well and you’ve got that result in the last minute of the game, you really walk away with that feeling of satisfaction.

A massive win I thought that game against Ipswich was competitive, the way it was going to be between two teams near the bottom. Even though Palace have got a bit of momentum just now, it’s still a massive game. There were a few nerves. I always thought to myself that the game would eventually open up a wee bit more. I think with Ebs in the first-half, there were probably about three or four people on him every single time, but as the game went on,

Especially at this time of year, momentum is so, so key. When you’ve played well and you’ve got that result in the last minute of the game, you really walk away with that feeling of satisfaction

James M©arthur

you get that wee bit more space by people being tired and the game opening up. Obviously, the goal comes from Ebsy on the left, with a bit of time, playing it to JP. He literally does the rest from there with a great goal.

JP's progression JP has been unbelievable from where he first came in. He’s one of those people where off the field, he’s a right laugh, but on the field, he wants to learn all the time. If he’s not doing something well, he would always ask: ‘Why? How?’ He’s one of the people who really, really wants to learn. He’s not got that kind of ego where it goes my way and I’m doing it this way. The progression that I’ve seen from him has been incredible. Last year, being honest, he probably did better than most people would have expected because it was such a great run he went on. He probably started a little bit slower than he would have liked this season, but when you’re away at the Olympics and you’re not getting much of a break, everyone thinks that you can just rock up and keep that momentum up, but it’s very, very tough. Now, it’s good to see him get back on track with goals and the way he’s playing. I also think, though, there’s still more to come from him as well – I really believe that. That goal the other night will give him that confidence to keep pushing and keep believing in himself, and feel untouchable again.

Man City memories I don’t think we’ve done as well against Manchester City at home as we have done away, which is quite weird! There was a spell of three years where we didn’t lose a game in Manchester against City or United, which is incredible. At home, it’s probably because you’re more inclined to take the game to City – there’s more pressure on having the ball and getting in their faces, whereas away from home you can sit in, and counter-attack as much as possible. With Manchester City winning 3-0 against Nottingham Forest in midweek, obviously they’ll have taken back confidence from that, but playing away at Palace is always tough. I did it as a player myself for Wigan. It’s a tough, tough stadium to come to. When the fans get behind the team, which they always do, it makes it really difficult for the opposition.

JP has been unbelievable from where he first came in... The progression that I’ve seen from him has been incredible City are obviously going through a bit of a hard time compared to what they’re used to. I think it’s important for the lads to start well. When a team is maybe lacking a little bit of confidence or lacking that winning

What a strike. The best goal I’ve ever seen live playing in a game. It was up there. To win a game and score a goal like that is literally unbelievable, and I think most Palace fans will remember that goal forever

run, the worst thing Palace could do is start poorly and give them all that momentum back. I think it’ll be a case of frustrating the life out of them. Obviously, hopefully JP and Ebs can do the same again by producing moments of magic.

greatest goal I must admit – in that 3-2 win against City back in 2018 – I didn’t really think Andros Townsend was going to put the ball where he put it! I was thinking: ‘Just hit it!’ When you’re at the edge of the box and no one’s behind you, the worst thing you can try and do is take that touch and maybe potentially lose the ball. So I’m thinking: ‘Shoot, and if it goes miles over the bar, that means everyone can get back in!’ What a strike. The best goal I’ve ever seen live playing in a game. To win a game and score a goal like that is literally unbelievable, and I think most Palace fans will remember that goal forever

captain

CHOOSE YOUR

WIIINGS RED BULL GIVES YOU WIIINGS.

INSIDE PALACE

inside palace

palace academy With so much talent coming through at Crystal Palace, it’s time to grill the next generation on the key questions past, present and future. This week, Under-18s midfielder Euan Danaher tackles our quickfire questions…

FACT FILE

present strongest attribute? My reading and anticipation of the game, knowing where to be before the other player.

i model my game on... I’ll probably say Rodri, we play the same position and he’s just won the Ballon d’Or.

past childhood idol? I’d say Roy Keane: same nationality, similar position and because he always got the best out of everyone around him.

Best moment of your career so far? Scoring and winning the U15 Floodlit Cup Final against Stoke City for sure.

Favourite hobby? Golf, it’s calming because it’s a different sport away from football.

first team? I played for Langley at Under-7s, just like Dean Benamar. We were based around Beckenham and seven of our nine players got scouted for Academies.

euan danaher age

nationality

17 position

midfielder

first match you’ve been to?

future in five years time... Hopefully in the Palace first-team, but if not then be at the highest possible standard that I can.

Palace v Watford in the FA Cup semi-final in 2015/16 where Connor Wickham scored!

champions league or world cup?

First shirt?

manager or pundit?

It was the bright yellow Barcelona away kit with the collar. It was a Neymar one.

Manager – I don’t think I have the qualities to be a pundit.

World Cup, no questions asked.

inside palace

fixtures&results

pos Club

GD Pts

Home fixture Away fixture Cup fixture International Cup fixture (Crystal Palace score shown first)

mci

23 24

ful

bha

liv

che

new

u21s

u18s AUGUST

AUGUST Tue 20

Stevenage

0-1

Sat 17

Tottenham Hotspur

Fri 23

Blackburn Rovers

7-2

Sat 24

Southampton

1-1

Wed 28 Birmingham City Sat 31

3-0

Fri 30

Leeds United

SEPTEMBER Tue 17

Real Sociedad

2-2

Fri 20

Reading

1-1

Tue 24

Gillingham

3-1

Mon 30 Nottingham Forest

2-1

OCTOBER Sat 5

Brighton & Hove Albion

0-10

Fri 18

Sporting CP

1-2

Fri 25

Southampton

2-0

NOVEMBER

Reading

4-6

1-1

3-0

SEPTEMBER Sat 14

Norwich City

4-2

Sat 21

Fulham

0-6

Sat 28

Aston Villa

1-3

OCTOBER Sat 5

Liverpool

2-5

Sat 26

Leicester City

1-1

NOVEMBER Sat 2

Arsenal

1-1

Sat 9

West Bromwich Albion

2-2

Fri 1

Tottenham Hotspur

5-1

Sat 23

Arsenal

2-0

Tue 5

Peterborough United

1-4

Sat 30

Brighton & Hove Albion W

2-0

Fri 29

Newcastle United

0-1

DECEMBER

december

Fri 6

Manchester City

Tue 10

Tue 17

Chelsea

RSC Anderlecht

Mon 16 Liverpool

JANUARY

Sat 11

West Ham United

Sat 25

Tottenham Hotspur

Mon 6

Fulham

Fri 10

Leicester City

Fri 17

RB Leipzig

Mon 20 Wolves Mon 27 Norwich City FEBRUARY Mon 10 Stoke City Mon 17 Aston Villa Mon 24 West Bromwich Albion MARCH

ars

nfo

mun

whu

cry

eve

-1

sun

lei

sou

-2

rea

-1

lee

-1

nor

-4

wol

-4

tot

-6

der

-9

wba

-12

avl

-11

mid

-14

bla

-13

sto

8 -22

FEBRUARY Sat 1

Southampton

Sat 8

Reading

pos Club

Sat 15

Norwich City

avl

sou

ful

Sat 22

Aston Villa

MARCH Sat 1

Fulham

Sat 8

West Ham United

Sat 15

Chelsea

APRIL

GD Pts 22

tot

bha

whu

che

-1

cry

-3

nor

-2

10 10

Mon 3

Arsenal

Sat 12

Leicester City

Sun 16

Manchester City

Thu 17

Arsenal

ars

-2

Sat 26

West Bromwich Albion

lei

-5

rea

-11

wba

-10

APRIL Fri 4

West Ham United

Mon 14 Chelsea

MAY Sat 3

Brighton & Hove Albion

All statistics correct as of 17:00 Thursday, 5th December.

inside palace

palace academy Crystal Palace’s loanees have been flying high this season, scoring goals, keeping clean sheets, providing assists and so much more. Here’s how they’ve all got on so far, now that we’re a third of the way through the campaign…

joe whitworth Palace Under-21s’ Player of the Season went on loan to League One Exeter City in the summer and has since gone on to be one of the standout ‘keepers in the division. The 20-year-old has kept a remarkable 10 clean sheets in 17 games across all competitions for the Grecians, including one on his very first start and also five in a row across September and October to set a new record for the club. Whitworth himself has also earned multiple man of the match awards, Exeter’s Player of the Month award for October and has most recently helped the side into the third round of the FA Cup for the first time since the 2020/21 campaign – keeping his 10th clean sheet in the process.

jesurun rak-sakyi The tricky winger moved on loan to Sheffield United back in August and has gone from strength to strength at Bramall Lane under Chris Wilder. After working hard to break into the starting XI, he found his footing in October where he notched both

goals in a 2-0 win over Luton Town to send the Blades into the automatic promotion spots for the first time. He has since netted two more times and registered four assists, taking the side to the top of the Championship in their bid to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

danny imray Another Palace U21s star from last season who was on the move in the summer, Danny Imray only went the short distance from SE25 to BR2, but he has been lighting it up ever since. He has featured in all but one of Bromley’s games across all competitions this season, notching an assist in his second game against South London rivals AFC Wimbledon and scoring for the first time in the league against Walsall in November. Imray made history for the Ravens in December, scoring the goal which put Bromley ahead in their FA Cup second round clash against Solihull Moors. They eventually held on to make it to the third round proper for the first time in the club’s 131-year history.

owen goodman Goalkeeper Owen Goodman is enjoying a strong spell on loan for AFC Wimbledon, establishing himself as the first-choice goalkeeper at The Cherry Red Records Stadium. He kept a clean sheet in his third game of the season away at Cheltenham Town, four days before he provided penalty heroics against Premier League side Ipswich Town in the League Cup. In total, the shotstopper has kept eight clean sheets in total for the Dons as they push on for promotion in League Two.

david ozoh Midfielder David Ozoh got off to a flying start on loan at Derby County, scoring in pre-season and starting in their first game of the season against Blackburn Rovers in the Championship. He helped the Rams to their first victory against Middlesbrough in the following week and even netted his first ever senior goal against Bristol City at the back end of August. Ozoh was unfortunately injured against Cardiff City in his fifth game of the season and has yet to return to action, though he has been on the road to recovery and will be back in action soon.

luke plange Forward Luke Plange has been out on loan at Finnish champions HJK Helsinki since March 2024 and has been in both domestic and European action.

inside palace

He featured for HJK in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers back in July and also netted a crucial goal for them in the UEFA Conference League which saw them secure a league phase place. With the Finnish season concluding in September, Plange helped the side to a third-place finish with six goals and two assists in 21 games. HJK are now in next season’s UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds as a result.

around the grounds Tayo Adaramola has been recovering from intermittent injuries throughout his time at Stockport, however he was on hand to record an assist against Brackley to help the side on their way to the third round proper. Roshaun Mathurin, Ademola Ola-Adebomi and Jack Wells-Morrison have been in action at Hartlepool United, Beveren and Wealdstone respectively and though none have found the net as of yet in their loan spells, they have provided assists throughout the campaign so far. Killian Phillips is doing a stellar job for St. Mirren across the border, starting almost every game for them since joining in August. He scored against Motherwell and played a vital part in their recent win against highflying Aberdeen

u21s Name

u18s Name

apps goals

Asher AGBINONE

apps goals 5

Kai-Reece ADAMS-COLLMAN

Victor AKINWALE

Dean BENAMAR

Cormac AUSTIN

Benji CASEY

Luke BROWNE

Freddie COWIN

Rio CARDINES

0 Euan DANAHER

Jesse DERRY

Justin DEVENNY

Matteo DASHI

Billy EASTWOOD (GK)

Jesse DERRY

Chima EZE

Joel DRAKES-THOMAS

Craig FARQUHAR

Billy EASTWOOD (GK)

Chris FRANCIS

Jacob FASIDA

Joe GIBBARD

Zack HENRY

Jake GRANTE

Marcus HILL (GK)

Sean GREHAN

Jasper JUDD

Jackson IZQUIERDO (GK)

Joe KHOSHABA (GK)

Mofe JEMIDE

0 George KING

Caleb KPORHA

Finley MARJORAM

Enrique LAMEIRAS

Zach MARSH

Jack MASON (GK)

Roshaun MATHURIN

David MONTJEN

Louie MOULDEN (GK)

Joshua MUWANA

Hindolo MUSTAPHA

David OBOU

Adler NASCIMENTO

Stuart ODURO

David OBOU

Chuks OKOLI

Jadan RAYMOND

Jerome OSEI

Dylan REID

Caleb REDHEAD

Kaden RODNEY

0 0

Sean SOMADE

Joe SHERIDAN Franco UMEH

Charlie WALKER-SMITH

Jemiah UMOLU

Harry WHITWORTH (GK)

Jack WELLS-MORRISON

Tyler WHYTE

Seb WILLIAMS

All statistics correct as of 17:00 Thursday, 5 December. th

inside palace

palace women It’s been a momentous few weeks in the life of Crystal Palace fullback Lily Woodham, scoring in Wales’ victory in the UEFA Euro 2025 qualification play-offs to help her country reach a major tournament for the first time, and starring on loan in South London.

oodham has quickly made her mark at Palace since joining the club in the summer, bringing significant experience to the club’s inaugural Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) campaign. The full-back joined the Eagles from Seattle Reign on loan in September, and has practically been a permanent fixture in the Palace defence ever since. Her move to Palace represents the latest chapter in a career that has seen her experience life in numerous different parts of the world, despite only being 24 years of age. Woodham came through the Bristol City academy, before joining Reading, where she made 65 appearances. She would then make the brave decision to cross the Atlantic to play for Seattle Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League – a move which would shape her both as a player and as a person. Speaking about her time in the United States, Woodham said: “It was incredible out there, honestly – but after a while, I missed home. “I missed my family, and I felt it was time for the next step. Coming

back to Palace felt like the right move to further my career and get more game time, especially with big international fixtures coming up with Wales. “Both clubs – Seattle and Palace – have been fantastic in supporting me, and I feel really lucky to have had such smooth transitions.” Her move proved to be a good decision, with Woodham playing a major role in Wales’ historic first-ever qualification for a major international tournament, as they booked their place at Euro 2025 with a dramatic win over the Republic of Ireland. Starting in both legs of the playoff final, Woodham scored in the first game to give Wales the lead in Cardiff,

before providing a brilliant assist for The Dragons’ second goal in Dublin – a strike which eventually proved decisive in the 3-2 aggregate win. For Woodham, playing for Wales is something that brings her immense pride, and she spoke fondly of her time with the national team: “Wales has always felt like home. “There’s something really special about coming back to camp and being around family, friends, and teammates. “When you’re away in another country, you don’t realise just how much you miss those connections until you’re back in Wales, playing with the squad. It makes everything feel even more worthwhile.” With Wales guaranteed to be competing in Switzerland next year, Woodham can now turn her attention to Palace and the ongoing WSL campaign. Having played in the Championship and WSL for Reading, she is well aware of the difference in speed and intensity between the leagues. “The first few games in the WSL for Palace were an eye-opener,” she said. “The game is so much faster, and mistakes can be costly. You can’t afford to let your guard down. But it’s a challenge I’m enjoying, and I’m learning so much every week.” She has been an integral part of Laura Kaminski’s team since joining, playing in every WSL game so far – and off the pitch, Woodham has settled into life at Selhurst Park with ease. “It’s an amazing club,” she said. “From the minute I walked in, everyone was so friendly, from the staff to the players. “There’s a real sense of community here, with both the men’s

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and women’s teams sharing facilities and supporting one another. That ‘one club’ feel is something I really appreciate.” Woodham speaks with clarity about her goals for the season: to continue improving, and continue pushing for even more success with both club and country. “It’s all about growth for me,” she explained. “Every game I play, every season I have, I want to learn and get better. “I want to help Palace achieve as much as we can in the WSL, and with Wales, we’re always striving for the next level. I feel like we’re on the right path.” Woodham and her team face West Ham at the Chigwell Construction Stadium tomorrow (14:30 GMT), as Palace look to get a crucial three points away from home. After West Ham, Palace have two huge home fixtures at the VBS Community Stadium to close out 2024 – and need your support. First up is a must-win game against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, 11th December in the WSL Cup, where victory is required to see Palace progress to the quarter-finals. Then, on Sunday, 15th December, Palace will host Manchester United in the WSL for the final game of a historic year for the club

Make sure to secure your seats via cpfc.co.uk for a dramatic finale to an unforgettable year!

fixtures&results Home fixture Away fixture Cup fixture (Crystal Palace score shown first)

Fri 27

Tottenham Hotspur Chelsea

L L

Name

apps goals

Chloe ARTHUR

Brooke ASPIN

0-4

Izzy ATKINSON

0-7

Annabel BLANCHARD

My CATO

Aimee EVERETT

Jorja FOX

Mille GEJL

Fliss GIBBONS

Josie GREEN

Shanade HOPCROFT

SEPTEMBER Sun 22

playerstats

october Wed 2

Aston Villa

0-2

Sun 6

Leicester City

2-0

Sun 13

Brighton & Hove Albion

0-1

Sun 20

Liverpool

1-1

november Sun 3

Manchester City

0-3

Elise HUGHES

Sun 10

Everton

1-1

Abbie LARKIN

Milla-Maj MAJASAARI (GK)

Hayley NOLAN

Lexi POTTER

Poppy PRITCHARD

Indiah-Paige RILEY

Molly-Mae SHARPE

Katie STENGEL

Katrine VEJE

Arsenal

Ashleigh WEERDEN

Tottenham Hotspur

Lily WOODHAM

Annis-Clara WRIGHT (GK)

Shae YAÑEZ (GK)

Sun 17 Sun 24

Aston Villa

Charlton Athletic

december Sun 8

West Ham United

Wed 11 Tottenham Hotspur Sun 15

Manchester United

january Sun 19 Sun 26

february Sun 2

Brighton & Hove Albion

Sun 16

Manchester United

2-3 2-0

march P

GD Pts

che

23 24

Aston Villa

mci

Sat 22

Everton

bha

Sun 30

Arsenal

ars

mun

15 9

Sun 2

Liverpool

Sun 16

pos Club

april

liv

-3

Sun 20

Chelsea

tot

-9

Sun 27

West Ham United

avl

-4

may Sun 4

Leicester City

Sun 11

Manchester City

eve

-10

lei

-6

whu

-8

cry

-14

All statistics correct as of 17:00 Thursday, 5th December.

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palace for life

donate to palace for life below

Our Down’s Syndrome football team, AKA the DS Eagles, got a once in a lifetime opportunity to train with Crystal Palace Women at the Crystal Palace Academy.

n November, a group of footballers from our weekly Down’s Syndrome football sessions were invited to watch and then train with Palace Women at their usual Tuesday afternoon training session at the state-of-theart Crystal Palace Academy. Cosmin, James, Joshua, and Nathan of the DS Eagles joined Aimee Everett, Annabel Blanchard, Chloe Arthur, Fliss Gibbons, and more from

Palace Women, who are mid-way through their inaugural season in the Women’s Super League, to participate in training drills involving dribbling, shooting, one-v-ones, and more. On the touchline was head coach Laura Kaminski, who was impressed with the DS Eagles’ performances, giving them credit for their powerful shots and one-v-one abilities. Take a look at some of our favourite photos from the session!

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To support our work with young South Londoners like our disability teams, scan the QR code to donate or head to our website palaceforlife.org to find out more about our work.

100 years of selhurst park

100 YEARS OF Selhurst Park

As Selhurst Park celebrates its 100 th year during the 2024/25 campaign, club historian Ian King is looking back at a century of history from 1924 to the current day…

bout 70 years ago, clubs began to install floodlights at their grounds, and duly Palace began erecting a basic system in the summer of 1953. This consisted of four clusters of 12 lamps on the roof of the Main Stand, with a further four groups placed on poles strung along the Park Road terracing, with cables looped between them. At the time, only friendlies could be arranged to be played

‘under the lights’. Chelsea were the visitors for the inaugural game in September 1953, playing out a 2-2 draw. For the next few seasons, a series of midweek games were arranged against domestic and European opposition, which included Derby County, St Mirren and FC Vienna. The Southern Professional Floodlit Cup was set up in the 1955/56 season for clubs in the south of England – it is thought

Palace face Chelsea in the club’s first floodlit match in 1953. 60

100 years of selhurst park

Palace defend against Alfredo Di Stefano’s Real Madrid under the lights.

that this was the precursor to the League Cup that started in the 1960/61 season. In 1956, the Football League allowed fixtures to be played under the lights, as long as both clubs agreed, and so on Wednesday, 5th September the Division Three South fixture against Reading was moved back to 7:30pm, and the lights were switched on for the second-half. In 1961, the club updated what had formerly been something of a ‘Heath Robinson’ arrangement with four huge pylons in the four corners of the ground. The new instalment was officially opened with a friendly against Real Madrid in April 1962,

Over 25,000 Palace fans were present to see a full real Madrid XI run out 4-3 winners in a highly entertaining game, in which Palace players wore shirts of a special material to reflect the lights

as depicted on the front cover of this issue. Over 25,000 Palace fans were present to see a full Madrid XI run out 4-3 winners in a highly entertaining game, in which Palace players wore shirts of a special material to reflect the lights. Improvements followed in the early 1970s, with the lights upgraded to provide the most light of any First Division ground. In 1980, the pylons were repositioned alongside the newly proposed Sainsbury’s store, and then removed in 1993 when the roof was added. The construction of the Holmesdale in 1995 witnessed the removal of the final pair

100 years of selhurst park

ian king’s Selhurst Squad

More than 900 players have graced the turf at Selhurst Park across a century of special memories, but who makes Ian King’s squad of the finest in each position?

he club’s record appearance maker earns his spot in the side. Cannon was brought up in Glasgow as a promising school goalkeeper, before attracting attention from sides below the border. In 1969 he had a trial with Manchester City, but was spotted by Palace’s Scottish scout before Joe Mercer’s side could make a decision. Thank goodness he waited. That December, Cannon came to Selhurst Park for a trial, and by February had signed on as an apprentice. His debut came in March 1973, as Chelsea arrived at Selhurst Park and new manager Malcolm Allison watched on from the stands. Assistant Terry Long gave Cannon the small task of marking Peter Osgood, and not only did he help to keep a clean sheet against the Chelsea legend, but he scored at the other end to seal an important victory, starting his sequence of scoring in every season for the next 15 years. After two successive relegations, Allison trialled Cannon at left-back – and he even played in goal when taking over for an injured Tony Burns. He was still at left-back when Palace reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1976 as a Third Division side, but when new manager Terry

jim

Cannon position

nationality

Venables arrived that summer he was reinstalled in his usual place at the heart of the back four. He appeared in every league and cup game that season, everpresent alongside club captain Ian Evans, as the Eagles were promoted to Division Two. After Evans’ horrific injury, Cannon became permanent club captain, wearing the armband for the next 10 years and beginning a partnership with Billy Gilbert which would last for the next five.

Cannon skippered the side to the Division Two title in 1979, missing only one of the 49 games in all competitions and marshalling a defensive unit which conceded just 24 goals in 42 league games, keeping 21 clean sheets. In September that year, his majestic goal against Ipswich Town took the club to the top of Division One, for the only time so far in history. His final game came in May 1988. Cannon’s record of 660 firstteam games is unlikely to be beaten, and his contribution to the history of the club can never be underestimated.

100 years of selhurst park

honourable

Mentions ian evans Evans came to Selhurst Park in September 1974, and his tall, rangy figure slotted into central defence with consummate ease. In August 1975, he became the first Palace defender to score a competitive hat-trick without a penalty kick. He was soon made captain as Palace reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1976, while gaining 13 caps for Wales. Sadly, his Palace career was ended by injury in October 1977, but Evans was to return in 1984 when he was named assistant manager to Steve Coppell, as the pair laid the foundations for the club’s return to the First Division in 1989.

partnership with Cannon that lasted seven years. He was just 20-years-old when the club returned to the First Division in 1979, and missed just five games over the next two seasons.

Gilbert (above) came through the club’s academy in the mid-1970s, twice lifting the FA Youth Cup, and earning a place in the first-team thanks to his tough tackling and solidity at the back. Evans’ injury allowed him to form a

Squad JOHN GK JACKSON

1964-1973

andy thorn -

nigel gk martyn

1989-1996

After the catastrophic 9-0 defeat at Anfield, manager Steve Coppell set about looking for a defender with authority, and soon enough Thorn was walking through the gates at Selhurst Park. Signed from Newcastle United in December 1989, he made his debut in a 2-1 win at Old Trafford, and soon resumed his defensive partnership with former Wimbledon teammate Eric Young. The pair were together for three seasons, as the club reached the FA Cup final and won the Full Members’ Cup. Thorn was named Player of the Year in 1993.

Paul HINSHELWOOD 1973-1983

joel ward

chris coleman -

billy gilbert -

selhurst

A versatile defender, Coleman signed for Palace in 1991 and covered every position at the back in his first two seasons, as well as occasionally being deployed as an auxiliary forward. After the departure of Thorn, new manager Alan Smith placed him alongside Young in defence, and he soon made the position his own. The club won the Championship in 1994, and Coleman was now a regular Wales international. He moved to defending champions Blackburn Rovers in December 1995. Next ISSUE Ian King continues to look at central defenders for his ultimate Selhurst 100 squad...

2012-

kenny lb sansom

1975-1980

lb richard shaw

1987-1995

CB MEL BLYTH

1968–1974 1977-1978

cb jim cannon

1973-1988

..................... .....................

100 years of selhurst park

stories of Selhurst Park

Selhurst Park isn’t just a Premier League football ground, but the heart of a vibrant and diverse community, whose stories stretch back a century. Here, we hear from Australian supporter Matt Perriman – recently celebrating a decade as an Eagle – about a trip to the ground that he and his wife Morgan will never forget…

became a Crystal Palace tragic on 23rd November, 2014. It’s an easy date to remember, trust me. I was living in Western Sydney in Australia at the time and our Socceroos (our beloved national football team) had just participated in the 2014 FIFA World Cup – the lowest FIFA-ranked country in attendance. We didn’t win a game in our ‘Group of Death’ (Spain, Chile & Netherlands!), but that didn’t matter. We were in the World Cup – and it was awesome. I remember watching Mile Jedinak taking a brilliant penalty against the Netherlands and hearing the commentator talking about how he captained a Premier League team, Crystal Palace. I went straight to Google, read about the Eagles’ amazing history, and waited patiently until the moment I could finally watch a game. That moment came about on 23rd November, 2014, when Palace hosted Liverpool at Selhurst Park. What do you think the chances would have been that Mile Jedinak would score one of the greatest free-kicks in the history of the Premier League on that very night? Pretty good, as it turned out!

What do you think the chances would have been that Mile Jedinak would score one of the greatest free-kicks in the history of the Premier League on that very night? Pretty good, as it turned out!

From that moment on, the mighty Crystal Palace was my team. I even travelled over 500 miles from Sydney to Melbourne to watch them take on Manchester United at the glorious Melbourne Cricket Ground in July 2022 – the same trip on which I proposed to my now wife, Morgan. Fast forward to 2023, and my (soon-to-be) wife and I were not only planning our wedding, but also our honeymoon, of course.

100 years of selhurst park

We decided that London would be our first stop on our way through to Scotland and, as luck would have it, we found out we would be there at the same time Leicester City were visiting Selhurst Park on 1st April 2023. I never thought I’d watch the Eagles at Selhurst, but Morgan decided that we should try and get there – we may never get another chance, after all! After becoming a Gold Member to make sure I could purchase tickets, at 10pm Sydney time, I managed to snag us some. Morgan and I married on 25th March 2023, and three days later jumped on a plane to London to enjoy our honeymoon. April came around fast and Morgan and I – dressed in our Palace best – boarded a train at Liverpool Street Station and headed to Selhurst Park.

As the train started to fill with a sea of blue and red, it was hard to hide my excitement – even though we hadn’t won in 13 matches at that point! I didn’t care – we were almost there! We followed the crowd through the streets and then, like

an oasis in the South London desert, there it was: Selhurst Park. We found our seats, wide-eyed, and soaked in the atmosphere. The players ran onto the pitch and the singing started. It was absolutely incredible – there’s no sound like it in any football stadium in Australia. The game kicked off – and Morgan and I were entranced. This is where things get a little blurry for me, as the game was a whirlwind. I can’t confirm that I cursed him, but I hope wearing my Wilfried Zaha jersey had nothing to do with the groin injury which finished Wilf’s afternoon at half-time. I remember Morgan turning to me and saying: “We’re in trouble now, aren’t we?” Leicester scored first, almost an hour in, and I thought that on potentially my only ever visit to Selhurst Park, I’d be seeing another loss. Then, maybe three minutes later, Ebere Eze won a free-kick and took it – snagging us a goal back as it bounced off the woodwork, and then the ‘keeper, for a (technically) Daniel Iversen own goal. As if by magic, Morgan managed to snap a picture just as the ball crossed the line! We were back at 1-1 with 20 minutes to go. Then, a moment I will never forget: Jean-Philippe Mateta’s winner in the 94th minute. After getting subbed on less than 10 minutes earlier, Mateta controlled a brilliant ball from a rampaging Jordan Ayew and slotted it past Iversen, giving Palace our first win in 14 games. Selhurst Park exploded with noise. We could feel the stand sway as the crowd jumped and chanted,

Roy Hodgson was hailed in his first game back, and we got swept up in the moment. It was magic. Here I was at Selhurst Park with my wife, on our honeymoon, watching Crystal Palace win in person – nearly a decade after I first fell in love with them from the other side of the world. When we got back to our hotel in Central London, there was only one thing left to do: wear my brand new Selhurst jumper, and head out for a celebratory beer or five with my beautiful wife. I hope someday I’ll be able to get back to Selhurst Park and watch the Eagles again, but will it ever be as special as the 1st April 2023, whilst on honeymoon? It’ll be a hard act to follow, but we’re willing to take another 27-hour flight sometime soon to make sure!

Got a Selhurst story to tell? Let us know by emailing selhurst100@cpfc.co.uk!

2018 from the 100 years of selhurst park