Crystal Palace v Everton matchday programme by Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace v Everton Sunday 12th December 2021 // 4:30pm

palace √ everton sun 12 dec | 16:30

08 captain 10 chairman 34 darren ambrose 40 over the road 47 voices of south london 51 non-league neighbours 61 cpfc 1861 64 palace women 66 from the terraces 70 stats & results

Directors Chairman Steve Parish, David Blitzer, Joshua Harris, John Textor Chief Executive Phil Alexander 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 U23 Development Mark Bright Commercial Director Barry Webber General Counsel David Nichol Director of Operations Sharon Lacey Head of Ticketing Paul McGowan Head of Retail Laura Holland Chief Marketing and Communications Officer James Woodroof Head of Safeguarding Cassi Wright Head Groundsman Bruce Elliott Editor Ben Mountain Design Billy Cooke, Luke Thomas, Stu Ellmer Contributors Will Robinson, Ian King, Peter Manning, Darren Ambrose, Tash Stephens, Toby Jagmohan, Mohamed Rguyeg Photography Neil Everitt, Seb Frej, Dan Weir (PPA), Getty, Panini Printer Bishops Printers

contents

There was more intensity. it was more technical, more physical. The first few games it took a little bit of time, because it was a big difference. But I worked hard, I trained hard

briefing palace √ everton sun 12 dec | 16:30

Palace support FA-led safeguarding campaign Crystal Palace are lending their full support to Play Safe – a national FA-led campaign to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding in football. Play Safe is run in partnership with the NSPCC and has the full backing of the Premier League, EFL, Barclays FA Women’s Super League and the FA Women’s Championship. It’s also supported and running across every other level of the game. The main element of Play Safe is a series of short films

december

which emphasise the importance of clubs such as ours having safeguarding embedded in all that we do. The films also explain to parents, carers and children what to do if they feel unsafe or worried, because nothing matters more than making sure football is safe for everyone, especially children and young people. Palace’s Head of Safeguarding, Cassi Wright, said: “We are very proud to support the Play Safe campaign at Crystal Palace. We take safeguarding incredibly seriously at our club and work hard to ensure everyone – supporters, participants, players and staff – feels safe whatever

Andy Thorn signs, 1989

Gerry Francis (1951) and Shaun Derry (1977) born

West Bromwich Albion 1-5 Crystal Palace (2020)

Steve Kember born (1948)

Manchester United 1-2 Crystal Palace, 1989

they’re doing with us, particularly the young players in the care of our Academy and those we welcome on our Palace for Life community programmes.” You’ll see Play Safe appearing at various points throughout the season to keep safeguarding front of mind in football. Together, we want to do everything we can so everyone – particularly children and young people – has a consistently positive experience of our great game.

Fan update Does your programme include a card signed by today’s main interview, Odsonne Edouard? We’ve hidden 10 amongst our various programme sellers and will do so for every interviewee in each edition.

What’s inside Find out… Patrick Vieira’s reaction to the Millwall draw (Page 6), why Andy Woodman swapped the Premier League for non-league (Page 51) and how Palace helped to found the FA Cup (Page 61). briefing

manager

Welcome to Selhurst Park to Rafa Benítez, the Everton directors, staff and players, and to everyone here supporting us.

e have had some disappointing results, but I encourage everyone to also look beyond the scorelines. The performances give us positives for the rest of the season, because on other days those games would have been draws or wins. Taking chances is of huge importance in games, especially when there are only a few of them, so this is something we must work on. We should have left Manchester with a point last week. We knew we needed to work well out of possession in that game and we did, because we didn’t allow them the space to create very much. In both the Leeds and United games the difference between us and them was that they took their chances. You have to be clinical, aggressive and ruthless in front of goal, and if we want to win football matches we have to improve all of these aspects. But in both matches we deserved at least one point. With a little more maturity in our game, I am confident we’d have earned them. During the season teams will go through a challenging period, so

it’s important for us in that moment to keep our togetherness, because this is one of the values of our team and our football club. We will learn from challenging periods, and as a manager I will learn a lot about my

The positive now is this is a good moment to have two home games: the support we always receive at Selhurst will be massively important for us, and I know you’ll be behind us throughout like always players’ character. I have no doubt this situation will make us stronger individually and collectively. The positive now is this is a good moment to have two home games: the support we manager

always receive at Selhurst will be massively important for us, and I know you’ll be behind us throughout like always. With so many games coming in such high frequency every single player has to concentrate and understand the important role they have. So I’m very pleased with the players who’ve stepped in recently. When you don’t play consistently you lose your match fitness, so our training is intense, because it’s important to keep every player fit. James Tomkins showed his professionalism and played three games in a week, which isn’t easy for someone who hasn’t played the whole season. It was the same with Clyney; he made his first start against United and played well. The staff work hard with every player to ensure they’re at their best physically when we need them. They are doing a great job. Finally, we drew Millwall for our first FA Cup game in January, and like all clubs we respect every competition we play. We want to do well in the FA Cup, but we know how difficult a London derby is. Thank you for your support

captain

Welcome to Selhurst Park to our loyal supporters as we enter another difficult period of three games in one week.

t is not easy to compete at your maximum when you are playing as frequently as this. It is also not so common to play three games in one week early in December, then do it again in the middle of December and then enter the Christmas games so soon after. This frequency of matches does have an impact on how you can play, but I think that we have competed in our last matches. Of course, we are disappointed with the results. The last time I wrote to you here we were seven games unbeaten, and now this time we have lost three. This is tough to take but also it is the nature of football; sometimes you win, sometimes you draw and sometimes you lose. We understand this. We also understand that what we are trying to do will sometimes have some moments like this. You cannot win every game all the time, and when you are working for long-term goals and trying to build something, you must accept there will be difficult points to make you stronger.

We can only learn from these matches. The Leeds game was a good performance and we deserved a point or all three from this. We all felt so much disappointment

when you are working for long-term goals and trying to build something, you must accept there will be difficult points to make you stronger. We can only learn from these matches

not to win, especially when we have conceded some late goals before. But we focused on the Manchester United game quickly and got our heads down for a captain

quick turnaround. This was also another solid performance and United looked very good, so I was pleased to see us keep them out for so long. The boys in defence did well and the goal we conceded was a difficult one. We know the areas we need to improve and we are working hard on these throughout the week with the gaffer. With these things tightened we go into two home games, and we cannot say how much this is important for us. When we need that extra fight for a final push, we know we can receive this from our supporters at home. This is the thing about Crystal Palace: when you are as frustrated as us by a game, you stand behind us. I am focused on positives from recent performances and looking ahead to a run of games that can change our whole season. Today is the start of another difficult period of three games in one week, but I know your support can carry us through it. Make some noise!

chairman

Welcome to the supporters, players, staff and directors of Everton to Selhurst Park, and of course, welcome to each and every Crystal Palace supporter here this afternoon to get behind Patrick’s team.

oday’s match offers a great opportunity for us to get back on track after a tricky few weeks, with late goals from Villa, Leeds and Manchester United costing us dearly. It is even more frustrating that each of these games have been lost by a single goal and furthermore that our performances have warranted more of a return. But this is Premier League football, and all the games are finely balanced. Everton arrive after a similarly challenging period, but will no doubt be buoyed by their gutsy win over Arsenal on Monday. I am certain that you will witness a competitive game today. I’m sure you’ll all join me in welcoming Andros Townsend back to Selhurst Park – Andros was a hugely important player for us, clocking up 185 appearances over a five-year period, and is a player who never gave less than 100%. He has had a terrific season so far for his new club, but naturally, I hope we can thwart him today. I attended an event recently in which Palace for Life Foundation shared an update of their magnificent

Your unwavering support has always been crucial in getting Palace sides over the line in tight fixtures here at Selhurst, and I urge you to get right behind Patrick and his team today

chairman

work in our community. It was wonderful that Patrick was there to witness it and take part in an excellent Q&A, as well as having an entertaining exchange with several members of our Downs Syndrome Eagles team. The full event is available to watch on Palace TV, and I’d urge you to take a look to learn more about the charity’s work from those who deliver the range of programmes, and those members in our community who benefit from their outstanding work. The charity’s most recent campaign is calling on fans to donate footwear for us to distribute to refugees and others in need in our community. If you can support, please drop off trainers or boots at the Southampton game on Wednesday night in the Fanzone - all for a great cause. Your unwavering support has always been crucial in getting Palace sides over the line in tight fixtures here at Selhurst, and I urge you to get right behind Patrick and his team today as we look to return to winning ways. Enjoy the game, and up the Palace

Moving country for a man with nine major titles in three seasons as Celtic’s top scorer may seem like a straightforward hurdle to overcome. But, with five years’ experience behind him already, Odsonne Edouard is still only 23. Here, he tells Will Robinson how he’s handled challenge after challenge as a young man, and why south London vernacular remains the toughest of them all.

main interview

t’s often forgotten amid the constant online speculation and frenzied media coverage that there is a third party involved in a transfer, beyond the selling and buying clubs. There is a person in the middle of it all, too. How much responsibility would we have wanted as a teenager? How much attention could we handle? How would we cope with moving far from home? These are the human questions that get lost among the furore. For Odsonne Edouard, this was a tricky road he had to navigate. Aged 19, he moved from Paris to Celtic. Learning English as a second language is hard enough; doing it in Glasgow is another challenge altogether. “It was difficult,” Edouard says, now able to laugh at his early struggles. “In Scotland, it was very hard at the beginning. It was the first time I moved away from France, and when I came I didn’t speak English. The Scottish accent is very hard to understand, so it took me a lot of time. “But we had a few players who spoke English and French at Celtic, so that helped me a lot. I tried to learn by speaking to teammates.” Excellent preparation for having a catch-up with James McArthur. If there’s one thing that can help settle a player, however, it’s success. At Celtic, Edouard was hardly short of that. He remembers: “We won the treble-treble [Scottish Premier League, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup, with Edouard top scorer in every season]. In the three years I was there, we won everything, so you can’t do better.”

Almost as important was the Old Firm derby. “Everyone knows about this rivalry,” Edouard says. “When I play, I never feel the pressure. I just go to the pitch, enjoy it, and try to perform. I don’t feel this pressure. “But I feel it from the fans and from others players – I would feel that this was a different game. After winning those games it is a big celebration. It is the only game you just cannot lose in the season. The only game.”

Everyone knows about this rivalry. When I play, I never feel the pressure. I just go to the pitch, enjoy it, and try to perform. I don’t feel this pressure. But I feel it from the fans and from others players – I would feel that this was a different game Edouard has thrived upon playing under pressure; it’s a quality that has helped him progress this far. From the streets of Paris to the Holmesdale Road and Premier League, he thrives with each step up. “I first kicked a ball when I was three or four – it was a long time ago!” he remembers. “My dad played football, my brother [played football]. We all liked football. I played more on the street with my friends than with a club to start with. “A lot of footballers come from Paris. We all start playing in the street – I think the best players from the street come through that. Odsonne Edouard

“We would play every day: at school, and then after school we would play for like four or five hours outside. We just play, play, play.” After playing for local side Bobigny as a child, Edouard joined Paris Saint-Germain aged 13. It meant competing with the city’s very best players, a challenge he relished. “Three or four in my team went to the Academy. The step-up was not hard. I was ready to leave. It was different, because we had more quality and more coaching. I played with the best players in Paris, so it was different, but for me it was more easy. When you play with better players, it is more easy.” Edouard was at his childhood club, the team he had supported as a boy. “I was too young for Ronaldinho,” he remembers. “But I watched Paris with Nenê, [Javier] Pastore, [Thiago] Motta.” Then, as he settled in, the club changed forever. “The same year I joined the club, the Qatari [owners] came,” he says. It meant the arrival of players with a global reputation: David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani. “It was crazy… it was amazing,” Edouard recalls. “We would watch them play on TV, and then afterwards we would see them in person because they were training so close to the Academy. When we looked over we could see them training. “It was different. I watched and I watched. I thought: ‘One day, I want to train with those kind of players.’” It wouldn’t be long before Edouard realised his dream. He travelled to the UEFA Under-17s European

Championship in 2015 as a talented youngster, and helped France win the tournament. Eight goals in five matches later – including a hat-trick against Germany in the final – and he returned as one of Europe’s most sought-after prospects. “After this game, everything was different,” he says of France’s title win. “A lot of people started speaking about me. “It was the step up after this tournament too – after this tournament I started to train with the first-team at PSG, and that changed everything for me. The club warned

When you start growing, the press come to you. We were ready for this after the Euros, and I could focus on my job and keep training. It was hard, but I am someone that doesn’t take notice of the media me about the attention, but always the club will look out for a player like this. “When you start growing, the press come to you. We were ready for this after the Euros, and I could focus on my job and keep training. It was hard, but I am someone that doesn’t take notice of the media saying it’s good or bad. “I focus, I have my friends and family to speak to. I still keep in touch with the same friends from when I was young. We played in the same team since we were six-years-old, and they’re still my friends. They’re helpful for me.” Odsonne edouard

main interview

And so to Palace, and the Premier League – arguably the toughest test of all. Edouard, still just 23-years-old and honing his language skills, had to make a huge leap. “Now I speak English so it’s easier,” he says. “I feel good in south London. When I came, from the first game I felt welcome there. That was good for me – it means I can play good football at Crystal Palace.” We ask him if he has learned any local slang. “Not yet,” comes the response. “You have some for

I feel good in south London. When I came, from the first game I felt welcome there. That was good for me – it means I can play good football at Crystal Palace

me?” Erring on the politer side of the capital’s colourful vernacular, we tell him about Jaïro Riedewald displaying his south London credentials in the programme, describing his early challenges as ‘not that deep’. “Deep? I don’t know this one,” he laughs. It’s just as well our questions are in plain English. “They will teach me in the changing room!” This is a light-hearted moment, but again demonstrates the human challenges of leaving home as a young man that go beyond the wellpublicised transfer fees. At Palace, Edouard has French speaking companions – Patrick Vieira being chief among them. Odsonne edouard

main interview

“He’s an amazing help for me, because we can speak French as well as English. It’s a big help for me. You have Saïd [Aïgoun, Development Coach] too, who speaks French. I know him from PSG, where he worked before.” Playing under Vieira is an honour for Edouard, as it is for most players. “He’s a big legend in France. When he’s the manager, you are very excited. My friends ask me about him: ‘How is he? What kind of coach is he?’ They have lots of questions like this, and I tell them.” But despite Edouard’s confidence, support and experience at an early age, the Premier League was another step-up. For all Edouard’s success in Scotland, he was instantly aware of how tough his new role would be. “It was a big, big difference,” he admits. “There was more intensity. It was more technical, more physical. The first few games it took a little bit of time, because it was a big difference. But I worked hard, I trained hard and I got used to the intensity of the game.” The best way to ensure one beds in quickly? Once again, to succeed. Edouard managed that in double quick time, scoring within 28 seconds of his debut – and adding a second soon after. “I didn’t expect this from the first game! I just came on, tried to play and tried to help the team to win.” Now he – and Vieira – have settled in south London, a long season lies ahead. What can Palace achieve? “It’s a hard question,” he says, pausing for thought. “I just hope we keep playing well. We have to

work hard for this. The way he has us playing gets us results. “We have to put everything from coaching into the game, and play well for the fans and for each other.” Upon mention of the fans, we couldn’t end an interview without asking Edouard about his first Selhurst Park experiences. His work on his English comes to the fore again. “I like the ambience. Is this the right word?” he asks. “Ambiance, atmosphere. It’s different from before at Celtic, it’s more small – but I like it because it’s close and it’s high, so it’s more intense when I play.”

I just hope we keep playing well. We have to work hard for this. The way (Patrick vieira) has us playing gets us results. We have to put everything from coaching into the game, and play well for the fans and for each other In a world of talk shows, phone-ins and social media pile-ons, we often forget the human side of a footballer making their way in the biggest league in the world. Edouard is a firm believer in honing his skills both on and off the pitch, keen to learn about the culture of south London as much as he is the game itself. Selhurst Park will always make itself heard, while Odsonne Edouard is a young man finding his voice. More challenges await in the near future, but you can be sure he will be preparing to meet them Odsonne edouard

Settling into life in the Premier League, at just 23-years-old Odsonne Edouard has already seen a lot in his career. Here, he picks out some of the most important figures from past and present.

Leading lights idol Ronaldo, the Brazilian. I watch all his videos. He was a striker like me, so I can learn a lot from him. But he was too good. I like the way he dribbled, the way he scored, everything. He’s my favourite footballer, the best of the best. In the Premier League I looked up to Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Alan Shearer – all the different types of strikers!

top teammate Wilf speaks French, so that helps me a lot. Every time he speaks with me, he tries to show me everything. In training he’s great with me, he’s a good help. As well as being a good guy, he’s a good player.

toughest opponent Dayot Upamecano when I played RB Leipzig, because we have played together for France. He knew me very well, so it was very complicated to play against him.

best manager closest mate Kylian Mbappé is my good friend. We played together for a long time in the national team, and we come from Paris. I’ve known him for a long time. the follow-up

Patrick Vieira. He’s still got it. Sometimes we play two-touch in training, and he’s still good. He never loses it. It’s good because he’s a big legend in France. It’s good for me to play for him, and he speaks French as well.

Rebrewed from head to hop. Carlsberg Danish Pilsner. NEW Brew NEW Glass NEW Fount Still iconically Danish.

Proud to support

Crystal Palace Football Club

Everton F.C. est. 1878

Inside Turning form? Pre-match build-up 'Smash them': Ambrose's Millwall message

opposition

toffees everton

Palace’s recent record against Everton will not fill the south Londoners with confidence, but the Toffees are out of form after a challenging run.

match preview The Merseyside team have faced Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal in their last five games, so travel to Selhurst after a bruising four points from eight outings. Their run may have been punishing, but the results are still below what supporters would expect. A 4-1 loss to Liverpool was a particular challenge, and the Toffees are only protected from a lower league position by an impressive start (13 points from seven). Palace should not let this encourage any complacency, however. The south Londoners have not won against today’s guest since 2015, drawing seven of the last 13 meetings. Worse yet, Palace haven’t secured a competitive win at Selhurst since 1994.

Story so far

Position Points Top scorer

Home

away

third

Last five Seasons Season

pos

pts

Top Scorer

20/21

10th

Calvert-Lewin (16)

19/20

12th

Richarlison/Calvert-Lewin (13)

18/19

8th

Sigurðsson/Richarlison (13)

17/18

8th

Rooney (10)

16/17

7th

Lukaku (25)

12th 18 Demarai Gray (5)

Most assists

Abdoulaye Doucouré (4)

Most passes

Michael Keane (595)

opposition

Dangerman: Gray

Demarai Gray has bagged five times this season, more than he has in any campaign since 2014/15. His last was a sensational 92nd-minute winner.

Remember when?

Boot in both camps

Palace won their only major trophy to date – Zenith Data Sytems Cup – when they overcame Everton 4-1 at Wembley in 1991. Goals that day came from Geoff Thomas, Ian Wright (two) and John Salako.

recent form

last time out Everton 2 Arsenal 1 Mon 6 dec / Goodison Park

Starting xi

subs

J. Pickford

J. Kenny

B. Godfrey

M. Holgate

M. Keane

F. Delph

Y. Mina

A. Begovic

S. Coleman

A. Iwobi

D. Gray

C. Tosun

Allan

A. Gomes

A. Doucouré

J.P. Gbamin

A Gordon

J. Branthwaite

A. Townsend

Richarlison

First sub Second sub Third sub Yellow card Red card Goal Own goal

7 14 11 22

24 23

opposition

Nigel Martyn English football’s first £1m goalkeeper, Martyn ended his career with Everton and was described by David Moyes as his “greatest ever signing”, despite joining in his late 30s.

england's no.1 190 apps 50 clean sheets

02 04 Jonjoe Kenny

Mason Holgate

POS: DEFENDER

NAT: ENGLAND

05 13 Jordan Pickford

Michael Keane

Yerry Mina

POS: DEFENDER

NAT: ENGLAND

NAT: COLOMBIA

Since his well-publicised move from Sunderland in 2017, Pickford has established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper at Goodison Park and for England, making over 150 domestic appearances and keeping 50 clean sheets.

player profile

POS: GOALKEEPER

Age

Height

1.85m

Joined

15th June, 2017

Debut

12th August, 2017 v Stoke City

PREVIOUS LOANS: Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City & Preston North End opposition

22 23 Ben Godfrey

Séamus Coleman

POS: DEFENDER

POS: MIDFIELDER

NAT: ENGLAND

NAT: IRELAND

defensive dangerman

113 apps 31 clean sheets

06 08 Allan

Fabian Delph

Lucas Digne

POS: MIDFIELDER

POS: DEFENDER

NAT: BRAZIL

NAT: ENGLAND

NAT: FRANCE

player profile

POS: MIDFIELDER

Age

Height

1.78m

Joined

1st August, 2018

Debut

11th August, 2018 v Wolves

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Lille, Paris Saint-Germain & Barcelona. opposition

Experienced full-back Digne has been a constant threat down the Everton left since joining the club in 2018. He won the Player of the Season award in 2018/19 and has made over 100 appearances for the Toffees. He also has over 40 France caps.

16 Abdoulaye Doucouré

Anthony Gordon

POS: MIDFIELDER

NAT: FRANCE

NAT: ENGLAND

STARMAN

258 apps 25 goals

25 26 Jean-Philippe Gbamin

Tom Davies

Andros Townsend

POS: MIDFIELDER

NAT: IVORY COAST

NAT: ENGLAND

player profile

POS: MIDFIELDER

Age

Height

1.81m

Joined

20th July, 2021

Debut

14th August, 2021 v Southampton

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United & Palace. opposition

Former Eagle Andros Townsend has continued to show his ability with Everton, becoming a key member of the Toffees’ attack. He bagged three goals and two assists in his first 11 games. Towsend became popular at Palace with a series of eye-catching strikes.

07 09 11 LINCHPIN

153 apps 41 goals

Richarlison

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Demarai Gray

POS: FORWARD

NAT: ENGLAND

Alex Iwobi

Salomón Rondón

POS: FORWARD

NAT: BRAZIL

NAT: NIGERIA

NAT: VENEZUELA

At just 24, Richarlison seems as if he has been a key part of the Everton squad for years. The Brazilian’s position has evolved somewhat since moving to Merseyside, and he has been a prolific scorer throughout: bagging 44 goals from 129 appearances.

player profile

POS: FORWARD

Age

Height

1.84m

Joined

24th July, 2018

Debut

11th August, 2018 v Wolves

PREVIOUS CLUBS: América Mineiro, Fluminese & Watford. opposition

NATURAL CAFFEINE ZERO SUGAR HYDRATION ENERGY now available countrywide

for SPORT

Everton are unbeaten in 10 Premier League away games against Palace (D5 L5), since a 1-0 loss in October 1994

Crystal Palace are winless in their last 13 Premier League meetings with Everton (D7 L6) since a 3-2 away win in September 2014

30 00

01 30

Passes per match 459

347 shots

165

186 Shooting accuracy %

31 goals conceded

25 clean sheets

Wilfried Zaha goals

Shooting accuracy

33%

Demarai Gray goals

shooting accuracy

29%

opposition

ambrose from the studio

In each programme, club legend Darren Ambrose provides his unique insight into the opposition – offering analysis and expert opinion as a player-turned-pundit.

Hot form and warm welcomes Everton earned a fantastic result against Arsenal after a bad run, and it’s no wonder when you look at their team. There are lots of players I like in that squad: Richarlison is a menace and Andros Townsend will be looking to score a trademark long-ranger, but there are two that stand out most to me. I’d like to mention Abdoulaye Doucouré first. He’s outstanding. He keeps Everton ticking and is a massive miss when he’s not playing. In the last seven games Everton have only picked up four points, and Doucouré played in just three matches. The link is clear. What he does well is break up attacking play, and he’ll look to do that against Palace. Then the key man for Everton is Demarai Gray. He’s been a breath of fresh air and has brought real talent. He created the first goal against Arsenal and scored the winner, and in form like that it won’t be long before Gareth Southgate starts looking.

I played with Demarai at Birmingham when he was very young. He was still a teenager but you could see his talent then: he had determination and was very singleminded, too. I remember playing

supporters sang my name and shouted ‘shoot’ when I had the ball inside my own half! To get that reception was brilliant and it’s a memory I’ll always hold dear

against Birmingham for Ipswich towards the end of my career. Paul Robinson was Birmingham captain and I asked how Demarai was getting on. He said: ‘This kid could go to the very top,’ and now we’re seeing what he can do. Darren ambrose

It will be strange for Andros to come back to Palace, where he’s a popular player. But I know he’ll want to do well against his old club. When I played against Ipswich and Charlton, both former sides of mine, I had a real determination to play well – Ipswich because a return transfer collapsed and Charlton because my time there didn’t end very well. But when I came back to Palace it was strange. I’d been out of the Birmingham squad for months and was suddenly named on the bench

for a game at Selhurst. It was confusing to be back on the pitch against my former club, where in hindsight I wish I’d stayed, after so long out. But it was brilliant: the supporters sang my name and shouted ‘shoot’ when I had the ball inside my own half! To get that reception was brilliant and it’s a memory I’ll always hold dear.

Back on the horse Unfortunately for Palace Everton come into this game full of confidence after outplaying Arsenal midweek. You sometimes get a new manager bounce, but they seem to have a new Director of Football bounce; theirs has parted ways and the off-pitch shakeup seems to have picked up the squad and the atmosphere. Big decisions like that can have an effect. Gray, Richarlison and Townsend in particular want to play for the supporters and they played very direct against Arsenal. Palace need to get at Everton to get an early goal and re-balance the confidence. Drain Everton’s, lift ours, and get a result. It was obviously disappointing to lose three in a row recently. Two of the games came against new managers against Villa and Manchester United - and it’s typical we went into those games just after Steven Gerrard and Ralf Rangnick took over. The Leeds game was drifting to 0-0, which would have been absolutely fine, but the result was massively unfortunate.

No points against Villa, Leeds and United isn’t great, but seven against Arsenal, Man City and Wolves - who were all doing well is fantastic. So this is a minor blip which is frustrating, but that happens in football. Look at the league table: too many draws, we know that, but we’ve lost fewer times than Arsenal, Everton, Leicester, Villa and Wolves, and the same amount as Tottenham and United. Look at the run of

fixtures now: Everton, Southampton and Watford. Patrick will have earmarked these to get back on track before Christmas. I tended to find newer managers stick with what they know best after a few defeats, and that normally works out. Palace have played fantastically and deserve a lot of praise, so should stick to their guns, get back on the horse and turn this around in no time.

i hope Palace

absolutely smash

Millwall

One to forget The FA Cup draw is fantastic for both Palace and Millwall – it sets up a local derby that hasn’t been played competitively in years. But my memories of Millwall are bad. The worst Palace game I played was away at the Den; Jason Puncheon scored a hat-trick and on the bus home we found out George Burley had lost his job. George was set to tell everyone in a meeting, but it came through on the news. We ended up saying our goodbyes in the hotel in Croydon. That was a poor, poor game, with Jason scoring the hat-trick against his boyhood club. So I looked at this draw and immediately thought: I hope Palace absolutely smash Millwall. It will take some of that bad memory away for me

darren ambrose

writers Ed Reynolds

After widespread job cuts caused by the pandemic, it’s harder than ever for journalists to find work. This page offers three aspiring writers space to display their views and skill. Today, we hear from Ed Reynolds.

January 9th, 2022, sees the start of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. The tournament is host to a pool of top talent; however, COVID resulted in the competition dates being rescheduled from July 2021 to January 2022, causing players to leave their domestic clubs to represent their nation. Algeria won the last Africa Cup of Nations in July 2019, defeating a Senegal team captained by Crystal Palace’s Cheikhou Kouyaté. Senegal, FIFA’s highest-ranked African team, go into this tournament after topping their qualifying group. After finishing second at the last tournament - losing only twice throughout, both times against Algeria - there is an opportunity for the Lions of Teranga to win their first Africa Cup of Nations. Alongside Kouyaté, Pape Souaré is another player to have played for both Palace and Senegal. Souaré made 22 appearances for his country of birth, scoring his only goal in Afcon qualifying. Kouyaté is now the only Senegalese international in Palace’s current squad, however, Dakar-born Patrick Vieira has been closely involved in African football. Alongside 1998 World Cupwinning teammate Bernard Lama, and former Benin national team captain

Jimmy Adjovi-Boco, Vieira established Diambars Institute. Founded in 2000 as a non-profit association, Diambars has become a prominent African institution in discovering, training and supporting young footballing talents. Placed 85km from the centre of Dakar, the Senegalese capital, there is a

During January there will be a plethora of football to view, both domestic and international clear emphasis on education first, football second. Around 60 students have gone on to become professional footballers, with three playing in the Premier League: Idrissa Gana Gueye, Badou Ndiaye and the aforementioned Pape Souaré. Forty years without being crowned Afcon champions leaves Ghana with memories of squandered opportunity. The closest Ghana have been to winning in recent years was a 9-8 penalty loss to the Ivory Coast aspiring writers

in the 2015 final. Palace Academy graduate Kwesi Appiah led the line for Ghana that day, before his substitution for Jordan Ayew. At the last Afcon Ghana lost on penalties in the round of 16. This stage also saw Wilfried Zaha fire the Ivory Coast into the quarter-finals after scoring in a 1-0 victory against Mali. However, penalties were also the downfall for the Ivory Coast as they lost in the quarter-finals against eventual winners Algeria. During January there will be a plethora of football to view, both domestic and international. Fixtures have recently been announced for the Africa Cup of Nations, and with squads still yet to be decided players will be fighting for their place. Absent Palace figures will miss fixtures against Brighton and the third round of the FA Cup, and those who go beyond the group stage will miss the Liverpool fixture. But the chance of glory awaits them

Impressed by what you’ve read, and need work from a media professional? You can discuss providing work opportunities with Ed and our other aspiring writers by emailing programme@cpfc.co.uk.

PLAY NOW © 2021 Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic Arts, EA, EA SPORTS, the EA SPORTS logo, Ultimate Team and Powered by Football are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Official FIFA licensed product. © FIFA and FIFA’s Official Licensed Product Logo are copyrights and/or trademarks of FIFA. All rights reserved. Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc. All UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League names, logos and trophies are the property, registered trademarks, designs and/or copyright of UEFA. All rights reserved. ” and “Play Has No Limits” “2”, “PlayStation”, “Ø”, “ are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.

In-game Purchases (Includes Random Items)

inside the academy copers cope road

Inside The goalscoring centre-back Quinn: Evolving a lineage from 1991 Sean Scannell, the man who walked to Selhurst

inside the academy

over the road The Palace Academy has produced players from Steve Kember to Wilfried Zaha, and plenty more in between. Here, we look at some of the talented prospects in the system today.

Jake O’Brien age: 20 / position: Centre-back / joined: feb 2021

highlights so far O’Brien scored two in the playoff semi-final and captained Palace in the final after just half a season with the club. He then enjoyed a stellar few days by signing a contract extension and playing twice for Ireland Under-21s in November 2021.

Take note of O’Brien is a strong and reliable presence at the centre of defence and can guide a team, too. He is good with his head and likes to get amongst the scoring when possible. When further back, he shows a good range of passing and can read a game well. inside the academy

getting to know Jake O’Brien -

Jake plays regularly at international youth level now and is a real leader. Not only is he a fellow centre-back but a fellow Irishman too; I’m fond of both those things Paddy M©Carthy u23S manager

It didn’t take Jake O’Brien long to settle down at Crystal Palace. The young centre-back came from senior football in Ireland and, just three months later, was wearing the captain’s armband as his side earned promotion to the Premier League 2. He says the step up from Cork City to Palace was “huge”, but if there was even a hint of him struggling, O’Brien didn’t show it. And it’s confidence and adaptability like this which earned the 20-yearold a three-year contract last month. “I’m happy to get it over the line,” O’Brien said at the time, “especially with the direction the club’s moving.” It’s a smart point to make. O’Brien joined Palace at a time of transition, putting pen to paper mid-lockdown while the club built its sensational new Academy. By the time he’d gone from a loan to a permanent deal to a three-year extension, O’Brien had started training and playing at one of England’s greatest development facilities. At his stage O’Brien won’t be looking at academies for much longer, and his focus will be on crossing Copers Cope Road or earning minutes on loan to a professional outfit. But, unlike most young players, he won’t need to adapt to improved conditions or a much more challenging competition given the current climate he’s in. “From last year getting the promotion it’s a higher standard this year,” he says. “I think the squad we Inside the academy

have is really talented and we have huge depth… Now we’re in the top division. We’re capable.” O’Brien started his career in a totally different mould; playing as a striker, then centre-midfielder, in Irish youth football. He eventually transitioned to right-back and then centre-back, but even began his time at Palace occasionally in defensive-midfield. The change hasn’t stopped there, however, and at the end of a whirlwind year, O’Brien is further adapting his game: “I’ve played everywhere! I kept going backwards [but now] I prefer centre-back. Range of passing and reading the game [are my strengths]. Especially here because we’re adapting to a style of play now which is possession football. “In modern day football Virgil van Dijk [is a player I admire]… I think I’m a lot different on the pitch to how I am in person. In person I’m easy to talk to. I wouldn’t say I’m a loud person but on the pitch I think I have high expectations and a demand of people.” It’s not just on the turf that O’Brien is learning, either. He’s been in south London for 10 months now, so what has he picked up about the club? “Everyone’s close together, even the staff here. Everyone’s close. Even when I played the promotion final, the fans didn’t have to come but a huge crowd came and pushed us forwards and that got us over the line.” A steadfastly Palace answer, Jake O’Brien has certainly settled down fast

inside the academy

Rob Quinn There were a lot of positives from our performance against Aston Villa: we worked on getting back to basics with high pressing and playing out from the back, which is exactly how we expect a Palace team to play.

he Villa game came in the U18 Premier League Cup and, although we won 3-1, we were knocked out of the competition by other results. The boys knew there was a chance of progression had games gone our way, but the focus was on a positive performance, and I was pleased with how the lads looked coming into the month. Because Under-18s are full-time with us, we have the opportunity to work on a lot of tactical elements as well as the technical side of football. Our tactics revolve around how we prepare and how we play every week in the style we want to implement. Our game model strives to be a ‘Palace’ team. We used to be a counter-attacking team more often than not but the Chairman and Sporting Director have laid out a plan to become a high-pressing, possession-based side. That’s how I think Palace should be and it’s the model we all follow; I follow it, Paddy follows it with the Under-23s and it runs through every Academy team.

I grew up with the Palace style coming through the Academy here. It was – and still is – high-energy, athletic, skilled and full of goals. Now, that wasn’t necessarily me on the pitch, but I do appreciate those types of player. So my mindset with the boys is about positive football: pressing, running, scoring, tackling – doing everything on the front foot.

The boys’ togetherness and mentality has made my transition to this job much easier. So I’d like to praise them and the staff Maintaining our identity and the traits that help this club produce players is a new challenge with our facilities. The Chairman wants to keep the spirit and hunger despite the fantastic conditions the boys

Inside the academy

work in. So that’s crucial for us coaches to implement, and the main thing I’ve been talking about this year is keeping the hunger within players and staff. It’s nice having these new, updated facilities, but if you don’t have the passion inside it doesn’t matter. It will be a challenge, but my group particularly and the Under-23s have had the National Sport Centre days and us as staff have had to coach when facilities weren’t what they are now. It built that togetherness between the groups. They’ve seen where the club wants to get to and where we are now, with what the Chairman and investors have produced, and that’s crucial to keep them hungry, hard-working and humble. Ultimately those are the characteristics you need. The boys’ togetherness and mentality has made my transition to this job much easier. So I’d like to praise them and the staff, and in particular the new first-year boys coming in, who’ve adapted really well to the full-time environment. We have a good group here at Crystal Palace

made in south london During a landmark season Club Historian Ian King looks back at Palace’s Academy history, recalling some of our proudest former graduates from the huge number to have made their name in SE25.

Walking-distance wonderkid -

SEAN SCANNELL Born First-team debut

September 17th, 1990 December 4th, 2007

Appearances

141

Goals

inside the academy

As a youngster Croydon-born Scannell would walk from his home to watch Palace, having initially favoured Chelsea. Playing for Addiscombe Corinthians and at Brixton’s Afewee Academy Scannell attracted the attention of Arsenal and Chelsea at a young age. When he was 12 he became connected with Palace as he was invited to train two evenings a week. At 14 he signed for the club but at that time Academy players were not performing at the standard expected, something that soon changed with the arrival of coaches like Gary Issott. Before his 16th birthday Scannell had already featured in the FA Youth Cup, starting in January 2006 and continuing to feature for the next two years. A prolific scoring season with the Academy in 2006/07, when he notched 23 goals, saw him promoted to the Reserve squad in April 2007, coming on twice from the bench. Between September and November 2007 Scannell found the

net five times in eight appearances in the Combination League, and form like this led to his debut for the last 30 minutes in a 2-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers on December 4th. Eleven days later Scannell again appeared from the bench for his home debut and scored the winner against Sheffield

It was something of a golden era for Palace’s youth players. By the end of the season Scannell had featured 25 times as the club reached the play-off semi-finals. He was then named Young Player of the Year

Wednesday with an exquisite lob in the final minute that made him the club’s third-youngest goalscorer. His first start came on Boxing Day and with Premier League sides beginning to take note of his efforts the club were pleased when the teenager signed a two-andInside the academy

a-half-year professional contract in February 2008. He celebrated by scoring in a 3-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers. This emergence happened in the same Championship campaign when others from the Academy such as John Bostock, Victor Moses and Lee Hills were also promoted by manager Neil Warnock. It was something of a golden era for Palace’s youth players. By the end of the season Scannell had featured 25 times as the club reached the play-off semifinals. He was then named Young Player of the Year. Scannell’s father came from County Armagh, which meant he was eligible for both Northern Ireland and the Republic. He chose the latter and won numerous caps at Under-17, 18, 19, 21 and also at ‘B’ level, starting in March 2008. For five seasons Scannell was a regular inclusion in the Palace squad, although injury stopped him from appearing for three months at the start of 2010/11. His importance was signified at the start of 2011/12 as he scored three times in the opening six games. In summer 2012 Scannell signed for Huddersfield Town in a £900,000 deal and after five years in Yorkshire played for Burton Albion, Bradford City and Blackpool. Last year former Palace manager Ian Holloway signed him for Grimsby Town, but the pair could not prevent the Mariners from falling out of the Football League and injury has so far prevented Scannell appearing this season

LOOK SHARP WITH APSLEY TAILORS

Offcial Club Tailor

OFFICIAL CLUB TAILOR TO CRYSTAL PALACE F.C.

2 Mill Street, London | www.apsleytailors.com | info@apsleytailors.com

Apsley Bespoke Tailors: The Smart Choice!

South London is a unique place to live, work and experience. In each programme, we shed light on a few of the names or events that have shaped and continue to shape our half of the city. In this edition we look at something a bit different, as author Greg Lansdowne delves into Panini’s 60 years producing football stickers to unearth their relationship with Crystal Palace.

Voices of South London

hile everyone was talking about ‘Team of the Eighties’ Crystal Palace as the emerging force in English football at the end of the 1970s, another name was also catching supporters’ attention. Palace might not have lived up to their tag, but Italian company Panini were certainly the number one football sticker business of that decade. Having established themselves in their home country during the 1960s, Panini set about building a presence around Europe in the 70s. Although the company did release World Cup albums in the UK for Mexico ‘70 and the following tournament in West Germany, they were reliant on an English publisher called Thorpe & Porter to distribute them. That these albums are now scarce is evidence of the struggle to get them to young British football fans. Similarly, Panini’s English domestic album collaborations with the same company – using the imprint Top Sellers – are now equally rare. Crystal Palace appeared in the first two of these – Football 72 and Football 73 – before relegation prevented their participation in subsequent editions. Among Palace’s section in Football 72 were stalwarts of the club such as John Jackson, Mel Blyth, Steve Kember and Phil Hoadley, who famously appeared holding a cigarette in one sticker album, though not a Panini one. Panini enjoyed far greater attention in the British Isles when

they released albums under their own name. So it was that Football 78, their debut covering the English and Scottish topflights – plus the English Second Division – was a roaring success. As Palace were in the second tier, they were restricted to a team group sticker and the sharing of a gold foil badge with Fulham. In Football 79, shiny badges were replaced in a

Rising stars such as Sansom, Nicholas and Hilaire rubbed shoulders with more experienced squad members such as Burridge, Cannon and Hinshelwood

one-off experiment using a silky material – Palace’s, like all the Voices of South London

other Division Two clubs, came in yellow. Promotion that season meant the south Londoners enjoyed full status in the following Panini album – Football 80 – and again in Football 81. In a bumper 17-sticker section, Palace were treated to a silver foil badge, team group, manager Terry Venables and 14 players in all their glory. Rising stars such as Kenny Sansom, Peter Nicholas and Vince Hilaire rubbed shoulders with more experienced squad members such as John Burridge, Jim Cannon and Paul Hinshelwood – all decked out in the classic Admiral strip. While the season after was less auspicious for the Eagles, they were at least given the honour of featuring on the cover

of Football 81 – Gerry Francis pictured battling for the ball with Manchester United’s Ray Wilkins. That Panini album was also significant for Palace fans as it was the only one that campaign to feature Clive Allen in a Palace shirt rather than the Arsenal or Queens Park Rangers jerseys he wore in rival publications. Relegation meant Palace were reduced to just a team group and badge in Panini albums over the rest of the 80s, although Cannon and Steve Coppell did feature as ‘Division 2 Heroes’ in Football 88. If promotion to Division One wasn’t enough for Palace fans in 1989, a long-awaited return to receiving a coveted double-page spread in the Panini sticker album was the icing on

the cake. It almost meant a first Panini sticker for the majority of the selected players, including Ian Wright – whose Football 90 sticker will now set you back a three-figure value! Geoff Thomas and Mark Bright were the only two players to appear on the Palace pages throughout their latest Panini run from Football 90 to Football 93. That final season not only marked the end of the club’s latest tenure in the top-flight but also Panini’s reign as the undisputed kings of English football’s sticker domain. When Merlin won the licence to publish the official Premier League album from 1993/94 onwards, Panini were limited to albums for the lower leagues – starting the following season. Palace featured in Football League 96 and First Division 1997 before a short return to the Premier League in 1997/98 coincided with Panini bringing out Superplayers 98 – Official PFA Collection, made up of top-flight players wearing plain tracksuits. The Eagles next popped up under the Voices of South London

It almost meant a first Panini sticker for the majority of the selected players, including Ian Wright – whose Football ‘90 sticker will now set you back a threefigure value Panini brand when the Modena company brought out a range of Championship collections (initially cards, then stickers later on) between 2006/07 and 2010/11. That was the end of the relationship between Palace and Panini until the latter finally won the Premier League licence for the 2019/20 season. This year’s release of Football 2022 on December 30th will see the bond between Palace and Panini, which now spans 50 years since Football 72, grow ever stronger

Greg Lansdowne is the author of Panini Football Stickers – The Official Celebration, published by Bloomsbury and available to order online and in bookshops now.

21 years of Together for football Unlocking the powerof pitches Transforming lives Strengthening communities Tackling inequalities Improving accessibility Football Foundation The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation has been investing into communities like yours for the last 21 years. Building football facilities and using the power of pitches to transform lives.

Find out more about the Football Foundation, its impact and the future plans for your local area: footballfoundation.org.uk

non-league neighbours Surrounding south London’s only Premier League club is a range of non-league sides. In each programme, we catch up with four – Beckenham Town, Bromley, Corinthian-Casuals, and Holmesdale F.C. – to cover the people who sustain south London’s rich non-league scene.

Non-League Neighbours

bromley f.c. In this edition, former Palace goalkeeper Andy Woodman reveals how his experiences at every level of English football shape his approach to non-league management.

league table pos CLUB

recent results P

3-2

Pts bromley

boreham wood

bromley

wrexham

2-0 wrexham

“Coming into Bromley isn’t exactly Arsenal, but it’s all hands to the deck to make sure we can get the team ready for the right results.” Woodman has been successful so far, just missing out on promotion in last season’s play-offs.

Managing people is an art in itself: you’ve got to be flexible, you’ve got to be diverse It’s not just experience at the top of the game that helps, Non-League Neighbours

bromley

1-2 bromley

ndy Woodman’s career could hardly be more varied – a three-decade journey up and down not just the country’s geographical reaches, but the tiers of English football too. From appearances at nowdissolved side Thurrock in Essex to joining Arsène Wenger’s coaching staff at the Emirates, his is an education that stood him in good stead for the challenges of non-league management. “From the riches of Arsenal and the facilities of Arsenal to then having – with respect – the facilities of the lower league clubs means getting your hands a little bit dirtier,” Woodman admits. “It definitely helped.

wealdstone

yeovil town

however. “I’ve had a successful business for 20-odd years,” he explains. “I manage between 120 and 130 people. Managing people is an art in itself: you’ve got to be flexible, you’ve got to be diverse. “When I was at Arsenal, I had to manage up to the people above me, and then obviously manage down to the players – and even down to the families and the parents. Then you’ve got to manage all the staff that are coaching these guys. “It’s about managing people, having a belief fostered there and a good relationship with people. It’s being able to take things on board as well as giving instructions – giving clear instructions.”

That’s not to say Woodman’s Premier League coaching experience was like any other. The enhanced attention and scrutiny at the top of the game was a learning curve. “My time at Arsenal definitely helped me in a managerial role, because we were very scrutinised. Every decision you make, you have to justify it. “I quite liked that pressure. It was a nice pressure at Arsenal, being at one of the biggest clubs in the world. You get some good skills.” It’s here that we make a mistake. A goalkeeper himself, we ask Woodman why there is a reputation for fewer shot stoppers going into management. The answer is comprehensive. “Let me just educate you here,” he laughs, “it’s nonsense. “Dino Zoff was the greatest goalkeeper of all time in Italy, and he became a World Cup-winning manager with Italy. I rest my case! “Whenever anyone mentions goalkeepers not becoming managers it infuriates me because... what do people think we do? Just stand at the back and not take notice of things? We’ve got the best view of the game! “Managing is about putting a team together, managing people and tactics. With all due respect, football is not that complicated. Everyone in the crowd on a Saturday afternoon knows how to manage.”

As well as Zoff, Woodman can take inspiration from a host of successful former colleagues. “I have worked with some fabulous managers over the years,” he says. “I watched how they did things differently. I call it a 35-year apprenticeship in becoming a manager. “Right from Steve Coppell when I was at Crystal Palace through to obviously Alan Pardew and Arsène Wenger. They all had an influence on me in the role I’m in now. I’m really grateful that a lot of these people still keep in touch with me: Alan Smith, Coppell, Pardew, Gareth Southgate. “They’re all still people I can chat to, and albeit we’re on different scales, we’re still in the same scenarios most of the time.” At Bromley, Woodman could achieve a historical Non-League Neighbours

first: promotion to the Football League: “It’s massive,” he says. “We are a little bit like a salmon swimming up the stream. It’s tough. But I always say to everyone: the salmon gets there in the end. That’s hopefully how we can be. “We’re probably in the bottom half of the table budget-wise, but you just cut your cloth accordingly. You get players that can sustain their fitness. Rather than having a squad of 24, I have a squad of 18. We’ve got three 18-year-olds in the team; I can’t think for one minute of any other team in this league doing that. “Again it goes back to my Arsenal time: if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. At Arsenal you’re seeing that with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, boys that I worked with. It’s the same here: if you’re good enough you’ll play.” Woodman’s career is an example of adaptability and variety at all levels of the national game. But his presence at Bromley demonstrates something more: that nonleague football can still attract those from the very top. Whether Bromley can reach the Football League for the first time remains to be seen, but in Andy Woodman they have someone who has reached the peak of English football, and is determined to move in that direction once again

Premier League 9/8/1997

Everton v Crystal Palace

New signing, Attilio Lombardo, scored on his debut in a 2-1 win at Everton.

moment in time

Clinton Morrison raises a sweat during a preseason friendly with Everton at Selhurst in 2007.

Pre-Season Friendly 4/8/2007

Crystal Palace v Everton

moment in time

john pemberton From its founding to the current day, Crystal Palace’s history is rich in stories and characters. Today, we hear from one of Survival Sunday’s unsung heroes, John Pemberton, on the strain and fight of 2010.

nd May, 2010. John Pemberton and Paul Hart walk into a small pub in Sheffield. Pemberton knows the owner. The pair order drinks and sit around the corner, finally somewhere quiet enough to stop and think. Neither are employed by Crystal Palace anymore but, barely an hour before, had led the club to one of its greatest achievements.

I remember Shaun Derry saying: ‘Whatever you do, Pembo, whatever we’re going to do - you make sure this is right’ ‘Thank God that’s over,’ they thought. The Palace squad travelled back to south London via a hectic, fan-filled petrol station, but their first-team coach stayed in Yorkshire, returning to his family and a new job with Sheffield United. From the Archive

Pemberton, assistant manager Dougie Freedman and manager Hart had spent the last two months guiding the club to safety after it was docked 10 points for entering administration. “I remember the first meeting we had,” Pemberton says. “I remember Shaun Derry saying: ‘Whatever you do, Pembo, whatever we’re going to do you make sure this is right.’” Despite staring into the abyss and enduring torrid form, the south Londoners were in high spirits about their push for safety. “They used to put that stupid song on,” Pemberton recalls, stopping himself just short of singing I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers. “We played away at Watford. We went there and it was a night match. The players put that song on, opened the door so everybody walking past could hear them, and they just jumped around, singing it at the top of their voices.”

Fast forward to the end of May, roughly six hours before Pemberton and Hart retired to the corner of a pub in Sheffield, and Palace’s unique pre-match routine was whirring into action.

To be able to be part of saving the club is massive, it’s something I’m really proud of

The club was preparing for ‘Survival Sunday’, their season-saving clash with Sheffield Wednesday. Lose, and a cash-strapped Palace would be relegated to Division One; a financial takeover would become increasingly more difficult and the club would teeter on the brink of collapse. Avoid defeat,

From the Archive

and Palace would survive to secure nine successive seasons of Premier League football in the following years. Pemberton remembers the day: “[Wednesday’s assistant manager] Rob Kelly said: ‘I remember walking past the dressing room, hearing you lot singing and I ran down to the manager and said: “We’re in trouble today.”’” At the final whistle of the 2-2 draw, Pemberton became unemployed - his firefighting contract only taking him to the end of the season. But that didn’t temper his emotions. “I can’t tell you the relief of it,” he says, “because it does take its toll when you’re under pressure for two months. “It was a brilliant ending for me personally because of my affinity with the club and my time there... To be able to be part of saving the club is massive, it’s something I’m really proud of.”

palace for life Donate footwear for refugees and those in need this Christmas Crystal Palace F.C. and Palace for Life Foundation are calling for supporters to donate football boots to those in the community that need them most throughout December.

his Christmas at Palace, we want to join forces with our supporters to donate and distribute football boots and trainers to those across south London who are unable to afford them. Palace for Life deliver numerous sport sessions in SE25 and beyond, giving young people access to football to keep them fit, healthy, help battle social isolation and to keep them off the streets, away from crime and violence. These sessions include

football for Afghan refugees who have been housed in Croydon. At these sessions it has come to our coaches’ attention that many participants don’t have appropriate or safe footwear and some are attempting to play in flip flops or even barefoot. This is unfortunately a worrying trend across many Palace for Life sessions, where often young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds do not have and cannot afford the appropriate

palace for life

footwear and equipment to participate in football. At Palace we are determined to ensure that football is accessible for everyone, so are calling on fans to help donate equipment to those who need it most. We are looking for new or used donations in all sizes (children and adult) of: • Football boots • Astroturf trainers • Trainers • Shin pads

Any footwear donated will be distributed across south London to refugees, those from low-income families and offered to children who receive free school meals. You can donate boots at any of Palace’s home matchdays (only) throughout December by using the drop-off point in the Fanzone.

I think it’s important for us as players to try and help where we can, especially at a time like Christmas. for us to give back in this way is special CHRISTIAN BENTEKE

The appeal has been backed by Christian Benteke, who said: “I think it’s important for us as players to try and help where we can, especially at a time like Christmas. “The boot appeal is something close to many of us, because as kids, we knew what it was like not to be able to afford boots to play in. So for us to give back in this way is special, and something we can all get behind.”

Palace for Life Foundation work with 13,000 young people from SE25 and across south London every single year. We work with those who are most in need of help, working to create safer communities, healthier lives and brighter futures.

To find out more about work done by the Foundation and how you can support the young people of our community, visit palaceforlife.org.

palace for life

feel it all

It’s a bold statement, but Crystal Palace Football Club has a legitimate claim to being the oldest league side in existence still playing professional football. Throughout the club’s 160th anniversary season, author and supporter Peter Manning explains the fascinating tale of Palace’s history from 1861 to 1915, a history acknowledged in their 1906 handbook, laying out in each edition why the club’s heritage stretches further back than ever thought.

cpfc 1861

n the last programme we saw the political jockeying at the last three meetings of the new Football Association, when the Rugby clubs were finally out-manoeuvred and out-voted by those, including Crystal Palace, who wanted what we now know as the ‘soccer’ rules. In this edition we’ll look at Crystal Palace’s role in keeping the fragile FA going and the creation of the FA Cup, which celebrated its 150th anniversary this season as the world’s oldest national football competition.

Q: So, what happened after the FA’s rules were finally agreed? Were Crystal Palace still involved? A: Yes, very much so. Once the rules - which forbade running while holding the ball, charging, tripping and ‘shinning’ a player - were agreed the Rugby clubs, led by Blackheath, resigned from the FA en masse. We know from letters in the press at the time that only nine member clubs were left; they were the four core soccer-supporting outfits Barnes, Crystal Palace, Forest and No Names of Kilburn, plus Forest School, the War Office and three new clubs who joined after the final FA meeting: Sheffield, Uppingham and the Royal Engineers. Initially, the FA only saw itself as a form of football parliament, there to set the

Charles Alcock, FA Secretary 1870-1895

rules and resolve any disputes about their interpretation. It didn’t meet again until late 1864 when attendance was sparse and a number of clubs wrote to apologise for their absence.

at this time football was an entirely amateur game - there were no leagues, and teams just played friendlies against other local sides

None of the principal officers were present so Crystal Palace’s James Turner took the chair. The original FA committee was cpfc 1861

re-elected with the exception of the Treasurer, Francis Campbell, who was a Blackheath Rugby man. Campbell initially stayed on, despite the Rugby rules being rejected, to help the association, but now gave up his post. So Turner was appointed in his place and another Palace player, Walter Cutbill, was appointed to the FA’s Committee. Crystal Palace’s close involvement with the FA continued. The remainder of the 1863/64 season was a quiet one for the Palace football team with only one reported match at Barnes and none at the Palace. When the 1864/65 season got under way we find Crystal Palace playing their matches on a pitch behind the Crooked Billet pub in Penge. This was the first indication of a problem at the Palace, but that’s a subject we’ll explore in a later programme.

Q: When did the FA Cup start and what was Palace’s involvement? A: When Crystal Palace played their first reported match against Forest in March 1862, Forest had two brothers in their team, John and Charles Alcock. John was the older of the two and was one of the original Founding Fathers who helped establish the FA, but by 1866 was withdrawing from the game and retired from the association that year. He was replaced on the committee by his younger brother Charles, who was to become one of football’s great innovators and drivers of the modern game. Charles eventually became FA Secretary in 1870, a position he held for 25 years. Two of Charles’ early innovations were the

establishment of the world’s oldest international, England v Scotland in 1870, and a new Challenge Cup in 1871. It must be remembered that at this time football was an entirely amateur game - there were no leagues, and teams just played friendlies against other local sides. Alcock wanted to widen the interest of the game so came up with the idea of a national Challenge Cup where any FA member could play the others in a knock-out competition. The team which eventually won could consider themselves the best team in England for a year. The FA Committee approved the idea in July 1871 and at a meeting in October it was the then-Crystal Palace captain, Douglas Allport, who proposed setting up a sub-committee ‘to

The team which eventually won {the fa cup} could consider themselves the best team in England for a year

frame a code of rules’ for this new Association Challenge Cup. In February 1872 a separate sub-committee of three, Charles Alcock, Allport and Alfred Stair of Upton Park were appointed ‘to select and purchase the new Challenge Cup’, and the FA Cup was born

NEXT TIME

The Royal Engineers team who competed in the first English FA Cup final, losing 1-0 to the Wanderers at the Kennington Oval in London, 16th March 1872

cpfc 1861

In the next edition we’ll see how Palace fared in that first FA Cup, 150 years ago, a competition that Palace’s Allport had more than a little hand in getting off the ground. Peter Manning’s book, Palace at the Palace, is available online through the Club Shop.

bianca baptiste Bianca Baptiste leads the line for Crystal Palace Women. Here, she explains how she balances football with everyday life and what lies ahead this season.

How do you think you’re getting on this season? I feel that my personal performance has been good. I work harder in training and on the pitch but I also think that we work well as a team unit and our performances are showing that. We have a style of play and you can see the whole team are on the same page.

It’s a great feeling waking up on a Monday morning not only for a win but knowing you have played quality football Can you tell us more about the performances you’ve put in? I am very happy with the performances. It’s a great feeling waking up on a Monday morning not only for a win but knowing you have played quality football in a team effort. palace women

Do you have any targets or aims you want to meet this season? My target and aims this season are a little different. From the beginning it was to score more goals than I did last season, but going into the game and seeing the performances we are giving as a team it’s now to read the game more and know my teammates’ strengths so we can win.

Have you suffered many injuries in the past and how did they take a toll on you? I haven’t had a lot of physical injuries but I have had a lot of mental ones which I have learned to deal with and not let football slip, as it’s football that gets me through. Because once I step on the pitch or in training I forget everything at that moment in time. Do you get on well with your teammates? I get on well with my teammates and it’s absolutely lovely to see everyone grow within their careers as well as within football.

I get on well with my teammates and it’s absolutely lovely to see everyone grow within their careers as well as within football Can you give us an insight to your playing history before you joined Palace? I have played for Palace now for three seasons but before that I was with Tottenham Hotspur for 10 years, helping them perform and be at the top level. We started off playing on a field behind a train track to then playing at the old White Hart Lane stadium.

Onto your career away from Palace. What you get up to away from football? I work for a school as a full-time behaviour team mentor. I deal with kids who need that extra push to help them succeed in life because we don’t know what kids are going through. palace women

Do you have anything interesting going on at the moment away from football? I don’t have any time for other interests! But I would say developing my knowledge within sport to become a PE teacher and also looking into opening up a programme to help mentor kids using sports. Do you find it difficult balancing your work-life with Palace? Balancing my work-life with Palace is definitely difficult as I work full-time and train four times a week. Weekends away or focusing on the game Sunday is very hard, as is living in north London

The page for Palace supporters: taking your comments from the terraces into the programme. Make sure to get in touch with the details on Page 67 to share your own message.

Happy 30th birthday to my husband Łukasz, probably the biggest Crystal Palace supporter in Poland!! Go Eagles!! Love you, Ola

Happy Birthday Dad! Let us have an extra special Red and Blue win today! All my love, Liz xx

Supporting the Eagles since the year 2000 - Happy 21st Birthday to Niamh Barnett from all your family, friends and colleagues at Palace for Life

Happy 11th Birthday Ethan. Enjoy the day. Love from Grandma, Mummy, Auntie Munya and Mwaita and Uncles, Nyasha, Pedzi, Tyson, Allan, Nhamo, Tondi and Paul

from the terraces

Happy 10th birthday Dhruv! You are our talented football superstar!! Love Daddy, Mummy and Aarian xxx

Happy Belated 10th Birthday to our special son Keon. Love mummy & daddy Gary Norman – Top boss, wishing you every success in your new job! We’re missing you already, from your Blind Veterans UK Transport team. For Caroline Gaskin on what would have been her birthday. She will be watching from somewhere and cheering Palace on today. Love to Paul, Millie and Samuel.

Welcome to Sebastian HaganDennis. Born 30th October 2021 to dad Stefan who has had a season ticket for over 20 years, as well as mum Olivia who is a lifelong Palace fan and south Londoner too. Grandad David is also a proud Palace fan who loves how much Palace gear Seb has already!

In loving memory of our dad, Leonard Walker. 25.11.1955 - 19.11.2021. Top dad, grandad, husband, son, brother & uncle, you will never be forgotten and forever loved. UTP.

Archie, enjoy the game! Wishing you a very merry Xmas. Love, your CPFC family, Dad, Chris & Hector

Email programme@cpfc.co.uk

Happy 50th Birthday Mark Dunning. Hope you have a great birthday. With all my love, Tracy xxx

Happy 10th birthday Sid we hope you are having a fab time watching the Palace. Love you millions. Love mummy, daddy, Amelia and Logan xxx

from the terraces

with a message of 30 words or fewer and an image to feature on our messageboard.

quiz, games, brighty & more!

Put your Palace, opposition and Premier League knowledge to the test in our various challenges below. The perfect way to pass time pre-match - let us know how you fare via social media!

Guess who

Spot the image

Can you guess the ex-Eagle above just from their picture?

The above cut-out is taken from an image in this programme. Can you find what page it’s on?

matchday quiz 1

James Vaughan became the Premier League’s youngest scorer when he netted against Palace in 2005. Which James did he overtake?

Nigel Martyn was scouted for Bristol Rovers by who? A. Scout B. Tea lady C. Cleaner

Including caretakers, how many managers have led both Palace and England?

Who scored Palace’s goals in the 1991 Zenith Data Systems Cup final?

Who went the other way when Palace signed Andrew Johnson from Birmingham City?

GAmes

FAMOUS FAN

guess the ground

Can you work out which Football League club’s stadium this is?

As far as tenuous links go, this Scouse actor has a pretty strong one: her father is a sports massage therapist with the Blues. We’re waiting for the day he follows Kilmarnock v Everton on Twitter or TV. Do you recognise this famous Everton supporter?

BEAT BRIGHTY In each edition, club icon Mark Bright calls it how he sees it and predicts scores from the weekend’s football. See how you fare and try to Beat Brighty! Scoring: One point for every correct result, three for a correct scoreline.

Brighty

You

1-2 2-0 0-2 0-2 total Manage to Beat Brighty? Keep track of your total score above!

ANSWERS Guess who: Sagi Burton Spot the image: Page 47 Quiz: 1) James Milner 2) B. Tea lady 3) Three (Peter Taylor, Roy Hodgson and Sam Allardyce) 4) Geoff Thomas, Ian Wright (two) and John Salako 5) Clinton Morrison Famous Fan: Jodie Comer Guess the Ground: DW Stadium - Wigan Athletic

games

team stats: women / U23S / U18S Ademola Ola-Adebomi Ola-Adebomi bagged in the sixth-minute against Spurs, adding to Jack WellsMorrison’s secondminute effort.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi Rak-Sakyi was nominated for Premier League 2 Player of the Month after scoring twice in November from four games.

Dean Davenport Davenport won the League Managers Award for Palace’s success in November. The Eagles collected nine points from three.

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

AUGUST Sun 29

Bristol City

SEPTEMBER Sun 5 London City Lionesses Sun 12 Sunderland Sun 26 Liverpool OCTOBER Sun 3 Sheffield United Sun 10 Coventry United

W 4-3 L 1-2 D 1-1 L 1-2

AUGUST Mon 16 Leeds United

L 1-3

Fri 20

Arsenal

L 2-4

Fri 27

Everton

W 3-1

SEPTEMBER Mon 13 Leicester City

W 6-1

Sat 18

Manchester City

L 2-4

Fri 24

West Ham United

L 0-1

Wed 13 Lewes

D 0-0 W 3-2 W 1-1 (4-3)

Sun 31

D 2-2

Sat 16

Brighton & Hove Albion

L 1-2

Fri 22

Derby County

W 3-2

W W L W

NOVEMBER Mon 1 Blackburn Rovers

L 1-2

Sat 6

Chelsea

W 2-1

Sat 20

Liverpool

W 3-0

DECEMBER Sun 12 Bridgwater United Wed 15 Bristol City Sun 19 Lewes

Sat 27

Manchester United

W 2-1

DECEMBER Mon 6 West Ham United

L 2-4

JANUARY Sun 9 Sunderland Sun 16 Durham Sun 23 Liverpool

JANUARY Mon 10 Everton

FEBRUARY Sun 6 Bristol City Sun 13 London City Lionesses

FEBRUARY Mon 7 Tottenham Hotspur

MARCH Sun 6 Sun 13 Sun 27

Mon 28 Brighton & Hove Albion Coventry United Lewes Charlton Athletic

APRIL Sun 3 Sun 24

Blackburn Rovers Watford

MAY Sun 1

Sheffield United

Watford

NOVEMBER Sun 7 Durham Sun 14 Charlton Athletic Wed 17 Reading Sun 21 Blackburn Rovers

3-1 3-2 1-3 2-1

OCTOBER Fri 1 Tottenham Hotpsur

Mon 20 Derby County

Mon 17 Chelsea Mon 24 Liverpool

Mon 21 Manchester United MARCH Mon 14 Manchester City Mon 21 Arsenal APRIL Mon 4

Leeds United

Mon 25 Blackburn Rovers MAY Mon 2

Leicester City

women/u23S/u18S

W 4-3

AUGUST Sat 14 Leicester City Sat 21 West Ham United Sat 28 West Bromwich Albion SEPTEMBER Sat 11 Aston Villa Sat 18 Liverpool Sat 25 Southampton OCTOBER Sat 2 Reading Sat 16 Manchester City Sat 23 Birmingham City Sat 30 Arsenal NOVEMBER Sat 6 Chelsea Sat 20 Fulham Sat 27 Aston Villa DECEMBER Sat 4 Tottenham Hotpsur Wed 8 Barnsley Sat 18 Brighton & Hove Albion JANUARY Sat 8 Norwich City Sat 15 Fulham Sat 22 Birmingham City FEBRUARY Sat 5 Tottenham Hotspur Sat 19 Arsenal Sat 26 Norwich City MARCH Sat 5 Leicester City Sat 12 West Ham United Sat 19 West Bromwich Albion APRIL Sat 2 Aston Villa Sat 9 Southampton Sat 23 Reading Sat 30 Chelsea MAY Sat 7 Brighton & Hove Albion

W 3-1 W 2-1 W 3-2 D 2-2 L 2-3 W 1-0 D D L W

3-3 2-2 1-2 3-2

L 3-4 D 1-1 W 3-1 W 3-0

Name

Apps

Bianca Baptiste

Kirsty Barton

Hannah Churchill

Charley Clifford

Grace Coombs

Goals

Leanne Cowan

Aimee Everett

Millie Farrow

Coral-Jade Haines

Annabel Johnson

Sophie McLean

Chloe Morgan (GK)

Leigh Nicol

Emily Orman (GK)

Goals

Victor Akinwale

Jay-Rich Baghuelou

Ryan Bartley

Scott Banks

Kalani Barton

Molly-Mae Sharpe

Lizzie Waldie

pos CLUB P W D

liv

10 7

16 5

11 23

lon

10 6

3 12 9

3 19

10 5

A GD Pts

2 20 16 4 18

dur

10 6

4 13 10 3 18

bri

10 5

3 20 12 8 17

Tayo Adaramola

Victor Akinwale

Freddie Bell

Maliq Cadogan

Harry Freedman

Junior Dixon

John-Kymani Gordon

Owen Goodman (GK)

Reece Hannam

Danny Imray

Nya Kirby

Jake O'Brien

David Omilabu

Dan Quick

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

Sean Robertson

James Taylor

Dylan Thiselton

Siobhan Wilson

Goals

Rob Street 1

Apps

Malachi Boateng

Aidan Steele

Name

David Boateng

Cardo Siddik

cry

Apps

Tayo Adaramola

Jack Roles

Gracie Pearse

Name

Jackson Izquierdo (GK)

Kanye Jobson

James Leonard

Cameron Lewis-Brown

Joe Ling

Adler Nascimento

Fionn Mooney

David Obou

Ademola Ola-Adebomi

David Ozoh

Jadan Raymond

Kaden Rodney

Joe Sheridan

Noah Watson

Basilio Socoliche

Oliver Webber (GK)

Matthew Vigor

Jack Wells-Morrison

Joe Whitworth (GK)

Vonnte Williams

pos CLUB P W D 1

whu

14 10

A GD Pts

3 37 19 18 31

pos CLUB P W D 1

che

A GD Pts

2 40 17 23 25

tot

14 8

3 37 22 15 27

sou

2 34 16 18 25

ars

14 8

4 38 30 8 26

lei

10 7

2 22 11

mci

14 7

4 31 22 9 24

cry

2 25 18 7 21

11 22

bha

14 6

3 24 17

7 23

ful

3 21 13 8 18

cry

14 7

7 32 29 3 21

ars

3 24 20 4 18

cha

10 5

4 15 10 5 16

mun

14 6

5 24 23 1

whu

3 17 13 4 14

lew

10 5

4 14 11

3 16

eve

14 5

7 19 29 -10 17

bha

10 4

5 25 24 1

sun

10 3

9 12 -3 12

lei

13 4

5 19 30 -11 16

TOT

10 4

6 20 28 -8 12

she

10 3

11 14 -3 11

6 18 31 -13 11

10 BLA

10 3

6 10 15 -5 10

10 liv

14 4

7 19 27 -8 15

10 wba

che

14 3

6 20 28 -8 14

7 18 22 -4 10

12 der

13 4

8 24 24 0 13

12 avl

10 3

6 28 33 -5 10

rdg

cov

7 10 22 -12 5

13 lee

14 3

8 29 35 -6 12

13 bir

10 2

7 12 27 -15 7

12 wat

7 10 24 -14 5

14 bla

14 2

7 20 38 -18 11

14 nor

women/u23S/u18S

5 36 -31 3

MAY

APRIL

March

FEBRUARY

JANUARY

DECEMBER

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER

AUGUST

Chelsea

15:00

0-3

18th

Sat 21

Brentford

15:00

D 0-0

13th

Sat 24

Watford

19:45

Sat 28

West Ham United