Crystal Palace v Fulham matchday programme

Directors

Chairman Steve Parish, David Blitzer, Joshua Harris, John Textor

Chief Financial Officer

Sean O’Loughlin

Sporting Director

Dougie Freedman

Club Secretary Christine Dowdeswell Head of Sports Medicine

Dr. Zaf Iqbal Academy Director

Gary Issott

Director of U21 Development Mark Bright

Chief Operating Officer Sharon Lacey

Chief Commercial Officer

Barry Webber General Counsel

David Nichol Head of Ticketing

Paul McGowan Head of Retail Foz Bowers

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

James Woodroof Head of Safeguarding

Cassi Wright

Head Groundsman

Bruce Elliott

Editor Ben Mountain

Design Billy Cooke, Stu Ellmer, Lucas Gough

Contributors Will Robinson, Ian King, Ben Bailey Smith, Toby Jagmohan, Tommy Macarthur, Julián Speroni, Rianna Dean, Gareth Maher

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

We’re lucky in this country, and especially at Crystal Palace, to have fans who really love the football club and support the players

Bert Allen: 1932-2022

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It is with sadness that Crystal Palace F.C. learned the news that Bert Allen, a steward of over 20 years, passed away peacefully at home after a battle with cancer.

Bert started working at Selhurst Park when Wimbledon and Palace shared the ground. Over the years, he moved around the stadium in various stewarding roles, including areas of the Main Stand, the press room and finally the media area where he welcomed matchday journalists to their work stations.

On this day: december 26th

Two of Palace’s most memorable goals of the recent Premier League era were scored on Boxing Day: Dwight Gayle’s Aston Villa screamer in 2013 and Jordan Ayew’s wondergoal v West Ham in 2019.

His son Lawrence shared the following tribute: “Dad loved football and was delighted when Palace were promoted to the Premier League.

“He enjoyed watching the country’s elite teams taking on Palace at Selhurst – he never really cared much for the Championship!

“Dad would often tell me on our journeys home from a match that he’d had a chat with a famous football person, sometimes an ex-player, an exmanager, or a sports writer from the newspapers. He loved that.

“He always spoke fondly about his time at CPFC. He made some good friends here and I’m sure he’ll be sadly missed by all at Crystal Palace F.C.”

We echo Lawrence’s words, and share our condolences with Bert’s loved ones at this sad time.

Fan update

Fans can donate to Palace for Life’s foodbank appeal today at the Fanzone for the final time this year. Non-perishable food and household items are encouraged.

What’s inside

Find out… Julián Speroni’s welcome back from the fans (Page 44), how Coppell and Noades welcomed in Christmas almost 40 years ago (Page 58) and why Zaha and Bolasie were a lasting partnership (Page 64).

Six weeks after our last competitive match we are back at Selhurst Park for our final home game of the year. It’s good to be preparing for a competitive fixture again.

this season was always going to be a bit of a strange one for us and all the other clubs in the Premier League and others global leagues affected by this winter break. With a few postponements earlier in the season, 22/23 has been very inconsistent for fixtures and we have had to play in bursts. That is the same now, with a busy few months ahead of us to complete every game within the usual length of the season.

The World Cup break was a new challenge for us but as a club we made the most of it. The gaffer had us training in double sessions for a month after a two-week break, and made sure we worked hard on the tactics as well as on the physical side.

That has prepared us well, because we have worked for many hours as a unit to improve our strength on and off the ball. But only top-flight football can prepare you for the standard we have to play at, so the most important thing will be for us to start fast, adjust back to the league quickly and regain our feel

for the competition. The first side to achieve that will be able to collect the most points over the first games and that can change the look of their season.

against tough opposition and they were both very beneficial tests for the return today.

Then coming back to Selhurst to Real Valladolid in front of some fans was an enjoyable way to end the break. We performed well that day and should probably have won by more goals, but getting a victory gave us confidence and momentum that we have tried to build on since that match.

I understand on that day was a lot of transport difficulties, and it was incredibly cold, with some of the seats even freezing over. Thankfully we warm up pretty quickly on the pitch, but to those of you who backed us while braving the cold, thank you! Let’s hope it is slightly warmer today.

Our trip to Turkey was a positive experience because it meant spending more time together on and off the pitch. We played two demanding fixtures

I will end by saying I hope every one of you and your families had an enjoyable Christmas and are having a restful break. The next time we will be back at Selhurst will be in 2023, so a very Happy New Year to you all too. Thank you for your support this year.

Make some noise! .

I hope every one of you and your families had an enjoyable Christmas and are having a restful break.

The next time we will be back at Selhurst will be in 2023, so a very Happy New Year to you all too

Happy Christmas and welcome to each and every Crystal Palace supporter here today, and to the directors, staff, players and supporters from Fulham too.

ihope you had an enjoyable day yesterday however you celebrated, and also enjoyed the simply magnificent World Cup in recent weeks which culminated in a fantastic final and a fitting winner in Argentina and their talisman Lionel Messi. I thought England performed well and we are getting much closer to the top teams. I really believe this group can win something and I am really pleased Gareth has chosen to carry on until the end of the Euros, having made such enormous progress with this squad and having earned the support of the entire nation.

Patrick’s team filled the midseason break with a trip to Turkey, and four strong matches against international opposition: Botafogo, Trabzonspor, Napoli and Real Valladolid. The trip in particular was popular, with the players enjoying some warm weather training in excellent facilities at Regnum Carya hotel.

As always, the festive period brings a flurry of fixtures, and I very much hope that Patrick’s team will hit the ground running

and climb the table in the coming weeks, while we look to secure some reinforcements during the window to further bolster this excellent squad.

Finally, I hope you enjoy reading today’s programme. I would like to wish the outgoing Programme Editor Ben the very best for his future, following a very impressive four-year stint with the club. A lifelong fan, he joined the Marketing &

Communications team straight from school, and has edited the programme for the last three years while working tirelessly on helping the club’s website become what it is today. Thank you, and good luck Ben.

It will be fantastic to see you all today in full voice after such an extended break. Enjoy the match and give everything you can behind Patrick and his team.

Up the Palace .

It will be fantastic to see you all today in full voice after such an extended break. Enjoy the match and give everything you can behind Patrick and his team

At the end of his first full calendar year as Crystal Palace manager, Patrick Vieira is able to reflect on a trip to Wembley, 12th-place finish and a squad playing his style of football. Here, he looks back on 12 eventful months – in his own words.

Interview: Will Robinson

I have more confidence and belief than ever in what we are trying to do

In reflecting on the past 12 months, I suppose I should begin by looking at myself.

I feel as though I have developed as a manager, I have more confidence and belief than ever in what we are trying to do, and I have established a relationship with the players. It is also important to learn how to manage yourself when the team is going through a difficult period, and how to stay grounded when things are going well.

In the last year there have been some fantastic times. Our FA Cup run was a real positive for the football club, especially in getting to Wembley, but as you all know it felt bittersweet after the result.

There were some great matches along the way, and our game against Hartlepool in particular is a fond memory for me. The result was important, but so was our work off the pitch: we helped the away fans attend and supported the opposition manager in getting vital medical treatment for his wife Gemma. That was an important moment for football, because it showed there are things around a game which can create a bond between fans and clubs. Football can be about more than just the result – it can bring people together as well.

In March, I was very proud of Marc Guéhi, Tyrick Mitchell and Conor Gallagher for being called up to the England squad for the first time. To have three Crystal Palace players in the team was

big for us: it showed the quality of the scouting department, the ambition of the football club and the vision and direction of what we want the team to do.

Having those young talents is so important, and it doesn’t stop there: Michael Olise joined the French Under-21s and Malcolm Ebiowei is with the England Under-20s. I think that just shows the future we have at this club.

I should also praise the determination of Ebere Eze in recovering from injury. It wasn’t easy at all – coming back was challenging but he put his head down and worked hard. His name was mentioned in discussions about the England squad, and that helped him to build his confidence. He is in a good place and is an important player for us, but now I expect more from him. With the quality he has, I expect him to score more goals, to get more assists and to be more important in our game. We are at the stage now where he has to deliver even further.

Wilfried Zaha has been crucial

for us over the past year,

our game against Hartlepool in particular is a fond memory for me. The result was important, but also our work off the pitch: we helped the away fans attend and supported the opposition manager in getting vital medical treatment for his wife Gemma

and he is becoming consistent in scoring important goals. He has been one of our leaders on the field and has been doing well in taking on those responsibilities.

I have spoken before about the challenges that came with pre-season, but I want to focus on the positives I saw during those two weeks. Firstly, I must say a word about my staff who managed the situation really well. Osian stayed behind with Kristian, while Saïd, Shaun and Deano travelled with me. We were in touch every day about training and the games.

But the players also deserve a lot of credit. They showed professionalism and commitment. When you have those two separate groups you never know how things will go – especially when you don’t have the manager with you – but even when I wasn’t there, the players showed a lot of respect to the staff, and that just confirms to me the professionalism of the group I have working here.

Playing in front of 75,000 fans in Melbourne against Manchester United was a sign of how far the club has progressed on and off the field. It’s an amazing journey, and no one can appreciate that better than Joel, who has seen the club grow in his 10 years here. It’s important to have players like Wardy at the club, because they can talk about what it means to him and share his experiences with the new players coming through.

It’s important for us to keep creating pathways for talented young players; the Academy is part of this football club’s DNA. When I arrived, the Chairman had his vision of young players coming through by building the facility to give them the opportunity to flourish and improve.

There is good communication between Paddy McCarthy and me about players who are doing well, players who need to be

challenged and players who deserve to be in the first-team.

When I want to call-up a young player, I speak with Paddy and he lets me know who deserves to come up because of how well they’ve been doing on and off the field.

We have to make them smell the first-team. We make them come over and spend time with us to understand the level we are at, and what they have to improve to get here. We know what we ask of them when they come: we want them to bring energy. Then it is about asking the staff working with the young players to improve them.

It’s important for us to keep creating pathways for talented young players; The Academy is part of this football club’s DNA. When I arrived, the Chairman had his vision of young players coming through by building the facility to give them the opportunity

Playing in front of 75,000 fans was a sign of how far the club has progressed

When I look at this season, I feel a sense of frustration. I think we should have more points

But we can only improve them halfway, and then they have to do the other half. We will put on the training sessions and go into the details, but we ask them to bring that enthusiasm and desire to train as best as they can.

When I spoke to the team at the start of this season, I had one clear message for the players: we have to challenge ourselves. I was pleased with the first campaign we had together, and now it is about how we can be

even better. How can we concede fewer goals? How can we score more? How can we do that together? It’s about raising the demands and the quality of the way we play the game.

When I look at this season, I feel a sense of frustration. I think we should have more points because of the way we’ve played in some games. The reality is we could have earned more points and if we are consistent we will win more.

This is what we want: to compete every day and challenge ourselves. We want to be better

I was pleased with the first campaign we had together, and now it is about how we can be even better. How can we concede fewer goals? How can we score more?

Patrick Vieira

players every day, and I want to be a better manager every day. We want to be a better team and a better football club – and every day we work to achieve that. It’s important for us to raise our demands and give ourselves the best chance of succeeding.

It has been a strange period because we are not used to having a break in the middle of the season, but we are all looking forward to getting back to competitive football. We have been keeping fit and had a lot of double sessions to try to maintain physical demands after our initial two weeks off.

It was good to have everyone together for 10 days in Turkey, where we woke up every morning and had breakfast together, went to training, came back for lunch, went to sleep in the evening and then started again as a unit. We spent time together on and off the field, and that raised our togetherness. We are in a good place with our team spirit and we understand each other better. That trip was important for me.

We want to be better players every day, and I want to be a better manager every day. We want to be a better team and a better football club

Patrick Vieira

We are in a good place with our team spirit and we understand each other better

Even if we are losing, it is important for us to go over to you and show our appreciation

I have been pleased with the way the players have worked – of course, it may take a couple of games to get back to full match sharpness, but it will be the same for every team. The team that gets there earliest will have the best chance to win football matches, and I hope we can be one of those teams.

The game against Real Valladolid was important for us to get back to winning ways. After the result, we looked at whether we managed to play the way we wanted to and the game reflected where we are and the improvements we have to make: we created plenty of opportunities but we didn’t take every chance.

For Jordan and Joachim, playing in the World Cup was a great experience. As a manager, of course, you always have your fingers crossed because you want them back with no injuries. But I believe this kind of experience will make them better players, and we look forward to them sharing their knowledge with the other players to help us become more competitive.

Christmas is a busy time in English football and the players were in training yesterday morning, but in the afternoon they went back home to enjoy the day with their families. We are used to it in this country and they know what to expect, but I was glad they could spend some time at home with their children.

Finally, I couldn’t round off this reflection on 2022 without

paying tribute to our incredible support. We’re lucky in this country, and especially at Crystal Palace, to have fans who really love the football club and support the players.

We know what people are going through at the moment, and we know it is not easy to support the team and travel from one city to another. Football fans in this country find a way to make it happen. Before the break we played three away games in seven days against West Ham, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, and your support was phenomenal. That does not go unnoticed.

It is one of the reasons we as a team think it is important to thank the fans for their support away from home. Even if we are losing, it is important for us to go over to you and show our appreciation.

I wish all of our supporters a happy Christmas. I hope you enjoy these family moments, and we can’t wait to see you back at Selhurst Park today.

Happy New Year to you all, and here’s to a successful 2023 for Crystal Palace Football Club.

I wish all of our supporters a happy Christmas. I hope you enjoy these family moments, and we can’t wait to see you back at Selhurst Park today. Happy New Year to you all, and here’s to a successful 2023

Patrick Vieira has done it all in football, from trophies won to countries played in. There’s not much you can ask him that he hasn’t already faced, but here he takes on a random five of 60 questions – and kindly answers them like they’re all brand new.

the follow the follow-up -up

#40 What is your favourite film?

Usual Suspects, because [spoiler alert] of the twist at the end…

#08 Which other sport do you watch the most?

#01 Who was your childhood idol?

Luis Fernandez. He is a French player who played for the French national team. He was part of Le Carre Magique [the iconic midfield quartet in France’s Euro 1984-winning side] with Michel Platini and Alain Giresse. He became my coach and gave me my professional debut at Cannes.

#18 Djokovic, Federer or Nadal?

This is like asking ‘Ronaldo or Messi?’

It’s really difficult to answer! I will say Novak Djokovic, because I think he has a little bit of Rafael Nadal and a little bit of Roger Federer.

I like sport in general. I grew up in France, and we play different sports [to the UK]. We watch handball – you don’t really have handball here. I watch basketball. The tennis: Roland Garros. I was living in the south of France so the Monte-Carlo tournament in Monaco I would watch as well.

But a new sport I really like in the last couple of years is padel, the racket sport. They have started showing it on TV, so I like that.

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

Ronaldo, the Brazilian one. Because of his talent, his quality – and because of his personality. Everyone that I know that played with him tells me what a nice guy he is. So it’s because of his personality, what he is doing on the field, and also because of his friendship. He would be a good teammate

Worth a try? Probably.

Discover the refreshing, crisp and perfectly balanced taste of Carlsberg Danish Pilsner.

Brewed in the UK, the Danish way. Enjoy responsibly.

fulham fulham

Did you know?

The original cottage that gives Fulham’s stadium its name was built in 1780 by William Craven on Anne Boleyn’s hunting grounds. The likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Florence Nightingale and Queen Victoria are reputed to have stayed there in later years. It burned down in 1888, and the present day ‘cottage’ was built in 1905 by Selhurst architect Archibald Leitch.

match preview

Former Everton boss Marco Silva took the Championship by storm in his first season, notching 106 goals in the process. He has managed to sustain Fulham’s form upon their step back into the top-flight, with frontman Aleksandar Mitrovic firing on all cylinders. The Serbian forward smashed the Championship record for goals scored, once held by Glenn Murray, by netting 43 times in 44 outings in 21/22.

But for tough clashes against the Manchester clubs the Cottagers could have been on the verge of the top six today, having sat seventh just three games before the league went on pause.

Palace are level on points with Fulham, having played one game fewer. In a congested middle of the table, victory today could launch Patrick Vieira’s side up the league.

Lyon loaned Andersen to Fulham for the 2020/21 season and he was a regular in their top-flight campaign, being nominated for Premier League Player of the Month in February. He returned to Lyon that summer and soon

Carlos

Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last five Premier League meetings with Fulham (W3 D2) since a 4-1 home loss in October 2013.

Fulham have failed to score in three of their four Premier League away games against Crystal Palace (W1 D1 L2), with the exception being a 4-1 victory in October 2013.

It’s Boxing Day, football’s back and you're first to the pub – it’s still Christmas, after all. Before long hazy memories and almost-accurate stats will be filling the air. Brush-up for your Fulham pre-match below.

Aren’t they…

Firing on all cylinders. Fulham were one of the league’s form teams in the first chunk of the season, notching 19 points from 15 games. They’ve scored 24 league goals so far, just three shy of their 2020/21 total having played 23 fewer games.

If they sustain their current ratio Marco Silva’s men will bag 63 goals, or 2.7 times their last Premier League haul.

That remarkable improvement is in large part thanks to Aleksandar Mitrovic, Fulham’s top scorer this season. With nine goals to his name already the Serbian is well on course to surpass his top-flight record of 11.

Relegated once with Newcastle United and twice in west London,

in the Championship, but set new expectations in 2021/22.

Ivan Toney beat Glenn Murray’s record for goals in a single Championship campaign (30) by just one strike in 2020/21, but Mitrovic blew the pair out of the water by bagging 43 times in 44 games last season. In doing so he also set a new record for goals in a single 46-game English league season, passing Guy Whittingham’s 1992/93 haul by one.

He scored twice in three games for Serbia in the World Cup, and was treated to a hero’s welcome while attending a EuroLeague basketball game.

Pub talk tidbit

Fulham may have burst out the blocks and, rightly, received plaudits for their strong start, but Palace are level on points with their London opposition and have a game in hand. The Cottagers’ main weaknesses come at the back, having conceded 26 times in 15 games – more than any side in the top 14. By contrast Palace have shipped 18.

Didn’t he once?

Earn cult hero status. In the 1930s and 1940s Palace had a unique player called Ronnie Rooke. He first joined the club for a short stint in 1933 and mainly played for the reserves, before moving to Fulham and enjoying a lengthy career in west London (Rooke netted all six goals in an FA Cup demolition of Bury, a record that stands to this day).

Rooke scored the league’s final goal before the outbreak of World War Two, and earned a Wartime International cap for England while serving in the RAF.

After the war he became an Arsenal icon, with only Ian Wright having scored more in a single Gunners campaign since Rooke’s time there.

The Cottagers’ main weaknesses come at the back, having conceded 26 times in 15 games – more than any side in the top 14. By contrast Palace have shipped 18

The long-term chain-smoker with bowed legs then moved to Selhurst aged 38 as player-manager, and selected himself up-front routinely. He went on to net a hat-trick against Brighton and became the club’s first manager to receive a red card.

‘Rooke’s Regiment’ finished an impressive seventh in his first season but failed to replicate their success in the following campaign, and the manager moved on in 1950. He continued his career in non-league football until his late 40s.

to sit inside Harrods. When Qatar Investment Authority bought the department store in 2011 it returned the statue to Al-Fayed, who relocated it to Craven Cottage.

Jackson had visited Fulham in 1999 to watch a match against Wigan Athletic as Al-Fayed’s guest. Then-manager Kevin Keegan recalls his visit to the dressing room, writing in his autobiography: “It was pointless trying to continue with my teamtalk –

fantastic statue which the fans are crying out for. But now he has paid the price because the club has been relegated. He called me because he told me he wanted Michael to return. I told him: ‘No way.’”

That might not be as outlandish as it sounds, with former Palace and Fulham defender Brede Hangeland commenting in 2011: “When Jimmy Bullard was here he used to dance to Thriller in the changing room.

“It was a little warm-up dance before games, and he could do the moonwalk! He had all the moves. Michael was a close friend of the Chairman and this is what he wanted to do, so we respect that fact.” .

What’s that about?

Michael Jackson and west-London football. Not an obvious combo, but before every Cottagers match nearby pubs fill with rival fans picking apart the club’s MJ statue. What was that about?

Then-Fulham Chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed – former House of Fraser Group owner –commissioned the statue in 2009

the players weren’t listening to a word – so I walked the King of Pop through the corridors of the old Stevenage Road stand to make him a cup of tea in the players’ lounge.”

The statue, however, was less of a hit, and new owner Shahid Khan returned it to Fayed in 2013. Fulham were subsequently relegated, with Al-Fayed saying: “When [Khan] asked me to move it I said: ‘You must be crazy.’ This is such a

Pre-match pint

Cronx’s Green Hop 2022. A light and refreshing green hop beer made with freshly picked local hops from the Croydon and Crystal Palace area.

Picked fresh and loaded into the brew within 24 hours, this pale is all about showcasing the freshness of the hops. Available in the Lower Holmesdale’s Tap Room.

It was pointless trying to continue with my teamtalk – the players weren’t listening to a word – so I walked the King of Pop through the corridors of the old Stevenage Road stand to make him a cup of tea in the players’ lounge

30 years of the Premier League

30

YEARS OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE

doc brown

Julián Speroni

Rianna Dean rob street

Ben Bailey Smith scratches his head

Rianna Dean on playing with England’s Euro stars

Julián Speroni reveals the fans’ welcome back

doc brown doc brown

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

They’re baaaacck…

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I’m so confused.

One minute I’m trimming the tree, watching the World Cup final (as you do) and the next I’m freezing my baubles off at Selhurst Park for a gritty mid-season visit from Fulham. As if the pandemic didn’t mess with the space-time continuum enough! Being stuck in my house for two years followed by a World Cup – at bloomin’ Christmas – has fried my tiny brain for good. I don’t even know how old I am anymore.

And now the mighty Palace are back. But it feels a bit like a new season of my favourite TV drama – I can’t wait to watch but I also can’t remember what the hell is happening. Who’s he again? The one with the hair? And what did that guy do to that guy? Wasn’t there something about a thing? I need a season recap.

Obviously I remember the hero, the main character – Will or Wilf-Something. He’s sick. He’s been in it for years – he’s basically the one that made it a hit show in the first place. Then there were the two guys who came in a couple years back, the part-French guy with the magic

touch… Michelle? Mikey? And the one with the superpower to glide along the ground like an ice skater – Easy? E-Zee Ebz? Ebby? You know the one… And yeah, the two funny bodyguards who never let anyone in – the English guy and the Danish guy – Marco and Joey was it? They crack me up, those two. Brilliant. And wait, isn’t there a promising new American character easing himself into the show? Secret Agent Richards? I’m gonna have to check the plot on Wikipedia, aren’t I?

I definitely remember one storyline about the gang winning all their battles at their base in

south London, but then they’d go on journeys every other episode to all these other locations and end up disappointed. It was like: “Okay, as

One minute I’m trimming the tree, watching the World Cup final (as you do) and the next I’m freezing my baubles off at Selhurst Park for a gritty mid-season visit from Fulham

Ben Bailey Smith

I definitely remember one storyline about the gang winning all their battles at their base in south London, but then they’d go on journeys every other episode to all these other locations and end up disappointed

long as we’re wearing our red and blue striped hero costumes, we can’t lose,” but then they’d pull on these alternative white costumes and the baddies would suddenly defeat them.

I can’t handle those parallel universe/metaverse storylines –they’re too stressful. One week they’re heroes, next week they’re villains… it’s starting to mess with my blood pressure. You’ve gotta hand it to the scriptwriters though, they really keep you guessing. I heard on the rumour mill that, in one of these future parallel universes where they keep winning, there’s a plan to move the action to Europe. Man, that would be amazing. Can you imagine? Wearing the white costumes and destroying Lisbon or Torino or something. So cool. We’ll have to see how the upcoming season finales pan out first, I guess.

I’ll tell you one thing I’m certain of though: I am SO glad the show’s still got the same visionary director, that guy Pat Vee? His credits are crazy. Back when he was a performer he once went an entire series without losing in a single episode! Mad. The guy was born to entertain and enthral – he’ll definitely have some surprises up his sleeve for Part 2 of this new season.

Oh man, I just remembered that last episode Pat Vee directed with that crazy twist, right at the end! When French Mikey fired that shot at the Claret and Blue Soldiers and then WHAM, cut to black. BAFTA material. Honestly, I could watch that finale again and again. Hey – I swear they were in the white costumes in that one? Wow, this show is properly

unpredictable. Kind of a head scratcher, but I love it.

Anyway, it’s comforting to see the old gang reunited and back wearing the iconic red and blue in today’s episode. I mean, if it’s good enough for Spiderman... And best of all, that usually means there’ll be a happy ending

Ed: Can you tell Ben filmed a Star Wars spin-off lately?!

Oh man, I just remembered that last episode Pat Vee directed with that crazy twist, right at the end!

When French Mikey fired that shot at the Claret and Blue Soldiers and then WHAM, cut to black. BAFTA material

Ben Bailey Smith

cpfc women cpfc women

Crystal Palace Women broke club records in 2021/22, and are looking to do the same this season. In each edition, we hear directly from one of the squad, with Rianna Dean explaining her ambitions for starting life on the pitch at Palace.

Rianna dean

Take note of

Dean has played in the Women’s Super League and for England Under-21s. She made her debut for Arsenal at just 16 and is on the path back to full fitness at Palace.

As the only girl playing for Hillingdon Abbots I wanted to keep opposition teams quiet by scoring. I found the challenge quite competitive and wanted to prove the boys wrong in that girls can play football. That reached a new level after time with Queens Park Rangers and Middlesex, when I made my debut for Arsenal at 16-years-old.

With a successful development season behind me I was able to train with the likes of Beth Mead, Alex Scott, Chloe Kelly and Leah Williamson, who were the very top professionals. I loved being around them and to have played in their team, especially while watching the Euros this summer, and despite their ability they always asked questions, trying to learn more. It was great to be around but I didn’t want to sit on the bench and just train, which would have been the case for a while at Arsenal.

So I joined Millwall to make a name for myself and then moved to Tottenham Hotspur. In my first season Spurs earned promotion to the Women’s Super League, which is a tough step and requires a lot of work. The major difference

I was able to train with the likes of Beth Mead, Alex Scott, Chloe Kelly and Leah Williamson, who were the very top professionals. I loved being around them

is the tempo, and as a newlypromoted side we had to learn how to play off the ball and utilise our counter-attacks.

Signing players with Super League experience really helped, which we’ve also done at Palace, and knew we had to adapt – there’s no other option when you’re facing some of the world’s best opposition.

Around about this time I earned my first England Under-21 call-up, which was such an honour. Mo Marley was my manager and she was one of the best coaches I’ve had. The depth of knowledge and experience she has from her playing and coaching career is incredible, and she helped my development a lot. She has that impact on most players in the England setup, having coached most of the current Lionesses, and is one of the best female coaches in the game.

Everyone wants to play for their country, and doing so is at the back of my mind constantly. I know

I have to play, score, do my job and earn it, but having been in the youth teams it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. When I get back to playing, hopefully consistently at a high level, that’s something I want to achieve.

My Super League debut saw me score Spurs’ Goal of the Season with a header against West Ham, which was probably the best moment of my career, but after two top-flight seasons I wanted a new challenge. So having never played for a club outside London I left my comfort zone to join Liverpool. I loved the experience,

but unfortunately aggravated undiagnosed plantar fasciitis –pain in the tendon under your foot – and ended up tearing it through over-use. After just a handful of games I had to watch on as my teammates won the Championship, trying to find solutions to my injury. Nothing worked and by the end of the season I’d missed the whole campaign, which was the hardest point in my career.

Once I joined Palace the staff diagnosed the issue properly, which I’m very thankful for, and got me sorted out. It means come the new year I should be ready to pull on the shirt for the first time. I’m looking forward to making my comeback and playing in front of the fans for this amazing club; I know it’s going to take more work, but I’m so eager to start.

Every day at training I ask the staff if I can play, and while I know I have to be patient I’m feeling much better, a lot fitter and healthier. I can’t wait to get out there

come the new year

I should be ready to pull on the shirt for the first time. I’m looking forward to making my comeback and playing in front of the fans for this amazing club

academy academy

Julián Speroni - academy coach

The fans have given me so many messages of encouragement since returning as an Academy coach, telling me how pleased they are to see me back at the club. It’s fantastic to be back, and feels like I never really left. I’d been helping with some stuff around the club, but the reaction of the fans, as always, has been fantastic.

it’s good to be back working with Paddy McCarthy and Darren Powell. I knew them as players, former teammates of mine, and now as a coach it’s great to work with them and learn from them. They have a bit more coaching experience than me so it’s good to be next to them. It’s obviously different as a coach – you have more responsibility – but the professionalism and how they approach every session hasn’t changed.

After I retired, I took some time off and spent it with the family. I wanted to travel of course, but sadly it was a bit difficult with the pandemic. I wish I had more time for that, but I enjoyed being at home. I was also doing my coaching badges, and the club asked me to help a bit when I was doing my badges, which of course I said yes to. I wasn’t ready to come back full-time initially, but a part-time basis was fine. I’m still doing my coaching badges at the moment, but now I’m working full-time with the Under-18s and Under-21s.

For obvious reasons, I’m with the goalkeepers, but I also try to bring my experience in other areas of the game.

I mentioned to Paddy and Powelly that because we’ve played together we know each other very well, and they always get me more involved in other areas of the game. I try to bring my experience in to help.

While my role is mainly goalkeeper coaching, it’s a combination of both that and being an outfield coach. Nowadays you cannot isolate the two. I don’t think the goalkeeping coach role is like it used to be – you’re not a goalkeeping coach only, you’re primarily a coach and then you specialise in different areas of the game. In modern football the

goalkeeper is a key part of the team and has to work with the other players.

Coaching is a combination of work on and off the pitch. You have certain times that you can work on the pitch and then most of the other stuff, preparations and planning, all happens in the office. Both are very important, but we do spend a lot of time in the office; after all, it’s a big group of players and they need a lot of care.

It’s been a long and busy season with a lot of games and travelling, but performance-wise it’s been great so far. The U21 and U18 teams are so high up the table because we’re getting good results and are progressing. Academy football is different to the first-team: we’re helping these young players become professionals and have a career in the game.

They’re getting younger and younger and stepping up to the first-team as soon as possible, but it’s still a long-term process – even when they get to the first-team they know they’re not the final product, they’re still developing and learning. I’m enjoying my role in

Julián Speroni

that

the goalkeeping coach role is not like it used to be – you’re not a goalkeeping coach only, you’re primarily a coach and then you specialise in different areas

over the over theroad road

Getting to know Rob Street

Street scored his first goal on loan at Shrewsbury Town earlier this month, netting inside two minutes in the Shrews’ 3-2 victory over Bolton Wanderers at New Meadow. “It was just a ball up into feet,” the forward explains.

“It was a shift and then I just kept it low into the corner. I’ve been scoring lots of those in training, so it's kind of repetition and just taking it from the training pitch into the game.

“I knew exactly what I was going to do as soon as I got the ball – I made sure I got it out of my feet, made sure I hit the target and kept it low. Someone said it was like 87 seconds into the game!

Street scored a crucial goal in the 2020/21 play-off semi-final against Wolverhampton Wanderers and the first penalty in a shoot-out against Sunderland in the final to send the Under-21s into the Premier League 2 Division 1. Take note of On loan to Shrewsbury Town in his third competitive stint elsewhere, Street is an instinctive target-man who can spearhead an attack and show a poacher’s eye for goal.

“But obviously it’s really nice to get off the mark. It took a little bit longer than what I would have hoped for, but now, hopefully, I can just kick on and get a few more for the team.”

This is Street’s third loan move, having featured at Newport County and Torquay United in previous seasons. A loan move can be tricky for any player, adapting to new surroundings and a new league, however the young forward has

taken to it well: “I’ve absolutely loved it here,” he says.

“It's a really, really good club. The manager and the staff have been really, really good towards me, really positive. They've looked after me from day one and the players have been brilliant.

“It's such a tight-knit changing room. Everyone is getting on with each other, everyone looks out for each other and it really helps you out. It's been really easy to settle in and just get playing.

“We’re sitting 10th in the league right now, but we’re looking at playoffs if we can. If we can go on a bit of a run over the Christmas period then we should be right in the mix. That’s the aim and we’re in the position to do that.”

As well as adapting to a new place and league, a young player on loan also has to adapt to playing alongside seasoned professionals. Despite only being 21, Street has become accustomed to playing alongside older players and the sheer demands of playing in League One.

“It's good to play with mature players,” he says. “We still have quite a young squad, but we have also got a lot of senior players in there with lots of games and they’re really good at helping you out.

“They’ve been brilliant with me. I sort of experienced it a little bit more at Torquay and Newport County initially with the senior players there, and it is very similar at Shrewsbury – the senior players look out for the young ones and you can learn a lot from them.

“It is very different, because we have so many games, we don’t really have the time to spend at the training ground... You’re playing so many games, a lot of the time you're just in and out.”

While a player can take a while to adapt to a club, Street has got off to a strong start in Shropshire – and says the time has flown by: “I joined in September – that's like three-four months ago – but it feels like I’ve only been here a few weeks!

“Everything just goes so quick when you’re out on loan. It’s absolutely flown by. It’s just non-stop, Saturday-Tuesday most weeks.

don’t get a chance to chill and gather your bearings, but that’s what I like – the constant flow of just playing football, which is what I love doing.

“I really have been enjoying it up here.”

You

It's such a tightknit changing room. Everyone is getting on with each other, everyone looks out for each other and it really helps you out. It's been really easy to settle in and just get playing

I'm so happy for Streety. In training he is always putting the ball in the back of the net – we have just been waiting for him to score. The gaffer in the changing room before the game said he was going to score today, and one minute in he does Christian Saydee Shrewsbury Town teammate

Keeping you posted on all things south London. Over the page, we look back at our half of the city’s key achievements in 2022.

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Born

Ejiofor is an

12 Years a Slave

WARMHUB

Selhurst Park

Every Tuesday except December 27th, 10-14:00

South London residents aged 65 and over are invited to Selhurst Park’s Warm Hub from 10-14:00 on Tuesdays, where they can enjoy a hot meal and drink, and partake in a range of activities. The Warm Hub will run until the end of February, and you must first book by emailing misha.eleanya@cpfc.co.uk

in east London but educated in Dulwich, Palace fan Chiwetel

actor best known for roles in Love Actually and

and for his extensive work in theatre.

Across sport, culture, business and more, every day hundreds of thousands of south Londoners do our half of the city proud. The year 2022 was no different, and over the last 12 months we’ve celebrated and come together as south London continues to excel.

Below, we’ve marked some of the key landmarks of 2022, achieved by those of us from south of the river.

2022

January 20th

Palace fan Connie Mullins turns 100-years-old. A South Norwood resident for over 90 years, she got her first Season Ticket in 1969.

march 14th

Southwark-raised Academy prospect Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is named Premier League 2 Player of the Month for February. He will go on to be the league’s joint-top scorer.

march 24th

Several Crystal Palace Academy players volunteer at a donation centre to support the people of Ukraine.

april 6th

Palace for Life Foundation host 38 refugees or people seeking asylum as part of Amnesty International’s Football Welcomes campaign.

march 26th

Bromley-raised Marc Guéhi makes his senior England debut against Switzerland.

february 5th

Palace fans help to raise over £90,000 for the treatment of life-threatening cancer affecting Gemma Lee, wife of thenHartlepool manager Graeme.

february 11th

Croydon is named London Borough of Culture for 2023.

march 5th

Wilfried Zaha wins the Premier League-wide Goal of the Month for his effort against Norwich City.

april 25th

Palace for Life launch the Made in South London campaign, supported by Palace players and Patrick Vieira.

april 30th

Almost a year after sustaining an Achilles injury, Greenwichraised Eberechi Eze scores his first goal back in Palace colours against Southampton.

april 30th

A group of Palace fans raise over £30,000 for the Foundation by cycling to the Southampton match.

june 22nd

Stockwell-raised Nathaniel Clyne extends his contract with Crystal Palace.

may 4th

Croydon-born former Palace manager Roy Hodgson is honoured with a CBE.

july 16th

Palace are represented at Croydon PrideFest, celebrating the local LGBT+ community.

august 23rd

Kaden Rodney, along with Killian Phillips, makes his professional debut and helps Palace keep a clean sheet v Oxford United.

november 20th

Palace Women twice set a new record-attendance, attracting almost 2,000 fans to back them against Charlton Athletic.

august 11th

Palace’s Academy staff and players feature in Channel 4 documentary, Football Dreams: The Academy.

november 28th

Young, local volunteers raise over £2,000 to help victims of the Pakistan floods by hosting a tournament at the Palace Academy.

december 6th

Along with partners cinch, Palace staff welcome local over-65s to Selhurst Park’s ‘Warm Hub’.

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

i i irishmen

in the lead up to the 2002 World Cup, the Republic of Ireland reportedly had the perfect defence against anyone spying on their training sessions: they switched to Gaelic football. Clinton Morrison was lost.

Hailing from Tooting in south London, Morrison qualified to play international football for Ireland through his Dublin-born grandmother and eventually chose green – when England and Jamaica were other options.

The powerful striker was never given a Dummies Guide to Becoming an Irish International, but if such a thing existed there might have been a paragraph or two about Gaelic football. The native game allows a player to carry the ball with their hands and to kick or hand-pass to a teammate, with the aim of scoring either a point between the posts or three by

firing it into the back of a net. It’s a fast, physical game, one that many Irish players grow up with.

So when Morrison saw his Ireland teammates pick up the ball during a training session, he cut a confused figure. And then he joined in. After a few minutes, however, he was fully subscribed to this new sport and started to fancy himself as a potential full-forward for Dublin. A run to the All-Ireland final never materialised, but Morrison fully embraced the quirks of being Irish.

He scored over 100 goals across two spells with Palace. Only one of those came in the Premier League, which puts him alongside Ray Houghton, Eddie McGoldrick and Damien Delaney as the only Irish players to score for the club in the competition’s first 30 years.

The story of Irishmen featuring

for Palace in those three decades is one of mixed success. There are 12 of them altogether: Danny Boxall, Damien Delaney, Kevin Doyle, Tony Folan, Owen Garvan, Rory Ginty, Ray Houghton, James McCarthy, Paddy McCarthy, Eddie McGoldrick, Clinton Morrison and Rob Quinn. Of those, only Delaney

will be viewed as a sustained Premier League figure for Palace, following four full seasons in which he made 130 league appearances.

Overall, Delaney played 138 Premier League games – eight of which were for Leicester City –scoring three times, registering 24 clean sheets, picking up 27 yellow cards and seeing red once.

Many will suggest that the 2016 FA Cup final was his Palace highlight; playing at Wembley against Manchester United and running them all the way to extra-time. But Delaney will have appreciated a wet Wednesday away to Stoke City just as much, because he relished the battle of Premier League football. The more it demanded of him, the more it consumed him.

Now a forthright media pundit, he delivers his analysis of games in the same way that he approached defending: full-on. That is why Palace fans remember him fondly.

The Cork native dipped his toes in Premier League waters at the beginning of his career with the Foxes but by the time he checked into Selhurst Park he was a wily, tough centre-back with plenty of games behind him. Delaney had 10 seasons, largely in the Championship, with Hull City, Queen’s Park Rangers and Ipswich Town.

A no-nonsense defender, Delaney was part of the Palace team that clinched promotion to the Premier League in 2013. He remained a regular starter for the next four seasons and the Selhurst crowd appreciated his hard graft and die-withyour-boots-on attitude.

Delaney may be the club’s clearest top-flight triumph, but within the Irish crew are other treasured memories regardless. Take Paddy McCarthy, for example. He was club captain when Palace clinched promotion from the Championship in 2013 and was about to compete in the top-flight of English football after 10 seasons as a professional player – until an injury picked up in pre-season put his career in jeopardy.

McCarthy was told that he might consider a new path, such was the extent of a groin injury that was eventually diganosed as Osteitis Pubis – chronic inflammation.

Eventually, he made it back when introduced as a substitute for Yannick Bolasie in a 1-0 victory over Hull City at Selhurst Park on January 28th, 2014. It would be his only Premier League outing, but he completed the comeback nonetheless.

Nowadays, McCarthy is Head Coach of the Under-21s and is considered an extremely talented coach. While he maintains a connection with Palace, the majority of his compatriots who also enjoyed Premier League action as an Eagle are now associated elsewhere. That said, Quinn, also born in south London but representing Ireland Under-21s, works alongside McCarthy as Under-18s Head Coach .

With thanks to Gareth Maher for the above contribution. His book, Away Days: Thirty Years of Irish Footballers in the Premier League, is available now in all good bookstores or online via Amazon.

ian king

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

Saturday, November 17th: Palace 3-0 Derby County

-

By full-time Palace had recorded an unbeaten run of 14 games by tearing apart a Derby side that included a 17-year-old Will Hughes. André Moritz started instead of Owen Garvan and the Brazilian’s corner led to an unmarked Glenn Murray heading home in the 12th minute.

The Rams concentrated on shackling Wilfried Zaha, which meant Moritz took over the creative mantle, but the Eagles missed several opportunities to score again before the break. That changed just under the hour-mark when Moritz scored his third goal in three games with a left-footed volley from Murray’s knock-down.

The icing on the cake came eight minutes from time when Murray out-muscled a defender

on the right to cut in and rifle home a left-footed shot for his 15th goal of the season.

Palace remained top of the table as Cardiff City defeated Middlesbrough to leapfrog the Teessiders and sit in second place.

Saturday, November 24th: Leeds United 2-1 Palace

-

Seven days later the Eagles travelled to Elland Road to face an out-of-form Peacocks, who hadn’t won in 14 games. Garvan replaced Moritz and Palace gradually dominated the first-half despite

wasting several chances. In drizzly conditions the main talking point came just before half-time when Zaha went down in the area only for the referee to wave aside what seemed a stonewall penalty, followed by some scuffling in the tunnel as the teams walked off.

Following the break Palace handed Leeds the advantage through two avoidable errors, the first coming after five minutes when Peter Ramage headed the ball against Damien Delaney while clearing a cross, allowing Luciano Becchio to sweep past Julián Speroni. Moritz came on for Garvan and nearly equalised but with 14 minutes remaining Delaney and Mile Jedinak went to head the ball at the same time only for Paul Green to volley it home. Minutes from time Ramage headed into the net to ensure Palace had scored in every game so far.

Murray and Dikgacoi named in Football League’s Team of the Week Zaha makes his senior England debut against Sweden

Defeat knocked Palace off top spot as Cardiff took over and Millwall moved into the play-off places.

Tuesday, November 27th: Hull City 0-0 Palace

-

Remaining in Yorkshire but crossing over to Humberside, Palace had to do without Murray’s services as he served a one-game ban. Jermaine Easter took his place in the only change to the starting lineup. Lying fifth, Hull, managed by Steve Bruce, would prove a stiff test following the defeat at Leeds.

Holloway decided to tinker with the formation but the plan didn’t succeed in the first-half as Palace were overrun at times and lucky to get to half-time goalless with just a Yannick Bolasie effort on target.

It was back to basics for the next 45 minutes as the team slowly clawed its way back into the game, and matters improved when Aaron Wilbraham replaced Easter on the hour mark. Zaha was tripped from behind just outside the box but Jedinak’s free-kick was deflected wide.

From then on it was endto-end, and in the dying seconds Zaha almost pulled off a smash and grab, but goalkeeper David Stockdale beat his shot away .

damien delaney player in focus

BORN: July 29th, 1981 Cork, Eire

APPEARANCES: 193 GOALS: 7

Just when he was ready to quit football following his release from Ipswich Town, Delaney was persuaded to join Palace in August 2012. He initially signed a deal until the following January, but after forging a defensive partnership with Peter Ramage he was soon offered a longer-term contract.

He remained with the Eagles for seven seasons, and it was his goal against Liverpool in May 2014 that sparked the Crystanbul comeback.

We all did it [Movember]. We had some awful taches. Mile had the railings, Damo tried to grow something – it was awful… I had a little ginger rat above my lip

Peter Ramage

november 22nd november 24th

Delaney signs a contract extension

Zaha makes his 100th league appearance

from

the

Times have changed over Crystal Palace’s rich and storied history. In each edition, we dust off the archive and reprint a story from one of the club’s historical programmes. This week, we republish abridged notes from Steve Coppell and Ron Noades wishing the fans a happy Christmas on Boxing Day, 1984.

to come it is essential to establish some good form over this period.

steve’s comment

-

A MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all.

I hope everyone enjoyed a good day yesterday and did not eat too much. As for Lennie Lawrence and his team [Charlton Athletic] I hope they did eat too much.

This is a funny time of the season for footballers. Like everyone else we look forward to the traditional Christmas fayre but when you are playing football you have to watch what you eat and drink and take everything in moderation.

Our lads were in for training as usual on Christmas Day just to keep them sharp and on the mark. For us it was just another working day.

This is a very important period in the soccer calendar. The Christmas and Easter programmes play a very influential part in the moulding of a season and with the prospect of an exciting FA Cup tie

A good run now can set a club on the right track for the rest of the season and generate the kind of support it needs to invest in the future. So it is very important for us to keep the momentum going.

It was very gratifying to win the Fiat Award for the best result of the week following our win at Grimsby Town. The Mariners’ manager, Dave Booth, said it was a thoroughly deserved result and it was certainly a nice feather

in our cap. But we must not get carried away by that success. Our job is to keep our noses to the grindstone and keep battling away to achieve that kind of performance on a regular basis.

It has been 10-days since that victory and on this occasion we would have probably liked to follow that game up quickly. The lads were full of confidence after that and all fired up ready to take on anyone.

What we now have to ensure is that we don’t leave that attitude with the Christmas dinner. The impetus created then must be carried over for the remainder of the season.

from the archive

Crystal Palace v Charlton Athletic – December 26th, 1984.

A good run now can set a club on the right track for the rest of the season and generate the kind of support it needs to invest in the future

A message from The Chairman, Mr Ron Noades

-

Good afternoon everyone – I trust you have all had a most pleasant Christmas holiday up to now and that today’s game proves to be equally enjoyable and good entertainment for those attending – be you Crystal Palace or Charlton fans.

I am pleased to say that our Club has enjoyed a reasonable period of stability so far this season and the old

year is going out, and a new one coming in, at a time when we are showing marked signs of improvement in all areas.

With our financial recovery continuing albeit slowly, an underlying feeling of confidence is beginning to surface throughout the Club.

Please remember our business on our Ground – the fish restaurant, the car hire and the video club – together with our function rooms and catering – are not owned by us. We just own the premises and lease them to the various companies and individuals who have taken them in order to run their own businesses, and they provide us with rental income. They are all worthy of your support and patronage because they have supported our Club in its hour of need.

And now may I take this opportunity of thanking all of you for attending the games and supporting the team and in particular that loyal band of ‘away’ fans whose attendance

and vocal support is much appreciated by all of us and most of all, of course, by our players.

That’s all for now. Thank you once again for your wonderful loyalty and support and I wish you all, from all of us here, a very happy and prosperous New Year .

The above copy is printed verbatim.

from the archive

Please remember our business on our Ground – the fish restaurant, the car hire and the video club – together with our function rooms and catering – are not owned by us

Palace beat Charlton 2-1 on the day, going on to finish 15th in Division Two.

palace for life

Join Bike to Villa challenge

bike to Villa is Palace for Life’s latest fundraising challenge. It’s a 140-mile cycle ride from Selhurst Park to Villa Park, on March 3rd and 4th 2023 (with the fixture date liable to change), to raise money for young people in our community. Everyone taking part will receive a ticket to Palace’s away fixture against Villa for the Saturday 15:00 kick-off.

April 2022 saw over 30 riders cycle 100 miles from Selhurst Park to St Mary’s, before cheering Palace on to a 2-1 last-minute win against Saints, raising £34,000 for Palace for Life in the process, and we are looking for even more dedicated fans to take on our latest mission.

When is it?

The challenge will begin on Friday, March 3rd and finish on the 4th. Cyclists will depart from Selhurst Park at around 08:30 and will be driven back to the stadium after the final whistle on the 4th.

Why should I get involved?

Villa Park holds a special place in Palace history, most notably for

Palace’s 4-3 win over Liverpool in the 1990 FA Cup semi-final. After losing 9-0 at Anfield earlier that season, there wasn’t much hope for Palace when they faced the Reds again in the semi-final, but Alan Pardew was the hero in extra-time and helped to take the Eagles to their first FA Cup final.

Bike to Villa is an excellent chance to not only re-live Palace history and watch the club away but to get to know fellow Palace fans, complete a personal challenge, and raise money to help transform the lives of young south Londoners.

How long is the cycle?

Before you sign up, you must choose between two ride options: Challenge and Ultra.

About the Challenge ride

The Challenge ride is for those who may not be sure about completing the whole 140 miles. Challenge riders will be picked up from Selhurst Park and will be driven, with their bikes, to the first food stop near Watford and ride from there.

About the Ultra ride

Ultra-riders will take on the whole 140 miles. They will begin their ride from Selhurst Park and meet the Challenge riders at the first food stop – around 50 miles in.

What’s the route?

For Ultra riders, the challenge will begin bright and early at Selhurst Park, taking riders through London and into the Hertfordshire countryside. All riders will then pass the Corinthian Arch, which lies on the edge of Stowe Estate, and after 100 miles, cyclists will stop off at the Mercure Warwickshire Walton Hall Hotel & Spa for some well-deserved dinner and rest. They will then wake for breakfast and taking on the remaining 40 miles to Villa Park, with plenty of time to

Cycle to the scene of Palace’s greatest win in the Bike to Villa challenge!

shower, change and have some lunch before the 15:00 kick-off.

After the game, transport will be arranged for you and your bike back to Selhurst Park. Keep an eye out on Palace for Life’s social media channels for more information over the coming months.

What’s the registration fee and what’s included?

The registration fee is £150 and includes:

• One-night hotel accommodation (upgrade to a single hotel room – £45 extra)

• A bespoke Palacethemed cycling jersey

• 2x breakfast, 1x lunch and 1x dinner

• 1x free match ticket in the away end

• Professional support throughout the cycle

• Fundraising support and resources

• Transport back from Villa Park to Selhurst Park

The £150 registration fee can be paid in instalments. To arrange this, please contact fundraising@palaceforlife.org

How much do I need to raise?

Each cyclist will need to pledge to raise a minimum of £500 for Palace for Life. Both the Ultra and Challenge levels require the same fundraising target and entry fee. To sign up, please head to palaceforlife.org .

Support Palace for Life in our mission to raise £1 million to help us transform thousands of more young south Londoners’ lives.

on

McJedley, Wright and Bright, Zaha and Bolasie. Palace’s history is full of players who’ve formed memorable partnerships. Here, we look at arguably the most exciting: the wing wizards.

on some occasions, managers find the next great player waiting in – or on – the wings. On others, they have to look further afield. Shortly after putting an end to his playing career, Dougie Freedman took a trip across the river to watch a League Two side in action. After all, you never know where you might spot the next big thing. Even in north London.

“I saw Yannick at Barnet for the very first time,” Freedman remembers in When Eagles Dare . His first impressions were not entirely positive, but he saw a spark – enough to pique his interest.

“He was a very lost soul, he was unfit and he had no real understanding of the game. But he had a tremendous desire to get on the ball and show his skills.”

It was too early to bring Bolasie to Palace yet, but the winger’s display planted the seed in Freedman’s mind, and when the time was right he pounced. It wasn’t enough that the thenPalace manager had the brightest young star his club had produced for years. He wanted more.

Wilfried Zaha was already turning heads, but his ability to showcase his talent was being diminished as he was swamped by defenders game after game. Freedman needed a solution, and one that suited Zaha too.

“Finally, someone that wants to compete with me on the skill,” he remembers of first sighting Bolasie in training. “It was exciting, man!

“If his tricks don’t work he will just get you out of the way. I think I was more technical, but Yannick was way more strong and powers through people. When he came in, he definitely made an impact.”

Suddenly Palace had a lethal weapon on either side. “Having Bolasie on one wing and Zaha [on the other], that moved us forward from being a defensive team to one that can go on the attack,” explained Freedman.

On the pitch it was working to spectacular effect. But just as good was their relationship off it. “It was crazy because when I was with Wilf, we clicked straight away,” Bolasie says. “He was about four years younger than me, but we naturally clicked. From then on I’ve been

Finally, someone that wants to compete with me on the skill. It was exciting, man! I think I was more technical, but Yannick was way more strong and powers through people. When he came in, he definitely made an impact

very, very, very good friends with him; he’s probably one of my best friends in football.”

Zaha agrees. “He’s one of my best friends in football, right up to now. I don’t really speak to many footballers, but he is literally my best friend in football.”

ripping up defences across the country. There can hardly be a better sight in football than a winger bearing down on a terrified defender, the latter frantically back-peddling as he sees the ball zipping from one foot to the next.

Perhaps the best example was at Brighton & Hove Albion in a tense, fraught play-off semi-final. With Brighton, the hosts, pushing to snatch a winner, Bolasie picked up the ball on the left and delivered a delicious ball into the penalty area for Zaha to nod home.

Soon after Bolasie found his friend and teammate again, and this time it was Zaha’s turn to apply a sprinkling of magic, twisting away from Gordon Greer and picking out the top corner. “Zaha… OH YES!” But missing is Bolasie’s involvement in that iconic line of commentary.

Playing on opposite sides of the field, the two only combined for six Palace goals during their time together, but it was fitting

they reserved their virtuoso performances for the thenbiggest game of the season.

They lined up 96 times together for Crystal Palace over the course of a few gloriously entertaining seasons, but most will look back on the promotion campaign with the greatest fondness. It was everything that embodied that side: a team on the brink of extinction not long ago.

Confidence met doggedness, speed and power combined with technique and trickery. The Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha partnership will live long in the memory.

For Zaha, who has gone on to play more than 400 times for the club and has arguably attained a status as the greatest to wear red and blue, there have been many stellar teammates over the years. But few can have excited him –nor given him as much of a buffer – as his best friend, confounding full-backs with flicks and stepovers on the opposite wing .

At the training ground, a new lease of life was being unleashed every morning. “You had these two kids who just came in with the biggest smiles on their faces,” remembers seasoned defender Peter Ramage. “Doing these tricks and flicks that inevitably just had us wanting to try to kick them or two-foot them. They were the balance that the group needed. They kept us all light-hearted.”

It’s what dreams are made of, isn’t it? Two London-raised footballers, two close friends,

You had these two kids who just came in with the biggest smiles on their faces, Doing these tricks and flicks that inevitably just had us wanting to try to kick them or twofoot them

Happy 13th Birthday Daniel, welcome to the terrible teens. We hope you had a wonderful day lots of love Mum and Dad x

from

the

Jon Malet, a lifelong fan, sadly passed away in Thailand on 29th May. One of the nicest people you could ever meet. Cheers mate and thanks for everything

Happy birthday Paul. Enjoy the game, hopefully another Palace win. Best wishes Parky.

Happy 60th Birthday to lifelong Palace fan, Malcolm Leng. Ever supportive and cheerful through the ups and downs! Love from all your family xxx

Jack Walton turned 10 on the 21st December! Here he is celebrating a win for his Little League team Wallington Tornadoes. Happy Birthday Jack!

from the terraces

Meet Jack the Yorkshire Terrier from Shirley, Croydon, Palace’s number one fan!!

Sadly Derek Richard Broom passed away on the 11th October 2022 aged 66. A lifelong Palace fan formerly of South Norwood. With love from his wife Kate, family and friends.

Happy birthday to Eileen Talbot, who was 70 on the 11th December. Lots of love, from Don, Lisa and Kenneth xx

The club has been advised of the passing of John Avery. Born in 1934, he was a stalwart Palace fan and member of the Vice-President’s club at Selhurst Park over thirty years ago.

David Keats d.o.b. 12.04.1946 d.o.d. 22.11.2022. From the early 1950s David was taken to Selhurst Park by his father and uncle. In 2010, when his deteriorating health prevented him from attending, he had not missed a home match for 50 years. He regularly travelled to away games and provided information for books written about the Club.

from the terraces

Merry Christmas, Scoob. Almost 10 years since your favourite moment in football. Hope it brings you some Christmas cheer.

Email programme@cpfc.co.uk with a message of 30 words or fewer and an image to feature on our messageboard.

Happy 30th wedding anniversary Steve and Annette from Mark and Debbie

Congratulations to Richard Peters on your retirement, from all at Godstone Fire station.

Happy 80th Birthday Brian Martin – a lifelong Palace supporter and still attending all home games. Today celebrating with his family - COME ON YOU EAGLES!!

16/10/22. Darren Walsh, aka DJ Walsh, an avid Palace fan with his Dad Chris and pioneering Croydon Dubstep DJ, suddenly passed away. You are forever in our thoughts.

next up: bournemouth

Palace make the trip south for a rare New Year’s Eve clash on Saturday.

Travel: Trains run to and from Waterloo and Clapham Junction, and the closest station to the Vitality is Pokesdown. However supporters are strongly encouraged to check their journey regularly, as the New Year’s Eve services will be busy and reduced.

Pre-match: Visiting fans are welcome in bars in nearby Boscombe. Christchurch Road is a popular destination and home to Pokesdown station.

BEAT BRIGHTY BEAT BRIGHTY

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

Best memory: Palace’s away wins at Bournemouth have been few and far between over the years. The most notable in recent times is a 2-0 victory in January 2017, when Scott Dann and Christian Benteke combined to secure three points for the first time in nine games.

Scoring: One point for every correct result, three for a correct scoreline. Manage to Beat Brighty? Keep track of your total score above!

BrightyYou 1-2 1-1 0-2 2-0 total

team stats: women / U21s / U18s

Isabella Sibley

Sibley underwent a successul operation on an ACL injury, and will spend the rest of the season returning to fitness.

John-Kymani Gordon

Gordon recently signed an extension with the club as the Under-21s’ top scorer.

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

AUGUST

Mon 8 Brighton & Hove Albion W 3-2

Fri 12 Manchester United W 5-1

Fri 19 Fulham D 2-2

Fri 26 Wolves W 2-1

Tue 30 Swindon Town W 2-0

SEPTEMBER

Sat 3 Tottenham Hotpsur W 3-0

Fri 16 Chelsea D 3-3

OCTOBER

Sat 1 West Ham United W 1-0

Tue 4 Bristol Rovers L 0-2

Sun 9 Everton L 3-4

Tue 18 Plymouth Argyle L 0-1

Sat 22 Manchester City D 3-3

Mon 31 Arsenal D 1-1

NOVEMBER

Fri 4 Leicester City D 0-0

Mon 14 Sheffield United W 2-1

Mon 21 Newcastle United W 1-0

Mon 28 Bristol City D 2-2

december

Sat 3 Bristol City L 2-5

Mon 19 Newcastle UnitedL 2-3

JANUARY

Mon 9 Brighton & Hove Albion

Fri 13 Sheffield United

Mon 16 Fulham

Sun 22 Liverpool

Mon 30 Manchester City

FEBRUARY

Mon 13 Leicester City

Mon 20 Manchester United

Mon 27 Tottenham Hotspur

MARCH

Fri 3 Everton

Fri 17 Arsenal

APRIL

Mon 3 Chelsea

Fri 7 Blackburn Rovers

Mon 17 West Ham United

Mon 24 Wolves

MAY

Mon 1 Blackburn Rovers

Sat 6 Liverpool

David Ozoh Ozoh, 17, came on for the final 10 minutes in the firstteam’s 2-1 win over Real Valladolid.

SEPTEMBER

Tue 6 Hertha Berlin W 1-0

AUGUST

Sat 13 West Ham United L 2-3

Sat 20 Aston Villa W 4-0

Sat 27 West Bromwich Albion W 3-0

SEPTEMBER

Sat 3 Brighton & Hove Albion W 3-0

Sat 17 Southampton W 3-2

OCTOBER

Sat 1 Chelsea W 3-2

Sat 8 Sheffield United W 2-1

Sat 22 Leicester City L 1-5

Sat 29 Fulham D 2-2

NOVEMBER

Sat 5 Leeds United L 2-5

Sat 19 Norwich City D 2-2

Sat 26 Tottenham Hotspur L 1-3

DECEMBER

Sat 3 Brighton & Hove Albion W 5-0

Sun 11 Manchester UnitedL 1-3

JANUARY

Sat 7 West Ham United

Sat 14 Fulham

Sat 28 Aston Villa

FEBRUARY

Sat 18 Brighton & Hove Albion

MARCH

Sat 18 Leicester City

APRIL

u18s u21s women

Chloe Arthur 8

Paige Bailey-Gayle 7

Kirsty Barton 81

Annabel Blanchard 11 1

Charley Clifford 1

Rianna Dean

Polly Doran 11

Aimee Everett 7

Anna Filbey 81

Fliss Gibbons 61

Shauna Guyatt 9

Coral-Jade Haines 91 Elise Hughes 11 4

Annabel Johnson 10 Fran Kitching (GK) 10 Natalia Negri (GK) 1

Leigh Nicol

Ellie Noble 6

Hollie Olding 4

Chloe Peplow 6

Kirsten Reilly 8 Molly-Mae Sharpe 11 2

Isabella Sibley 71 Hope Smith (GK)

Lizzie Waldie 8

Tayo Adaramola 12

Josh Addae 4

Victor Akinwale 16 3

Kofi Balmer 13

Ryan Bartley 2

Freddie Bell 1

David Boateng 1 Maliq Cadogan 10 1 Owen Goodman (GK) 16

John-Kymani Gordon 16 13 Seán Grehan 18

Danny Imray 10

Jackson Izquierdo (GK) 3

Fionn Mooney 3 Adler Nascimento 2

Jake O’Brien 2

Ademola Ola-Adebomi 18 3

David Omilabu 19 7

David Ozoh 17 1 Killian Phillips 19 7

Dan Quick 1

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi 1

Jadan Raymond 8 Kaden Rodney 17 Laurence Shala (GK) Cardo Siddik 3

Rob Street 42

Matthew Vigor 2 Noah Watson 12 Jack Wells-Morrison 18 1 Joe Whitworth (GK) 3

Cormac Austin 8

Kalani Barton 10

Freddie Bell 13 2

Rio Cardines 7 1

Junior Dixon 1311

William Eastwood (GK)

Joseph Gibbard 12 1

Jake Grante 13 Jackson Izquierdo (GK) 11 Eyimofe Jemide 14

David Ozoh 2 1

Caleb Kporha 14 2

Giulio Marroni 2

Zach Marsh 12 4

Hindolo Mustapha 11 1 Adler Nascimento 13 5

Kaden Rodney 21

Laurence Shala (GK) 4

Basilio Socoliche 11 2

Vonnte Williams 13 1

1 ars11 650 2412+1223 2 liv11 641 2212+1022 3 mci11 632 2918+1121 4 che12 552 2920+920 5 cry11 551 2617+920 6 ful11 542 2511+1419

7 eve11 614 2118+319

8 bha11 443 2318+516

9 wol12 426 1826-814

10 bla12 318 1625-910 11 mun12 174 2136-1510

12 lei11 236 1425-11 9

13 whu13 229 1527-12 8

14 tot13 0679 27-18 6

1 whu1010 00 3816+2230 2 ful10 523 3316+1717 3 cry10 523 2619+717 4 che10 514 1920-116 5 tot10 505 2021-115 6 nor10 334 1317-412 7 wba 9324 1516-111 8 bha10 325 1124-1311 9 sou 9234 2022-2 9 10 ars 9234 1619-3 9 11 avl10 235 2232-10 9 12 lei 9216 1122-11 7

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

Started Used sub Unused sub Goal(s) Yellow card Red card

AUGUST

Jack Butland Joel Ward Tyrick Mitchell Luka Milivojevic James Tomkins Marc Guéhi

DateOpposition attendance/ KICK-OFF ResultPosition 010203040506

Fri 5 Arsenal 25,286 L 0-2 17th

Mon 15 Liverpool 52,970 D 1-1 16th

Sat 20 Aston Villa 25,012 W 3-1 9th

Tue 23 Oxford United 9,564 W 2-0 Second round

Sat 27 Manchester City 53,112 L 2-4 12th

Tue 30 Brentford 25,043 D 1-1 13th

SEP Sat 3 Newcastle United 51,863 D 0-0 15th

Sat 1 Chelsea 25,125 L 1-2 17th

Sun 9 Leeds United 25,002 W 2-1 15th

OCTOBER

NOV

Sat 15 Leicester City 31,298 D 0-0 13th

Tue 18 Wolverhampton Wanderers 25,099 W 2-1 11th

Sat 22 Everton 38,939 L 0-3 13th

Sat 29 Southampton 25,130 W 1-0 10th

Sat 5 West Ham United 62,451 W 2-1 10th

Wed 9 Newcastle United 51,660 D 0-0 (3-2) Third round

Sat 12 Nottingham Forest 29,045 L 0-1 11th

DEC Mon 26 Fulham 15:00

JANUARY

Sat 31 Bournemouth 15:00

Wed 4 Tottenham Hotspur 20:00

Sat 7 Southampton 12:30

Sun 14 Chelsea 14:00

Sat 21 Newcastle United 17:30

Sat 4 Manchester United 15:00

FEBRUARY

March

Sat 11 Brighton & Hove Albion 15:00

Sat 18 Brentford 15:00

Sat 25 Liverpool 19:45

Sat 4 Aston Villa 15:00

Sat 11 Manchester City 15:00

Sat 18 Arsenal 15:00

Sat 1 Leicester City 15:00

Sat 8 Leeds United 15:00

APRIL

Sat 15 Southampton 15:00

Sat 22 Everton 15:00

Tue 25 Wolverhampton Wanderers 19:45

Sat 29 West Ham United 15:00

Sat 6 Tottenham Hotspur 15:00

Sat 13 Bournemouth 15:00

MAY

Sat 20 Fulham 15:00

Sun 28 Nottingham Forest 16:00 tbc

TBC Manchester United TBC

TBC Brighton & Hove Albion TBC

Jack BUTLAND (GK)

Joel WARD

Tyrick MITCHELL

Luka MILIVOJEVIC

James TOMKINS

Marc GUÉHI

Michael OLISE Jordan AYEW Eberechi EZE Wilfried ZAHA

Vicente GUAITA (GK)

Jean-Philippe MATETA Jeffrey SCHLUPP

Joachim ANDERSEN

Nathaniel CLYNE James McARTHUR Will HUGHES

Sam JOHNSTONE (GK)

Odsonne EDOUARD

Malcolm EBIOWEI

Chris RICHARDS

Cheick DOUCOURÉ Nathan FERGUSON Jaïro RIEDEWALD

Killian PHILLIPS Kaden RODNEY

A. Madley

M. Perry S. Meredith J. Busby M. Dean R. West

Marek RODÁK (GK)

Kenny TETE Layvin KURZAWA

Tosin ADARABIOYO Shane DUFFY

Harrison REED Neeskens KEBANO Harry WILSON

Aleksandar MITROVIC

Tom CAIRNEY Manor SOLOMON

Nathaniel CHALOBAH

Tim REAM

Bobby DE CORDOVA-REID

Bernd LENO (GK)

Andreas PEREIRA

WILLIAN

Daniel JAMES

Josh ONOMAH

João PALHINHA

Kevin MBABU

Carlos VINÍCIUS

Issa DIOP

Antonee ROBINSON