CPFC vs Sheffield United by Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace v Sheffield United Saturday 1st February 2020 // 3pm

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INSIDE THE PROGRAMME CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED SATURDAY 1ST FEBRUARY 2020 | 3PM K.O.

Directors Steve Parish, Chairman David Blitzer, Joshua Harris Chief Executive Phil Alexander Chief Financial Officer Sean Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Loughlin Sporting Director Dougie Freedman Club Secretary

Christine Dowdeswell Head of Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning

Scott Guyett Head of Medical Dr. Zaf Iqbal Academy Director Gary Issott Director of U23 Development Mark Bright Head Groundsman Bruce Elliott Commercial Director Barry Webber Operations Director Sharon Lacey Head of Consumer Sales Mike Pink Head of Ticketing Paul McGowan Head of Legal David Nichol Head of Content & Production James Woodroof Head of CRM & Campaigns Tom McGuiness Head of Safeguarding Marcus Puddephatt

72 Editor Dan Blazer Design Billy Cooke, Luke Thomas Contributors Ben Mountain, Ian King, Dom Fifield, Chris Waters, Grace Cullen, Chris Grierson, James Woodroof Photography Neil Everitt, Seb Frej, Reuters, Pinnacle, Rex Features Printer Bishops Printers

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Copers Cope

Chris Grierson

Junior Eagles

Amateur Analysis

A Corner of South London

Dom Fifield

Scott Banks

Palace XI in Time

Shaun Derry

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ROY HODGSON

Over the last week, we’ve benefited from a period of time where the squad has been able to recuperate and recover after a bruising festive schedule dealt with by a depleted group of players. Had it not been for the commitment, flexibility and determination of those members of the squad who do not always feature, our season could have been jeopardised by such sustained misfortune. Over Christmas and into the New Year, the team handled themselves excellently and we are approaching the end of this accumulation of injuries in a far better position than we might have been otherwise. But as it stands, our goal of securing Premier League football for next season remains highly achievable and I have to commend the team for their persistent efforts. I was particularly pleased to see that Jaïro Riedewald earned the club’s ManBetX Player of the Month award for his displays throughout January. Jaïro has been a consummate professional in the time that I have been with

Crystal Palace and his career here has been one that requires great focus and drive. I am pleased to see Jaïro earning his just reward. I allowed the players to have consecutive days off at the end of last week as I think recovery and respite are just as valuable in elite level football as sustained, hard work. By allowing the team to spend time with their families and perhaps visit loved ones away from south London, the squad are able to recharge mentally and physically and that is essential at this stage of the season. That said, we have been preparing for a challenging game against difficult opposition this week, as Crystal Palace welcome Sheffield United to Selhurst Park for the first time since 2011. Chris Wilder has done a remarkable job with United and I admire how well they have done this season. Last year, Chris rightfully earned the LMA Manager of the Year award – which I of course voted in for his efforts in the Championship, and the side he has built at Sheffield are proving their worth as top-flight

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competitors. We will have to be at our best today to ensure success against his team. Turning my attention to other matters, on Thursday I was privileged to open the Somewhere Safe to Stay Hub at Croydon University Hospital. The hub provides somewhere for rough sleepers to find shelter and security, especially now that we are entering a period of inclement weather. I’m proud to say that Crystal Palace is already heavily involved in the protection and support of Croydon’s homeless community by providing emergency shelter at Selhurst Park alongside a hot evening meal and breakfast, a bed and washing facilities when the temperature drops below freezing. The club’s continued involvement in the local community is admirable and it is essential for any team which cares for its surrounding area. Returning to football, we must be focussed on a competitive 90 minutes and give our all to continue a steadfast start to 2020. Enjoy the game.

Welcome to Chris Wilder, his staff and players from Sheffield United and to everyone from Crystal Palace here today.

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LUKA MILIVOJEVIC

It was an amazing match for us against Manchester City and we took a big, big point from the Etihad. Everyone played really well that day and I was so proud of my teammates to go there, the home of the Premier League champions, with all our injury problems, and to get a deserved result. Wilf’s late effort with his run and cross to force the own goal from Fernandinho reminded me of when we were on the other side of Manchester in August and Pat’s injury time goal meant we got the three points at Old Trafford. For both of those occasions against the Manchester clubs - when United got their equaliser and City took the lead - people would not have expected us to still take something from those games. But this squad has unbelievable spirit, we’ve shown so many times that we fight until the end and everyone played their

part in these wonderful last-minute moments. It’s one more thing that makes Crystal Palace special. It was a shame that three days later against Southampton we were unable to avoid defeat. That was a tough result so soon after the positivity of Manchester City. However, we have played with the same team, the same 14 or so players, for almost two months, therefore we knew we were going to probably have a result like this at some point. It was a bad moment but we’ve put that behind us, had a good 10-day break to recharge and we’ve had players return to the squad from injury. Overall, we must remember that was just one game and instead we must focus on what the guys did in the previous tough period since Burnley away at the end of November.

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I’m back available to the manager and the team today after my three-game ban. I’m extremely happy to have returned, and it makes it even better that my first game back is at our home of Selhurst. But I must be honest and admit what a difficult period the ban was for me, because I haven’t experienced this sort of situation before. I have trained so hard during this period, to make sure I am ready for today’s game against Sheffield United, should I be needed. They’re an interesting opponent because they don’t have an individual player, someone who stands out above the rest. But as a group they’re very strong and they’ve proven themselves as a top team. However, we are both very organised sides and I believe we have that extra quality in the final third to make it count. Make some noise!

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be back in the squad and on the pitch at our home of Selhurst after my three-game absence.

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STEVE PARISH Welcome to the fans, players, staff and directors of Sheffield United to Selhurst Park today. Welcome to each and every Palace supporter here to get behind Roy and the team. 08

Dougie and I returned from a trip to Israel earlier this week, as we sent a squad to the fantastic international U19 Winter Tournament in Tel Aviv, where they finished runners-up. These trips are important for so many reasons. It’s great for Dougie and I to spend one-on-one time with every single player, to get to know them better. Such trips also help young players learn about the realities of life as a footballer – the travel, hotel rooms, different food, being away from family and friends not to mention some ‘interesting’ refereeing. And obviously, it’s fantastic from a football perspective as part of the players’ development playing against teams from other parts of the world.

Almost straight off the plane, we played a very good Grasshopper Zurich team. Paddy and Gary tried a few people in new positions which probably didn’t work as well as it could and that coupled with a very dubious penalty given against us after six minutes - and a very obvious one not given in our favour - saw us slump to a 0-3 defeat. We kept trying to play our football throughout the game, as indeed we did in the whole tournament, and with a few positional changes we returned the next day to get ourselves off the mark with a 2-0 win against the Dutch team SBV Excelsior. That proved the start of an unbeaten run to the end of the tournament, including an impressive last minute equaliser to draw against a considerably older Maccabi team, when David Omilabu crossed to Rob Street to head home in the dying seconds. With many of our lads born in 2003/4 playing against teams full of players born in 2001/02 you might have thought that the punishing schedule of five games in three days would get the better of us, but the boys actually got stronger and clinched second place with another last minute goal from the excellent Fionn Mooney in the dying seconds of the final game. I could not be prouder and more impressed by the attitude, aptitude and conduct of our boys. It was a

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“SUCH TRIPS ALSO HELP YOUNG PLAYERS LEARN ABOUT THE REALITIES OF LIFE AS A FOOTBALLER”

great experience for Dougie and I, and fantastic to spend time with the players and coaches. Everyone did well but I would like to give a special mention to John-Kymani Gordon, TQ Addy and Dylan Thistleton who had a difficult time at right back in the first game but came back to put in some great midfield performances and finally Jacob Russell who was voted ‘keeper of the tournament. I’d finally like to praise Paddy, Gary and all the wider staff for leading

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the squad as they did on the trip, also Leanne our Academy Administrator, and our new Safeguarding Officer Vienna on making sure it all ran like clockwork. The Palace TV guys are working away on a film of the trip, so keep your eyes out for that. We are still awaiting news from Bromley Council about our planning application for our state-of-the-art Academy – and we remain confident that our plans will come to fruition. There is a proven pathway here at Palace for our most talented youngsters – as Wilf and Aaron have shown in recent years. Brandon, Tyrick and many others are pushing hard too and have been in and around the first-team squads in recent weeks – which is pleasing to see. I am writing these notes before the end of the transfer window, so there is little need to speculate on these pages as it will already be old news by the time you are reading it. What I’m extremely pleased to hear about is the return of Luka, Patrick, Christian and Andros to full training – hopefully we will see them all in action very soon indeed. Today we face an extremely impressive Sheffield United side, who beat us earlier in the season. I am sure yet again it will be a tightly contested affair between two very well organised and talented teams. Enjoy the game, and get behind the team as loudly as you can. Up the Palace.

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Three years ago today, Luka Milivojevic took part in his first training session as a Crystal Palace and Premier League footballer. He was made captain within a year, and has played more league minutes and scored more goals in red and blue than any other player since. Here, he talks with James Woodroof on his pride of what he and his teammates have achieved, reveals his motivational compass and how he is hurting from a recent uncharacteristic error of judgment.

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about me, I don’t have enough words to thank him for this. All the time, he is one very honest and open person – when it’s good, he’ll tell you. When it’s wrong, he’ll tell you. He never hides – he puts it all on the table.” It is a meeting of minds between manager and captain: honesty, reliability and responsibility. What you see is what you get with Luka. A modest family man, who doesn’t want for more.

“It was a very easy decision for me – those who know me, know I am happy with very simple things. For me, the simple things are: I am very happy in this club, I respect what this club has done for me in three years, I’m proud of other’s opinions in the club of me – and the fans as well. I respect that a lot.” Milivojevic is one of few Premier League footballers who lay largely dormant on social media platforms.

“ WHEN PEOPLE SHOW YOU RESPECT, I HAVE VERY GOOD STATUS HERE – I’M THE CAPTAIN. I HAVE VERY GOOD TEAMMATES. I’M HAPPY EVERY DAY – I PLAY, I TRAIN WITH A SMILE. I’M FIT AND HEALTHY. THOSE KIND OF THINGS DON’T HAVE A PRICE. ” It was no surprise then that given his performances, Milivojevic was rewarded with a new contract in the summer. Whilst some contract renegotiations can be protracted, Luka’s was agreed after just one short meeting with Chairman Steve Parish. “When people show you respect, I have very good status here – I’m the captain. I have very good teammates. I’m happy every day – I play, I train with a smile. I’m fit and healthy. Those kind of things don’t have a price.

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He does not crave nor seek attention, and would sooner go under the radar. “I don’t need to go over that – to show myself on Instagram, to provoke their eyes onto myself – with hair, tattoos. It’s just not who I am. Of course, this is just my opinion, and some players love that side of life and I respect that. For me, it’s very simple: I try to be a normal person, I don’t try to be a Premier League footballer. I try to be very professional person, who has responsibility – I

uka Milivojevic hates talking about himself. But hearing what others think of him? “That has worth.” We share with him our recent discussion with Roy Hodgson about the Palace captain. The Serbian tops several statistical lists under Hodgson: most starts, most minutes and most goals. Indeed, it was Hodgson who first handed the captain’s armband to the midfielder. “He’s turned out for me to be the ideal player in this position,” Hodgson says, “and the ideal captain. As a manager, I’ve been very lucky to work with him - being the person he is, and the player he is.” “He’s an ever-present – that reliability and consistency that players like him give is one of the most vastly underrated qualities. We’ve seen it here with other players that come with pomp and circumstance, but if you look at the minutes and what they’ve done for the club over a similar period of time, it’s a lot less than you’ve got out of your Lukas, Maccas and Wilfs. “I will always cherish players that I can trust, rely upon, and am confident in what they’ve got to give – and that they’ll deliver it and not [those who] ‘could be good, but maybe not’.” The captain digests this, and pauses thoughtfully before responding: “When you have a manager with that level of experience – when he says those kind of words

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am playing for my national team, for Crystal Palace in the Premier League, I have a family. You have responsibility in your life, because a lot of people are watching you. The most important, yet the most difficult thing is - to be simple. But when you are, your life is much easier to lead with that.” It is impossible not to be refreshed by such a mindset, and it is worth remembering that Milivojevic is still only 28. It is a grounding he owes to his parents. “When I was very young, my father told me never lie, never steal anything and be a good man. “I was around 12, 13 or 14 – I played No.10 position. I scored many goals in that period. After one game when we played away – my father was at home. I came back and he asked what happened, I said – ‘yeah, it was good, I scored two goals’. He asked what was the score. I said we lost 2-3. But I was happy! He told me, ‘you cannot be happy – because your team lost’. I was 14, I didn’t understand what he was talking about. Because I was young, I never thought that way.” Even now, Luka’s father – and his constructive comments after each match - ensures the captain’s feet remain firmly on the ground. As much as he doesn’t like talking about himself, Milivojevic is naturally selfcritical, committed to “upgrading” as a player and person each day.

e reflect on his three-year Palace journey to date. “You could make a book,”

he jokes. Milivojevic arrived on a busy January deadline day in 2017. His new team were in the relegation zone, two points adrift of safety, with 15 games to play. It was a period of

“ SOMETIMES YOU’RE MAN OF THE MATCH, SOMETIMES YOU’RE THE WORST PLAYER ON THE PITCH. BUT THE ATTITUDE MUST BE THERE. AND I’M TRYING TO NEVER LOSE THAT. ” transformation for the Eagles, with Mamadou Sakho, Jeffrey Schlupp and Patrick van Aanholt the other players joining in that window. In relative terms, it was a huge outlay – but each of the players remain as much valued members of the squad. As windows go, it was an overwhelming success. Sam Allardyce would ultimately guide the team to a respectable 14th position, from being

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all but written off at Christmas. For Luka himself, success came sooner than expected. “You know, three years ago when I came everything was new for me. I knew I was coming to the best league in the world. I tried straight away to put myself in the team, to try to help the team. Honestly I didn’t expect that my career at Palace, in the Premier League, would go that quickly – in a positive way. Of course, I believe in myself and my qualities, but when you join a team in the Premier League, it means there is a lot of good players, the squad is a top squad, you expect to build up easy, to try to get your place, to fight for your place. For me, a lot of nice things happened in these three years – of course there are a lot of up and downs, but in my case – more ups, less downs. “In this moment, we can say we’re an established top-flight team. As a calendar year in 2019 – our performance and results, we’d be 7th. I think it’s an amazing achievement – in front of big teams like Spurs, Arsenal, Everton. It was a very successful year; it will be hard to repeat. We are better and better and better. “Since I’ve arrived – we’ve beaten them all. All of the top six. In my opinion, it’s again very simple. We have top coaching staff. And we have a quality squad. A very important part is experience – we are a very experienced squad, with a very good

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attitude from the players. That’s the key in my opinion. We are always there, trying to improve. We have stability which gives us confidence for the future. “We must be very proud - we made some historical wins away from home – Chelsea, Man United, Man City, Liverpool. Some teams do it once in 30 years, we’ve done it in two-tothree years. It shows how quality we are, there is no secret. “A big influence has been the manager, and the Chairman. He keeps stability in the club. We don’t have a lot of sales or additions, we are stable. We buy when we need to buy, players who can bring us quality. We sell when we really need to sell. It gives us stability and that is why we are very successful.” For Hodgson to make Luka captain at age 26, after less than a year at the club speaks volumes. For a team who has to fight for every point, his effort level is infectious. As the manager says, it is “ideal.” “I try for myself, always, to give my best. Every time when I’m on the pitch, to do my best – to give 100% for the club. In the end, for me the most important thing, when I finish the game, is: have I left everything on the pitch? If I did, I’m happy. “Sometimes, the quality depends on the moment, depends on the form. Sometimes you’re good, sometimes you’re passing or tackling is good or not good. Sometimes it’s very good you score, or assist. But the attitude must be there. Performance, mentality, personality must be on the pitch – you

have to bring it on the pitch and must bring it in to the squad. “That’s what I’m trying all my career. Sometimes you’re Man of the Match, sometimes you’re the worst player on the pitch. But the attitude must be there. And I’m trying to never lose that.” We talk about the red card for

“ I LOST A LOT FROM THIS RED CARD AS A PERSON, I KNOW THAT. BUT THE OTHER PLAYERS CAN LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE TOO. I LET THE PLAYERS DOWN, WHICH IS SOMETHING YOU CANNOT DO. ” Luka’s uncharacteristic reaction to the provocation of Derby County’s Tom Huddlestone, which led to a three-game suspension during the recent FA Cup defeat. It is the third red of his professional career to date. The Serbian shifts in his seat. “You know, it’s my first red card in my career for this kind of situation. I will not try to get some excuses about

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what I did – but to be honest, I lost my head. I lost my head. A lot of games, a lot of pressure – I was tired as well: mentally and physically. In one situation I got provoked, when I tried to stand up the guy pushed me twice. “What can I say? Ok, it’s a cliché – but you must learn from your mistakes. Much better to learn on other people’s mistakes than yours, but it happened – I must change it, because it never happened to me to be honest.” It’s put to him that he is usually the first to try to diffuse confrontational issues on the field – regularly leaping to separate players from trouble, or often to protect and placate Wilfried Zaha after repeated, cynical targeting. “It’s true. We all know that most of the teams will go to kick your best player – I try to protect [him] – it’s part of my job as captain. I’m always there to help others. But this time, it was a different situation. I didn’t solve it in the way I should. You have to learn on your mistakes, try to never repeat again – you don’t leave your team a man down. “I lost a lot from this red card as a person, I know that. But the other players can learn from my mistake too. I let the players down, which is something you cannot do. But it happened, and I cannot now judge myself. But I will try to never repeat again and to be honest, to keep my focus.” The attitude must be there. And it is, in abundance. As Roy Hodgson suggests, Luka Milivojevic as a person, and a player, should be cherished.

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COPERS Sebastian Frej

A behind the scenes look at first-team training, with Roy Hodgson and his coaching staff putting the squad through their paces ahead of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clash with Sheffield United.

WILFRIED ZAHA

VICENTE GUAITA

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20 PATRICK VAN AANHOLT

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ANDROS TOWNSEND

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MAX MEYER

JORDAN AYEW

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MORE THAN JUST A

MATCHDAY

Do you know what goes on at Selhurst Park away from the action on the pitch? Our stadium is a lively location seven days a week, from private events and conferences to amazing celebrations in our various lounges. Take a look at what we offer and get a glimpse into our Premium Matchday packages too!

Search: ‘Premium CPFC’ or ‘Selhurst Park Events’

EXECUTIVE BOXES & LEGENDS RESTAURANT IMPROVEMENTS Throughout the 2019/20 season our premium hospitality and event spaces at Selhurst Park have seen a variety of refurbishments and improvements as we work to deliver memorable moments on and off the pitch. Improvements include bespoke furniture added to our boxes, a range of newly decorated spaces throughout, plus improved and flexible layouts designed to deliver a truly personal experience. Along with the refurbishments we’ve continued to raise the bar of your premium experience with continued investment in our Premium &

Events service team, and this has seen the addition of locally sourced produce to our seasonal menus – all expertly curated for each match by our Michelin star experienced Executive Chef, Julien Maisonneuve. The most recent addition, however, takes the comfort you

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can expect at Selhurst Park to a new level, as we’ve completed the installation of our superior VIP balcony seating for our Executive Boxes and Legends Restaurant. With increased padding and the iconic Eagle stitched in to the top of each seat, the best view in the house has now got even better.

AMAZING CLIENT ENTERTAINMENT AT SELHURST PARK Away from the pitch, Selhurst Park offers fantastic opportunities for guests to grow their business and network. Two of those opportunities are available to book now. First up comes our ever-popular Business Club lunch in February. The networking event is hosted four times a season with guests invited to dine and entertain clients, colleagues or friends with an afternoon of fine dining, alongside special guest appearances. One of the UK’s former leading sports journalists, Neil Ashton, is our guest on 13th February as he offers an insight into the footballing industry, life in front of the Sky Sports cameras and his transition from all of that to starting his own media, brand and image consultancy.

Also, coming up at the end of the season is the chance for guests to walk in the footsteps of legends with our pitch hire packages on offer. Whether you’re looking to impress your clients or wanting to reward colleagues for their hard work, walking out of the Selhurst Park tunnel to grace the famous turf is the ultimate way to do so. With full access to the dressing rooms and the option to extend your day with hospitality packages in one of our lounges, a Selhurst Park pitch hire could make you and your business the talk of the industry. With the flexibility of playing smallsided games or replicating a Premier League matchday, we’ll have the package perfect for you. To find out more about both these events, plus others, search: Selhurst Park Events

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01.02.2020

EAGLE EYE WITH PALACE TV'S CHRIS GRIERSON

If you’re a keen watcher of Palace TV then you will have seen a lot of training videos in the past four years or so. It’s great that we can just pop outside the office any time we like and capture some goals, saves, tackles and skills. But it hasn’t always been this easy. When I started working here five years ago, videos of training just weren’t done. Training was seen as sacred. One of the most viewed videos on our YouTube channel was one of pre-season training under Tony Pulis and I think this was because it was such a novelty to see players being put through their paces on the training field. I can’t remember the first time we filmed training but it must have been under Alan Pardew.

He was great with us and never had an issue with us filming. The important thing was that we were careful with how we edited so we never gave anything away about how the team would play or what the starting lineup would be. Over the years we’ve gained the trust of the coaching staff. They know we’ll never publish

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something they don’t want seen. For example, we never film when the team are working on shape for the next game and they don’t even have to tell us not to film it. The biggest obstacle in the early days was actually some of the players. More old school players like Damien Delaney definitely hated having

cameras there…and he let me know that! Terrifying. It’s been fascinating to watch that change over the years, though. Recently I’ve had players complaining when we’re not there, as a lot of them like posting their goals and moments on their own social media channels. Sometimes, when a particularly good goal is scored, they’ll turn around to us and say: “did you get that?” We’ve definitely changed our style since we first started filming training. At first, we were excited with our sexy new camera so all videos would be shown in slow motion with close-ups and dramatic music. But we’ve learnt that people just want to watch training as if they’re stood by the pitch at Copers Cope. So now

we keep the videos pretty raw. It’s actually really exciting when you capture something amazing. I shot an amazing piece of Wilfried Zaha skill earlier this season and had to walk away from the camera and gasp. Our training video sponsor was probably pretty happy with the millions of views, too! Introducing a drone last season was fun. The players made it their mission to try and hit it, but agreed to pay costs if they ever knocked it out of the air. Luckily our pilot had quick reactions! The one downside of training videos are the comments online. After you’ve spent three hours getting the feeling back in your cold feet, there’s nothing worse than reading comments like: “now do this on a matchday,” “easy to

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do that in training,” or “PLEASE stop it with the training videos.” Can’t people just enjoy the fact that they are given free access to watch the players they support, entertain them? However, I know it’s a small minority who moan. So please can the majority start replying with praise so the team and myself can warm our feet in a bath of positivity? Ta very much.

Head to eagles.cpfc.co.uk or the CPFC app to watch all the behind the scenes content.

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Sammy Laker Age: 9

Parker Cooke Age: 5

James Barlow Age: 11

George Barlow Age: 9

Hallie Payne Age: 9

Frankie Lax Age: 9

junior eagles

quiz,games And more! plus: training with

cenk-

tosun

Mascots

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junior eagles that s the real quiz

James Tomkins missed the trip to Bramall Lane due to injury. Can you remember which side Tonks made his first appearance against this season?

Colchester United or Manchester City

How many clean sheets have Palace kept in the league so far this season?

Four or Six

True or False

Sheffield’s United ‘keeper, Dean Henderson, is on loan from which Premier League club?

Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur

David McGoldrick has more goals in the Premier League this season than Jeffrey Schlupp.

Lys Mousset is the Blades’ joint-top league scorer this season with five. Who does he share the lead with?

Oli McBurnie or John Fleck

Which international side do Sheffield United’s Michael Verrips and Palace’s Jaïro Riedewald both represent?

Netherlands or Norway

Chris Wilder’s side have received one red card in the topflight this campaign. Which player was sent-off? Wilder has been in charge of the Blades longer than Roy Hodgson has of the Eagles. What shirt number does John Lundstram and Max Meyer wear for their respective sides?

Who won the club’s ManBetX Player of the Month for January?

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Billy Sharp or George Baldock

True or False

7 or 17

Vicente Guaita or Jaïro Riedewald

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Today is Sheffield United’s first visit to Selhurst Park in the Premier league since 1992. But can you remember the score and missing players from the Eagles’ trip to Bramall Lane last August?

? ?

in training with Cenk Tosun Cenk Tosun’s arrival from Everton has seen the striker hit the ground running with a goal on his first start and showing early promise with his link-up play alongside Jordan Ayew and Wilfried Zaha. But we wanted to ask the Turkey international the best way to build-up a rapport with new teammates. After all, he’s done this, impressively, with several strike partners in his career, having played with the likes of

Riedewald Guess Who: Dann, Meyer, Benteke Score: Palace lost 1-0 5. John Fleck 6. Netherlands 7. Billy Sharp 8. True 9. 7 10. Jaïro QUIZ: 1. Manchester City 2. Six 3. False 4. Manchester United

answers

Demba Ba, Mario Gómez and Vincent Aboubakar at Besiktas. “Both players have to communicate and adapt with each other. But that only comes if you’re training together regularly. Therefore, whenever possible, stay around after training and do a few shooting drills with each other. And then discuss where each of you will position yourself at corners or freekicks, so you aren’t getting in the way of your teammate.”

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guess who

blades V palace

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FANTASY FIVE Throughout this season, we are asking the Palace squad for the 5-a-side team they’d pick based on a certain criteria.

This week, we asked Cenk Tosun to choose five players from his time in Turkey with Besiktas.

ADRIANO “He arrived from Barcelona and you could tell that from the way he played.”

JOSÉ SOSA “I’m picking quite an attacking side so I better go for a central midfielder.”

RICARDO QUARESMA “He made so many assists for me. A great crosser from everywhere.”

MARIO GOMES “A great player. I enjoyed my time as his strike partner.”

CENK TOSUN “With Quaresma in the team I have to pick myself!”

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

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5 1

14 10

12 8

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

MESSAGEBOARD MATCHDAY

1. Happy Birthday to the best Dad I could ever ask for. Hope you have a great day. 2. Happy 14th Birthday to Bradlee Ismaili. We hope you have a wonderful day. Lots of love Daddy & Ayden xx 3. Alfred Cole, 88, finally called time on attending games this season. He used to bring me as a lad in the early 70s and for the last 20 years I’ve been able to return the favour. Dad has always been passionate Palace fan since the 40s and still follows the results from home in East Sussex. Thanks for everything, Dad! Up the Palace! 4. Happy Birthday, Samson. I think we’ll win 2-1. You? Love from Dad. 5. Happy 5th Birthday Jack Fisher from Daddy, Mummy and the whole Palace family! Here’s to another year as a Season Ticket holder! COYP! 6. Ed & RongRongLi wish the

whole Foxhall family a very happy CPFC New Year - Up the Eagles!! 7. Happy 36th Birthday Chris White. Hope you have a great day. Love Alex. 8. Happy 9th Birthday Ruby Clower. Lots of love mummy, daddy, Alexa, Lucy and Ellis x x x 9. Fletcher-Hards Forever 10. Happy belated 57th Birthday on 15th January to Kevin Lambert, who has supported Palace for 46 years! Hope you had a great day and enjoy the game today. 11. To Joe, Happy 15th Birthday! Enjoy the game, love from mum, dad and Josh. COYP! 12. Happy belated 10th Birthday, Harrison Stannard! Love from mum and dad. Come on you Palace! Xx 13. Happy Birthday John/dad/ grandad, love Claire, Sara, Wayne, Joe, Rose, Aaron, Ruby,

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

Fiona Oliver and Emily xx 14. Happy Birthday Claire/ mum/nanny, lots of love John, Sara, Wayne, Joe, Rose, Aaron, Ruby, Fiona, Oliver and Emily. 15. Happy 60th Birthday Lee. Hope you have a great day celebrating. Lots of love Anna, Kate, Peter and Duncan. 16. Natalie Hyett will be proudly wearing her new Palace goalkeeper kit to her first Palace match for her 9th birthday. 17. Fletcher is here today to celebrate his 8th birthday with his brother Caden and friends Evan, Ben, Otis and Sunny. Happy Birthday Fletcher. COYP! 18. Michael Gardner sadly lost his life in a tragic accident on 23rd January at the young age of 38. He loved coming to watch Palace with his son, Freddie. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends. Rest in peace.

Send your message (max 25 words) with a picture to programme@cpfc.co.uk for a chance to be in a future edition.

01.02.2020

ST .

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CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

.W LY

THE BLADES

01.02.2020

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

SHEFFIELD UNITED THE BLADES

STAT 36

The Blades have drawn on each of their last five Premier League visits to the capital .

FROM THE DUGOUT

"I ENJOYED IT, ENJOYED WATCHING MY TEAM [V MILLWALL]. WE PLAYED SMART, AND TOOK OUR CHANCES WHEN THEY CAME ALONG. "

MATCH PREVIEW Depending on how much relevance you place on historical statistics, Crystal Palace have won their last two home league games against Sheffield United, though this is our first meeting at Selhurst Park since February 2011. Furthermore, United having lost their last three away top-flight visits to SE25 - these matches were between the 1990/91 and 1992/93 campaigns. Whoever potentially falls behind first today will have a hard task with Roy Hodgson and Chris Wilder famed for building two teams who are defensively stable. Palace have kept a clean sheet in their last four Premier League home games against promoted sides, collecting 10 points. Only runaway league leaders Liverpool have conceded fewer

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

Premier League goals than Sheffield United this season (23). In fact, the Blades’ record of 23 goals conceded after 24 games is the best by a promoted side since Fulham in 2001/02 (also 23). No ‘keeper has kept more clean sheets in the Premier League this season than United’s Dean Henderson (8). Only Liverpool’s Alisson (214) has a better minutes-per-goal conceded ratio this term than Henderson (one every 104 minutes). United have neither scored nor conceded more than twice in any of their 12 away league games this season. Surprisingly, the Blades haven’t scored more than twice in any of their last 47 top-flight away games, since a 3-3 draw with Southampton in October 1993.

01.02.2020

DID YOU KNOW?

John Lundstram’s first-ever goal in the top-flight of English football came against the Eagles back in August.

MOST PL WINS

MOST PL GOALS

Paul Beesley

Brian Deane

Carl Bradshaw

Adrian Littlejohn

Dane Whitehouse

16 Dane Whitehouse

Jostein Flo

01 15

05 23

16 11

THIRD

Henderson Basham Jagielka O’Connell K.Freeman Bešic Norwood L.Freeman

AWAY

LAST TIME OUT 25.01.20 | 3pm | The Den

0-2

Osborn Sharp C.Robinson

SUBS 12 J. Robinson 17 Clarke All statistics correct as of 30th January

01 06 15 05 18 27 16 08 23 10 11

HOME

Alan Kelly

SHEFFIELD UNITED FORM GUIDE

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

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BE THE SPARK CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

THE ORCHESTRATOR

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AMATEUR ANALYSIS

He’s no expert. However, each week Crystal Palace’s Club Journalist will attempt to turn the ‘pub chat’ into something more conclusive with an ‘out of their depth’ look down the rabbit hole of football data.

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

AMATEUR ANALYSIS PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

ORCHESTRATOR: DAVID MCGOLDRICK 40

David McGoldrick continues to be an integral cog in Sheffield United’s all-round play, and the fact the Republic of Ireland international is yet to register a Premier League goal this season doesn’t seem to factor in Chris Wilder’s tactical thinking. On several occasions this season, Wilder has spoken postmatch about McGoldrick being the ‘heartbeat of the team’ and his link-up play with the Blades’ jointtop scorer, Lys Mousset. These comments come despite the fact that McGoldrick tops the Blades’ charts for most shots taken (35) and is still without a goal.

A final-third statistic that reflects positively on the former Ipswich Town striker is that McGoldrick has completed the third-most dribbles for United, and has the best completion rate out of his teammates with a minimum of 20 dribbles attempted. Further stats to highlight the forward’s skill include McGoldrick winning the third-most fouls for his side and, outside the expected defenders and centre-midfielders, the striker has also made the most tackles. McGoldrick appears to be the epitome of ‘stats don’t tell the whole story’ in judging the 32-year-old’s influence.

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PLAYER DISCIPLINE

(for example, delaying the restart

of the game and frustrate the

of play) and 21 for general fouls.

opposition with ‘tactical’ fouls.

Sheffield United have received

at home for fouls and none for

difference in yellow cards and

the sixth-most yellow cards in the

unprofessional behaviour, you can

how the players receive those

Premier League this season (47),

draw the conclusion that Wilder’s

cautions doesn’t tend to change

whereas Crystal Palace are 14th

team are setup to disrupt the flow

whether in SE25 or on the road.

with 37. For context, Arsenal top the table with 57, and Leicester City are in 20th place with 23.

SHEFFIELD UNITED

TOTAL

Yellow Cards

Red Cards

those cautions away from Bramall

Fouls

263

Lane, two for unprofessional conduct,

Most Yellows

J. Fleck, O. Norwood (6)

three for actions deemed as ‘other’

Most Fouls

E. Stevens (30)

The Blades have received 26 of

SHEFFIELD UNITED’S SHOT ZONES In the Premier League this season United have limited their opponents to having speculative efforts from outside of the area for 41% of chances they’ve conceded – for comparison, 34% of attempts on Vicente Guaita and Wayne Hennessey’s goal have come

from outside the 18-yard-box. If Palace can look to play through the compact and high line of the Blades’ central midfielders, they can expect to find some joy today – especially down the wing. United have conceded 30% of shots on Dean Henderson’s goal down the flanks (15% each side) – the leftwing could be an area for Wilfried Zaha to exploit, with 26% of

Shot Directions

15%

Shot Zones

RIGHT SIDE

70% 15%

Palace’s shots arriving down the Ivorian’s flank (compared to 11% the other side). Furthermore, George Baldock is Sheffield United’s first choice right-back, and will therefore be tasked with keeping Zaha quiet, but given that no other Blade has attempted more unsuccessful dribbles (20), our wing wizard could potentially be in luck.

MIDDLE

LEFT SIDE

IN 6 YARD BOX

51%

IN 18 YARD BOX

41%

OUTSIDE THE BOX

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

On the other hand, Palace's

Compare that to the 16 yellows

OPPOSITION IN NUMBERS

By Chris Waters @Clapham_Grand

The number of years Sheffield United were known as the Cutlers - between 1889 and 1912. It was in fact bitter rivals Sheffield Wednesday who were originally known as the Blades, before officially becoming the Owls in 1907, freeing up the nickname for their neighbours.

05 The number of years Sheffield United owned Chinese club, Chengdu Wuniu. The Blades purchased the club in 2005 and rebranded it as Chengdu Blades, but sold the outfit after a match-fixing scandal in which the side were punished with relegation.

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158 04

Sheffield United have won the FA Cup four times, all during their glory years between 1899 and 1925, which turned out to be the last time they won a major trophy.

Chris Morgan was sent-off for the Blades six times, which remains a club-record. The no-nonsense defender clocked up the half-a-dozen red cards over five seasons. Interestingly, he also holds the red card record at his only other club, Barnsley, making it a round dozen in his career.

Bramall Lane hosted its first game 158 years ago, in 1862, making it the oldest major ground in the world. In 1878 it was also the first ever ground to hold a match under floodlights.

SOMEONE THEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;D LIKE TO FORGET: Denis Law is one of three players to score seven goals against the Blades. However, Leon Clarke managed this in 14 games, Marlon Harewood in 13 but Law impressively tops the charts, needing just six games.

07 CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

01.02.2020

Rebrewed from head to hop. Carlsberg Danish Pilsner. NEW Brew NEW Glass NEW Fount Still iconically Danish. 44

Proud to support

Crystal Palace Football Club

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

01.02.2020

STEPHEN BROWETT

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION AWAY

Former owner and current club shareholder, Stephen Browett, is a veteran when it comes to Palace away days. For those of you making the trip to Brighton on Saturday 29th February, Stephen has got you covered.

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

AWAY AT

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION

HISTORY For many Palace fans this is the most keenly awaited away game of the season. The rest of the football world fails to understand the intensity of this rivalry on the grounds that the two clubs are so far apart geographically. Personally, I’ll never forgive - or forget - Charlton Athletic (remember them?) for their enjoyment in sending us down in 2005. Nor Millwall for many scary visits to the Den over the years. However, there’s no doubt that Brighton v Palace is ‘the real deal’. Our first meeting against Brighton came in the inaugural season of the Third Division when we beat them 2-0 on Christmas Day in 1920 at the Goldstone Ground. The rivalry really intensified in the late 1970s during Alan Mullery’s time at the helm of the Seagulls. Trips to Brighton became very spicy affairs at that time - in 1976 we played them

five times, including four times away. I recall some serious ‘bovver’ in the stadium and, over the road, in Hove Park after each game. The 1990s were tough times for Brighton with eviction from their stadium and relegation to the Fourth Division. They initially played their home games at Gillingham, but we weren’t to meet again until they were based at the Withdean Athletics stadium. It took until 2017 to finally meet Brighton in the Premier League. MEMORABLE MATCHES There are so many to choose from but I’ll narrow it down to just three. In 2005 we played them at the Withdean in a game that saw Dougie Freedman score twice before Jobi McAnuff grabbed a winner in the last minute to see us clinch it 3-2. Our next away game was our first visit to Falmer in September

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

2011, when we became the first visiting team to win at the new Amex stadium. Wilfried Zaha, Darren Ambrose and Glenn Murray were our scorers in a 3-1 victory that will always be remembered by the letters: FFS. Best of all, of course, was the epic Championship play-off semi-final second leg game in May 2013 when Wilf’s two second-half goals - right in front of the Palace fans - took us to Wembley. That remains one of my favourite away games of all-time even though I was suited and booted in the Directors’ Box. Steve, Martin, Jeremy and I were unable to celebrate quite as wildly as we wanted (but still enough to get some very dirty looks). Returning to the boardroom after spoiling their Wembley dreams and trying to appear sympathetic was quite a challenge for the four of us.

01.02.2020

PUBS AND BEER There is a pub in the village of Falmer featured in the Good Beer Guide, called the Swan Inn but I’ve never tried it - I expect that away fans may not be welcome! Lewes is just a few miles away and is a cracking place for drinking. The early kick-off time means that it’s more likely to be post-match than before. It’s also the home of the great Harvey’s Brewery whose bitter is one of the classic traditional English ales and is available in most of the town’s pubs. Other local beers to look out for include Franklins, Hepworth and Dark Star whose hoppy beers are brewed in Partridge Green - although they were originally produced in the cellar of the Evening Star pub near Brighton station.

Another one to look out for is Burning Sky from Mark Tranter (ex-Dark Star head brewer) whose beers have gone down very well at the Crystal Palace Beer Festival. If you venture in to Brighton after the game there are plenty of good real ale pubs including an outpost of the Craft Beer Company – but maybe cover up your famous red and blue colours! A FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS Alan Mullery is, of course, a name that is synonymous with both Brighton and ourselves and he probably ranks as the most unpopular Palace manager ever. Apparently even the Pope didn’t like him. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the great Steve Coppell who managed both clubs and remains the most successful and best loved Palace manager of alltime. One of my favourite ex-players is Glenn Murray who is hugely popular and respected by our fans and theirs. FAMOUS FANS Just two to name today. Former TV sports presenter Des Lynam is a regular at the Amex and a lifelong fan. Fatboy Slim aka Norman Cook is probably Brighton’s best known supporter. His record label – Skint – released his No.1 hit album ‘You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby’ and were Brighton’s kit sponsor for nine years.

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

TRAVEL The train is probably your best bet as parking is difficult at - or even anywhere near - the Amex. Alternatively, I know that some fans drive to Lewes and take the five-minute train journey from there to Falmer. If you are coming from East Croydon, my best tip is to take a fast train to Lewes (50 minutes) and then change. This is usually less hassle than going in to Brighton and coming out again on a train that will be full of home supporters. Hopefully Southern will lay on some direct trains for Palace supporters.

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48 CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

*Fixtures subject to change

01.02.2020

Eagle Heights CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

01.02.2020

Everyone associated with Crystal Palace understands the relevance of the year 2010. A decade on and the club is back on its feet and going from strength to strength. Alongside everything else, 2010 also marked the debut of the south Londoners’ live mascot, Kayla. A move made to galvanise the club during that period of uncertainty. “Crystal Palace were about to go in to administration,” Kayla’s keeper and best friend, Chris Belsey, begins down at Eagle Heights. “At the time someone from the club got in touch with Eagle Heights and said: ‘I don’t know if this will work but can you bring down a couple of eagles to boost morale?’” Not knowing how this would pan out, Chris set about making it happen. He said: “We identified two eagles that we thought would do really well: Kayla and Alaska. We took them both along but Alaska absolutely hated it - she was being very out of character towards me. However, when I took Kayla on to

the pitch, she didn’t bat an eyelid. She loved it and I could tell the fans were surprised to see her out there against West Bromwich Albion.” With the pre-match fanfare around Kayla as prevalent as it was 10 years ago against the Baggies, it is safe to say the plan for boosted morale worked; Kayla is now very much part of the furniture in SE25. Just ask Julián Speroni. Chris reveals: “Speroni has come up to Eagles Heights a couple of times with his family. I remember at a game, I was getting Kayla out, and his wife came up with one of his children and she asked for picture of her son with Kayla.” Much like Palace’s club legend, Speroni, Chris knows all about loyalty and commitment to a cause: “I’ve been here for about 13 years,” he begins telling his own journey of how he came about working at the Wildlife Foundation. “When I was younger, my cousin suggested that I come out and try ‘hawking’. And this was at a period in my

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life when I was suffering with my mental health. Getting out there, into the countryside and enjoying myself, perked me right back up.” With the honesty in which Chris tells his story, it’s clear his role with Kayla at Eagle Heights is more than just a job. From starting out as a volunteer to now being an integral part of Eagle Heights setup, Chris takes pleasure in revealing that “sometimes during the displays spectators come up and tell me something that I don’t know about the birds. I love that about this job.” But it’s evident what Chris loves the most about his occupation. And that is the fact that he gets to do the job alongside his son. A smile can’t help but escape Chris when mentioning this; a pride in sharing an interest with his offspring. That’s Chris’ story. But what about Kayla’s? Tongue in cheek, we ask Chris about how an eagle copes with fame? After all, Kayla has starred in several films, including Clash of the Titans.

01.02.2020

Sometimes when I take her out on the pitch, she’ll throw her neck back and make this call as if to say: ‘I’m here.

With the fans, staff and players ‘taken’ by Kayla, it’s understandable that Palace’s live mascot is “a little bit of a diva.” Laughing, Chris explains: “Sometimes when I take her out on the pitch, she’ll throw her neck back and make this call as if to say: ‘I’m here.’ En route to SE25, Kayla’s pre-match routine is slightly different from the match-going Crystal Palace supporters’. Chris details what happens ahead of kick-off, saying: “I come and collect her from Eagle Heights just before 12:30 for a 3pm kick-off and I fit her with a transmitter in case she flies out of the stadium and I have to go find her ASAP. “In 10 years, Kayla has flown out of the stadium just once, when we were playing Norwich City. That was on an extremely windy day. She went up really high, when she usually flies low, and I saw her keep going right out the stadium. Kayla did try and come back but she got caught in the winds.” “I eventually found her between one of the stands and the wall. So at least I didn’t have to go across London to get her!” But we now know that Kayla would never stray too far from the stadium, because “she’d now consider Selhurst Park to be her territory,” Chris added. Selhurst Park: home of the Eagle.

In 10 years, Kayla has flown out of the stadium just once, when we were playing Norwich City. That was on an extremely windy day.

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

01.02.2020

GAME CHANGER footballfoundation.org.uk 52 AD-105x148-FF-Game Changer.indd 1

01/08/2019 09:21

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

01.02.2020

Alan Pardew enjoys reflecting upon his playing days. Perhaps he considers it a break from the old routine for a figure better known now as a manager. Given the relegation scrap he has recently been flung into at ADO Den Haag, he might actually relish the chance to reflect on his time parading Crystal Palace’s midfield three decades ago. When his mind does drift, he acknowledges Palace’s promotion campaign and their first season back in the elite as his best in the professional game. A player who made his name in non-league, from Dulwich Hamlet to Yeovil Town, Pardew found his feet in rarefied company and, over those two years, made an impression. He was a workaholic and effective in the Second Division. He would score six goals in Palace’s first season back in the top-flight, a feat he never matched at that level again. “I’d been the golden boy at the non-league teams I played for, but had struggled and actually been a ‘boo boy’ in my early days at Palace,” he said. “But I developed a thick skin from that which helped me, and I played my best football in those two seasons.” One of his most rewarding

afternoons arguably came at White Hart Lane in early March, 1990, when Palace moved into uncharted territory. Palace had never won at Spurs in the league and Terry Venables’ Lilywhites, while hardly illuminating the division, boasted some mouth-watering attacking talents. A team who had recently won at Chelsea – a feat they would wait 29 years to repeat – had lost their last two matches, so the visit of a side hovering just outside the relegation places felt opportune. Yet they hadn’t taken into account the industry and energy of their opponents’ unsung midfield. Andy Gray, leaner and increasingly influential, dominated with Geoff Thomas restored at his side. That pair set a standard at Spurs which would be maintained for the next 18 months. And, in Pardew, the visitors had an unlikely matchwinner waiting for his moment. The midfielder, largely operating off the right, had seen a first-half effort scrambled from the goal-line by Gary Mabbutt. If that was unfortunate, his luck turned after the break as Erik Thorsvedt mustered a weak punch at Andy Thorn’s punted free-kick, and Pardew looped a first-time

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

header over the clutter around the penalty spot and into the empty net. “I remember scoring past Peter Shilton and Neville Southall early on that season, then past Nigel Spink at Villa Park, but Spurs felt special,” he said. “We had started that season nowhere near good enough, apart from our two strikers. “But we knew that, if we could keep games tight, we could get results. After the Liverpool setback in the autumn, we’d got back to fighting tooth and nail for each other. The bear pit – no holds barred, and what we said to each other at training was beyond honesty at times – was back. Okay, we’d lost Ian Wright to njury, but being without our best player actually made us gel even more to compensate.” Those on the Park Lane terrace erupted in delight at Pardew’s goal, and later celebrated Wright’s return off the bench. Other than one Lineker shot, which Richard Shaw blocked, the visitors were untroubled. Coppell’s side finished the afternoon in 15th place, immediately above both Manchester clubs. More significantly, they were seven points off the bottom three.

The 2019/20 season marks 30 years on from the first year ‘back’ in the top-flight under Steve Coppell, and this week The Athletic writer Dom Fifield looks back at a magical afternoon at White Hart Lane.

01.02.2020

this summer? THE SUMMER THAT TURNS NO YOU CANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T INTO NO WE CAN

Designed specially for 16 and 17 year olds, NCS is a summer programme that gives young people the self-belief (and skills) to smash their future goals. INTERESTED? GET IN TOUCH TO FIND OUT MORE: NCS@palaceforlife.org SEARCH PALACE FOR LIFE NCS CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

PALACE FOR LIFE

Joel Ward has backed Palace for Life Foundation’s brand new National Citizen Service (NCS) and is encouraging young people from across south London to sign up. Taking place between June and August from this year (2020), 16 and 17-year-olds will have the opportunity to meet new people, take part in adventure activities and make a difference to their community. Palace defender Ward said: “It’s great that Palace for Life are giving young people the opportunity to take part in something like this in the summer holidays. Spending time in nature and trying new things is such an important part of life. This is something I’d have loved to get involved with when I was younger and I’d encourage anyone considering it to give it a go.” Palace for Life Foundation join 150 other organisations, including football clubs, charities and councils, who run the scheme

up and down the country. Through the NCS programme, youngsters enjoy a range of outdoor activities like kayaking and rock climbing, as well as taking part in a team project to help their local community. NCS programme manager Angelica Nabadda explained: “It’s a four-week summer programme which helps young people with the transition from school to college. It’s an amazing opportunity for them to taste independence, develop new skills and meet new people. This will be the first time we’ve run NCS and we’re hoping to have more than 400 people taking part.” The first phase includes a residential adventure programme outside of London followed by a week of life skills development at Queen Mary University. Angelica continued: “I took part in NCS myself when I was younger, so I know first-hand what a positive impact it can have. The programme

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

helps to build self-confidence and enhances skills like leadership, teamwork and communication.” The programme culminates with a community project in which students lead an initiative to make a difference within their local community. Anyone who would like to get involved should contact: ncs@ palaceforlife.org or find out more at www.palaceforlife.org

We’re recruiting! Are you interested in working on our NCS programme this summer and helping young people make a difference in their local community? We’re looking for passionate and dedicated people to lead, motivate and inspire. Visit www.palaceforlife.org for vacancies.

FOUNDATION

01.02.2020

INVEST IN WHAT YOU LOVE 56

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CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high riskCRYSTAL of losing money. PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

COMMODITIES

Scott Banks is an Eagle. But what has the recruit from Dundee United been up to in his first few days as part of the famous red and blue? Here, the attacking-midfielder caught up with Dan Blazer.

01.02.2020

Scott Banks’ name has cropped up a lot around the club – that’s to be expected with a new signing. However, every mention of the 18-year-old is followed by a remark on what a friendly and happy guy the new recruit is. Banks was no different during our interview in the Training Ground canteen. He was accommodating, too, returning for our chat after dropping off a teammate at the train station. Good gesture following good gesture. “It’s strange for me to say but I’m not missing home as much as I thought,” Banks begins, and it’s important to note the smile on his face doesn’t wane for one second throughout our discussion. “The club helped arrange accomodation so I’m in a flat in Bromley, just 15 minutes from the Training Ground and I’m enjoying staying by myself.” The excitement of moving to a Premier League club will no doubt override any other emotion but having met his parents on the day he signed, we’d guess that they’re missing their boy. What parents wouldn’t? Discussing his mum and dad, Banks says: “They’re just delighted for me. My mum is obviously missing me but they all understand what a huge opportunity it is for me.” Banks’ attitude when discussing the craziest week of his life so far is not too dissimilar from a kid experiencing Disneyland for the first

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

01.02.2020

“EVERYONE HAS BEEN AMAZING. JAMES MCARTHUR HAS TAKEN ME UNDER HIS WING A BIT, BEING A FELLOW SCOTTISH BOY. JAMES

time. Excitement levels constantly rising, he reveals what his first few days as a Palace player have been like: “The majority of my time so far has been testing. It’s like a ‘body MOT’ where the doctors and sports scientists check out your fitness, mobility, reactions and tailor a programme for you based around that. “I’ve even just enjoyed that. It’s been tough but being in these facilities, at a Premier League club, is just strides ahead of what I’ve been used to.” Banks reels off a list of differences between Crystal Palace and Dundee United, with the big one being the focus each player receives as an individual. He reveals: “The amount of coaches is a big difference. If I’m in the gym there’s three coaches just working me. And then I’m walking around and seeing esteemed players like Gary Cahill and Wilfried Zaha and I’m just trying to be normal around these guys; guys that I’ve been watching as I grow up. “Being an 18-year-old kid from Scotland, you never think you’ll be sitting in the canteen with Patrick van Aanholt. It’s surreal!” Just to confirm, the smile is

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

still there, accompanied by the odd laugh – something that appears to be involuntary as Banks tries to process his dreams falling in to place at just 18. Crystal Palace Football Club is an easy place to fit in to, though. The family-community ethos that runs through the club makes everyone feel instantly welcome. Banks reaffirms this: “Everyone has been amazing. James McArthur has taken me under his wing a bit, being a fellow Scottish boy. James McCarthy has been great, too.” Now to matters on the pitch. What can the onlooking Eagles from the Selhurst Park terraces expect from our attacking-midfielder in the years to come? “There’s probably no one like me,” Banks jokes before continuing. “I’m a wide player, so I admire players like Zaha and even Max Meyer is close to what I’m like. Meyer may not have the pace of Zaha – who does? - but his close control and passing ability is great. Ultimately, I always think you’ve got to take a bit from everyone’s game; you can learn from everyone no matter what the position.”

MCCARTHY HAS BEEN GREAT, TOO”

01.02.2020

60 CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

WHAT’S ON SELHURST PARK

SAT 22 FEB | 3pm Selhurst Park

SAT 07 MAR | 3pm Selhurst Park

SAT 04 APR | 3pm Selhurst Park

SAT 18 APR | 3pm Selhurst Park

TICKETS ON SALE NOW - SEARCH ‘CPFC TICKETS’ FOR DETAILS

Crystal Palace F.C.

Premium Matchday Celebrate a special occasion and experience Selhurst Park in style. Choose the match of your choice in 2019/20 by searching ‘Premium CPFC’.

10TH ANNIVERSARY BEER FESTIVAL Back by popular demand, the club are delighted to confirm that we will run our 10th annual Beer Festival at Selhurst Park on Saturday 23rd May this year, and tickets are now on sale. With enough variety of beer and cider to shake a commemorative pint glass at (which you’ll receive upon entry), you can make certain that you’ll find the tipple for your taste buds amongst our vast array of choices with over 200 beers and ciders on offer from breweries

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

across the country in attendance. Don’t worry if you aren’t much of a beer drinker, as you don’t need to miss out on one of London’s biggest beer festivals as the Pimm’s and Tanqueray gin flower wall stands will be returning! To celebrate our 10th Beer Festival in a row the club have frozen ticket prices at £12 when bought in advance and they’re now on sale at tickets.cpfc.co.uk remember, tickets increase to £20 if you rock up on the day.

01.02.2020

FIRST-TEAM SPONSORS CRYSTAL PALACE F.C.

Roy Hodgson

Joel Ward

Patrick van Aanholt

Luka Milivojevic

Sponsored By:

James Tomkins

Scott Dann

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL 01737 225 711 |

W S PA . C O . U K

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Max Meyer

Cheikhou KouyatÃ©

Sponsored By:

29/12/2017 09:17

Andros Townsend

Wilfried Zaha

Mamadou Sakho

Sponsored By:

Christian Benteke

James McArthur

Stephen Henderson

Cenk Tosun

Sponsored By:

Gary Cahill

Vicente Guaita

Martin Kelly

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Sponsored By:

Jordan Ayew Sponsored By:

Wayne Hennessey

Connor Wickham

Jeffrey Schlupp

James McCarthy

Other available Player Sponsorship Packages To sponsor your favourite player, please call 020 8768 6004 or email liam.connery@cpfc.co.uk CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

The Eagles turned up the heat in Morocco as they undertook a warm weather training camp during their break from the Premier League in March 2017.

01.02.2020

BESPOKE SHIRTS FROM

£79 £120

Offcial Club Tailor CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

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PALACEXI IN TIME By Ian King

Club historian Ian King goes back to the Nationwide First Division play-off final of 1997 that was against todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opponents Sheffield United.

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

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STARTINGXI An iconic moment of footballing commentary was made in that nal minute with Sky Sports’ Rob Hawthorne announ in nd here’s Hopkin, looking to curl one!”

Carlo Nash

Marc Edworthy

David Tuttle

Andy Linighan

Dean Gordon

David Hopkin

Kevin Muscat

Andy Roberts

Simon Rodger

Neil Shipperley

Bruce Dyer

SUBS NOT USED 66

Crystal Palace 1 hef eld nited 0 26th May 1997

Ray Houghton

Leon McKenzie

Carl Veart

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

01.02.2020

PALACEXI PALACE XI IN TIME By Ian King

their nerve to reach the final, despite Wolves winning on the night with a goal five minutes from the end. BLADES BLUNTED After being sent-off in the final league game, Freedman was unavailable for the showpiece at Wembley, which meant Bruce Dyer returned to lead the line. On a sunny afternoon the final was always expected to be a cagey, tactical affair and for most of the game the action was played out in the middle of the park where Andy Roberts was the standout performer. Shipperley had a chance from a corner but headed over and then Dyer was handed a couple of opportunities he was unable to take advantage of. Sheffield United’s former Palace forward Gareth Taylor gave David Tuttle and Andy Linighan a few problems for a spell in the second-half but ultimately everyone was preparing for extra time. Up stepped Hopkin. Palace were awarded a corner at the end of Wembley where 34,000 south Londoners were gathered. A short corner on the Eagles’ right was followed up by a cross from Simon Rodger that was only half-cleared by the Blades defence. Falling

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

favourably to Hopkin on the edge of the penalty area, he trapped the ball, looked up and bent it in to the top corner of Simon Tracey’s goal as half the stadium erupted. Within a minute, the referee blew for full-time. “HERE’S HOPKIN LOOKING…” With about 10 minutes remaining there came a crescendo of noise from the Palace fans, almost as if they were expecting *that* moment to happen. What the Eagles faithful would not have been aware of though, was that an iconic moment of footballing commentary was made in that final minute with Sky Sports’ Rob Hawthorne announcing: “And here’s Hopkin, looking to curl one!” Hopkin, the club’s Player of the Year, said afterwards: “The ball came down towards me and my first thought was to cross it in to the goalmouth. But as I stepped round I had a clear sight of the goal and just went for it.” Coming a year after the heartbreak of the Leicester City play-off final this was redemption for the club, while United’s fans were probably only as green as manager Howard Kendall’s ill-chosen sweat-stained shirt.

DRAMATIC SEMI-FINAL Drama in the play-offs is something that Palace do well and the 1996/97 season was no different. Having spent most of the campaign in the automatic promotion places, manager Dave Bassett suddenly left in March for Nottingham Forest, which saw Steve Coppell return in a caretaker manager capacity. Following a mid-season dip in form, sixth place was secured in the final game of the season, setting up a semi-final against Wolverhampton Wanderers. In the first leg at Selhurst Park, Neil Shipperley gave the Eagles the lead midway through the second-half. The goal was looking like it would be the only strike of the game but after a frantic final couple of minutes, the clash ended 3-1 to the Eagles. Firstly, substitute Dougie Freedman doubled Palace’s advantage but Jamie Smith replied almost instantly for Wolves. However, Freedman again restored our two-goal advantage with an exquisite chipped finish. In the return leg at Molineux, Wolves cut the aggregate score to one goal after 30 minutes. However, when David Hopkin equalised in the secondhalf to silence the crowd, Palace held

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68 CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

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MANCHESTER CITY 2 CRYSTAL PALACE 2 ETIHAD STADIUM SATURDAY 18TH JANUARY

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

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70 CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

01.02.2020

SHAUN DERRY

Currently, it feels like the lads are having to fight and scrap for any outcome in games. We are having to work really hard for our goals, and at the opposite end the ones we are conceding are easy giveaways, ones that disappoint us. It was the same in our most recent game against Cardiff City on Wednesday. We made a good impression in the game and scored a couple of well-worked goals through Gio McGregor and James Daly - the build-up and manner of the strikes were pleasing. To then end up losing 2-3 after a late Cardiff fightback was tough to take. But the coaching staff and I know what we’ve got to do to get the players’ confidence back: consistency in our messages, maintaining certain habits and sticking to our nonnegotiable principles. That being said, when you look at our current form from an educational point of view, it carries value. There will be moments in the

players’ senior careers where they experience difficult times. Therefore, this period will help them when it comes to handling those situations. On a more positive note, it was great to see the success of the squad Paddy McCarthy took out to the Under19s Winter Tournament in Tel Aviv. Last year, we went with an exceptionally young squad, which meant physically we were a bit behind the curve. We learnt a lot of valuable lessons during the 2019 tournament, though. This time we took another young group out, but several of the lads competed last year and the experience was extremely positive in terms of the results. We finished as runners-up in the league format and the players being exposed to a different style of football and European opposition is invaluable. Judging by the pleasing conversations I’ve had with Paddy, the players were excellent at adapting to different tactical instructions and systems.

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

Furthermore, Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman attended the tournament like they did last year and that’s great for the players to see. When they’re seeing people who have high roles at this football club, having dinner with them or being in the hotel with them, it’s great for the lads’ development. The club has recently signed Scott Banks, and he’s been training with the first-team and the Under-23s to help him settle after moving from Scotland. It’s a great sign to see the club bringing in someone like Banks – he’s what I’d call ‘an outside of the box’ arrival. Banks brings with him a different type of character and personality to this football club and that’s important. Having spoken to him and his parents, he’s excited to have been given this great opportunity. And he has the ability, too: he’s got a great left foot, excellent balance and he’s extremely agile when in possession.

Confidence is huge in football, but when you’re low in that department for various reasons, it can produce negative outcomes. And at the moment I feel the squad are in a difficult moment.

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72 CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

01.02.2020

LUCY GILLETT

The abuse from a group of male spectators, who had positioned themselves directly behind my goal, started from kick-off and a barrage of abuse carried on relentlessly throughout the first-half. It wasn’t until half-time that I got a chance to speak to the referee and in the second-half the group had relocated themselves. I don’t know if this was because the referee went to Coventry United’s first-team manager and flagged the issue, spoke to group directly or whether they realised they were being out of order. That being said, they were still watching on during the secondhalf and being aggressive, but the personal abuse towards me stopped. Thankfully, I’d say I’m pretty thick-skinned. Therefore, comments

like that go in one ear and out the other. I tend to be calm and collected in those situations. However, there our former teammates of mine, and perhaps even in this squad now, that might not have taken the abuse the same way I did and the comments would’ve got to them. This is the first time I’ve personally been the target. I’ve witnessed situations before, but they weren’t targeting me individually. Hopefully this is just a one-off experience. It hasn’t deterred my love for the game, this club and the English game. The club and the team have been great with me and have supported me hugely, regularly checking in with me that I am okay – it’s nice to receive that support and highlights what a tight-knit squad we have.

Since the incident, I’ve been asked a lot about how we can move to eradicate these situations from happening. And given what I went through, this is something I’ve given a lot of thought to. It comes down to the education side. That’s the biggest thing we need to combat. Educating the players on how to respond to this behaviour, educating fans on what respectable behaviour is and educating clubs in raising awareness of any abuse suffered. I’ve put this behind me now, and I’m fully focussed on helping Crystal Palace finish as high up the league table as possible, and progress further in the FA Cup, starting with tomorrow’s game against Southampton.

Palace for all | proud to be inclusive CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

On Sunday 12th January, I suffered sexist abuse during our FA Women’s Championship game away at Coventry United.

01.02.2020

PROUD TO BE SUPPORTERS OF CPFC CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

01.02.2020

U18S, U23S & WOMEN FIXTURES, RESULTS & TABLES

Date

Opposition

Mon 12

Birmingham City

Result

Sheffield United

0-0

Wed 21

Crewe Alexandra

0-1

Sat 24

Nottingham Forest

0-0

Tue 27

Hull City

1-3

Sat 31

Burnley

1-2

Mon 2

Barnsley

3-0

Thurs 5

Birmingham City

5-1

Mon 9

Leeds United

0-0

SEP

Sat 17

Wigan Athletic

2-2

Mon 16

Bolton Wanderers

1-5

Sat 21

Cardiff City

2-3

Mon 23

Queens Park Rangers

3-1

Sat 28

Coventry City

0-7

Mon 14

Watford

0-2

OCT

Sat 14

Sat 5

Ipswich Town

2-1

Mon 21

Charlton Athletic

1-2

Sat 19

Queens Park Rangers

0-5

Mon 28

Cardiff City

3-0

Sat 2

Millwall

3-0

Mon 18

Bristol City

1-2

Sat 9

Charlton Athletic

1-1

Sat 16

Bristol City

2-1

Sat 7

Coventry City

4-0

Fri 20

Cardiff City

3-1

Fri 10

Queens Park Rangers

5-2

Sat 1

Millwall

Sat 8

Charlton Athletic

Sat 15 Sat 22

Date

Opposition

Sun 18

Coventry United

0-0

Sun 25

Durham

2-1

Sun 8

Lewes

1-1

Sun 15

Aston Villa

0-6

Sun 29

Leicester City

1-2

Sun 13

Sheffield United

1-5

Sun 27

London Bees

2-3

Sun 17

London City Lionesses

1-2

Sun 24

Blackburn Rovers

2-0

Sun 1

Charlton Athletic

1-1

Sun 15

Durham

1-4

Sun 12

Coventry United

3-2 1-3

4-2

Mon 16

Ipswich Town

2-1

Mon 6

Queens Park Rangers

3-3

Wed 22

Charlton Athletic

2-1

Wed 29

Cardiff City

2-3

Mon 3

Bristol City

Mon 10

Coventry City

Bristol City

Tue 18

Millwall

Sun 19

Leicester City

Watford

Mon 2

Colchester United

Sun 9

London Bees

Sat 29

Ipswich Town

Fri 6

Watford

Tue 10

Watford

Mon 16

Ipswich Town

Sun 23

London City Lionesses

Sat 14

Colchester United

Mon 23

Wigan Athletic

Sun 1

Sheffield United

Sat 21

Barnsley

Mon 30

Nottingham Forest

Sat 28

Hull City

Mon 6

Sheffield United

Sun 22

Blackburn Rovers

Sat 4

Bolton Wanderers

Thu 9

Colchester United

Sun 29

Charlton Athletic

Sat 11

Sheffield Wednesday

Tue 14

Coventry City

Sun 19

Lewes

Sat 18

Leeds United

Mon 20

Sheffield Wednesday

Sun 26

Aston Villa

Mon 27

DEC JAN FEB MAR APR

JAN FEB MAR

Crewe Alexandra

NOV

Millwall

DEC

Mon 25

Sat 25

Result

1-1

Burnley

Team

Pts

Team

Pts

Team

Pts

Millwall

Watford

Aston Villa

Watford

Millwall

Sheffield United

Charlton Athletic

Coventry City

Durham

Bristol City

Charlton Athletic

London City Lionesses

Crystal Palace

Cardiff City

London Bees

Ipswich Town

Queens Park Rangers

Coventry United

Blackburn Rovers

Cardiff City

Ipswich Town

Lewes

Colchester United

Bristol City

Coventry United

Coventry City

Colchester United

Crystal Palace

Queens Park Rangers

Crystal Palace

Charlton Athletic

CRYSTAL PALACE V SHEFFIELD UNITED

0-4

AUG

Result

SEP

Colchester United

OCT

Opposition

Sat 10

AUG

Date

Professional Development League

APR

MAR

FEB

JAN

DEC

NOV

OCT

SEP

AUG

U18 Professional Development League

AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY

Everton

Sun 18