CPFC vs Tottenham Hotspur by Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur Sunday 26th July 2020 // 4:00pm

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“For years and years my generation of black footballers never complained about racism because no one ever listened. “So for me to see the impact and support that the black players have received from their white peers and the greater British public fills me with joy. “I feel we are on the cusp of change.” Mark Bright

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INSIDE THE PROGRAMME CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUNDAY 26TH JULY 2020 | 4PM 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

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Roy Hodgson

Chris Grierson

Junior Eagles

Amateur Analysis

A corner of south London

Nya Kirby

Palace XI in Time

Palace in the Attic

Seasonal Statistics

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

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

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ROY HODGSON

We have finally reached the end of this extraordinary campaign. In all my time in football, I have never known anything like the last four months but I am glad we have been able to complete the season both fairly and fully. However, I cannot reflect on the recent pandemic by discussing football alone, and my heart goes out to all who have had loved ones taken from them during this period. The tragic loss of friends and family for so many across the globe clearly pales into insignificance when compared with football, but I hope the sport has provided some welcome respite for all of its followers. We have been reminded of football’s significance in our lives in recent months. We missed it most when it was taken away, and your importance, as supporters, in our national game has been highlighted dramatically. While circumstances are far from ideal, football has

enhanced the last five weeks at a time when it was truly needed. I am glad that it returned and that our Chairman, Steve Parish, was such a vocal figure in achieving this feat. But that is not to say the squad and I have been happy with recent results. We have been unfortunate, certainly, on several occasions over the last few games. Whether it be sheer bad luck or officiating decisions going against us, it feels as if we have not had ‘the rub of the green’ throughout the season restart. But dwelling on this does us no favours, especially with such a short recovery period between matches. Now more than ever, we have had to focus on upcoming fixtures swiftly and wholeheartedly, and I will be glad to return to a more regular schedule in the coming months. Our performances have not deserved reprimand or criticism for the attitude and determination displayed. The team’s resolve against

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both Chelsea and Manchester United was exemplary, and I hope it reminds the watching world that our current league position is not reflective of our season overall. We have achieved something quite remarkable this year and for the last seven years: securing Premier League football for the following season. This is no mean feat for many of the clubs in the league and, for a squad our size and with the fitness concerns we have faced, can be regarded as success in itself. Of course, we wanted to finish higher this season and with more of a flourish than we have done, but we have enjoyed fine results, performances and memories from the last 11 months. There is still time to finish on a high today against an accomplished Tottenham Hotspur side. I hope next season is less traumatic for us all, and that we meet again shortly. Enjoy the game.

Welcome to Jose Mourinho, his staff and players and the accompanying directors who have travelled to Selhurst Park for this afternoon’s game.

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LUKA MILIVOJEVIC Our aim was to finish in the top 10 and to try and get the most Premier League points in our club’s history. But we didn’t make it, so we go again next season. That’s the only way we can think.

Against Manchester United I think it was a penalty for the foul on Wilf but it wasn’t given to us. And it has been things like that, since the return after lockdown, that aren’t considered when people view the statistics and see that we haven’t won in a lot of games. During this fixture run we have deserved more points; our performances were not a fair reflection of the scoreline in many of those games. I believe we have had a good season so far. The situation with coronavirus effects every single club. However, I do feel that for us, when we’ve played at home, we have been affected more than most, because we have the best fans in the league with their energy and noise and teams aren’t as intimidated to come to Selhurst Park at the moment because there are no fans. When you look at the season

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as a whole, rather than as two different parts, it has been a successful one for us – looking ahead to our eighth season in a row in the Premier League. I think back to Burnley in November through to the end of January, where the same 12 or 13 players were getting us through the busy period, and we lost in the league just twice. It’s important to remember the whole picture. The most important thing is now to prepare for next season, and that starts now, by finishing strongly in our final 90 minutes. I had a small problem with my knee which kept me out of the game on Monday v Wolves but writing these notes to you the day after that, I am hoping to be in line to help the team finish the season with a big positive – be that from the sidelines or the pitch. Like every single game, it will be a tough one against Tottenham, against a team in the top part of the table but we have our own qualities. They have been highlighted in the club’s End of Season awards – I think it’s great that these events are still happening, no matter how different they are from previous years, as it’s important for us to be able to maintain a unity with our fans in other ways.

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My Player of the Season vote went to Jordan; he has been very consistent, which is impressive when you consider the manager has changed his position many times. He has played as a striker, a second-striker and a winger on either side. No matter the area of the pitch where he has been selected, he has always been there, making sacrifices for the team and performing well. The goal that was a real standout and crucial was the one against Bournemouth at home, when we had 10 men after Mama’s red card. That was a psychologically important game for us; we were struggling, we had a lot of injuries at that moment in time and it is not easy to play with one man less for over half a game. That goal from Schluppy was a great run and finish but we have scored more impressive goals this season. But the importance of that finish cannot be downplayed – we lost one of our next seven league games, including draws at the Emirates and the Etihad. I wish everyone good luck and health in the break and I look forward to being reunited with you all soon at our home of Selhurst. For one final time this season… Make some noise!

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STEVE PARISH

As I reflect on this campaign, it’s important to remember this is another season of progress. It is truly amazing to think that a decade on from when we bought the club, Roy and his staff have successfully led the team to a record eighth successive term in the top-flight. Having had such an impressive first three-quarters of the season before the pandemic struck, of course we may have hoped to find ourselves in a higher position than 13th or 14th come the end. This league is unforgiving, margins are tight, and sadly we find ourselves in a disappointing patch of form. But today is another day and I know each and every player is desperate to turn the tide and get a positive result for you all to celebrate; we all know they are capable of doing so. Our recent news about achieving Category 1 status for our Academy is a major highlight and

marker of progress for the club, and the amount of energy going into that project is extremely exciting. It is fitting that I congratulate Tyrick on his first full appearance for the club, I thought he did extremely well and despite the result, he should be really proud of his performance. I’d like to thank each and every player and staff member for their efforts this season. So many people went above and beyond to support the club and the community, as terrible as the situation was and is, I couldn’t have asked more from anyone and I am very proud of all the actions we took. Whilst it’s important to take time to reflect, we all need this small window of opportunity to fully switch off and recharge, as before we know it the squad will be back in training preparing for the new season - to those players

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currently sidelined, I wish you the speediest of recoveries. I’d also like to thank you for your continued support through this campaign; I hope you have managed through it in the best way possible. Rest assured that we’re doing everything we can to bring as many of you as possible back into the ground as soon as it is safe to do so. Finally, I’d like to welcome Nathan to the club, a player I cannot wait to see play in red and blue. He is a player we’ve been so impressed by - on the pitch, but also off it - and were determined to bring him to south London. He is exactly the type of player and person we are targeting in this window, and hopefully there will be more positive news in the coming weeks. Stay safe everyone, and enjoy the break.

Thank you for buying this final matchday programme of the 2019/20 season. Today we welcome the players, staff and directors of Spurs.

A Premier League season ending in July: Roy Hodgsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s managerial career has surely now experienced it all. Here, with Dan Blazer, the Palace manager looks back at the standout moments from the 2019/20 season that draws to a close today v Tottenham Hotspur.

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11th May, 1991, was the last time Crystal Palace bettered Manchester United in the league – you have to go back to 1989 for a top-flight victory at Old Trafford, too. But when Patrick van Aanholt’s injury time effort squeezed past David de Gea, Roy Hodgson was able to add another highlight to a CV that has room for few more. “You always know it is going to be a difficult game up there [Old Trafford] no matter who you are,” Hodgson admits, recalling the 90 minutes from almost 11 months ago en route to the Training Ground for the final session before, coincidentally, welcoming the Red Devils to Selhurst Park 10 days ago. Hodgson admits that the game against Manchester United, no matter how difficult the opponent, was a game that was going to prove pivotal in how the Eagles’ season would pan out: “We hadn’t had a good start with a draw at home to Everton and then a defeat away to Sheffield United, so it was a game where it was important for us to try and get something, and try and make certain we were as solid as we could be.” Solid they were, with a Jordan Ayew opener giving Palace the lead until the 88th minute. However, before Daniel James struck, Marcus Rashford was

offered the chance to step-up unimpeded from 12-yards. “When they got the penalty, you fear the worst,” Hodgson says. “But luckily for us Marcus missed that one and I thought we went on to give a really good account of ourselves.”

“ IT WAS A GAME WHERE IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO TRY AND GET SOMETHING, AND TRY AND MAKE CERTAIN WE WERE AS SOLID AS WE COULD BE ”

That good account looked like it was going to fall two minutes short of normal time when James curled one past Vicente Guaita. “When they actually equalised, I felt a little bit sorry for the team,” Hodgson reveals, “because I thought with the way we played we deserved to hold on to the lead. But James’ equaliser

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looked like it was going to put an end to those high hopes. “But then Patrick van Aanholt pitches up and gets us the winner. It was a really important result to break that cycle and get us up to points total of four, which after three games, was a lot closer to what we expected to have at that time.”

Arsenal 2 Palace 2 Hodgson’s tenure in south London is a real collector’s item for any fans of David triumphing over Goliath, and three away games post-United, the Emirates succumbed to the will and game plan of Hodgson’s charges. But after finding themselves two corner-kick-goals down after nine minutes, emerging from north London anything other than beaten seemed nigh on impossible. “You depend upon two things: the character and the substance of your team,” Hodgson begins to detail how you manage the remaining 81 minutes of a game with such a disastrous start, “and you also rely very heavily on any organisation and structure. “The fact is: football throws strange things your way. You can be 2-0 up without having played any sort of football at all or you can go 2-0 down without having been battered.

Manchester United 1 Palace 2

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“You have to quickly come to terms with the fact that the goals have gone in – whatever has happened before that to provoke it mustn’t be allowed to impact upon the rest of the game. Because if you believe in yourselves and the players believe in themselves, and they believe in what they’re doing then they need to think that they can turn this around. “We’ve conceded two but we can score at least two. We’ve got to keep going and doing what we know and have planned to do.”

Manchester city 2 Palace 2 16

Old Trafford silenced, the Emirates stunned and now it was time for the Etihad, yet again, to be shell-shocked by Hodgson’s south Londoners. “We felt hard done by because our organisation and structure that day really was very good; we worked very hard,” Hodgson reveals that a point against the then-defending champions didn’t quite satisfy his aspirational Eagles. “Manchester City had the ball, as they always do - even when they play teams like Liverpool, they dominate possession and create a lot of situations in and around the penalty area. “But our defensive work that day from the front through to the midfield and all the way to the back really was very good.”

A late brace from Sergio Agüero looked to have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, as the Argentine has done so often in his time with the Citizens. “The two goals they scored were a bitter blow, because it looked like after 80-odd minutes of very good work, that looked like they were going to give us an excellent three points, that work was going to give us nothing at all.” This Palace side never know when they’re beaten, however, especially when most would be expecting David to succumb meekly to the financial strength of Goliath. In fact, Hodgson admits that the rollercoaster final 10 minutes in which Palace saw three points go to one, then to none and then back up to one, meant the draw felt like a victory on the team coach back to SE25. “When you score a late equaliser, after having a few minutes to come to terms with what would’ve been an underserved defeat that day,” Hodgson explains, “the equaliser feels like a winner in some ways. “It does at least ensure you go away from the game knowing you’ve done well as a team and the players go away knowing we’ve done really well today to get a result up here - even feeling slightly sorry for themselves in the sense that if we had held on for a little bit longer we could’ve won it.”

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jordan ayew’s scoring form A player so crucial to many of the eye-catching results this season has been Jordan Ayew, who is enjoying his best return in front of goal in the Premier League. “He’s unlocked himself,” Hodgson bats away any suggestion he and his coaching staff should be taking the plaudits for our top goalscorer’s regular match-defining finishes. “When Jordan first came to the club he worked very hard to take on the ethos of our club and we appreciated in his first season the hard work and effort he put in for the team. “I don’t think he’s ever regarded himself as a natural goalscorer or a predator in the penalty area; that’s not his game – it’s a much more all-round game because much of his work has been done on the wings.” Hodgson does offer a small bit of insight into how he and his coaching staff should perhaps take a snippet of the plaudits for Ayew’s impressive season: “We’ve encouraged him to take shooting opportunities quicker and maybe not try to be as precise by hanging onto the ball for the perfect opportunity, and to shoot when an opportunity arrives and trust in his technique. “And I think he has done that.” No arguments, here, Roy.

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“ WE’VE ENCOURAGED HIM TO TAKE SHOOTING OPPORTUNITIES QUICKER AND MAYBE NOT TRY TO BE AS PRECISE BY HANGING ONTO THE BALL FOR THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY, AND TO SHOOT WHEN AN OPPORTUNITY ARRIVES AND TRUST IN HIS TECHNIQUE

”

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gary cahill & James Mccarthy Ayew signed permanently in the summer, alongside Gary Cahill and James McCarthy; three players who have been almost ever-presents for Hodgson this season, pointing to a working transfer policy. Speaking as a man who celebrates his 73rd birthday next month, Hodgson knows that “age isn’t a determinant factor” and that’s certainly the case with Cahill. The centre-back has picked up several Man of the Match awards, as well as deputising as club captain on a handful of occasions, which is testament to his character and the performances that make Palace fans thankful Chelsea allowed his contract to expire. “People’s age doesn’t matter when a football match starts: it’s how good they are,” Hodgson quips. “I’ve never quite understood that age leads to a depreciation in performance. “I knew Gary Cahill from working with him for England; I knew how well he looked after himself and what a good athlete he was.” It was Hodgson’s inside knowledge and already-formedrapport with the former Three Lions international that Hodgson feels gave Palace the upper hand in securing the signature of a man very much in demand. “I thought as a free transfer it was a no-brainer to try and persuade

him to come to Crystal Palace,” Hodgson says. “I thought we had maybe a slight advantage over our fellow suitors because I knew that he was settled in the area and because we had worked together so he’d know what he was coming into if he joined Crystal Palace.”

“ I THOUGHT AS A FREE TRANSFER IT WAS A NOBRAINER TO TRY AND PERSUADE HIM TO COME TO CRYSTAL PALACE ”

Just like Cahill, James McCarthy was a player with plenty of options but again, personal relationships helped secure the centre-midfielder from Everton, with Hodgson revealing: “Maybe James McArthur helped us there, because he’s a good friend of McCarthy’s and I think James [McArthur] spoke highly of the club and everybody and that was maybe a factor that helped us get

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him because he was another who could’ve gone elsewhere.” If McArthur potentially helped nudge his friend over the line and into the Copers Cope Road Training Ground complex, then the groundwork Palace had done in the weeks and months prior certainly got the ball rolling. “Dougie Freedman went all the way to Switzerland to see him play in a pre-season tournament over there,” Hodgson reveals. “All the information we were getting from people we knew at Everton and from the matches we saw were that he is fit now. “Before his leg break, he was highly regarded as one of the best central midfield players in the league. And then of course the terrible injury he suffered kept him out for long periods of time and that meant during the long rehabilitation period he was forgotten because he wasn’t playing every week.” Hodgson certainly hadn’t forgotten about the midfielder who has now been selected by the Palace manager to play in 32 Premier League games this season; a shrewd bit of transfer business from the Eagles. “He was remarkably cheap, really. Because before his injury he was one of the stars of Everton’s team who would’ve commanded a transfer fee, even then, in the 20s of millions - which of course today would be even higher still.

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“To pick him up how we did, for such a small amount of money, in my opinion, is an absolute snip; I’m really pleased with the fact we were able to persuade him to come to us.”

Palace in the community

Crystal Palace takes pride in the role it plays within the south London community. Therefore, when the Premier League was forced to stop due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the club carried on despite having no matches or players on-site. Off the back of excellent initiatives such as the Palace Kitchen, calling all Season Ticket holders aged over 70 and offering Selhurst Park as a place for London’s ambulance staff to get a meal and have a break, Crystal Palace served the most vulnerable and thanked those risking their health for the greater good, in our close-knit SE25 community. For Hodgson, that is something he is “very proud” of; “I thought we came out of it [the pandemic] extremely well, both as a club and also from individual acts from some of the players. “Wilf Zaha was quite active in that time in terms of making money available and helping people who really needed it.” Chairman Steve Parish’s wellconsidered comments in his article for The Times regarding Project Restart brought about further praise for the way he and the club were acting. “I thought the way the Chairman

conducted himself, in terms of making sure no one was furloughed, I thought it was excellent,” Hodgson says. “He stood up as an important voice to get these matches played, albeit under the very difficult circumstances that we play under. “I was 100% in agreement with him, as were other people in football, that these matches needed to be played, this season needed to be finished in some way because we didn’t want it finished artificially. “Crystal Palace were certainly one of the forerunners in getting that done.”

black lives matter For Hodgson, this season won’t be remembered for his role in Ayew’s best goalscoring season or breaking a near-30-year curse of Palace against Manchester United in the league. For the Palace manager, it will, he hopes, be for the societal changes that will hopefully come from the black lives matter movement. “I think that [black lives matter movement] will be one of the most important factors of this season because football has played such a big part in stepping forward. “It’s not purely football; when statues are pulled down in Bristol and mass demonstrations are taking place, it’s not because of football. It’s not even football that has initiated them necessarily but we have always been very conscious of it.”

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Hodgson has always spoke well on the topic of racism, from his comments on the disgraceful banner that flew over Burnley’s home of Turf Moor to supporting Wilfried Zaha when the winger went public with the racist messages he received on the morning of the Aston Villa game two weeks ago today. But the Palace manager is fully aware that there is still more that needs to be done, even if now it does feel like “we are more conscious than ever,” in Hodgson’s words. “I think football has come out of it well. Everyone in football has certainly stood up and shown it matters to us. “There’s always been cases of racism, I guess, but I would say in the world of football there are probably less than in many walks of life because we’ve all worked together, black and white, for so long, especially at a club like ours where we represent a community which has a large BAME background. “We can always do more, that’s the thing. I don’t think anyone should be thinking in any way that we’ve cracked the problem. We’ve only cracked the problem when the level of education reaches such a degree where people don’t think it’s necessary to hide behind these social media accounts and send out the most awful abuse to people. “Until that day comes we’ve got to keep working, we’ve got to keep fighting and everything that can be done to highlight it should be done.”

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CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

EAGLE EYE WITH PALACE TV'S CHRIS GRIERSON

The few weeks since football restarted have been a hugely testing time for our media team. It has left us empty, disheartened, crushed, tearful and hungry. With no free food provided at games now, we’re not sure we can continue to perform our roles adequately. What’s on the menu in each club’s press room has always been a talking point amongst us greedy media pigs, but this season it became an even bigger topic with Luke (our young, opinionated social media hound) introducing the Away Food League Table. I shall now reveal who has provided posh nosh and who has fed us tosh during the ‘19/20 season - I wasn’t at every game so I’ve trawled through the department WhatsApp group for some notes.

Propping up the food table and matching their league position are Norwich City. Maybe I was tired because it was New Year’s Day and a long drive, but it was an absolute shambles. It was hot dog and chips. There was no non-meat option for me so I had

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a roll with onions and chips. The chips were worse than the worst school canteen chips you could imagine and the beverage on offer was a jug of watery orange squash served in paper cups. It was like a kid’s party at a leisure centre. Therefore Dom (our child-like

camera operator who goes giddy for Captain America) absolutely loved it. Disappointing from Delia! Second bottom are Brighton. I usually enjoy what’s on offer there so I think they’re low down the table just because it’s Brighton. Some quotes from the team “they had some disgusting off-brand baked beans” and “a great drinks selection.” Going up the table we see Sheffield United, Burnley and Watford. Sheffield United we’ll excuse because they’ve just returned so probably had other concerns back then but Burnley have been in the league long enough now to know a dry pie simply won’t do for people as cultured as the CPFC media team. At Watford we have to eat with Harry the Hornet around, which is not at all appetising. West Ham are docked points for giving out food tokens, which prevents people from going up

for seconds. Poor form! Plus you have to get a lift up to the seats (which are a marathon away from the pitch) and then according to Luke their plug sockets are “sub-standard.” Everton have jars of sweets and helpful staff so bravo to them. At Newcastle the staff are lovely, there are loads of options and it’s always something really hearty like a roast dinner or a stew. However, I’ve usually already stuffed my bloated little face in the train buffet car on the way up. The two Manchester clubs are good, City just edging their red neighbours because they have a beer fridge. However, it’s underground so no phone signal to put photos of the spread on Instagram. Luke on the Saints: “Southampton were the surprise package of the season. You expect it from your Chelseas and your Arsenals and your Spurses

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but Southampton really punched above their weight. Well worthy of the Champions League spot.” That review also gives away the top three so well done to Chelsea for being deliciously terrific and terrifically delicious year after year. However, we didn’t get to all the grounds so the season is null and void. No weighted points per game here, just weight problems and a hunger for the return of press food in 2020/21!

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

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plus: g n i n i a r t with

nya

kirby

r o i n u j eagles

quizzes , games And more!

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junior eagles that s the real quiz

Which current Palace first-teamer used to play for today’s opponent?

What was the score when Palace knocked Spurs out of the FA Cup in 2019?

Who scored Palace’s opener in that impressive FA Cup victory?

Joel Ward or Andros Townsend

2-0 or 3-0

Martin Kelly or Connor Wickham

Serge Aurier is an international teammate of which Eagle?

Wilfried Zaha or Patrick van Aanholt

Tottenham’s club-record transfer arrived last summer. Which player was it?

Tanguy Ndombele or Steven Bergwijn

Which fellow London club did Spurs secure the transfer of Ryan Sessegnon from? Christian Benteke and Harry Kane have both impressed for their respective clubs for several years. However, who has been with their team the longest? Steven Bergwijn has started life well in north London. But who did the Lilywhites sign the midfielder from? Tottenham Hotspur’s centre-back pairing of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen both represent which national side? Which former Premier League side has Spurs’ Michel Vorm represented?

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West Ham or Fulham Christian Benteke or Harry Kane PSV Eindhoven or Ajax Belgium or Netherlands Swansea City or Cardiff City

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palace v spurs

guess who

? ?

in training with midfielder nya kirby It seems a long time ago now but after Nya Kirby comfortably dispatched his penalty in the shootout away at F.C. Luzern in pre-season, we asked the Palace midfielder, on the cusp of a first-team debut, for his advice on how to score from 12-yards. “The run up is key because if you run too straight, the 'keeper can read where you are wanting to go. “It sounds simple but you really must pick a corner and then

10. Swansea City Guess Who: Dann, Meyer, Schlupp Score: Palace won 2-0 5. Tanguy Ndombele 6. Fulham 7. Harry Kane 8. PSV Eindhoven 9. Belgium QUIZ: 1. Andros Townsend 2. 2-0 3. Connor Wickham 4. Wilfried Zaha

answers

do not change your mind, and focus on making good contact with the ball. “Don't get put off by the 'keeper. If you know your spot and have confidence with yourself you'll be fine. Just go for it. You should practice the same corner every time because you're not going to take more than one penalty in a game [so you don't need to vary to surprise the keeper].”

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27th January, 2019, saw Palace welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Selhurst Park for a FA Cup Fourth Round clash. The Eagles would progress to the next round after an excellent performance that resulted in an impressive clean sheet. How much from that 90 minutes can you remember? Fill in the missing players from the Eagles’ starting XI as well as the full-time result from that day.

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MESSAGEBOARD MATCHDAY

1. Greetings from the Palace family. Glad All Over with the youngest Palace member of Germany. 2. Happy 16th Birthday to Daniel who is a lifelong Palace fan and Season Ticket holder in the Holmesdale. Lots of love Mum, Dad, Jess and Liam xxx 3. Dad, even though you couldn't be with me in body for each home game this season, I know that you were with me in spirit. xx 4. COYP from Uckfield Eagles! 5. Daniel, you’ve been so good during lockdown, it won’t be long till you can go to football again. Lots of love Mum and Dad xx 6. Happy 1st Birthday, Dominic Holden :-) UP THE PALACE!!!#StaySafe 7. Happy 3rd Birthday, Sadie Holden :-) EAGLES!!! #StaySafe

8. Happy 5th Birthday, Max Holden :-) Pride of south London!!! #StaySafe

14. Can’t wait for another game with you son, Alex Townsend Drake. Love you, Dad xx

9. When Saturday comes... outside the Beer Cabin with Dave and Cam. Can’t wait to be back!

15. Pat Smith, my sister, 13.03.20.

10. Two Palace birthdays missed in March, let's hope it’s not Xmas again before we are back in Selhurst, Lewis, Paul and Harvey. 11. Can’t wait to get back to Selhurst, missed Palace birthdays for Lewis and Paul. Come on Palace we are all behind you wherever we are. 12. We support the Palace... supporting from the sofa boys! #letsdoit up the Palace! 13. Happy 10th Birthday to Cameron, a Palace Season Ticket holder who followed Palace to Switzerland preseason. Lots of love Mum Dad Ciaran & Millie xXx

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

16. Happy 44th Birthday Dad. Hope you’re feeling Glad All Over on your special day. Lots of love Ciaran, Cameron & Millie xXx 17. COME ON YOU PALACE! 18. Well our 30th didn’t go to plan brother, but I’m still Glad All Over. 19. Happy 20th Birthday to Izzy Condon. Shame we couldn't celebrate at Selhurst, but we'll watch somewhere together. Lots of love Daddy xxxxxx 20. Wishing my husband Neil Baker a Happy 50th Birthday and our son Madoc a Happy 10th Birthday in October. Love Tina/Mum xxx

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

26.07.2020

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

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

21. Charlie Dent and his father Ollie still cheer on Palace from Chicago and he loves showing off his Palace kit to his USA friends. 22. Happy Birthday Ely Martin (74) on 24th July.

29. Happy Birthday to Douglas! Have a great day love Mummy and Daddy! 30. Brian, sorry you missed going to the football match for

23. Happy 60th Birthday to my wonderful husband David Tewkesbury. Enjoy your birthday in lockdown. Love you to the moon and back. Your Jennifer. X

the programme as a belated birthday present.

24. Stand in the rain and stand with our mums, we are south London's number 1! Best of luck Eagles! Sonny (member of Main Stand Fanatics).

school next year. Lots of Love Mum, Dad & Lily.

25. Isabel Swayze, wishing you a very Happy 12th Birthday fingers crossed for 3 points!! Love you lots, Mum, Dad, Keira and Lily xxx

31. Congratulations on finishing school, Jack - onto secondary

32. Aaron Hyland giving a thumbs up for the Eagles! Come on the Palace! 33. Harry Gray attending his first Crystal Palace match, the last photo I took at Selhurst Park by Great Uncle Matt

26. To a special Dad/Grandad, wishing you a very Happy Birthday. Looking forward to getting back to Selhurst Park and screaming from the stand, from all the family xx

34. Leigh on Sea will become Leigh on Glee when I get there.

27. It would have been a warm welcome to Michael Petrozzi on his first visit to Selhurst Park. Maybe next season you can visit and you can understand why supporting the Eagles will be better for you than the Spurs.

35. Live in Wandsworth but heart in Essex. Buzzing for the

28. Happy 12th Birthday to Seth. Looking forward to watching live games soon.

promise to leave the place spotless. Have a signed Guaita

8th. 36. Sorry for making you vacate your premises, Joanne. We sleeve on us for your troubles.

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

your birthday in May. I wanted you to have this message in

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PROUD PARTNER

34 CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

THE LILYWHITES

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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR THE LILYWHITES

STAT 36

José Mourinho-managed teams average 2.33 points-per-match against the Eagles.

FROM THE DUGOUT

"THE TEAM IS BEING A TEAM. EVEN AGAINST SHEFFIELD WE WERE A TEAM, A BAD TEAM, BUT WE WERE A TEAM. I THINK THE TEAM IS UNDERSTANDING BETTER THE PRINCIPLES OF PLAYING AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO.”

MATCH PREVIEW The 90 minutes in store for Crystal Palace will require a complete performance with the Eagles having lost their last nine Premier League games against Tottenham Hotspur – the south Londoners’ longest ever losing streak against an opponent in the top-flight. However, for today’s opponents that rich vein of form isn’t a club-record, with the Lilywhites having only won more consecutively, in the top-flight, against Birmingham City (10 games between 1960-1964). A Spurs club-record that does unfortunately involve Palace is the fact that Tottenham Hotspur have won their last seven Premier League games against Crystal

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Palace without conceding a single goal – in English top-flight history, only Liverpool have won more straight games against an opponent while keeping a clean sheet each time (nine vs West Bromwich Albion between 2002-2010). Roy Hodgson’s side will be confident in finishing the 2019/20 season in style and stopping the current run given the fact that the Eagles, when playing their last league match of a season at home, have won the last four (excluding play-offs) - this includes all three in the Premier League in that time – most memorably, last season’s entertaining 5-3 victory over Bournemouth.

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Roy Hodgson is winless in his last 12 Premier League matches against Spurs (D3 L9).

DID YOU KNOW?

MOST PL WINS

MOST PL GOALS

Hugo Lloris

Harry Kane

152

142

Jan Vertonghen

Teddy Sheringham

129

Jermain Defoe

127 Jermain Defoe

Robbie Keane

Lloris Aurier Sรกnchez Alderweireld Davies Sissoko Winks Lo Celso Lucas Kane Son

1 6

33 17

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FORM GUIDE

SUBS 11 Lamela 23 Bergwijn

LAST TIME OUT 20th July, 2020 | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

THIRD

3-0

AWAY

125

1 24 6 4 33 17 8 18 27 10 7

HOME

Aaron Lennon

29 Skipp 30 Gedson

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ACCELERATION

AGILITY

TOUCH

OUTPACE

CONTROL REACT

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

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 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

AMATEUR ANALYSIS PALACE V SPURS

ORCHESTRATOR: SON HEUNG-MIN 40

The Tottenham Hotspur attacker is a deadly combination of quick, agile and a precise finisher – only Manchester City’s quartet of Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez and David Silva have more non-penalty goals and assists this season. In fact, this season is Son’s best goal involvements return of his career – the current 11 goals and 10 assists betters the South Korea international’s 14 goals and six assists from the 2016/17 with the Lilywhites. Across Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho this season, Son has been used in six different positions: left-midfield, left-attacking-midfield, left-winger, centre-attacking-midfield, right-attacking-midfield and striker.

Therefore, the versatility of Son offers Spurs huge flexibility in the final third and making sure the former Bayer Leverkusen man is picked up at all times will be crucial for Palace today. Son Heung-Min's all-time PL record Goals

Goals with right foot

Goals with left foot

Shots

345

Shots on target

145

Hit woodwork

Big chances missed

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26.07.2020

Despite playing as a right-back, Aurier is tasked with playing a similar creative role as Son Heung-Min on the opposite side. The international teammate of Wilfried Zaha has five assists to his name this season – the secondmost for Spurs. Furthermore, his attack-minded style of play creates regular turnovers in

HARRY KANE BEING ASKED TOO MUCH OF BY JOSE MOURINHO With nine victories from 11 Premier League games v the Eagles, and six goalscoring contributions, Harry Kane isn’t someone Palace welcome playing against. However, with Jose Mourinho

possession for Jose Mourinho’s side with Aurier’s 87 tackles and 43 interception a team-topping stat. Ahead of Aurier in the rightmidfield position, Mourinho has not real confirmed starter with Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn and Giovani Lo Celso all deployed ahead of Aurier. However, those players all have a tendency to drift in, allowing for Aurier to maraud up and down the right-flank as he so pleases.

Serge Aurier Premier League rank for defenders

Tackles

4th

Assists

5th

Offsides

Joint-2nd

Touches

22nd

Dispossessed

now in charge, is Kane the same menace from previous seasons? Under Mauricio Pochettino it was often referenced how Harry Kane liked to drop deep and could play as a No.10. However, that instruction has been taken to the nth degree under Mourinho with his pragmatic approach. Under Pochettino, Kane’s heat

6th

maps primarily centred around the penalty box. However, now they show a focus across the whole pitch, without one real central point for the striker. With the loss of Christian Eriksen, a key provider for Kane and that link between midfield and attack, Kane is being asked to do two jobs.

Harry Kane heat map v Aston Villa 10/08/19

Harry Kane heat map v Southampton 01/01/20

Under Pochettino

Under Mourinho

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

SERGE AURIER IS THE RIGHT-WINGER

OPPOSITION IN NUMBERS

0.7 01 0.7

By Chris Waters @Clapham_Grand

The number of goals per game averaged by Jimmy Greaves in his astonishing career with the Lilywhites. The striker scored 266 goals in 381 appearances for the club between 1961-1970, and is now widely regarded as one of the best forwards of all-time.

Spurs are the only non-league club to have ever won the FA Cup since the formation of the Football League in 1888. This remarkable feat was achieved in 1901, beating Sheffield United 3-1 in a replay, whilst still playing in the Southern League.

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26.07.2020

08 The number of goals conceded by Spurs in their record ever defeat: an 8-0 thumping by 1. FC Köln in a 1995 Intertoto Cup tie. The club had initially refused to take part in the competition, but were forced to do so. Manager Gerry Francis didn’t even attend the game, and Alan Pardew was brought in as a short-term signing to help the team in midfield.

The number of fans in April, 1898 who turned up at Northumberland Park to watch Spurs play Arsenal. The ground was so crowded that supporters climbed up onto the roof of a refreshment stand to watch, causing its collapse. This prompted the club to look for a larger ground, moving to White Hart Lane a year later.

02 Just two players in the entire history of the north London derby have scored for both Spurs and Arsenal. The first was Jimmy Robertson, and the second was Emmanuel Adebayor, who played in the derby 13 times in his career.

SOMEONE THEY’D LIKE TO FORGET: For two weeks in a row, Alan Shearer finds himself tormenting today’s opponent, with the Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer finding the net 15 times against Spurs, and adding one assist for good measure, too.

16 CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

05 14,000

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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

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OPPOSITION

GOALS

SHOTS

SHOTS ON TARGET

BIG CHANCES MISSED

CROSSES

Andros Townsend

Lucas Moura

CLEAN SHEETS

LAST MAN TACKLES

INTERCEPTIONS

CLEARANCES

121

AERIAL BATTLES WON

Scott Dann

Davinson Sรกnchez

109

SAVES

PENALTIES SAVED

ERRORS LEADING TO GOALS

CLEAN SHEETS

HIGH CLAIMS

Vicente Guaita

Hugo Lloris

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

PLAYER COMPARISON

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46 CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

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Clare Howard CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

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‘There are so many parallels between supporting Palace and having coronavirus and then cancer,’ wrote Clare Howard in a blog post at the end of June. It’s a staggering assertion. Clearly, few supporters can draw a real-life comparison but, to any seasoned Eagle, what Clare wrote makes immediate, morbid sense. Clare’s life as a Palace fan began unconventionally. Her father was an estranged Newcastle United supporter and no one else in the family was a match-going fan. Then, when Crystal Palace earned promotion to the First Division with their iconic 1979 win over Burnley, Clare became intrigued by “the boys in the playground” who had “a distraction, a way out and something to focus on.” That something was Crystal Palace. Clare persuaded her friend Helen to jump on the bus from Croydon High Street, jump back off at Thornton Heath and blindly enter the world of football as a pair of teenage students.

“Because I was such a cocky, confident 13-year-old I just bamboozled Helen into thinking it would be fine, without really knowing if it would be or not,” Clare recalls. “We walked up the Holmesdale Road and I thought: ‘Come on, then, let’s go in here.’” Clare continues: “I used to like watching Match of the Day and The Big Match because the crowds in those days were so alive. They were swaying and moving and when they celebrated, they really celebrated. “I wanted to see that - I liked the eruption. There was always that sense of excitement when a goal was scored and I liked the community; it was obviously really important to people. “But in those days, the Holmesdale terrace was practicing social-distancing of its own because there was hardly anyone there! The few thousand that turned up every match deserve a medal, and we were rewarded by the improvement Steve Coppell brought later.” From her first taste at home

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to Rotherham in October ‘81 - a grim prospect for the most diehard supporter - to today, Clare has followed the club from the Lower Holmesdale through thick and thin with friends Helen Girdler, Helen Bond and Emma Goddard. That first win over the Millers began a lifelong affiliation with the club which is now shared with three children, too – “mini-me” Billy, Sam and Jess - and a converted husband, Dave, who join Clare in trips from Derbyshire to watch the Eagles both home and away. But, when football was suspended in March this year, Clare faced more than just time away from the terraces. “I travel a lot with my job and with Palace,” she explains. “So I’d been going up and down to London through February and March, and think I might have contracted coronavirus on one of those journeys. In those early days in March, it was really difficult. Nobody knew if you had it or not. “But I noticed then that I’d lost my sense of smell… I

was just thinking: ‘Oh, that’s weird.’ Schools then shut and Billy and I had a cough, so we thought we’d isolate and, on the 14th-day, Dave got a cough, too. He had it much worse than I did and was in bed for six days. “Towards the end of that period, while Dave was in bed, I found a lump in my breast. It was all things happening at once. That was at the beginning of April, nobody was around and we were thinking: ‘Is the doctor going to be open? Is the hospital going to be open?’ You don’t know what’s happening. “But the NHS were amazingly, brilliantly fantastic... They diagnosed me straight away.” ‘There are so many parallels between supporting Palace and having coronavirus and then cancer,’ Clare wrote roughly six weeks after a successful lumpectomy. She’s having to undergo chemotherapy treatment for the next three months to “rid of every last drop,” but, she says, “found it quite easy to see the funny side of things. It is a bit bizarre, all this… they all begin with C: coronavirus, cancer and Crystal Palace. It was so funny that first of all they give me something that made me p*ss blue and then [the next drug] was red... you’ve got to find the funny side.” It’s been a bruising few months for the family of five, but Clare laughs her way through

recollections of schoolgirls winging it on the Holmesdale terrace, bumping into a fan she dubbed ‘The Woman with the Green Umbrella’ after 40 years and her pride in the club’s conduct throughout lockdown. After all, if Palace has taught her anything, it’s how to deal with adversity. “I feel like I’m at home when I’m at Palace,” Clare says. “It’s really nice to know there are people around the world, country or town that have been through the same experiences as you. Even if you have nothing else in common, you’re sort of together and Crystal Palace is a part of your life. To be part of that helps get you through something like this. “Going through a course of chemotherapy, there’s nothing certain about that; you don’t know if you’re going to have a good day or a bad day… But I think: ‘Okay, I’ve done it for 40 years not knowing if we’re going to be relegated or not this season, I can be fine for this one.’”

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

26.07.2020

“But in those days, the Holmesdale terrace was practicing social distancing of its own because there was hardly anyone there! The few thousand that turned up every match deserve a medal, and we were rewarded by the improvement Steve Coppell brought later”

GAME CHANGER footballfoundation.org.uk

AD-105x148-FF-Game Changer.indd 1

01/08/2019 09:21

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

SD WZ

This week, we asked Darren Ambrose to choose five players from his time in south London with the Eagles.

JULIAN SPERONI “He’s a legend; he kept us in many games when I was at Palace.”

NEIL DANNS “Pops up with goals.”

NATHANIEL CLYNE “An attacking full-back who can pop up with assists every now and then.”

SHAUN DERRY “He’ll do the defensive work and go a long way in helping out with getting clean sheets.”

WILFRIED ZAHA “Untold assists, goals and winning penalties.”

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52 CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

PALACE FOR LIFE

The Palace for Life Foundation Marathon March is back in 2020 and the charity walk will feature a brand-new route that focuses entirely on our home: south London! The marathon-length walk will take place on Saturday 10th October, 2020, and will be running for the fourth consecutive year, bringing together Palace fans, legends and supporters. The Marathon March will start and end at Selhurst Park. The route sees us pass through Crystal Palace Park and Bromley before we dip into parts of the Greenwich Meridian Trail and the Vanguard Way trail. We will then ‘march’ through Croydon before making our way back to our home in SE25. The safety of walkers will be our main priority and the latest government guidelines around social-distancing will be followed strictly. Walkers

will register and start in timed ‘waves’ to avoid any unnecessary congregation and the venues for all rest stops will be thoroughly cleaned between groups arriving. Palace for Life Foundation Chief Executive, Mike Summers, has joined fans and legends to walk the full route every year, and on this year’s event he said: “We are really excited for the 2020 Marathon March and to have the opportunity to bring Palace fans back together and reunite them with Selhurst Park. We’ve had a fantastic three years of the Marathon March and are always blown away by the support we receive. “Everyone’s safety is always of the upmost importance to us; with the challenge of the current climate we will be following government guidelines strictly to ensure the safety of every walker. The Marathon March is always

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

the highlight of our year, and this year is no different, we’re looking forward to seeing lots of new and familiar faces on the day!” The previous three years of the Marathon March has seen over £250,000 raised for the Foundation. In the past we’ve been joined on the day by Palace Chairman Steve Parish, comedian and Palace fan Eddie Izzard and club legends Andrew Johnson, Mark Bright and Andy Gray. The fundraising efforts of 130 Eagles fans last year surpassed £75,000, raising funds to help grow Palace for Life’s early mental health intervention programme, Team Mates, which encourages children at primary school to talk more openly about their feelings, focusing on social skills and positive psychology. To see the route in full or book your place, visit www.palaceforlife.org

FOUNDATION

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INVEST IN WHAT YOU LOVE 54

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COMMODITIES

OVER ZOOM Nya Kirby was back on the first-team bench for the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday. Here, the midfielder details how Palace lured him from north to south London.

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Nya Kirby is a familiar face amongst the first-team squad – forming part of the quartet that Palace fans have become accustomed to seeing in training videos or as part of the travelling squad: Sam Woods, Brandon Pierrick and Tyrick Mitchell. Kirby’s name has been on Palace lips for some time, too, with the now-20-year-old attracting attention with his arrival from Tottenham Hotspur three years ago. Furthermore, his efforts for England between Under-16 and Under-19 levels have done wonders to help earn the young midfielder plaudits. And with the regularity in which he is called across Copers Cope Road to join the first-team set-up, it is impossible not to feel like Kirby’s opportunity of chalking up his first competitive Palace appearance isn’t far off. After all, this is a player that Palace managed to lure from north London despite the fact that Mauricio Pochettino had called the creative midfielder up to his training sessions ahead of a Europa League tie with Borussia Dortmund. His talent, it’s clear, was apparent to all. “Palace were different to all the other clubs that were interested,” Kirby begins to discuss how he swapped the Lilywhites for the Eagles. “The other clubs weren’t talking to me that much

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

about the pathway and options with the first-team. “Palace were though and that was one of the main reasons that enticed me away from Tottenham.” Thirty-six Academy graduates have made their Palace bow since 2004: Tom Soares and Mitchell bookending that impressive number. Kirby, whose contract runs until 2022, has his sights firmly set on becoming number 37 on that production line. “I feel like I’ve just got to keep working hard, showing the manager what I can do every time I’m up training with the first-team and keeping patient,” Kirby trots out the usual line. But this time it feels different and less of a footballing cliché. There’s a tangible end goal to this platitude. After all, we are talking about an Under-17 World Cup winner with England. And that perceived clichéd mentality and aim was what drove Kirby during the 2017 tournament in India – a victorious competition in which he played in all but one of the Three Lions’ seven games, scoring the match-winning penalty against Japan in the round of 16. “I still have the same goal as when I was out in India and winning the World Cup: get into the first-team and then solidify a spot,” Kirby adds. “It was a great experience and even still now I sometimes

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

can’t believe I won a World Cup – amazing, really.” Kirby was a key part of the England squad that included Liverpool’s Rhian Brewster, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Morgan Gibbs-White, Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi, Arsenal’s Emile Smith-Rowe, Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, at the time Manchester United’s Angel Gomes and Manchester City’s Phil Foden to name just seven that have gone on to become well-recognised names. Perhaps “expected” rather than “amazing” was the word Kirby was looking for, we jokingly quip with the benefit of three years’ hindsight. Kirby’s youth level grounding with European competitions at Spurs, the famed Palace institution down Copers Cope Road and polishing the U17 version of the Jules Rimet trophy make-up quite the pedigree. With such high-profile achievements and moments of note, Kirby bashfully knocks back our claims about him getting noticed as he wanders south London. “A little bit,” he laughs awkwardly. “I don’t mind it,” Kirby adds on his newfound and everincreasing fame. We don’t want to jump the gun, but perhaps Palace and England’s talented protégé ought to get used to it.

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26.07.2020

They had planned a grand reception in central Croydon, complete with a gala banquet and open top bus tour. It was supposed to take place regardless of how Crystal Palace fared in the 1990 FA Cup final but, in the end, the sense of deflation after that replay defeat to Manchester United rather choked the enthusiasm from all the good intentions. The red and blue balloons tied to lampposts across the borough hung limply well into the summer. But if Steve Coppell’s side had missed an opportunity at Wembley, they were determined not to pass up on the momentum built over their first campaign back in the elite. While the nation’s eyes were on England’s progress to the World Cup semi-finals at Italia ‘90, the club, backed with funds from the Chairman Ron Noades, entered the transfer market with a vengeance. Eric Young, at 29, arrived from Wimbledon for an eye-catching £850,000. Glyn Hodges, another with Crazy Gang connections, was bought from Watford. John Humphrey, replacing the fan favourite but defensively erratic John Pemberton, remained at Selhurst Park but swapped

relegated Charlton Athletic for Palace. These were seasoned top-flight performers to supplement a squad far more streetwise now than they had been a year earlier. Bookmakers and pundits alike still fancied Coppell’s team to struggle — the Team of the Eighties had imploded over a difficult season a decade previously — but there was quiet confidence in south London that a special group had been assembled. They had pace and power on the counter, a ruggedness at the back and threat at set-plays. Now they had experience to boot. Reputations were forged on that cup run. Palace were one of four teams invited to a prestigious preseason tournament in Italy and, with the summer competition still fresh in everyone’s mind, duly travelled to the Alps to ruffle some feathers. “I got a big kick out of Italy,” said Gary O’Reilly. “I’d sat and watched a lot of players from Fiorentina and Sampdoria playing for half a dozen countries in the World Cup and I thought: ‘Yeah, let’s see what you can do against us.’ “I scored against Fiorentina and we beat Sampdoria. The Palace fans who’d travelled over

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

were doing a conga on the terrace and we met them on the streets afterwards. I’m sure they got as much of a kick out of it all as we did.” It was the right kind of test to focus minds ahead of the new campaign, and ensure there was no hangover from that replay loss to United. Hundreds of Palace fans begged, stole or borrowed identity cards to breach Luton Town’s away day ban at Kenilworth Road on the opening day of the new campaign and saw Young score on debut in a 1-1 draw. “Both teams face a difficult season,” offered the commentator. He was right about Luton, who would end up finishing third bottom, if reprieved from relegation as the division expanded to 22 teams. But Palace, an efficient and ruthless unit, would go on to thrive. They began with 13 games unbeaten in all competitions, and would only lose once in the league before December. A quintet of players would graduate into the England national set-up, an indication of pedigree, and, once ensconced in third place, they were never shifted. It was to prove the finest season in the club’s history.

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 what happened next for Eagles after the impressive 1989/90 season ended in FA Cup final disappointment.

26.07.2020

60 CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

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N I C O

V A E S E N

Nico Vaesen’s Palace career may well have only lasted 10 games but that handful of matches produced one of the Eagles’ finest achievements in the 21st century. Here, with Dan Blazer, the former Palace ‘keeper relives the 2004 play-off run.

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62 CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

“Any problem just tell Nico I passed on your number,” Dougie Freedman says. With the Dougie seal of approval, we knew our former goalkeeper was always going to be happy to pick up the phone to us. And that’s just what Nico Vaesen did whilst on a walk in his native Belgium. At the time of speaking, Vaesen’s home country was a couple of weeks ahead of the United Kingdom’s lockdown phases: a return to normality was nearing. That’s if the football agent’s world can ever be ‘normal’. Vaesen runs a football agency in Leuven, Belgium, and has done so with his business partner since retiring in 2008. Apologising in advance for the incoming questions that aren’t related to why we called - the 2004 play-off run - Vaesen happily discusses his current occupation. “It’s a tough world; a lot of competition,” he begins. “It’s timeconsuming as you need to manage your whole portfolio of players. There is never an easy weekend because there is always somebody who isn’t happy.” Vaesen then highlights a peculiar situation ongoing in Belgium at the moment: “There is the playoff final [for promotion to the top division] that is played out across two legs [home and away]. The first leg was played out before the

COVID-19 lockdown. “The second leg, though, has been scheduled in for August 2nd but in that time those two teams, who played the first part of the play-off, will be completely different from the ones that play in the second game. “One of those teams have close to 14 players out of contract,

“ IT IS A REALLY BIZARRE SITUATION, ESPECIALLY FOR SUCH A BIG GAME THAT WILL DECIDE WHO WILL BE PLAYING TEAMS LIKE CLUB BRUGGE, ANDERLECHT AND STANDARD LIEGE NEXT SEASON ” therefore you’d imagine something like 10 of those will be gone and signed elsewhere before the huge second leg takes place. “It is a really bizarre situation, especially for such a big game that will decide who will be playing teams like Club Brugge, Anderlecht and Standard Liege next season.”

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

14 players out of contract, clubs unsure of their squad – let alone starting XI – for a historic fixture: Vaesen has to be on top of it all. Who’d be a football agent? Thankfully, Vaesen admits that being a footballer and having the career he had has given him a huge advantage and made understanding that side of the game a bit easier. “Playing football is the best there is,” he passionately begins. “That’s for sure. But now I approach the game from a different angle, as there are obviously different aspects as an agent. “Your network is very important – building that up takes time. But having been in football it is easier to do. You now work with your old coaches, old managers you played under, former teammates and that gives you a big advantage.” At Birmingham City, where it is fair to say Vaesen is most synonymous with, he was managed by former Palace manager, Steve Bruce. Spending almost six years under Bruce’s management at the Blues built up a rapport and respect that would later see one of Vaesen’s clients, Simon Mignolet, move to the Premier League with, at the time, Bruce’s Sunderland. “Steve Bruce was actually the manager that first brought Simon Mignolet to England with Sunderland. Through that connection from my playing days, the relationship was very useful.”

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Vaesen’s agency’s well-known names don’t stop there: “We’ve concluded transfers recently with Aston Villa; Björn Engels went there. We also were involved in the Wesley transfer to Villa and Marvelous Nakamba’s move there as well. “We did Arnaut Danjuma to Bournemouth, too.” Football agent questions answered, we travel back to 2004. Ten games for the Eagles would seldom register as a point of interest. However, when three of those appearances are in the 2003/04 season’s play-off run, including a clean sheet in the Millennium Stadium showpiece, exceptions can be made. “I had injured my cruciate ligaments the season before and I was ready to play games again after my loan spell with Bradford City,” Vaesen begins to detail how his brief but important stint in south London materialised. “After I had a conversation with Iain Dowie, I could see how ambitious he was, so Palace were the ideal team and club for me to rebuild my fitness and prove my worth again. “It was the perfect marriage,” Vaesen sums up. And he was right. Two seasons earlier, Vaesen had been the penalty shootout hero for Birmingham City in the Division One play-off final, crucially saving from Norwich City’s Phil Mulryne.

But when Marcus Stewart scored from the penalty spot in the first leg of the play-off semi-final at Selhurst Park for Sunderland, Palace fans started to fear the worst (for at least 60 seconds before Neil Shipperley equalised). “Those games, they stick in your mind,” Vaesen fondly recalls.

“ PALACE WERE THE IDEAL TEAM AND CLUB FOR ME TO REBUILD MY FITNESS AND PROVE MY WORTH AGAIN ”

“The first leg at Selhurst Park had absolutely everything in it. “The return leg was sensational, too, with Julian Gray getting sent-off and then Darren Powell’s dramatic late goal.” The first 210 minutes of the play-off semi-finals skirted over, we can now get to the reason we have

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called Vaesen: the penalty shootout v the Black Cats. “I didn’t know anything about the Sunderland players apart from one or two who maybe had a favourite corner,” Vaesen details. “It was just intuition and trying to control the situation as much as possible. “When you look back you will notice I take my time to go in my goal – the referee said to me five times: ‘Go on your line; go on your spot.’ “I made sure I made eye contact with their players. They, as the penalty-taker, have a lot more to lose than me, the ‘keeper. The pressure is on him and that’s what I wanted to translate to them.” All the pre-match preparation, from diet to accommodation to scouting the Mackems, and, after it all, the reason Palace were heading to the Millenium Stadium in 2004 was mind games. “You can also say I was lucky!” Vaesen jokingly downplays his role. When Jeff Whitley’s penalty is saved, a yellow and light blue blur comes hurtling towards Vaesen – in amongst that whirlwind of noise and speed are his teammates. Vaesen, whether he downplays it or not, was the hero. No better feeling for a ‘keeper, right? Wrong. “I had it with Birmingham where we won the penalty shootout and you run and celebrate with your team – a goalkeeper is sort of the

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hero in those moments,” Vaesen says. “However, keeping a clean sheet in the final v West Ham gave me the same satisfaction. Winning 1-0 for a goalkeeper is the best score possible. It means I was reliable.” Give Nico Vaesen a brilliant save from Bobby Zamora in the 19th minute or a smart turn away from a Steve Lomas drive over the adrenaline rush of thousands of people collectively refusing to blink and breathe whilst focused on you. It was the perfect way to crown Vaesen’s short-lived but crucial stint in south London. And if the red and blues had, had their way, the experienced shot stopper would’ve been vying with the soon-to-besigned Julián Speroni for the starting spot against Norwich City on 14th August, 2004. “I was offered to stay after promotion,” Vaesen reveals. “But Steve Bruce wanted me back in Birmingham. I was close to 36 at the time and I just couldn’t see myself moving to London permanently. “I stayed in a hotel on the outskirts of Croydon during my whole stay. And I remember Iain Dowie telling me I had to be living down here all the time – on my previous loan at Bradford City I had to be close to the training ground and stadium from Thursday to Sunday. But Monday to Wednesday I could return home to my family. “Despite my doubts over whether London was for me, it was

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“ I WAS CLOSE TO 36 AT THE TIME AND I JUST COULDN’T SEE MYSELF MOVING TO LONDON PERMANENTLY

still a difficult decision to make because I’d be leaving behind the team having just earned promotion to the Premier League - the camaraderie in that squad was amazing; we had overcome some difficult moments like in the second leg against Sunderland when everyone thought we were gone. “Looking back, though, I can now say that those few months were intense and great. I made plenty of friends during my time there. “I loved the ground: old, traditional and one of those atmospheres that I wanted to experience and play through.” Ten games, five clean sheets, two penalties saved and a clean sheet in the play-off final: Nico Vaesen’s Palace career had it all.

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”

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68 CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

PALACEXI IN TIME By Ian King

Club Historian Ian King looks back at a FA Cup replay at Selhurst Park in 1970 that signalled the end of Jimmy Greavesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Tottenham Hotspur career.

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STARTINGXI

On the hour Cliff Jackson broke down

John Jackson

the left and crossed for

John Sewell

Queen, who outjumped

John McCormick

Knowles and watched

Mel Blyth

his header go past a

John Loughlan

static Jennings into the

Tony Taylor

corner of the net â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a

David Payne

goal that set-up a home

Roger Hoy

Cliff Jackson

Roger Hynd

Gerry Queen

tie against Chelsea

SUBS 70

Crystal Palace 1 Tottenham Hotspur 0

Phil Hoadley

28th January, 1970

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

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PALACEXI IN TIME By Ian King

meaning both sides were to meet again four days later. QUEEN THE PALACE HERO One of Selhurst Park’s largest attendances - just under 46,000 - was present for this replay, with Palace fielding the same team as the first game. However, John McCormick had to be substituted early on with a broken nose, leaving Palace vulnerable in defence. As a result of that enforced substitution, Spurs had the better of the first-half with the likes of Jimmy Greaves, Alan Gilzean and Steve Perryman creating opportunities. Frustratingly for the north Londoners, these went awry. After the break Palace came out with more purpose as Queen forced a save from Pat Jennings while Cyril Knowles cleared off the line from skipper John Sewell. On the hour Cliff Jackson broke down the left and crossed for Queen, who outjumped Knowles and watched his header go past a static

CRYSTAL PALACE v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Jennings into the corner of the net – a goal that set-up a home tie against Chelsea. THE FALLOUT The next day’s papers scathingly reported on Spurs’ part in the game rather than Palace’s success and their renowned manager Bill Nicholson was so incensed by his player’s poor performance that four of them, including Jimmy Greaves, were immediately dropped for their next fixture. This marked beginning of the end of Greaves’ long career at White Hart Lane, with the striker soon on his way to West Ham United in exchange for Martin Peters. Roger Hynd’s spell at centreforward lasted two more games, by which time Mel Blyth had reestablished himself back alongside John McCormick, and Cliff Jackson returned at centre-forward. With thanks to Peter Hurn and Tony Bowden for their continued support in helping me put together this season’s series: A Palace XI in Time.

GOALLESS BORE DRAW AT WHITE HART LANE With on loan Bobby Tambling not available for this FA Cup tie on January 24th, Palace manager Bert Head shuffled the forward line and opted to play summer signing defender Roger Hynd at centre-forward - a position he had played in a few occasions for former club Glasgow Rangers. Hynd had been virtually an ever-present alongside John McCormick since his arrival but this change allowed Mel Blyth to resume his partnership with the Scotsman. A heavily sanded pitch did not allow for an entertaining game - the only green patches of grass appeared on the underused wings, with both sides opting to play down the middle with Hynd and fellow forward Gerry Queen chasing and harrying the Spurs defence at any opportunity. Spurs were stranded in mid-table with the FA Cup their only hope of another season of European football - needless to say a goalless encounter was the end result,

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With the club’s announcement over the summer that is was staking its claim as the world’s oldest professional football club with a clear lineage back to 1861, we launched the Palace in the Attic campaign.

A shard of glass from the Crystal Palace fountain that was given to a fan’s mum by a fireman at the scene, when it tragically burned down in 1936. At the time, the fan’s mother was 14-years-old and lived at the bottom of Anerley Hill and witnessed the fire.

Fans tweeted and emailed in hundreds of fascinating items ranging from early 20th century programmes to items that, although limited in monetary value, had a priceless sentimental value. Across the remaining matchday programmes of the 2019/20 season we've been showcasing some of the unique, amusing and interesting artefacts fans kindly took the time to send in.

Thank you to all the fans who sent in their items from the club's fascinating history. The attic@cpfc.co.uk email address remains open.

Cliff Jackson's No.9 shirt was thrown into the crowd after the Fulham game in 1969 when Palace reached the First Division for the first time. Luckily for one fan, they were in the right place to catch it. At a reunion of the team a number of years later the fan got to meet Cliff Jackson to thank him for the shirt and he kindly signed it on the number.

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United League Championship medal 1906/07 awarded to Robert Baker. He joined from Redhill F.C. in the last two weeks of the titlewinning season and played in the last game - a 3-3 draw at Brighton - but that was enough to earn his medal.

Itinerary for Crystal Palaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tour of Germany in July, 1947.

Reserved train compartment ticket taken from the carriage carrying the players and a lot of fans back from Preston after clinching promotion to the First Division in 1969.

Menu for the Festival of Britain match between Crystal Palace and Nancy on 16th May, 1951.

The photo is of Alfred Pudney (grandfather to the fan who sent in the photo) in the trilby and his friend Alf Smith selling Golden Goal tickets outside Selhurst Park in 1926.

A 1970s lampshade.

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