Supporting Crystal Palace has been an unbelievable experience recently. For the first time, I can look forward to a new Premier League season and not be afraid of relegation. Every day there is a new name being linked to the club. To be tied with players like Yohan Cabaye, Loïc Rémy and Demba Ba is mad; it doesn’t feel real. Most fans of big teams like Manchester United and Chelsea will never know what this feels like and will never experience the pain of relegation and, worse: near liquidation.
In 2010, Palace were play-off hopefuls in the Championship. Things quickly turned for the worse. After going into administration in January 2010, Palace were docked ten points and thrown into a relegation dog fight. To pay off the debts owed, the Eagles were forced to sell many promising players such as the now Southampton captain, José Fonte, and the exciting Victor Moses. When May came around, Palace were on the brink of relegation. On the final day of the season, Palace faced Sheffield Wednesday in an extremely tense game of football. If Palace could draw or win, they would stay up. The game ended 2-2 and Palace were safe from relegation.
However, off the field, matters were in dire straits. If a buyer could not be found, the club would be forced into liquidation and subsequently would enter the abyss. Luckily, with the backing of Steve Parish, a group of wealthy business men, who happened to be Palace fans, reached an agreement and bought the club under the name CPFC 2010 Consortium. After almost falling off the edge, five years later, Crystal Palace are a solid and progressive Premier League team; quite a turnaround, to say the least.
Crystal Palace and the new Winning Feeling
Now, to the point of this article: during the period of their Championship mediocrity under CPFC 2010’s ownership, the 30th of November 2011 will always be a special day for Crystal Palace. An extremely average squad somehow managed to beat the great Manchester United in the League Cup quarter-finals. The game will always be remembered for the goal of the season, when Darren Ambrose scored a 35-yard screamer into the top corner.
I will always remember the next day. For the first time in my life, I had the bragging rights over all of the Manchester United fans in my school. As I live in Dublin, almost everybody supports the best English teams. I had heard it all off everyone for supporting a lesser team in the Championship, and for little Crystal Palace to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford will always be a very momentous day.
Let’s fast forward to the 16th of May 2015. As Steven Gerrard stepped onto the pitch, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” ringing around the stands, he got ready to play his final game at Anfield before jetting off to glamorous California to play for LA Galaxy in MLS. The recently rejuvenated Crystal Palace team under Alan Pardew beat Liverpool 3-1.
This was a different feeling to the Manchester United game in 2011. Palace had stopped Liverpool from claiming the title the season before by overturning a 3-0 deficit to draw 3-3 and to steal two points off The Reds. Then, the next time the teams faced in the league, Palace outclassed Liverpool and came out on top with a 3-1 win. Don’t get me wrong, I was incredibly happy and proud of the team after all of these successes. But, that game at Old Trafford those four years ago was something even more special.
My fondness for Palace, if anything, has become stronger. However, the feeling of winning has lost its ‘special’ charm. It could be because how rare it was; like Christmas as a child, the surprise of it all. Now, this Christmas, if you will, is not the same, but it is still a great time of year.
In the 2014-15 season alone, Palace overcame Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool. Alan Pardew became the only manager in Premier League history to take over a team in the relegation zone and finish in the top half. This is absolutely incredible for a team like Crystal Palace. But it seems like, when once a point away to Birmingham would’ve been considered a success, winning has become something more to be expected.
What is it like to support a team that always wins? I don’t care. I can guarantee any modern day fan of a top quality team will never experience the feeling of standing in Wembley stadium at full time of the play-off final, on a scorching hot day, knowing the men celebrating will be playing Premier League football next season.
Main Photo via Getty Images
