Urban75 Home About Offline BrixtonBuzz Contact

Crystal Palace 21/22 Season: Vieira in the Area

In terms of upgrading, changing or moving away from your ground - be careful what you wish for and when you wish for it! I’m at ST holder at Spurs and am still not won over by the new ground - yes it may win plenty of architecture awards (I’m sure many of you will point out the only silverware in Tottenham’s trophy cabinet) but it doesn’t yet feel like home.

The timing was bad too. We’d just gone a season (2016-17) unbeaten at home (winning 17 out if 19 and drawing 2), finishing 2nd in the league. The momentum was v much with Poch’s Spurs when 2+ years of Wembley took the wind out of our sails. Obvs since the moving in the Pandemic also fucked us.

On Palace - despite being Spurs - I’m a south east Londoner who has spent so much time in and around CPFC that it feels strange now that I’m not a fan. I played in Palace’s youth team (under Alan Smith) with my good mate at the time, Dean Gordon. A few years later I was was back as the bar manager (obvs didn’t quite have the football career I’d dreamt of!).

I worked in the stadium during the redevelopment of the Holmesdale while Ron Noades was in charge. The plan was always to redevelop the whole ground in line with the HS but events (relegation) and Noades I suppose got in the way. I always found the Sainsbury’s End an embarrassment but it’s not the fault of fans…

I must admit to a slightly snooty attitude towards Palace for many years (along the lines of laughing about the stripy Nigel’s from Purley or Redhill). To be honest though, that just highlighted my snobbery. I like Palace, though I’m not sold on the contrived theatrics of the HF but the alternative is the anodyne soullessness of the Emirates or dare I say it, new-WHL then I’d take that. I like Palace’s engagement with the community and visible pride in being south London.
In my opinion White Hart Lane lost it's charm in the late 80s when they botched the shelf to stick in boxes. At it's peak it was one of the best looking grounds in Europe. Selhurst and The Valley never had that charm. The 90s WHL was pretty dull and the new ground is a massive step up putting the club back on the best of Europe category. I think the issue is having corporate areas in the giant single tier stand, which I believe should be the cheapest seats in the ground and season ticket holders only, instead it's somewhere trendy for social media whores to stand.

Back to selhurst a new main stand will be a big improvement but due to the Sainsbury's End selhurst doesn't meet the UEFA pitch length standards. Touch wood they never encounter that problem, but if they do I'm sure someone will be willing to ground share! Also issues with the car park which will probably only get settled by building a new Sainsburys.
 
Is that true ?
The size of the pitch doesn’t meet some regulations?
Another reason for the club to sell Selhurst Park for housing, and use the proceeds plus the Sky money to build a new ground, somewhere in the heartland of their support like Addington.
 
Is that true ?
The size of the pitch doesn’t meet some regulations?
Another reason for the club to sell Selhurst Park for housing, and use the proceeds plus the Sky money to build a new ground, somewhere in the heartland of their support like Addington.
The pitch extension is already built into the current ground development plan. The latest on that is that there is talk of a compulsory purchase order (for the sainsburys car park slither). If we ever actually qualify for Europe I expect they will find a way to extend the pitch by a few feet ;).
 
Is there a link to the ground development plan, plus a timescale and costings?
Most of it is public domain stuff as it was previously approved by Croydon Council and (I believe) The Mayor's office, but for the new stuff like pitch extension, the article below is the best source of info. Matt Woosnam is very reliable on matters Palace (and further afield).

Selhurst Park: Progress on stadium expansion but new application must go in

The Athletic is paywall though. Pertinent points:

  • Significant progress made (this means that Croydon Council are finally getting actively involved)
  • Compulsory Purchase Order a real possibility
  • Despite the original plan being agreed by all parties (minus Sainsbury's of course) on principle, a new plaining permission will need to be sought as the original one doesn't comply with the new 'London Plan'
  • Pitch increase will eat into 1,170 seats! (though overall capacity will increase to 34,259)
  • Timescale - don't hold your breath. Original statement was 'up to three years'. Revised permission itself will add 'from a few months, up to a year'
  • Costs - £75 to £100 Million (also some contributions towards local infrastructure updates)
  • Some local residents (who will be rehoused) are unhappy at how long this has dragged on
 
Given the list above looks like nothing is going to happen then.
Why Croydon Council when Crystal Palace are supposed to be in London, and a 'London Plan' is mentioned above?
 
Most of it is public domain stuff as it was previously approved by Croydon Council and (I believe) The Mayor's office, but for the new stuff like pitch extension, the article below is the best source of info. Matt Woosnam is very reliable on matters Palace (and further afield).

Selhurst Park: Progress on stadium expansion but new application must go in

The Athletic is paywall though. Pertinent points:

  • Significant progress made (this means that Croydon Council are finally getting actively involved)
  • Compulsory Purchase Order a real possibility
  • Despite the original plan being agreed by all parties (minus Sainsbury's of course) on principle, a new plaining permission will need to be sought as the original one doesn't comply with the new 'London Plan'
  • Pitch increase will eat into 1,170 seats! (though overall capacity will increase to 34,259)
  • Timescale - don't hold your breath. Original statement was 'up to three years'. Revised permission itself will add 'from a few months, up to a year'
  • Costs - £75 to £100 Million (also some contributions towards local infrastructure updates)
  • Some local residents (who will be rehoused) are unhappy at how long this has dragged on
1,170 of the 2k Sainsburys End? Going to look very strange with two modern stands and that behind the goal! Will reluctantly claim the ground has character if it happens. 🥲
 
Given the list above looks like nothing is going to happen then.
Why Croydon Council when Crystal Palace are supposed to be in London, and a 'London Plan' is mentioned above?
This is an old debate much discussed on other threads. Norwood has an SE25 postcode but comes under London Borough of Croydon
 
I played in Palace’s youth team (under Alan Smith) with my good mate at the time, Dean Gordon.

Respect! I always thought Dean Gordon was a very under-rated player and although it was maybe a bit of a stretch, there was a case that he was unjustly overlooked for England - personally I thought he'd have given a bit more of a a genuine attacking outlet down the left than Pearce gave us in Euro 1996 and in the 1998 WC we were blatantly short of left sided defenders, I think it was only Graeme Le Saux? Again, GLS was a decent player but not outstanding. But DG never got even one shot.
 
In my opinion White Hart Lane lost it's charm in the late 80s when they botched the shelf to stick in boxes.

Totally, it was a really horrible switch, the whole boxes/mandatory seating/corporatisation thing was all a bit new then and to see one of the most atmospheric "ends" (iyswim) suddenly converted to corporate boxes was really depressing.
 
Respect! I always thought Dean Gordon was a very under-rated player and although it was maybe a bit of a stretch, there was a case that he was unjustly overlooked for England - personally I thought he'd have given a bit more of a a genuine attacking outlet down the left than Pearce gave us in Euro 1996 and in the 1998 WC we were blatantly short of left sided defenders, I think it was only Graeme Le Saux? Again, GLS was a decent player but not outstanding. But DG never got even one shot.

Although he did play for England Under 21’s. As you say didn’t really get a sniff of a full cap. Shame.
I saw him at the 98 World Cup. England v Tunisia in Marseille. He came running through a cloud of tear gas outside the ground and I jumped out of nowhere and grabbed him. In a (very brief - under the circs) conversation he said he’d just met with Bryan Robson and signed for Boro. He was just a guest at the game…

We played representative and Sunday football together until we were both scouted by Spurs. We went to Palace together too (long story) and he was very highly thought of by the club. Only one out of our youth team to make it into the first XI I think. What makes it genuinely pleasing is that he really was/is a really nice bloke (might sound cliched but footballers often get a bad rep)
 
Love that ground would love to visit.
Yes I remember that one from the Portugese Euros, that achingly on-trend exposed-rock aesthetic.

Brighton could have done this if they'd used that old quarry in Shoreham for their new ground instead of carving up an AONB in the south downs, it would have actually been quite cool instead of dull as.
 
the new den has grown on me. a lot of millwall fans reject it out of hand, but it's got that shit hole feel now that i like, espeically for evening games. it's a two bob stadium for a two bob club. we are what we are and i love them for it.
 
the new den has grown on me. a lot of millwall fans reject it out of hand, but it's got that shit hole feel now that i like, espeically for evening games. it's a two bob stadium for a two bob club. we are what we are and i love them for it.
Home of Harchester United too.
 
Your man and ours make the shortlist for Manager of the season.

So not the guy who's got us a never done before second top 7 finish, and a last done 45 years ago European semi final? Nope. Vieira has got Palace to mid table and Eddie Howe has taken Newcastle to 14th by signing some players.

OK.
 
So not the guy who's got us a never done before second top 7 finish, and a last done 45 years ago European semi final? Nope. Vieira has got Palace to mid table and Eddie Howe has taken Newcastle to 14th by signing some players.

OK.
We got to a semi-final too.

But agree Moyes should be in there.
 
Back
Top Bottom