In 1895, the Football Association had found a new permanent home for the FA Cup Final at the site of the famous Crystal Palace Exhibition building. Some years later the owners, who were reliant on tourist activity for their income, sought fresh attractions for the venue, and decided to form their own football team to play at the Palace stadium. There had been an amateur Crystal Palace team as early as 1861, but they had disappeared from historical records around 1876. The owners of the venue wanted a professional club to play there and tap into the vast crowd potential of the area. Although the Football Association disliked the idea of the owners of the Cup Final venue also possessing their own football team and initially rejected their proposal, a separate company was established to form and own the club.
Crystal Palace Football Club, originally nicknamed “The Glaziers”, was founded on 10 September 1905 under the guidance of Aston Villa assistant secretary Edmund Goodman. The club applied to enter the Football League alongside another newly formed London club Chelsea. Unfortunately for Palace, it was Chelsea that was accepted and the club found itself in the Southern League Second Division for the 1905–06 season. The club was successful in its inaugural season and were promoted to the First Division, crowned as champions.
Herne Hill Velodrome
When the First World War broke out the Palace and grounds were seized by the armed forces, and in 1915 the club were forced to move by the Admiralty. They found a temporary base at the Herne Hill Velodrome. Although other clubs had offered the use of their ground to Palace, the club felt it best to remain as close to their natural catchment area as possible. When Croydon Common F.C. were wound up in 1917, the club took over their old stadium located at the Nest, but in 1919 they began the purchase of the land on which they would eventually build Selhurst Park, their current home.
“The Nest” – Croydon Common FC’s nickname was The Robins
The renowned stadium architect, Archibald Leitch, was employed to draw up plans, and the club constructed and completed the ground in time for the 1924–25 season. It remained relatively unchanged, with only the introduction of floodlights and maintenance and updating until 1969 when the Arthur Wait stand was constructed. The Main Stand became all-seater in 1979 and more work followed in the 1980s when the Whitehorse Lane End was redeveloped to allow for a Sainsbury’s supermarket, club offices and a club shop. The Arthur Wait stand became all seater in 1990, and in 1994 the Holmesdale Terrace was redeveloped, replaced with a two tier Stand. Selhurst’s attendance record was set in 1979, with an official total of 51,482. After all the redevelopments to the ground and safety requirements due to the Taylor Report, the ground’s current capacity is 26,309. Proposals were put forward to move the club back to the Crystal Palace National Stadium in 2010, but after the club gained promotion to the Premier League in 2013 there has been a renewed focus on redeveloping their current home into a 40,000 seater stadium. Revised plans for a new 13,500-seater Main Stand (extending overall stadium capacity to 34,000) were approved at a Croydon Council meeting on 19 April 2018.
Palace has had several periods competing in the top level of English football. They enjoyed a successful period in the late 1980s and early 1990s, during which the club achieved its highest ever league finish of third place in the top division in 1990–91, and were only denied a place in Europe because of the partial UEFA ban on English clubs at that time following the Heysel Stadium disaster. The club were also one of the original founding members of the Premier League. Palace has reached two FA Cup finals, finishing runners-up to Manchester United on both occasions in 1990 and 2016.
The club’s traditional kit colours were originally claret and blue, but in 1973 they decided to change to the red and blue vertical stripes now worn today. At the same time the current nickname of the Eagles was established as Malcolm Allison took over. Allison’s Eagles also played under a new team crest as the club was reinvented to some extent.
Our home record against Palace is formidable –
Please come back to Palace – Graham Chadwick/ALLSPORT
Of our remaining fixtures this game should be our easiest; Palace have only beaten us once at home in the EPL and I fully expect Arsenal to win again. (though it’s always wise not to count your chickens before they hatch, especially at Easter)
GunnerN5
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Many thanks again, GN5.
I’m looking forward to my train trip tomorrow!
Nice read GN5 👍
Wilf is always a handful.. and with Sokratis sitting this one out, Mustafi will be back.. hmm!
Jon Moss officiating – let’s hope he can keep up! Not that keen on him (neither is Granit 😄)
I’m looking forward to this one, as I’m going, not been since the Cardiff game, so COYG!!
Today though, I need to pray for Pep 😄🙏
The Arsenal Gent’s review of the week is well worth a read ….
https://arseblog.com/2019/04/arsenal-gentlemans-weekly-review-190/
Morning People,
Sue, I hope you and the Vine Bros enjoy the game today and your shouting support will make all the difference for an excellent result!!
Of course, if it is a rubbish game and we do not get 3 points — don’t any of you come back on AA — — Jinx Goblins not allowed!! 🤪😜😛
Thank you yet again, GN5, you are a master of the Post. 😁
Vine is incorrect, as is ‘today’.
Slipping, RA, slipping!
Please accept my deepest apologies, Chas, they are unforgivable errors.
Mea culpa.
RA
You’re forgiven – it’s Easter after all. 🙂
Thanks GN5
Good memories of games against the Palace in the 70s. Goal(s) by gorgeous George stand out in mind.
Happy Birthday to the middle Vines Brother. May your (figurative, of course, before I get complaints) blog be forever red and white!
A couple of GG’s goals against Palace from the early 70s…
Thanks for broadcasting that!
I fully intend to test out the theory on this birthday card tomorrow.
Cheers RA…. hilarious at this time of the morning – what are you on?! 🤪
Chas 8.29
Thank you for a host of memories!
Don Howe ( and Dave Sexton, like the Vines Bros, an old Ignatian) two of my favourite Arsenal coaches of all time.
Happy to give Gorgeous George all the credit in the world for both his playing days and those winning times as a Manager. Hated his playing approach by the end of his era in management, and resented his theft of £240,000 of our money. Funny how life’s circles strike one!
Sue,
I just feel very happy that I only messed up twice in my earlier comment – and Chas is very forgiving (especially as he is a BIRTHDAY BOY).
Happy Birthday, Chas! 😀
He is the bro of the famous Ant-Man who we may see supping countless cans of revitalising beer, while they journey southwards on the train leading the cohorts of Arsenal supporters from the North to defeat the Palace.
(well, there might only be 3 of them, each representing a point — but that counts as a cohort.)
In truth I was also worried that you, as a member of the equally famous law firm Sue & Grabbit might also have taken offence by my misrepresenting your scheduled diary appointments by claiming today was Sunday, and you would be at your first game since Cardiff — and sue me for all I’ve got. (It isn’t Sunday is it? – Bugger)
Look – can we do a deal? Sue Rasper instead of me — I don’t know what money he has — but he has got lots of very fine fish, including Koi, and if he refuses to cough up, you can batter him. 🤪
The day(after) Steve Morrow wished TA had never hoisted him in celebration!
RA… when I read your comment, I did wonder what you were going on about 😂 but I cut you some slack, as I kept thinking yesterday was Thursday.. it’s the long weekend that’s confusing everyone (or just me!!) 😄
Well if I come across a load of boozers on the train, I’ll know who they are 😉
Haha fish 🐡🐠 well sod the money, the fish’ll do!!
Chas is the Birthday Boy 🎂🍻
We a very Happy birthday to our AA hero.
i hope that Arsenal treat you to three points and some special goals.
RA look what you’ve gone and done – now I’m writing double dutch comments.
Your 9:34 was hilarious.
Thank you Phil Foden… that was tense!! I was on the edge of my seat, watching from between my fingers… usually do that when Arsenal are playing!!
I can’t believe what a dirty sod Vertonghen is…
David Seaman was on Soccer AM today… the fans were Arsenal fans (although one of them actually had the green top on 🤦♂️ oh dear!) It was brilliant! Jimmy Bullard straight in the top bin….. never a dull moment in the John Arne Riise arena 👊
GN5- Again thank you for your history lessons.
Their new crest is appealing.
Going to be an interesting game as Emery has some difficult decisions to make.
$h*tTy did their job, now the Arsenal have to do theirs!
Do we actually have a game on Sunday? Thank goodness.
Now look here Sue, if you keep referring to ‘sod this and ‘sod that” then your other partners in that disreputable law firm, Sue, Grabit and Runne will feel the need to chastise you severely.
Altho, how anyone who voluntarily wants to wear that sodding green Arsenal shirt deserves to be referred to as a ‘sod himself’.
Go Girloops – just got a text from your mates – Grabit and Runne – told them my name was Chas – that fooled ’em. 😳If you feel you do not have a clue what I am going on about in my comments — you are in good company — join all the others on AA. 👨🏼🌾
Been a good afternoon on TV this p.m. with the Spuds losing, and Saracens (rugby union) getting through to the Final of the European Champions Cup. 👍👍
When I said I was not keen on green — that does not include the attractive lady in the green Shein dress in the advert on the right.
There has to be an exception!! 😋
As a number of Manshitty players threaten to leave at the end of the season, do we need to be very careful with regard to Laca and his playing time. Are those talented U23 and Academy players going to stick around if they see new players, bought for big money, arrive in the summer?
Recognise the priority currently is winning Cup and League games, but what is happening behind the scenes in terms of “explanation” of the future policy? I for one will be very unhappy if things just drift and we lose talent and keep dross.
RA… Grabit and Runne – 👌 definite lol moment reading that!!
Did you see Watford lost their attempt to have that red card overturned? Can’t believe they even tried! So Troy is resting his elbow now 😂
I agree, it has been a good day (thank you City!) don’t do rugby (cauliflower ears ewww) but I’ll take your word for it, that it was good!
Good morning and Happy Easter everyone on AA
I’m looking forward to the game against Crystal however there is also another important game today.
BBC:
Arsenal are the most successful club in the women’s game in England but have failed to win the title since 2012.
They are one point clear of City with a game in hand and, if they beat struggling Everton on Sunday (12:30 BST) and Brighton the following week, they will secure the trophy before their final game at home against City.
However, if Arsenal drop points in both those games and Man City beat relegated Yeovil in their next match on 28 April, then it all comes down to the final day at Boreham Wood on 11 May.
Manchester City already have silverware after beating Arsenal on penalties to win the Continental Cup in February.
It feels like normal service is starting to resume.
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