So, 50 years ago today, as a 12 year old, I began the journey that has consumed an awful lot of my life ... following Crystal palace.
My fathers friends regularly took me to the Country Ground to watch Swindon and Don Rogers was my hero.
When he moved to SP, I switched my allegiance … and as I had the Crystal Palace Subbuteo team, it only seemed natural.
A roller-coaster is what its been …. I really could write a book I have so many memories…. Lately a lot of highs, but back in the early 80’s … it was desperate.
Best times were 1975 – 80 & 1988 – 92. Great fun following the club everywhere then. A real camaraderie on the terraces, esp away games. The whole day was an event … not just the 90 mins.
At times I was watching 30-odd games a season, but football in general holds no interest these days.
Will still watch Palace on TV, of course, but it’s a different game now. Sky have ruined it …. They have turned it into a circus .. a product .. we are now customers, just like going to the cinema … back in the day there was a bond between the club & the fans.. it was life or death. If Palace lost, it pi55ed me off for days.
I quote the Palace psyche from one of the excellent Palace books of the late 1980’s … “If its going well it wont last … if its going badly it will get worse”
Supporters of “bigger” clubs just don’t get it do they?
My fathers friends regularly took me to the Country Ground to watch Swindon and Don Rogers was my hero.
When he moved to SP, I switched my allegiance … and as I had the Crystal Palace Subbuteo team, it only seemed natural.
A roller-coaster is what its been …. I really could write a book I have so many memories…. Lately a lot of highs, but back in the early 80’s … it was desperate.
Best times were 1975 – 80 & 1988 – 92. Great fun following the club everywhere then. A real camaraderie on the terraces, esp away games. The whole day was an event … not just the 90 mins.
At times I was watching 30-odd games a season, but football in general holds no interest these days.
Will still watch Palace on TV, of course, but it’s a different game now. Sky have ruined it …. They have turned it into a circus .. a product .. we are now customers, just like going to the cinema … back in the day there was a bond between the club & the fans.. it was life or death. If Palace lost, it pi55ed me off for days.
I quote the Palace psyche from one of the excellent Palace books of the late 1980’s … “If its going well it wont last … if its going badly it will get worse”
Supporters of “bigger” clubs just don’t get it do they?
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