Shouting from the Hop

I think my blog about Simon Jordan made it quite clear that I don't like our South London footballing neighbours from Croydon. So I thought I'd shed a little more light on the reasons, going all the way back...

My first ever Charlton game was way back in 1967, versus Aston Villa (we won 3-0). It was Eddie Firmani's first game as manager; he had succeeded Bob Stokoe who had been sacked the previous week after a 3-0 reverse at, yep, you guessed it, Crystal Palace. Then, Palace had never played at the highest level, only getting out of Division Four in the late 50's. Charlton on the other hand, were a major team in the league's from the mid-30's until getting relegated in 1957. Ten years later they were still in Division Two, and trying to get out; either upwards (every fourth season) or down (most other seasons!). So a big defeat left Stokoe with only one outcome - Bye! I hated Palace for getting a Charlton manager sacked.

I remember Charlton losing again to Palace later in the season under floodlights, 1-0, but by then Eddie was doing the business and we were pretty safe. The following year, both teams had good sides and were near the top of the league all season; drawn against each other in the third round of the FA Cup, a goalless draw at the Valley was followed by a famous two goal victory at Selhurst Park, courtesy of Ray Treacy. Henry Irving chants were created to mark that famous victory! The league matches were both drawn - 3-3 away, and One-all at home. Going into the last few matches, Charlton threw away their points lead and were left needing two victories from their last two games, but with Palace also needing to slip up. A 4-0 win was followed on the last day of the season by a home defeat to Preston. We even missed two penalties (Gregory and Curtis the culprits)! So Palace went up as runners up to Cloughie's Derby, we finished third, and they lauded it...I hated them for that.

It wasn't long before they were back down again (Palace have always been good relegation fodder...), but Charlton had also gone down too. By the mid seventies, we met again, and Charlton finally got promoted thanks to Killer, King Arthur, Paddy and Flash. In 1976, Malcolm Allison (an ex-Addick), dressed in his panama hat, strode around like a king and made good headlines for the papers. I hated him for that. His team were still in the third division though, having suffered successive relegations. They did get to the cup semi finals only to get beat by second division Southampton.

Next season, they went up. I actually went to see them in one game - one of the few cheering Walsall to a 1-0 win. Palace fans make huge noises about the fact that their last home game was seen by over 50,000 people that season, forgetting that they almost threw away a ten point divisional lead at Xmas and needed to win to be sure of promotion. I hated them for winning that game against Burnley.

There was another game in the late-70's where the ref decided that our red shirts, and second strip white shirts clashed with Palace's red and blue stripes on white. Charlton had the ignominious pleasure of therefore wearing the only "suitable" alternative - Palace's away strip. I hated the fact that my team not only couldn't wear their own kit, but had to wear a Palace's strip.

Over the next few years, we met quite regularly, but then Charlton went down, and Palace went up, with Terry Venables now in managerial charge. This was the team of the 80's time, Palace having a number of highly regarded youngsters. I hated them being called the team of the 80's. Once more, being highly regarded doesn't keep you in the top league and, down they came. Their team of "stars" were sold, and they never did become the team of the eighties!

In the mid-80's, we met a few more times in Division two. At one such home game against Palace in 1985, the unthinkable happened, and Charlton supporters were told that they would be playing home games at Selhurst Park due to the Council's concerns over safety at The Valley. We won 3-1 that day, thanks to two Mark Reid penalties (he missed a third!), but it was never going to be the same again. I hated them for that - we won, but they gloated that we would be playing at "their" ground from now on...

A large number of fans refused to go to Croydon to watch their team. I did though. I reckoned that I would watch them play anywhere - home or away, or away all the time as it was for the next five years. I didn't like it though. I hated it in fact. And we were always made to feel like second rate citizens whenever we played there. I hated that. I remember midweek Full Member cup games (one versus Chelsea, and I'm sure there was another...) where the floodlights failed - well, not failed, just went off! We were told they were on a timer and that it couldn't be changed to accommodate us! I hated that smugness. Our offices were portokabins. The police searched all home supporters going into the ground. The pitch was awful! It was a nightmare ground to get to regularly, a nightmare to play at, and a nightmare to get home from. I hated the situation and hated being a fan of a club that didn't have it's own ground.

Charlton got promoted to the top flight, and so did Palace (and Millwall) in the late 80's. Now was the time for the team of the 90's tag. To be sure, they didn't become the team of the 90's either! They did get to a Cup Final (as a second division team), but lost in a replay - they've still never won anything...

Charlton were home by now, having left Selhurst in 1990, but back in Division two. I have never been back to Selhurst to see Palace play (I did go on a freebie to see Wimbledon, who replaced Charlton as tenants in 1991, in the late 90's), nor will I ever. I don't care if Charlton need a win to be Premiership champions - I will not go there. I hate the fact that I say that; that my hatred of all things Palace makes me say that. I will not pay any entrance money that goes into Ron Noades pocket, ever.

More meetings at second division level, including the semi-finals of the play offs in 1996. We lost home and away, not having the squad or strength to do anything else. Palace meanwhile started their yo-yo years (they are still in them!). Charlton went up, then down, then up to the Premiership again where they have stayed; Palace yo-yo...up/down/up/down...

Whenever we meet, Palace think it their right to beat us. We don't have a great record against them, or haven't since I've been a supporter, and I suppose we didn't play to many times before that. Recently, we broke our Selhurst hoodoo and won with a Paul Kitson goal in 2000, our Championship season. I wasn't there though - I hated that.

In 2004/5, Palace made it back to the Premiership, where they met Charlton three times. The league games were both drawn, but a league cup game was won by Palace. I hated that. I also hate the fact that complaints by the Palace board led to the announcer at Charlton home games being sacked for alleged comments made before the League cup tie (he apparently pronounced the visiting team as Pal-Arse). When the sides met on the final day of the season at The Valley, the bouncy club needed a result plus other teams to do worse than them to stay up. As Charlton did what they needed, we all sang "we sent the Palace down" to the tune of Amarillo; this in turn led to Jordan's comments that our fans were morons or, later, imbeciles. After demanding the head of our pre-game announcer, will Jordan do the decent thing now and resign himself for offending another football club with his comments? I don't think so, and I hate him for that.

The Palace fans hate it now because we are a bigger, more established, respected, and better run club than they have ever been. But they refuse to accept this. Charlton fans don't think we are bigger, better, etc, club than Arsenal, for instance; get real! Check the league tables/transfer budgets/bank accounts/average crowds...

Since September 1967, Charlton have had 9 managers (counting the joint managership as one - Firmani, Foley, Nelson, Bailey, Mullery, Craggs, Lawrence, Gritt/Curbishley, Curbishley); without checking my facts, I'd say Palace have had that many since 1995! In fact, Steve Coppell has been manager three times!!! Dave Bassett only lasted a few days, Steve Bruce a couple of months, Steve Kember not much more...

The Palace board have wasted any potential that there might ever have been to make them a power in the land. "Uncle" Ron Noades, who was so "nice" to Charlton during the late 80's that he gave us a home, sold the club but not the ground. Not only had he had Charlton paying exorbitant rent in the late 80's, Wimbledon doing the same all through the 90's, but he now had rent coming in from Palace! Lovely man. He was able to buy Brentford for a small fee and ended up as manager, Chairman, and no doubt supersub should he have been needed too!

The mug who bought the club but not the ground (failing to check the small print) was Mark Goldberg. What an idiot. He paid over £25 million for a seat in a stand and a boardroom which he didn't own! It's no surprise to learn that he went bankrupt pretty soon. Palace were finally "saved" from extinction due to their debts by Simon Jordan; a man who claims to have been brought up within 100 yards of the ground, who's father still lives there in that house, who was on Palace's books as a schoolboy, who is a football fan, but who, even now, still does not own the ground on which the team he controls play home games. Sainbury's have more say in what happens at Selhurst than he does! I hate him for thinking he is somebody.

The yo-yo club still think that they are bigger and better than other local clubs. The supporters claim that there main rivals are Brighton, not Charlton or Millwall, a team the best part of 50 miles away! Why? The chairman gets the hump when other football fans sing and cheer when his team gets relegated. Why? He starts calling fans names. Why? He says he wants to act just like a football fan - shouting, singing, jumping up and down - but what Charlton did that afternoon was moronic behaviour. What a hypocrite! I hate him for that.

I know, or have known, quite a number of Palace fans over the years (well, about five actually). I didn't like any of them really - sorry Drinking Death colleague the ginger mopped Dave "Ding-a" Ling, sorry the cricketing Shilling brothers Kevin and John, sorry girl with the implants I met at Sun City following the cricket in South Africa, sorry Kim ex work contact, sorry any others who I may have met but can't remember cos I didn't want to know you because of the team you followed.

Charlton have other rivals: Arsenal from the "old" Woolwich days; Millwall from just down the road; West Ham, just across the river, etc, but I don't think I hate those other teams. I don't like them much - sure, but hate, nah! It's Palace that gets my goat; Palace that I can't stand; Palace that I turn off the TV for; Palace fans that I'll turn my back on (I'll be careful from now though!) and walk away from; Simon Jordan whose writings I will only read to see what crap he is saying about us Charlton supporters now.

So I hate Palace. I always have. And I don't care if that makes you hate me and/or Charlton.