A rumour on the Holmesdale Online last night took on a life of it’s own, and before you could say “statement” it seemed as if everyone of a red and blue persuasion was contemplating the passing of former chairman Ron Noades.However, rumours of his death have been greatly exaggerated. He’s alive and seemingly well, and allowing fans to consider the positives and negatives of his ownership of the club, and subsequently Selhurst Park.

I was always in the slightly anti-Noades section. There were instances where he should have invested more in the club (summer of 1991), instances where he didn’t appear to be running the club very well (towards the end of the 1994/95 season) and of course the one occasion where he was just an embarrassment to the club (we all know what that was). And that was all before we realised he’d quietly slipped the stadium away from the club and effectively into his private possession.

Which isn’t to say that it was all bad with Noades. He was chairman for the most successful period of our history, and when he sold to Goldberg we were established as a lower Premiership/upper First Division club. Also you could easily agree with his assertion that his keeping the ground assured Palace of a place to play when Goldberg and Venables were spending us into administration.

Somehow talking about Palace and the 1990s wouldn’t quite be the same if we were suddenly talking about Ron Noades in the past tense. Now he’s no longer taking any further money in rent from us I’m happy to wish him a long, happy and healthy retirement in charge of his golf clubs. Fore!