2007/08 Fixture List released

Fixtures, , , , , ,

The Championship fixtures for the 2007/08 season were released today. Palace highlights include:

First game: @ Southampton, Saturday 11th August.
First home game: Leicester City, Saturday 18th August.
Oops, they’re playing us again (again!): Charlton, Saturday 1st September.
Dowie’s return: Coventry City, Tuesday 18th September.
Final day: Burnley, Sunday 4th May (kick-off 3pm).

All Saturday fixtures are currently set for 3pm kick-offs, midweek games are currently shown as 7.45pm kick-offs.

Burnley on the last day is usually a good omen. Let’s hope that run continues, however unlikely it may currently seem.

In Washington, Selhurst Park is considered “historic”

Crystal Palace USA, Selhurst Park

Historic Selhurst Park

Pretty interesting article about Palace’s operation in America. It’s pretty fair for the most part, although calling Selhurst Park “historic” might be pushing things a bit far.

Slightly concerning piece of maths though. The players who aren’t contracted to the club earn between $1000 and $4000 a month. The average attendance per game has been just 378 people. I’m no economist, but that doesn’t sound sustainable to me, not when tickets are sold for $12 each.

Foot in U.S., but eyes on England [Washington Post]

The Devil Works For Errea

Dougie Freedman, Errea, new kit, Simon Jordan

So today was the today that the club decided to announce details of the new kit deal with Errea, and in doing so also launched possibly the worst home kit I’ve ever seen.

Our new kit sucks

It seems I’m not alone in not liking it. There are plenty of BBSers? and Holmesdale Online members who don’t like it either. There’s even a petition about it.

Of course Simon Jordan likes it, saying “The Italians are renowned for? their style and quality in the design and manufacture of clothes and I believe this year’s kit will be received as one of the best yet.”

At this point it is worth remembering Jordan’s penchant for red jackets and Robbie Savage-style haircuts (say no more).

Yet again there is more mucking around with the stripes, another abomination of a home shirt. It makes me wonder quite what the chairman is thinking if he was the person who ultimately sanctioned this monstrosity.

On the plus side Dougie Freedman is modelling the away kit, so that? might indicate his return in some capacity next year is closer to being finalised.

New kits! [cpfc.org]
Preview of new kit [Holmesdale Online]
Rethink the design of the 2007/08 kits [petitiononline.com]

Sun shines, Palace play well shocker

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Going home happy

For everyone who was doomsaying about my trip down to watch us play Preston (including myself) needn’t have worried. Palace produced what many considered to be their best performance of the season, leading to a 3-0 win.

Palace’s goals came from a first-half double from Shefki Kuqi and a second half header from Leon Cort. Preston provided a few bursts of comedy, first from Brett Ormerod’s fantastic miskick and then from the substituted David Nugent, who proceeded to throw a succession of boots, socks and shinpads from the Preston bench when he was taken off.

Palace should make us happy, apparently

Simon Jordan

Like many other Palace fans, I don’t just limit my online reading to sporting issues. I also like to keep up to date with all kinds of stuff.

I did laugh though when I read this, via Lifehacker. Apparently this is one of seven sure-fire tips for happiness:

5. Lay the groundwork for some future fun: order a book you’ve been wanting to read (not something you think you should read) or plan a weekend excursion to a museum, hiking trail, sporting event, gardening store, movie theater – whatever sounds like fun.

Compare that with the number of people posting that they’ve got no intentions of attending any of the three remaining home games this season. This should be Simon Jordan’s sales pitch: “Come to Palace, we can make you happier (honest!)”.

Seven tips for making yourself happier [Happiness Project]

Remembering happier days at The Hawthorns

Reverse Jinx, , , , ,

West Brom beat us again

Tomorrow night we visit West Bromwich Albion. They’re a team with very realistic promotion ambitions, and as they’re coming off a 1-0 defeat to their bitter rivals Wolves we’re likely to face a very good team with a point to prove.

We haven’t won at West Brom in over a decade. It’s a far cry from when we used to go there and despatch the home team with unlikely contributions like “meatball headers” and full-backs scoring first half hat-tricks. A return to those days tomorrow night would be very pleasant indeed.

This is where the official site would tell you that we’re 9/2 to win with Eaglesbet. However I wouldn’t recommend that to you, as I don’t think it is the likely outcome (c’mon, reverse jinx – work!).

Strange days indeed

Ben Watson, ITV, Leicester City

A 2-0 win over Leicester City yesterday helped to give us a total of ten points out of the last twelve. After hearing the result I logged onto the BBS and saw there was a great debate about the booing of Ben Watson prior to him scoring our second goal from the penalty spot.

Booing our own players? Before they take a penalty for us? Even the often maligned Shaun Derry garnered support before stepping up to the spot at Sunderland in the play-offs three years ago.

And we can’t deny it happened. Plenty of Palace fans reported hearing it, along with ITV’s Championship highlights show. It’s little wonder why the young players we bring through head elsewhere when they get the opportunity.

Ron Noades pulls a Mark Twain

Holmesdale Online, Ron Noades

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!

Zzzzzzzzz fest at Turf Moor

First Hand View, , ,

Well I’m glad I made that trip. Pretty much a stinker of a game, which ended as a 1-1 draw. Probably a fair result at the end of the day.

After a slow start we took the lead after fifteen minutes, with Clinton Morrison chasing down Gabor Kiraly’s clearance and heading over the out-of-position Coyne. With Coyne continuing to struggle (palming the ball to Scowcroft, punching the ball arguably outside his area and slicing a clearance) we really could have been out of sight before Ade Akinbiyi’s inevitable goal against us, and while Steve Cotterill can justifiably say that Burnley “did enough to win the game” he should remember how shaky his defence looked early on (typically we gave Coyne little to do in the second half).

To be honest I was expecting the worst against a team without a win in their last fifteen games. At the start of the second half we almost invited them to pile lots of pressure on us, and we only really started to come into the game again with the introduction of Ben Watson as a substitute.

In a perplexing manner, Peter Taylor said following the game that “Burnley away is a difficult game and I’m pleased with an away point.” I agree. I hate playing away at a team which hasn’t won once in their last fifteen games, and played the first thirty minutes like they were already on their summer holidays. If Burnley away is a difficult game what does that make West Brom away – Mission Impossible?

Clinton Morrison’s goal was his 94th for the club, and his third in the last two games. I’d say this begins the 100 goal countdown in earnest!

Lots of plaudits for Burnley’s catering as well. Mmm, Meat and Potato pies, mmm…

Burnley 1-1 Crystal Palace [BBC Sport]