CRYSTAL PALACE FC

25th April 2011

Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace 1, 0 Leeds

                                                                   EAGLES

'The ground lies in what can only be described as a nondescript residential void between urban outer London and the dreary suburbs of Croydon'

After severe criticism of some grounds across the country and as a Palace fan I have to approach Selhurst with a blind fold, a little caution and direct honesty.

Straight to the point Selhurst Park has fallen victim to delusions of grandeur, promotion, relegation, administration and neglect. This has left it in recent times with it's sibling football club reluctant to spend any money until recently on a property that was not technically there's. A somewhat odd situation and equally bizarre football ground with each side being built at varying times through out it's fairly short history and leaving at what others see as mismatching monstrosity or a complete joke (honest enough for you?).

However with talk of a proposed move back to Crystal Palace park and ironically it's supposedly spiritual home there are many such as myself who would rather the club stays where it is and try and attempt to progress without a snazzy new giant lampshade to parade in. Just as Arsenal no longer represent Woolwich South London, I believe Palace since there move in the 1920s now correctly represent Croydon and the surrounding areas.

I have not been to the Emirates yet but I bet most Arsenal fans would admit it doesn't have any of the character and charisma that Highbury had and maybe this is a lesson that some of the clubs with older grounds should take heed. That's not to say I would oppose a lick or paint here and there or some much needed structural improvements but it could be a complete disaster being relocated to some soulless industrial estate miles away from the area you represent. Or far worse could be the situation of having your sporting club completely uprooted for purely financial reasons a policy that has been common practice in America and something here that happened to Wimbledon F.C in the 90s.

A view from the lower Holmesdale Stand with Arthur Wait Stand and Whitehorse Lane End.

Okay back to the report. My season ticket is in the modern but neglected two tiered Holmesdale stand behind the goal. This was previously the famous Holmesdale Terrace knocked down under the Ron Noades regime in the 90s and was intended to pave the way for a new upgraded stadium. With the selling of the club (and not the ground !) to Mark Goldberg and his eventual bankruptcy it was only the Holmesdale and Sainsburys ends that were modernised.

Holmesdale as seen from the side entrance. Also the spot for an unofficial puff for all you nicotine addicts.

Holmesdale Stand as seen from the pitch with Arthur Wait Stand to the left.

Opposite lies what is affectionately/insultingly known as the Sainsbury's End or officially the Whitehorse lane End. As stated before each were constructed in the 90s and really brings home the vast contrast between these two ends to the now ancient Main Stand built in the 1920s and slightly newer Arthur Wait Stand. Above the Whitehorse End seating area are located the executive boxes looking more like a line of caravans perched on top of the stand.

Away supporters are contained within one section of the Arthur Wait but have recently this season been relocated away from the Holmesdale corner which really has had a detrimental effect on the general atmosphere of Selhurst Park. However some of the home section known as the 'Palace Ultras' based in the Lower Holmesdale have made splendid efforts to add some much needed noise via a drum and relentless chanting and singing throughout the games.

Added to this have been improvements in the entertainments including a real flying eagle, noisy but decent PA system and the very popular ( with Dad's and school boys ) Palace Crystal cheer leaders ( who now resemble erotic pole dancers rather than the previous spotty school girls). Selhurst has a maximum capacity of 26,000 but there has been a steady decline since the Premiership days and now attendances average around 15,000.

Prices for Selhurst considering the somewhat uncomfortable seating, smelly toilets and threadbare food facilities are extortionate. I believe its a whopping £30 for away supporters and even the Lower Holmesdale behind the goal will set you back £25. Not exactly value for money but with the added razzmatazz, occasional promotions and family fun days something that is palatable to us Palace fans. Marks out of 10 for Selhurst would have to be 5 out 10 ( my heart says 10 out of 10) but it does have the advantage of a good on the whole friendly atmosphere unless Palace are playing Brighton or Millwall.

A faded Palace mural from the centenary year 2005 outside the Main Stand area depicting some of the greatest players to wear the red and blue, claret and blue, red white and blue etc

No pie report for Palace as I refuse to pay over £3 for a pie ( £3.60 for a pie is a bloody disgrace !) and instead sometimes opt before kick off to go over to Park  Road adjacent to the stadium to a Chinese takeaway where you get a chicken balti for £2 (wow !). Selhurst has for some years been franchised to various over priced food chains and I for one will do anything but give them my custom even if it means going without at half time. Beers are also served but like other grounds don't attempt to take them into the playing area of the stadium.

A good tip for you away supporters would be arrive to the ground early and head  for Sainsburys and have a proper coffee and snack at a decent price and far better quality. Remember that Sainburys closes on match days half an hour before kick off so head for there at least an hour before the game to guarantee shorter queues and maybe a seat. Therefore Selhurst pies get a big fat zero out of ten I'm afraid.

Also no programme report as my programme saturated home has no more room for any more Palace memorabilia yet for the standard £3 you get an award winning publication full of the usual stats, news and photos with the occasional free SE25 magazine.

View from the Holmesdale End with Main Stand

Today Palace were up against the ex mighty Leeds United trying desperately to resurrect past glories by attempting to return back to the Premiership via the play offs. Palace in contrast were fighting to stay up in the Championship and with only three games to play needed a home win to help avoid the dreaded drop to League 1.

Eagles manager Dougie Freedman has instilled a more defensive backbone into the team with improved home performances yet this had been derailed recently with a 2,1 defeat to fellow relegation stragglers Scunthorpe the week before. He opted for the surprise front line of  Jermain Easter and vetran Stefan Iversen leaving Everton on loan forward Vaughan sitting on the bench and a strike force lacking any real pace but plenty of physical presence.

It was in all honesty a tense but dire game with Croydon's finest scoring a quick goal via midfield maestro Neil Danns and then holding out to a very poor Leeds team with no effective penetration. Leeds took a foothold for most of the second half easily having the majority of possession but they never actually looked like scoring and some credit must be given to the usually suspect Palace defence.With results going Palace's way it looks almost certain they are guaranteed Championship football while Leeds now depend on the results of others and to win there final two games.

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As I usually write about the area I travel to I will attempt an honest report on Selhurst itself. The ground lies in what can only be described as a nondescript residential void between urban outer London and the dreary suburbs of Croydon. No nearby sights of importance to write about unless you wish to visit Crystasl Palace park and it's obsolete Victorian dinosaur collection that even the most geeky 10 year old would snigger at.
For those of you looking for some famous London land marks then apart from the TV towers you will be very disappointed.

                    Crystal Palace TV transmitter and not the Eiffel Tower unfortunately

Transportation however is good having a number of buses and three train stations to travel to and I would imagine that access by car is easy enough although it would be recommended to arrive early due to limited parking.

There are a number of pubs around the ground although to avoid crowds it may be a good suggestion to head for Thornton Heath or Norwood Junction. There is a rail man's club positioned just outside Selhurst station along the alleyway that is very friendly quiet and conveniently placed. There is a £1 entry charge but the beers are priced at much lower prices than pubs and the groovy retro ambiance is worth the price alone. On Saturday evenings for some added entertainment ( but be respectful ) there are sometimes really awful pub bands that play live to a captive audience of retired aging rail workers and their families. The days of the legendary 'Muddy Waters' strippers pub are long gone and the rail-man's club is probably your best bet locally.
If clubbing is your scene then head for the glitzy neon lights of Croydon and some guaranteed sights that will terrify all but the most hardened of away ground explorers.

Having the advantage of being a Selhurst regular I will add further pics below throughout the following seasons depending on my blogging enthusiasm and commitment.

REAL MADRID

Saturday 16th April 2011

Real Madrid 1, 1 FC Barcelona

Bernabeu Stadium

A long weekend trip to Madrid gave us the opportunity to experience what is generally regarded as the greatest domestic football match in the world, the 'clasico' Real Madrid v Barcelona.

To go into a detailed history of why these two clubs are such formidable rivals would take up an encyclopaedia  but in a few sentences this clash of the titans stems mainly from the Spanish civil war when Real Madrid indirectly represented the right wing government of General Franco and Barcelona the Catalan Republicans.

With Franco's eventual victory the Catalan population were severely oppressed including measures to ban the the Catalan language and to stamp out any regional or independent identity. F.C Barcelona became more than a football team  but a symbol of resistance against Franco's Spain with the local populace waving flags, singing and talking in their native tongue at Barcelona home matches.

Another period of discontentment for Barcelona came when the legendary Argentinian footballer Alfredo di Stefano was due to sign for them and instead was controversially persuaded to commit himself to 'Los Blancos' instead. This began a chapter that was to be Real's greatest period in their illustrious history winning a series of domestic and European cups. It also spawned probably the greatest side of all time with such players along with di Stefano, Puskas,Gento ,Kopa and Hector Rial.

                                                      Real's greatest player Alfredo di Stefano

The ideological differences have become somewhat blurred over time but Barcelona remain a club owned by it's supporters and unlike most football teams refuse to have any corporate sponsorships on their shirts opting instead to promote charities.

Luckily both these giants of football will face each other four times over the next few weeks which meant that the cost of a ticket to see this encounter drastically reduced as the match day approached. Having done a little research before leaving for Spain the cheapest ticket I could find was on Ebay for £420 with some tickets being advertised for £600 plus. I had set my limit to £300 and was thankful to my brother in law for finding tickets at a cost of £120 each through a tour agency selling unwanted season tickets. This also took away fears of buying off a tout at the game only to find the ticket was a forgery or invalid apparently a common practice at these events.

I have to confess when I first saw the Bernabeu Stadium I was a little disappointed as it seemed a bit smaller than I had imagined. Seating just over 80,000 spectators I envisaged some vast super structure that would rival the Wembley arch or Empire State building when in reality you only see it when in close proximity and not from any great distance. The reason for this would become apparent when entering the ground as the pitch is substantially below ground level and quite deceiving when viewed from outside.

The game had a late kick off of 10.00 pm in line with Spanish culture of  long evenings and staying up till the early hours of the morning (Grandparents and kids included). Around the stadium are a number of packed bars but it was easy enough to sit down and take in the atmosphere as mainly the Real supporters began to chant some local football songs in preparation of the game.

We left with a good 30 minutes before kick off just in case we had trouble finding the seats and to experience some of the build up.

My ticket was on the third tier and as you enter the pitch area it takes your breath away as it seems so far up and the walk down to my seat was like descending a mountain it was so steep. However I was surprised at the view around the stadium as the person in front was barely in sight and the leg room was ample. Another cultural difference between the Spanish supporters and the English is their passion for nibbling sunflower seeds (rather than burgers or hot dogs), selling cushions to sit on and many of the males puffing away on big fat cigars. They are a little more less aggressive and quiet in their chanting but 80,000 supporters singing in unison blows your head off and sends a tingle down your spine.

It is also rare for Spanish supporters to travel to away games so on the minus side is there is lack of banter between the two sets of rival supporters but there were around 500 Barca fans crowded into a small section above me to the right. On the whole the Spanish are more family orientated and their football culture reflects this and it was nice to see a few Barca supporters wearing tops sitting amongst the Madrid fans in the knowledge that they were not going to be attacked or directly verbally abused unlike English football.

As the players entered the pitch it really put into perspective how high up you were and how big this place really is. It felt like being on a mountain looking down and being at this height it was also very cold and windy !
I really had to hang on tight as I descended the stairs and hoped that I would not tumble into some one's lap or worse to be a big red splodge on the pitch. Thankfully my seat was on the edge and I gratefully sat down quickly and took in the fantastic view and atmosphere. Everyone was given a plastic white Real flag to wave but mine remained under my seat for the entire match.

As stated before this would be the first of four encounters over a few weeks and this would be the least important for the Real fans as the Catalans are probably too far ahead in the table. Nothing but a victory would do and only in the hope that the Barcelona would then continue to drop points against minor opposition in the coming weeks. More focus would be placed on Tuesday's Copa de Rey final and the following weeks Champions league semi final. However any encounter between these two and the fans demand nothing but victory.

                                                  Messi scores to put the Catalan's one up                                                                                                              

 Jose Morinho has instilled his safety ethics into Madrid's football attacking elite and for most of the game Real were trying in vain to steal the ball off the Barca players and counter attack. After a penalty awarded to Barca in which Messi scored and Madrid were down to ten men, Barcelona even with the extra man advantage surprisingly played more defensive and gradually let the home side back into the game.

The second half saw more penetration from the Real forward line of Ronaldo, Alonso, Di Maria and Adebayour and it wasn't long before they too scored form a penalty and the game was destined for a much deserved stale mate. The only moment of controversy came when Lionel Messi for no apparent reason booted the ball into the Real fans and caused a brief major stir of  resentment and anger. Such a shame this incident happened in the closing moments of the game as this seemed to ignite the atmosphere.

Unfortunately there will be no pie report for this game unless you want a brief description of the pleasures and annoyances of sunflower seeds (remember to peel the blighter's first). I will try and convince the Spanish of the joys of chicken balti but it will take along time before they are weaned off healthy tapas, pork scratchings and anything else to do with pig flesh.There were of course top notch food facilities selling burgers and hot dogs but these were a lot more underused than there British counter parts.

For all you beer fans remember that Spain is very generous when it comes to snacks (ta pas) and as a rule food is served with every round of drinks. I am not referring to a measly few peanuts but usually a fair good quality assortment of local specialities like paella, cheese and ham. Our small group was provided so well with food that some of us did not even bother to have dinner in the evenings. A good rule of thumb is to be polite leave a tip and keep spending your money in the same bar. If this does not work simply leave the bar you are in and find another.
 
Football programmes are also alien to the Spanish football fans so there was nothing to read which under the circumstances was nothing to complain about but it would of been nice to have a memento of this marvellous occasion to take home. I do however have the memories which will remain with me forever and gives me hopefully the taste to venture to other major (or minor) grounds across the world.

THE TOUR

On the way back to the airport a few of us just had the time to revisit the Bernabeu for a quick tour of the ground. After joining the back of a huge queue it was half an hour before we got to the gates and paid 16 Euros to gain entry (40 Euros got you a meal and a direct pass into the ground).  We started at the top  after going through a quick security check travelling up a series of escalators to the panoramic platform at the top of  vast stadium.

At mid level was the impressive Real Madrid museum with an array of football ( and basketball) memorabilia and a huge amount of cups from their impressive history.Particular attention was paid to such global superstars as the aforementioned di Stefano, Zidane and Puskus.

I just wish we had the time to stay a little while longer as there was so much to see and read but unfortunately we were pressed into going around at a hurried pace to catch our plane. It should take a minimum of an hour and a half but we easily completed the tour within the hour.

Religious Brazilian superstar Kaka has a pair of red boots that has inscribed into them the unusual quote ' Jesus in first place'. Click on the photo for a larger view.

After the museum it was a small trip down to pitch level to view the changing rooms,executive areas and of course the hallowed green turf of the Bernabeu. As stated before we were in a bit of a rush so had to miss the photo opportunity of sitting (sniffing for all you Chelsea fans) in Jose's managers chair or presenting a speech at the press conference area.

The tour finishes not surprisingly in a well equipped club shop and there was a huge crowd buying all sorts of Madrid mementos and tacky knick-knacks.