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Life On Mars or Palace Away


By Boris Mellor
August 16 2015

As I got off the train at Norwood Junction and turned into the high street I noticed that things hadn’t changed much since I visited in 1969, and then a few time in the early 70s. The high street was uncontaminated by the big chains (no bad thing), apart from a Poundland. The whole place had a genteel rundown look to it, much like how many parts of London looked before the developers, and Pret a Manger moved in.

I found a greasy spoon for an all-day breakfast, explained what I meant by sunny side up, but still got over easy, but you can hardly grumble at £4.60, including coke, no the drink, this is a family website.

I then continued on my way to Selhurst Park but now amongst crowds of several thousands, a pleasant feel of summer as most were in short sleeves, and the two kids walking to the match, in front of me, were practising fast bowling, as if the start of the football season had not quite sunk in yet.

Crystal Palace first entered League Divison One in 1969, which is the first time Arsenal ever played them in the league, and it was an away fixture. The only previous match between the two clubs was in 1934 in the FA Cup but at Highbury. Arsenal won 7-0 the scorers were:Ralph Birkett, Pat Beasley 2, James Dunne 2, Cliff Bastin 2.

Ah what a quality winger, who cuts in, can do.

To celebrate entering League Division One Palace built the Arthur Waite Stand it was probably here that I bought my ticket for a seat for £1, on the day no pre booking. That is £11.51 in today’s money. Today I had paid in advance £36, a concession to seniors that is £40 otherwise.

Life On Mars

The turnstiles were the old type I used to crawl under as a boy, they consisted more of rust than iron, I can only conclude that they are the original ones I used in 1969, they were rather tricky to negotiate but a kindly steward helped me get my back pack through. The toilets, thankfully, had been refurbished, but most fans were more interested in necking beer than joining the slack bladder society.

The seats were cheap plastic, but to be fair no worse than Wembley the national stadium. The pitch is a similar size to the old Highbury stadium, with the same intimacy. The club mascot is a real Bald Eagle and its flights up and down the pitch were more classy than most of the football that followed. It also perched aggressively on the bar of the goal; I thought it might come in handy if we got one for Cech.

It really didn’t look or feel that different to 1969, but that was probably down to scale rather than reality. One big difference in 1969 was that Arsenal won 5-1 as against 2-1 today, and then I didn’t leave the pubs of Old London Bridge until very late, and it was a Saturday, no Sunday matches then. The scorers on that occasion were: George Armstrong, George Graham, John Radford 3.

Ah what a quality centre forward can do.

Just Like The Emirates

I won’t detail the match in depth as you probably saw more than me, as away fans insist on standing for the whole game, and my seat was in the far corner eliminating the view of one third on the near side. The Arsenal fans were in good voice, and it was hard to hear the Palace fans. The scoring of a great goal by Giroud put the fans into even better voice. “Where’s your famous atmosphere they crowed”, and “it’s just like the Emirates” . All of which tempted fate, I had no problem seeing Ward’s equaliser on 28 minutes. Whether Cech should have saved it I will need to see replays. At the time it didn’t seem that strong a shot, but it was well to Cech’s right and just inside the post.

Now the Palace fans woke up, but not long after fell asleep again, the Arsenal fans carried on urging the team to score. The half-time consensus was that Arsenal could have scored far more and should have been comfortably ahead. It was only ten minutes into the second half that Sanchez pressured Delaney into an error and Arsenal, once again, and deservedly so, were ahead again at 2-1.

There the score stayed, Arsenal could have scored more, but Palace gave our defence a few more frights. Wenger made some decent substitutions, deciding to stick rather than go for bust. The final whistle went and the away end burst into the BFG song, followed by We are Staying Up  and lots of friendly waves to the opposition supporters.

On the way out I bumped into Trev, and we decided to try and beat the queues at Norwood Junction by using the station underpass. A plaque proclaimed it was the World’s oldest all concrete underpass, I should think the Roman’s would have something to say about that. A kindly station attendant let us pass through what was meant to be a shuttered entrance.

As I got off at Lodon Bridge a friend text me to inform me that Mourinho had a face like a slapped backside as he was being well beaten by Citeh. End of a reasonably good day.

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Life On Mars or Palace Away
Discussion started by Arsenal Times , 16/08/2015 18:39
Arsenal Times
16/08/2015 18:39
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:08:22:18:25:31 by Padre Pio.

SuperRob
16/08/2015 18:50
Nice write up padre. Cheers

Brian b.o.f
16/08/2015 20:43
Nice one Mr Mellor...Thought I would come back and try to win the prediction league for the third time.

A trip down to Selhurst Park huh! glad to hear they have new toilets.

Padre Pio
16/08/2015 21:18
Thanks Brian.
Yes will if you do you will keep the trophy haha.
i have started like Arsenal last year nil point
Unfortunately I will miss the Liverpool game as I have a funeral to attend

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

weedz
17/08/2015 06:17
Thanks Padre, as always, a good read

Since the end of WW1, 1919, when the FA restarted its 4 tier football league, with Arsenal fc in the 1st div, there’s only ever been one club to have never been relegated from Div 1/ EPL.

Arsenal fc

Let’s keep making history

Padre Pio
17/08/2015 06:36
Thanks for the kind words Weedz

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

plonky
17/08/2015 07:49
Excellent read. You should go away more often.


Philly the kid
17/08/2015 09:12
Twas a decent match. Though, gotta say, standing in the Holmesdale stand (the noisy CPFC stand) I had an entirely different experience of the match (and most certainly a better view)!
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11907189_10155919572365103_2093571664882302551_n.jpg?oh=cf7ec92869b2274f4e357d61c2e201b9&oe=5642C50F
I was behind the goal OG scored in. And I only heard the Arsenal faithful twice, briefly, after each of our goals.
Never heard anything like the Palace fans noise before, anywhere. When the whole stand held a single note, I could literally feel the sound oscillating in my ears!! Madness.
The home support were well and truly Palaces 12th man, just as they were convinced the ref was ours! Though I do think Coq was pretty lucky not to be sent off, I reckon the ref was thinking to himself about how the fans were shouting "handball", or "diver" 5 times a minute. He knew they were OTT. Still, thank god for Wenger taking off Coq (though I didn't realise at the time BFG had suggested it too)!
Great game, great atmosphere, great result. Esp' after seeing the Chavs get smashed afterwards too!!
Happy days!…..
and hello again Brian! Long time, no see!

Padre Pio
17/08/2015 10:47
Thanks Plonky, I just love that strip.

Interesting Philly, I am sure what you are saying is right for where you were, but I could hardly hear them from noise being made around me. Friend text me to say she could hear the Arsenal fans really well on Sky. Also the Palace fans I was looking at were looking glum and sitting on their hands, the noise came from the other end to me where I could mostly hear a drum.

I think Coq got a harsh first yellow, but he needed to calm down and be more responsible.He could have easily got a second, but ref was also lenient on one or two Palace tackles
It was a good match but hardly classic football, too many mistakes on each side for that.

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:08:17:10:58:43 by Padre Pio.

Padre Pio
17/08/2015 11:22
Hang on Philly, you sure Own goal scored at Holmsdale end? I saw OG and I was closest to Sainsbury's endBlock R entrance 6, ie furthest from Norwood Juction and Selhurst Road, The end with the boxes. Arsenal kicked into that end in the second half.
the reason I saw Palaces goal ok was because I was at that end of the Arthur waite. I didnt see Giroud goal that well because it was at Holmsdale End.

I thought Sanchez had scored in second half as once again it was my end of Arthur Waite Stand.
So we were at completely different ends of the stadium, in other words you were furthest away from Arsenal fans and I furthest from Holmsdale, which If I have it right is the biggest of the goal end stands.
Alternatively you have the name of the stands wrong

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

Philly the kid
17/08/2015 11:29
(Sm6) Meant Ollie Giroud as OG, not own goal!
I didn't see the own goal properly as it was so far away from me.

Padre Pio
17/08/2015 11:41
Ah that explains it, but OG should always be used for own goal. So you were furthest from Arsenal fans if you look at Arsenal gallery photo 19 you can see Holmsdale in distance, you can also see how glum Palace fans were at our end, we hardly heard them at all.
I am not that surprised you couldnt hear us from there.

Own Goal

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

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