I started writing this week’s blog whilst listening to the Portsmouth vs Palace. It was going to be all about how different things are now Palace, now we’re not in administration…ignoring the fact that we’re already 2-0 down to a team in administration, it’s a boring subject already well covered.
So with Pompey 2 up and attempting to pull off the great escape, they could do worse than look back over Palace’s recent history for inspiration.
Back in 2001, Palace and Portsmouth fortunes were intertwined, with both clubs fighting to maintain Division 1 (the artist now known as the Championship) status. In the penultimate match of the season the two sides met at Fratton Park, with Palace needing 6 points from the remaining two games to keep them in the divison.
Steve Kember, long term Palace employee, appointed as caretaker manager a few days before, inspired Palace to victory. Two goals from now manager, Dougie Freedman, and one apiece from Finish internationals Mikael Forssell and Aki Riihilahti secured only the Eagles’ second win in their previous 15 matches.
The victory meant Palace would be secured of First Division status if they won away at Stockport on the final day. Pompey meanwhile had to beat Barnsley and rely on other results to escape the trap door to division 2. You only have to mutter the words ‘away at Stockport’ to Palace to fans for them to go all misty eyed. I was in the middle of my university finals in Reading so decided it was more responsible to not travel up to Stockport, but spend the day revising (sitting in Walkabout drinking relentlessly from 11am). Big mistake on all counts.
Scores elsewhere at half-time meant Palace were down at that stage, staring into the abyss. Division 2 is for small clubs like Millwall surely?
With three tiny minutes remaining, Dougie Freedman scored one of the most memorable goals in Crystal Palace history, carving open the Stockport defence down the left and slamming home the winner to keep Palace up, and send Huddersfield down. Cue pandemonium…. It is only in more lucid moments that Palace fans will whisper ‘Hopkins handballed it in the build up to the goal’.
I’ve mentioned in earlier blogs the survival at Hillsborough two season ago. Palace met Sheffield Wednesday in a final day, winner takes all clash, with them occupying 4th and 3rd to bottom respectively. Palace’s standing advantage enough to mean a draw would see the Eagles stay up and send the Owls down.
Relegation survival scraps have a tendency to create heroes, and Alan Lee and Darren Ambrose wrote their own history that day. Darren Purse equalised for the Owls in the 87th minute, but Palace held on to relegate Sheffield Wednesday.
For those of you that don’t know, Palace have got a goal back tonight to give Pompey a glimmer of hope. But they need 6 points from their remaining 2 games to have any hope of survival, and it may still not be enough. Ring any bells?
In other news, Mikele Leigertwood has scored the goal to send Reading up. For Palace fans, Leigertwood will always be the player that gave away the goal at the Valley to relegate us from the Premier League.
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