Last Monday night topped a remarkable season and an amazing turnaround within 3 years. In 2010, Crystal Palace were so very nearly liquidated, saved in the 11th hour by CPFC2010 consortium and the vast number of fans that marched on the bank in protest, to help push through the deal. The deal was reached and the Eagles were saved, after avoiding relegation on the final day, with a points deduction that season too. The rebuilding was on, the 2010-2011 season saw Palace again survive relegation, this time the week before the final game. 2011-2012 will be most remembered for the Carling Cup run, beating Manchester Utd at Old Trafford with 'that goal' (see intro post), but ultimately falling at the final hurdle losing on pens to Cardiff City in the semi final and slumping down the table too. After losing the first 4 league games this season, Palace suddenly clicked and transformed with a 12 game unbeaten streak, topping the table.
A managerial change when Dougie Freedman left for Bolton and Ian Holloway came in hadn't seemed to make too much difference until after Christmas, when the Eagles form become very hit and miss, it worsened after the 3-0 defeat by Brighton when Palace then only won 1 from the last 10 games, fortunately staying in the playoffs on the final day. Brighton awaited in the semi, who were on great form, everyone wrote Palace off, especially after the 1st leg 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park and the loss of star striker Glenn Murray. Palace had other ideas, being fired up before the game after arriving in to their dressing room to 'poogate', the Eagles played with real intent and the whole team really played their hearts out, winning 2-0 thanks to Wilfried Zaha. So Wembley it was, against 3rd place Watford, who narrowly missed out on automatic promotion to Hull City.
It was a sunny bank holiday Monday, Wembley looked supreme and every fan was up for it. Both teams known for their attacking football, but Palace started the better and throughout the whole match seemed to create more chances but former Gunners keeper Manuel Alumnia was on fine form and kept Aaron Wilbraham at bay a couple of times and too Stuart O'Keefe, who had come on after 15 minutes for the injured KG. It didn't look like it was going to be the Eagles day and when Zaha stumbled away a chance in injury time, I started to think we'd pay for the missed chances.
At the start of extra time, Watford rallied and started playing like they had all season, although a last gasp save to hook the ball away from Hornet's Troy Deeney boosted Palace again and they found their flow again. When Wilfried Zaha again terrorised the full backs, like he had all game and took it into the box, Watford's Cassetti committed and took Wilf down, PENALTY. Kevin Phillips steps up to take it, someone next to me mentions the fact KP has bad luck in playoff finals, having lost all 3 before this, I swiftly watch him take it through my fingers, as if it were some horror film with a gruesome murder about to occur. KP smashes it, keeper dives the right way but it's too powerful and accurate.... GOAL!! The Palace fans go wild, all 33,000 (me included) seemed to be singing their hearts out all game to little come back from their Watford counterparts, the celebrations were some sound wave, a Wembley sonic boom!!
The second half of extra time was very nervous, Watford threw everything but the kitchen sink at it, and in the last 30 seconds a swerved outside of the boot shot veered past Speroni in a crowded box, only for Joel Ward to pop up and head it away off the line. Palace defended to the death and when it was cleared back to the corner flag after another Watford corner, the ref finally blew up for full time. Palace had done the unthinkable, promoted to the Premiership, starting the season as 2nd favourites for relegation. The celebrations were fantastic, after wildly celebrating with everyone around me, I must admit to having a tear in my eye reflecting back on all the team have battled to get here in the past few years and how proud I was to be part of such a great support that the club have received all season. The players felt it to, seeing Damien Delaney overcome with joy walking up the Wembley steps, was a nice touch, it meant a lot to him, as it did to Wilfried Zaha, his last match in a Palace shirt, and didn't he make it count and deliver the dream he wanted to achieve. A fantastic day that will always be remembered, thank you CPFC2010, the staff and players, the HF and the rest of the fans. What a season to remember.
That Wembley moment:
