A. v Norwich 1973 - Changed my life

[baroli]

With tomorrow's game against Norwich I just wanted to reminisce about the day that changed my life.
Although an occasional Chelsea fan who used to visit Selhurst to laugh at the away keepers, I went to the game because my mate "P**s Pot" was a Palacce fan and did not want to do any O Level revision either (it was half term). It was one of those Win and we could stay up, lose and we are relegated games. Caught the football Special from Liverpool St. I think and we got beat 2-1 after being 1-0 up. Ironoically we beat Man. City away the following Saturday and that would have been the final piece of the jig saw to keep us up!

It was the depression on the train afterward that we all felt on the way home that was so contagious. I had to concede that if I felt like this about Palace, Chelsea can go whistle in future.

The next time I went to Chelsea was when we beat them in the Cup run 3 years later (currently on another thread at the moment).

I wonder how many other fans have switched allegiances to a team because it has suffered defeat and relegation?

[lightweight]

and it's glory hunters like this that we just don't want!!! http://www.cpfc.org/ubb/smile.gif http://www.cpfc.org/ubb/smile.gif

seriously - can't think of many clubs that have such appeal like this as we do!!

[Jack Regan]

Baroli,

I remember this game as well, though I wasn’t there. We did indeed need to win to stay up and I didn’t know the score as it wasn’t on the radio and there was no teletext in our house at the time.

I turned on the 9 O’clock news and they gave the result at the end with film of the goals. I was convinced we’d done it when they showed us going 1-0 up (Don Rogers?) and was absolutely gutted when Naarch got 2 back.

My first major disappointment as a Palace fan.

[Archiebald Leitch]

Oi Regan, I was there. Went on a coach, by the number of Palace there I think it was the only coach that went. Can't remember much about the game but it was Don Rogers who scored for us.

[Jack Regan]

Hold up Leitch – If you were at Naarch in 1973 then I make it you were 14(ish).

If that’s the case, seeing as Chris Leitch will be that age next year. Presumably it’ll be OK if he wants to go to Naarch next year too, even if they are chucking bottles and glasses at each other in the pubs these days!

[Hugh Cheddyk]

That's the other thing, they just do not make glasses and bottles like they used to. Norwich '73 was pre 'designer violence' days, when segregation was still a glint in senior police officers' eyes