Aussie Palace Fans

[bunghole]

Well it's Friday afternoon and I'm in serious wind down mode awaiting the weekend. So to help pass the time I thought I'd start a thread to find out how and when the Aussie based Palace supporters first became interested in the club.

Me? Well back in the 70's my friends at school all followed the English Football. Not wanting to be left out, I decided that I'd pick a team to follow.

All my mates supported the big clubs, Man U, Liverpool, the Arse etc so not wanting to bow to peer pressure I decided to follow a team other than the big boys.

One day whilst posted at my paperboy spot at the local pub I had a look at the English football tables and saw Palace perched somewhere in mid table in one of the lower divisions.

Crystal Palace? Nice name, so that was the club for me. The rest is history (all 25 odd years of highs and a lot of lows).

Just think. If the page 3 girl that day had bigger hooters, I may never have got to the tables and alas never discovered the joy of following Palace!

Apologies to those who've heard this story before, but I'd be interested in what first bought you to support the greatest football club on the planet.

[Gavin Axten]

You been to any matches Bunghole???

[bunghole]

Originally posted by Gavin Axten
You been to any matches Bunghole???

Believe it or not, no I haven't.

Some on the BBS would point the finger and say "well you can't be a real fan if you've never been to a game", but maybe they'd like to try staying up until 4am every Saturday night, for nine months of the year following their team.

Have yet to travel overseas, but the 2005 ashes cricket series plus a couple of early season Palace games is chiselled into the diary.

[Gavin Axten]

Well thay could hardly call you a glory hunter could they!!! Hopefully when you do come over we will be back in the premiership, what sort of radio coverage do you get over there for the football, BBC radio???

[bunghole]

Originally posted by Gavin Axten
Well thay could hardly call you a glory hunter could they!!! Hopefully when you do come over we will be back in the premiership, what sort of radio coverage do you get over there for the football, BBC radio???

For many years we got the second half commentary on 2KY (a Sydney radio station). Another station 2UE, now do the full matches so it's a case of listening to a Premiership game and waiting for a score from the Palace game.

I'm probably wrong but I think it's the radio 5 coverage which we get. Alan Green is one of the regular commentators.

TV? Well apart from the two matches against Liverpool in the Worthington Cup last year, there hasn't been a live coverage or replay of a Palace game on TV for about four years down here, when we were last in the Premiership.

That's pretty much how it goes. When we're in the top flight we get to see the boys, but when we're not it's a case of listening to the radio and watching the Sky News from England to catch a glimpse of any goals we may have scored.

Having just got a computer at home has helped as I can now listen to games on the net or follow Steve Baxter's excellent text commentary.

[Gavin Axten]

I've tried listening to games on the web but it annoys me so much as the link always drops out so I give up most times, luckily though Palace have teamed up with a radio station called London Live, they aren't the best commentators but at least we get to hear commentary on the away matches. Alan Green is with BBC Radio 5, very rarely bother tuning into them as all you get is how great Man.U are all the time. Do you know anyone over here who could video tape the goals and send them over to you or do you get to see most of them anyway??

[DennisUphill]

First went when I was about 10 years old. The days of Tom Barnet, Vic Rouse, Gwyn Evans and Johnny Byrne when he was just a sprog.
One stand in those days(judging by current pics it doesn't seem to have changed much in 40 years), the other three sides were bloody great dirt embankments, slippery when wet.

[bunghole]

Originally posted by Gavin Axten
I've tried listening to games on the web but it annoys me so much as the link always drops out so I give up most times, luckily though Palace have teamed up with a radio station called London Live, they aren't the best commentators but at least we get to hear commentary on the away matches. Alan Green is with BBC Radio 5, very rarely bother tuning into them as all you get is how great Man.U are all the time. Do you know anyone over here who could video tape the goals and send them over to you or do you get to see most of them anyway??

Usually get to see the goals on Sky News which is something. Agree with you about the net, bloody pain sometimes, but luckily Steve Baxter's text commentary usually comes to the rescue.

[sydney eagle]

well bung,I'm based in Australia and as you know,just around the corner from your work.My Palace connection is me being born in croydon and having a family full of Palace supporters....pretty simple really

[bunghole]

Originally posted by sydney eagle
well bung,I'm based in Australia and as you know,just around the corner from your work.My Palace connection is me being born in croydon and having a family full of Palace supporters....pretty simple really

Actually Syd, you'd be very familiar with the Pub I used to sell the papers at. The good old Kingswood!!!! What a classy establishment hey!

[Skid Row]

I follow Palace coz I was a virgin when Branson sponsored us so I thought it was appropriate.

Okay well that may not be the real reason but I reckon my real reason is gay so I'm keeping it to myself.

[bunghole]

Originally posted by Skid Row
Okay well that may not be the real reason but I reckon my real reason is gay so I'm keeping it to myself.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[EagleinOz]

I only came to Oz 8 months ago, before that came from Croydon, supported Palace all my life and had season ticket for the previous 7 years. Only met one Palace supporter so far in Oz when I was in Airlie Beach. When I was in Byron Bay I saw Dougies last minute season saving goal and the dressing room scene afterwards when the players realised we stayed up on the big screen- I was the only person jumping and screaming in a packed pub- loving it!

[bunghole]

Originally posted by EagleinOz
I only came to Oz 8 months ago, before that came from Croydon, supported Palace all my life and had season ticket for the previous 7 years. Only met one Palace supporter so far in Oz when I was in Airlie Beach. When I was in Byron Bay I saw Dougies last minute season saving goal and the dressing room scene afterwards when the players realised we stayed up on the big screen- I was the only person jumping and screaming in a packed pub- loving it!

Welcome to Oz! Airlie Beach is a great spot, stayed there once at Club Crocodile. Not many Palace fans in Oz, but we're all very passionate supporters.

[sydney eagle]

Originally posted by bunghole


Actually Syd, you'd be very familiar with the Pub I used to sell the papers at. The good old Kingswood!!!! What a classy establishment hey!

Bung,If theres a pub in the area,I know all about it

[philaire]

Just to save me reinventing the wheel, this is an edited version from "Why I'm an eagle":

I’d been brought up in a family and a community where Aussie Rules footy ruled supreme and “soccer” was a game for the Greeks and Italians in Adelaide. Becoming a bit of a sports and tele addict in my early teens, I was a little bemused by the fairly dull presentation of English soccer at odd times. Then came The Big Match and my life changed somewhat. It was late 1972 and the team with the “different” name took my eye. Perhaps it was 5-0 v Man U; probably was. The Monday papers got in the habit of publishing the UK results and ladders, helping me to further pursue my newfound interest – and my newfound team.

A baptism of fire with relegations through 73 and 74. The incredible highs and lows of 1975-76, with the huge lead at top of div 3, the cup run, then ending in tears. I took up the game at Uni, abandoning my Aussie Rules skills to have a go at this game! I found out that our local garage operator was a Palace fan, and he gave me clippings from the Croydon Advertiser, and some match programs. I sent to the club for some souvenirs, and kept up with the game through two-month old surface-mail “Shoot” magazines. I wrote to Terry Venables when we were promoted to div. 2 in 1977, and he wrote back!

My older brother went to the UK for the 79 cup final. He popped in the night before for the Burnley game and rang me when he got back to the hotel. In 1980 I made my one and only trip (to date) to England, with a girlfriend. My only trips ever to Selhurst were at Christmas time, when big Mal made his ill-timed return to Palace, but I saw us beat Norwich 4-1 and draw 2-2 with Arsenal in our relegation year.

And on it has gone. Ringing the club at the end of one of those miserable pre-Coppell 80s seasons to find out whether we’d avoided loss to Burnley and stayed up. Getting a mate in Hong Kong to give me half-hour updates on the Liverpool cup-semi. Having all my soccer mates round for the cup final. Ringing Leicester to find out we’d lost the play-off final.

My family remains bemused with my addiction, but tolerate it quite well. My ageing father’s phone calls to me often begin with a review of Palace’s latest result. My young daughters wonder a little who and what this Crystal Palace is. The BBS has been a fantastic source with which to feed my addiction. The photos of the games, especially James' last season with the pre-match atmosphere, bring those memories of my brief visits flooding back.

[Lakeside HHH Glazier]

Dad was a St Johns ambo at Selhurst, took me when I was 9. Hooked from then unfortunately. That was 1969. Migrated to Melbourne in 1992. There are 3 or 4 CP nuts in / around Melbourne, usual suspects on the BBS, you'll know them already.....

[philaire]

Lakeside, good to hear from you! Not been on the boards for a while, or have you been posting where I haven't been looking?

[Skid Row]

Originally posted by philaire
Just to save me reinventing the wheel, this is an edited version from "Why I'm an eagle"

Thanks for the edited version philaire.

[CPaul]

I get asked this question all the time. Why Palace ?? Well it all started in 1990. Yes the Cup final. I stayed up & watched the match & was really impressed with Palace. Iam Wright's injury time brace (after breaking his leg twice that season ) was magnificent !!

The next season I began watching the round ups on the ABC. I very briefly flirted with QPR (nice name) but it was a hollow flirtation. When I was younger Liverpool were supreme & it was hard not to like them. However it was Palace who were the one's that really moved me !! I bought Shoot magazine around this period I was super impressed with the league ladders. I collected all of them then religiously updated them each Monday.

Being a huge Essendon fan the notion of supporting Palace initally caused some considerable pain. After all rde & blue is Melbourne ( lame, limp team that they are ). I sifted through the ladders & found that Altringham were the only team with red & black colours.(Essendon's) There was no known way I was going to barrack for a team in the conference ! So Palace it was & is & alway's wiil be !

I lived in London from Feb 94 till July 95. I was lucky enough to see the boys 13 times. Debut v Bristol City. Freezing night they scored first , went on to win 4 - 1 !! Joy !!

So there , Aussie fellow osessed with the Palace. My girlfriend, family & friends are all just fantastic to me in regard to my love affair. The pleasure & pain assosciated with supporting a real , organic & not big club is something the glory boys & girls will never understand !!