1969 Promotion run in from 22nd feb 1969

[Percy Dalton]

50 years ago today Palace embarked on a 16 match unbeaten run which earned Promotion to the first (top) division for the first time in our history.

After almost a months break caused by bad weather (snow and ice) we faced Hull City at a fast changing Selhurst Park. A 2-0 victory with a goal from Mark Lazurus and a rare strike from Big John McCormick gave us a comfortable win.

Palace were mid table but with games in hand, Derby were top and on their way to the championship under Brian Clough, Cardiff second, with Millwall, Charlton, Birmingham, Middleborough all in the mix for the second spot which would secure promotion. Just two teams promoted and no play offs back then.

Bert Head had set the team a target of 26 points from our remaining 16 games (only 2 points for a win in those days) We had to play two games a week to finish the season on time and catch up with the backlog.

I don't recall a great deal from that game it was strange being back in the match day routine after a month without football. I was glad I had my army issue Parker from the local Army Surplus store to keep me warm, it was a very cold day.

The Arthur Wait stand was rising from the old Park Road terrace and the 1969 version of the Holmesdale singers moved on mass from the Holmesdale Terrace to under the superstructure of the new stand as the roof was now on (underneath was a mix of terrace and a building site) and at last we could really generate some noise from that match onwards.

I was in my tenth season of watching Palace and seen two promotions already as we clawed our way from the basement old 4th division to the top division in ten short years. Magic days.

[big bad John]

We got exactly the 26 points Bert wanted. I was at that Hull match and the crowd of 14 thousand something was a little disappointing seeing as we'd been starved of football for so long. We really started to believe that we might be in with a decent chance when we went to the Baseball ground and beat Derby 1-0. I remember Match of the Day featuring Tottenham reserves verses Arsenal reserves, such was the lack of football. Think the crowd was around 18,000.

[tony 1947]

Like You remember those games well. We best both Derby and Birmingham away in the same week. Great game v Millwall and a victory at Carlisle a ground in which I believe we always lost.

[davech]

There is a good account of the run-in in Roy Peskett's book, The Crystal Palace Story. I believe there may well be some second-hand copies to be had.

Bert hoped for two points from our rivals. We got 4 (two wins back then). That was the point at which everyone at the club started believing it was really on.

Also a great account in the We All Follow The Palace tome.

[Hedgehog]

It all coincided with when I started to go regularly... not that I was a glory hunter or anything, just the way it worked out with age and people to go with.

I assume I can't take any of the credit for this run-in?

[Pikie Punisher]

Originally Posted by Percy Dalton

After almost a months break caused by bad weather (snow and ice) we faced Hull City at a fast changing Selhurst Park. A 2-0 victory with a goal from Mark Lazurus and a rare strike from Big John McCormick gave us a comfortable win.

My first Palace home game

[palaceboy1]

I remember going to Derby and winning 1-0 after having 4 goals ruled out for offside , a long but happy midweek run home . then Birmingham and another 1-0 with “there,s only one Stevie Kember” scoring the goal . Blimey 50 years where did it go?

[KYLIE MINEAGLE]

My best memories of that season was doing the double over Millwall . At the Den we won 0-2 Bobby Woodruff and Lazarus scoring, The Knucks had been giving Laza the old yiddo yiddo chant. When he scored he ran round giving them the old V sign. Also Jacko saved a Keith Weller penalty.
50 years ,bloody hell I am getting old.

[nibalama]

Originally Posted by Pikie Punisher

My first Palace home game

Same here !

[davech]

Originally Posted by KYLIE MINEAGLE

My best memories of that season was doing the double over Millwall . At the Den we won 0-2 Bobby Woodruff and Lazarus scoring, The Knucks had been giving Laza the old yiddo yiddo chant. When he scored he ran round giving them the old V sign. Also Jacko saved a Keith Weller penalty.
50 years ,bloody hell I am getting old.

Incredibly scary inside the ground! Thanks, Mark

"Palace Power Rocks Millwall" screamed the headline on the Evening News Classified that night.

[Robin]

I went to every game except Fulham when I was away and was gutted. I was 16 at the time. Almost got beaten up at Millwall. The club gave us champagne on the coaches st Preston when we secured promotion. I remember John Jackson making a gear save late on and we hit a 0-0 draw. It was a great adventure.

[davech]

Originally Posted by Robin

I went to every game except Fulham when I was away and was gutted. I was 16 at the time. Almost got beaten up at Millwall. The club gave us champagne on the coaches st Preston when we secured promotion. I remember John Jackson making a gear save late on and we hit a 0-0 draw. It was a great adventure.

I missed Middlesbrough and Portsmouth (with Johnny Sewell's deadly penalty) due to being in Berlin on a school trip. A double-edged sword if ever there was one. I was there for the spectacular finale though.

[Granada allover]

Perhaps the game I remember most of all (for all the wrong reasons) was home against Oxford. Such a dirty team (Woodruff came off with a broken collar bone, I think) and some shocking refereeing decisions meant it ended up 1-1, with our missing chance after chance to win it. Plus ça change...

Next day I walked past the wooden hoardings outside what was to become the Arthur, to see a proto-fatwa 'Death to Burtenshaw' (the ref) painted up in huge black letters. It's how we all felt for days afterwards.

[davech]

Originally Posted by Granada allover

Perhaps the game I remember most of all (for all the wrong reasons) was home against Oxford. Such a dirty team (Woodruff came off with a broken collar bone, I think) and some shocking refereeing decisions meant it ended up 1-1, with our missing chance after chance to win it. Plus ça change...

Next day I walked past the wooden hoardings outside what was to become the Arthur, to see a proto-fatwa 'Death to Burtenshaw' (the ref) painted up in huge black letters. It's how we all felt for days afterwards.

As a slight aside, Burtenshaw seemed to like to court controversy. He once sent off George Best (for backchat, I believe) and was proud of his stand. In his autobiography, "Whose Side Are You On ,Ref", he recounts the story of how a small boy came into his corner shop the Monday after, saying "You are the one who sent off George Best. I hate you. I'm never coming in your shop again". And apparently he never did.

[Lindfield Eagle]

my first game at Selhurst - talk about ups and downs since!!

[Mick]

Originally Posted by tony 1947

Like You remember those games well. We best both Derby and Birmingham away in the same week. Great game v Millwall and a victory at Carlisle a ground in which I believe we always lost.

Remember being at Carlisle for this win as well as the previous cup defeat there. In those days, travel on the supporters' coaches involved an overnight run from Selhurst on the Friday night and being deposited in Carlisle very early on Saturday morning, with the reverse journey starting late on Saturday night, returning to Selhurst early on Sunday. Doubt that would be allowed now with official coach travel, giving fans all that spare time at the away venue

[Hedgehog]

Originally Posted by Granada allover

Perhaps the game I remember most of all (for all the wrong reasons) was home against Oxford. Such a dirty team (Woodruff came off with a broken collar bone, I think) and some shocking refereeing decisions meant it ended up 1-1, with our missing chance after chance to win it. Plus ça change...

Next day I walked past the wooden hoardings outside what was to become the Arthur, to see a proto-fatwa 'Death to Burtenshaw' (the ref) painted up in huge black letters. It's how we all felt for days afterwards.

Wasn't the Atkinson brothers playing for Oxford (Ron and another one) in that game? I think they were both dirty/hard men players and were a left over from when Oxford were a non-league team and advancing up through the leagues.

[davech]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog

Wasn't the Atkinson brothers playing for Oxford (Ron and another one) in that game? I think they were both dirty/hard men players and were a left over from when Oxford were a non-league team and advancing up through the leagues.

One of our group decided he was going to be an Oxford supporter for the night because he liked the shirts and they 'had only just come up the league'. He was a bit of a div, though. We stopped him from getting on the bus we were on after the game to teach him lesson

[cappuccinoeagle]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog

Wasn't the Atkinson brothers playing for Oxford (Ron and another one) in that game? I think they were both dirty/hard men players and were a left over from when Oxford were a non-league team and advancing up through the leagues.

Younger brother Graham - a striker - died in 2017

[KYLIE MINEAGLE]

Originally Posted by davech

Incredibly scary inside the ground! Thanks, Mark

"Palace Power Rocks Millwall" screamed the headline on the Evening News Classified that night.

Indeed scary. I was supposed to meet my mate at New Cross Gate but missed him and watched the game on my own. Left about 5 minutes early and there was a mob of the KDs waiting round the back. Put on a dissapointed face and legged it.