for the first time in our history awaits us next season. Just in case nobody's mentioned it yet. We spent our first 60 odd years as a Rochdale or a Hartlepool as a bottom half club, our last 50 years we've established ourselves as a top half club, the last 30 odd years as a yo-yo club, and now we are surely progressing to be as Norwich, Southampton or Coventry once were as a second rate long-term top flight club, but hopefully with a bit more charisma and ambition to win a trophy or two and get into Europe. Next year should be our first season in the top flight since 1992 when we go a full season in the top flight without a sniff of relegation threat - we'll need to spend big again in the summer, but a lot of players are out of contract soon so hopefully we can replace the dead wood with squad players who can challenge for a place in the starting XI - I think the Newcastle and England experiences will deter Sam from looking to bigger clubs to fulfil his ambitions, esp if we can start to redevelop the ground soon, and we can exert our superiorty over Brighton next season. Leicester and Everton will fight it out for 7th position next season - I'm going to see if I can get half decent odds on us finishing 9th next season. Anything over 3-1 is a good bet - you'll probably get twice those odds, at least.

£30m, and there won't be a lot of movement in that price if the Benteke negotiations are anything to go by.

Bexley Dave

Can you hear the Brighton sing? I can't hear a ******* thing!

"The most arrogant, obnoxious bunch of deluded little sun tanned, loafer wearing mummy's boys I've ever had the misfortune of having to listen to" (Burnley forum)

I'd pay it, but it's not my money. If he'll sign for us, the £30m isn't plus any ridiculously expensive add-ons and we can afford the wages then it's a no-brainer for me.

Bexley Dave

Can you hear the Brighton sing? I can't hear a ******* thing!

"The most arrogant, obnoxious bunch of deluded little sun tanned, loafer wearing mummy's boys I've ever had the misfortune of having to listen to" (Burnley forum)

My preference would be to try and go with what we know works. If we hadn't been struggling against relegation we might have had a wider pick of the field, but I'm not sure how attractive we'd be to an equivalent option, or indeed what he would cost.

Bexley Dave

Can you hear the Brighton sing? I can't hear a ******* thing!

"The most arrogant, obnoxious bunch of deluded little sun tanned, loafer wearing mummy's boys I've ever had the misfortune of having to listen to" (Burnley forum)

A few years back, around 2010 and all that, I was wondering if I'd ever see Palace back in the top flight, let alone just confirming a record 5th consecutive season in the top division.

As the OP pointed out, our first 50/60 years of existence was as a backwater club fumbling around in the depths of the football league, even having to apply for re-election a couple of times (if we'd failed we'd have been out of the league altogether).

Promotion from the old 4th division in 1961 followed by a rise to Division 2 in 1964 was the start of our climb to being a respectable and relatively successful club that, apart from three seasons in Division 3 in the 1970s, has never been out of the top two divisions since.

I therefore raise a glass to Arthur Rowe, Dick Graham, Bert Head and Arthur Wait who, in a 10 year period, were instrumental in providing the foundations for where we are today.