A damp cold misty afternoon February 1964 and my first visit to Selhurst. A 0-0 draw against Colchester United. Not an auspicious start and that could have been the end of it.

However, back then youngsters weren't exposed to the big glamorous teams as they are today by way of the media and endless matches on TV - apart from the cup final there were was hardly any live football on the box, and MotD didn't start till the beginning of 64-65 season and then only on BBC2 which hardly anyone had.

So, Selhurst with 15,000 people inside was as good as it gets/got for the 10 year old me. Within a couple of games I had a Palace scarf, Palace rosette (remember those?), a picture of the team on my bedroom wall and, although I didn't know it then, an addiction that I am still afflicted with.

My Dad took me to see Palace v Bishop Auckland (who) in an FA Cup Match way back in 1953( I think) got me in under the turnstiles at the Holmsdale Road end,then aged 7. Palace lost 3-4 which even for those days was a "cup upset", didn't upset me as have followed the Club ever since.

1968 - against Derby County. I wasn’t hooked there and then. I spent most of the game running up and down the grassy bank the Whitehorse end, with the other boys from Buller Rd that went along with me.

I kept going to the home games over the next few months, and we were on a roll. Winners are grinners, so I quickly got hooked on Palace. Jacko was my hero.

It’s all a blur - my next clear memory is of playing Middlesborough on a freezing cold Good Friday 1969. I can remember getting some odd looks from the older blokes standing around me when I yelled out ‘Crucify them’ as we attacked the Holmesdale End goal. My religious zeal was all to no avail. Unlike yesterday, the 1969 home game against Boro was a gritty/dour 0-0 draw.

Then a couple of weeks later, it was the glory of running on the pitch after beating Fulham 3-2, and singing our hearts out, as our new found heros stood like gladiators in the Old Stand Director’s Box, and waved triumphantly back to us. I felt sure that Jacko caught my eye, and gave me a nod, as if to acknowledge ‘we couldn’t have done it without your support, son.’

We are the goon squad and we're going to town. Beep Beep!

As my signature implies,but to clarify.
Me dad used to go to Selhurst from the 1930`s with a neighbour now and again ,who he grew up with (who I called uncle Sid,weren`t my real uncle,but out of respect,we had to call him uncle).Anyway over Chrimbo 1964 my dad and uncle Sid were talking about going to the game on Boxing Day,and me being a persistant little brat wanted to go.After him trying with no success to talk me out of it,he relented.
So Boxing Day morning arrives,I`m ready,he(dad) tried again,to no luck,my mum also joined my dad in persuading me against,again no luck.
Now during those days nothing moved anywhere on the roads on Boxing Day,even the blokes with the red warning flags highlighting cars on the road!So off we walk!!! from the Old Pollards Hill estate where we resided at the time and walked to Selhurst,I do remember it being bloody cold.If I also recall my dad & uncle Sid stopped at a pub en-route where their liquid refreshment was partaken,most probably shoved me a lemonade and crisps........
Now at Selhurst,eventually I was taken into the ground (Holmesdale as it was then)and left on my own with two dozen other little brats.Fathers went up on the terraces and left kids them days to collect laters.
As for the game Palace played Pompey and won 4-1/2? I dunno as I have no recollection.Nor do I have any recollection of who played/scored or anything else,other than I found two dozen new found friends in being able to bang the boards that surrounded the ground.
For weeks after that I badgered dad into taking me to Palace,I weren`t always so sucessful,but when so it happened ,same old thing,left down the front with my friends banging away at advertising boards,and of course `Glad all over` came out and that was history in the making.
Games away never happened then(FAIRWEATHERS),costs,austerity of the early 60`s,hard-up etc etc so when Palace played away we went to see the mighty Tooting & Mitcham at Sandy Lane,but on our way home,after my dad had a swift pint or two,we get the`Evening News Classified`for ALL the Saturday results,as all teams played on Saturday,oh how times change...
Eventually I became more street wise and transport a bit more available and easy so went with mates/friends or whoever.....
Anyway as stated,my signature says it all...

quite simply cos they're my local team. as a young boy I had (bought for me) a Spurs boot bag and my first shirt was an Arsenal JVC one. but even at a young age I couldn't see the point in supporting a team that were miles away and not in the local media/news/papers etc. Always Palace for me. Always was, always will be.

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I have always lived within shouting distance of SP and so it is strange the route that I came to support this club.
My dad has little interest in football, along with all that side of my family. If you were to ask him he'd say he doesn't follow any team but Wimbledon were his local team as a lad. My mother's side are all Wolves supporters, and at an uncle's wedding when I was about 6 one of them asked me 'who do you support?' I gave the generic answer of any child with little exposure to football at the time 'United' (I remember kids in the playground at school all used to turn up their collar and pretend to be Cantona. Shocking to think about it now.) I was told in no uncertain terms 'You are a Wolves fan now' and that's how it stayed. I went to a handful of Wolves games (mostly at Selhurst, when they played Palace or Wimbledon) and bought Steve Bull figurines and got very excited when they went up via the Playoffs.
In 2005/6 2 of my mates (who are brothers) got season tickets in the lower Holmesdale, though one was Spurs (after his dad)and I sometimes went to games if one of them couldn't, or there was a special offer. I had followed closely Palace's run to the playoff final the year before, and was kept up to date with how many AJ was scoring. It was a bad season for Wolves in the top flight (beating UTD apart) and it was much more enjoyable to hear about things at Palace. It went on like this for a few years, Attending the odd game, until 2009.
I was unemployed from the summer of 2009 until late April 2010, coinciding with a period where 1 of the brothers (the Spurs fan) was unable to make any games for nearly all the season. I went to all the home games on his ST and naturally got very wrapped up in what was going on. Moses, the cup run, Admin, Hillsborough.... lots of things combined to make this so much more enthralling than following Wolves (now back in the PL and doing a bit better) from distance. I still called myself a Wolves fan, even when we travelled up to Molineux for the first leg of the 3rd round of the cup. At that game I was very confused about who I was supporting, it was a bit of a crisis for me, and the 2-2 draw seemed to reflect my torn loyalties. Wolves, my childhood club, Palace, my local club. The replay soon after soon changed things for me. In 7 glorious minutes Danny Butterfield Cemented me as a Palace fan. I couldn't help but jump around and cheer.
I still have a look at who Wolves are playing, still swear when they lose and grumble at how well WBA are doing, but there is only room for one club in my heart and that is Palace.

Edit: The Spurs fan is back attending games and now a complete convert to the red an blue, just like me

Edited by blanksight (15 Mar 2013 8.41pm)

I'd rather be a FREE MAN in my grave
than living as a PUPPET or a SLAVE