Quite so but I'm telling you it was a different Peter Simpson to the one that played up front for Palace in the 1930s! He would have been about 60 years old in 1970.

Am I the unwitting victim of a master wind-up merchant here??

totally agree you mate!

Angel of the south

Legend, Cult Hero, Fans Favourite. Call them what you will. They amount to the same thing.

If it goes down to excellence in a particular position, or for the job they do. It would be quite easy to pick an 11 based on that. However it is more than that, you could say that Brian Moore was a legend, he was a top drawer commentator, presided over so many matches where his quotes will be used over and over.
He gave more than he took from the game. So a Palace Legend would be someone who gave more than they took from Palace right?

Someone who shows loyalty. Someone who has a passion for the club, not just trying to engineer a transfer. Someone who is Palace through and through, provided us with moments that will not be forgotten, Heroics and heartbreaks.

So here is my Palace "legends" and although I am not old enough to have seen a lot of the players, have listened to many and seen a lot of archive footage to realise that we did have some class players.........

1) Nigel Martyn

Why Nige and not John Jackson or even Vic Rouse? I saw more of Nige than the other 2 and displayed qualities which mark him out in my book to be a real hero. Loyal, brave and provided us with some great moments. The best of which had to be the save from Ronnie Jepson at Home to Huddersfield in 1995 when he kept the ball out with a save from one yard, diving full stretch to keep the score at 0-0. No one could blame him for moving on after we lost to Leicester and he did rack up 349 games for us.

John Jackson and Vic Rouse would be behind him (but only just) as Jackson performed heroics for us as well I know, and Rouse was capped (our first International Cap post-war I think, while in the 4th Division) by Wales. Can't have been bad then could he?

2) John Humphrey

Yes I know another one from the 90's team. But he was a no nonsense,unsung hero who played for us between 1990-96. Made umpteen appearances (must be over 200) and was solid and dependable. Still works locally as a PE Teacher. He gave a lot to the cause and never caused any rifts. A model Professional. hardly ever injured and gave as good as he got.

3) Dean Gordon

For the best left back since Kenny Sansom, who would be in here, had he not defected to QPR. Gordon knew how to take a free kick and also made lots of appeareances. Local boy too and we had the best out of him as since leaving Palace, got a horrendous injury at Middlesborough and has not hit the heights since. Stayed with us through the ups and downs until 1998, so his loyalty cannot be questioned. Another great pro.

4) Geoff Thomas

Picked by many other people, he was Captain Fantastic. Hard working and maybe not gifted with the most natural talent in the world, who cared as he worked his socks off in midfield. England caps too, and loyal as well. Sold in 1993 to balance the books and his career never was the same. Injury playing another vital role in that. He will go down in Palace folklore as captaining our FA Cup Final side and scored at Wembley too, in the ZDS a year later.

5) Jim Cannon

668 appearances or so, 20 year servant shows his loyalty. He scored one or 2 goals too, and was voted more often as fans player of the year than anyone else. Whole hearted and committed, the driving force between decades of Palace sides. Blinding.

6) Dean Austin

There have been better centre backs (Coleman, Thorn, Young, Shaw,Moore, Poppa) but for sheer determination, he has to be in there. What I would call talentless, he worked so hard and even when we had no cash, kept on playing and captained the side during those dark days. His style of clapping the fans endeared him to us, as did his goal at Norwich when he lead a team filled with youth players to a win and it was many more performances like that which kept us up. Rubbish as a right back but as a centre back, few could argue as in all his 150+ appearances, gave his all. A true gent, upon leaving Palace his career in the game was all but over. We got the best (of what there was) out of him.

7) Don Rogers

Legend is used a lot, but he had it all. His 2 goals against Man U in the 5-0 will be remembered from the 70s, but also in every game his electic pace and runs scared the living daylights out of teams. Played in a League Cup Final for Swindon and Palace and Swindon were his main ports of call. Delighted a generation and played at the highest level.

Paul Hinshelwood.

Loyalty, local and gave so much to the Palace cause. His dad was the groundsman and was part of the team of the 80s. Only seen one or 2 performances of his but was always totally committed. A fan who played for the club. A real Palace man.

9) Peter Simpson

Didnt see him play, as he was in the 1930s but he is in here because he is still our record goalscorer and unlikely to see that record go now, with football being the business it is. Prolific and dangerous, he was our first big hero and still his records stand the test of time.

10) Dougie Freedman

It would be easy to put Wright and Bright, or even Jansen up front but for me, Doogie is still a current Palace legend. 93 goals (not as many as Ian or Mark) but so many memories as well. 2 goals in the playoff semi finals against Wolves, hat tricks against Grimsby (22 mins - 5-0 at HT),missing the playoff finals in 1995 and 2004 (suspended for one, on the bench for the other). Stockport. That outrageous goal against Sunderland. Who Let the Doog out? 2 spells as a player and loves the club. Could have left, but stays to fight for us. Booted out once before and not playing for Scotland (the biggest mystery and travesty in modern football) makes him all the more a star for us. 7 more goals will immortalise him in Palace legend for ever. A true cult hero.

11) Peter Taylor

England cap in the 3rd divison, out of this world performances until he left. A player of real touch and class and took a long time to replace. Peter Taylor was the successor to Rogers but never got replaced.

Manager

Steve Coppell

Still the King, his achievements went better than Head,Allinson,Venables and all the others. Built the club back up from nothing in the 80s to lead us to our most successful period ever. Not to mention returning to take us up once Bassett jumped ship and then again when we had no money to run the club from top to bottom. Blackburn at home in 2000 provided me with my biggest Coppell memory, the HOL organising the Plaque, him throwing his jacket into the crowd and keeping the club in the 1st division with no money and kids in the first team. No other manager has been loved and revered at Palace more than Steve (although Dowie will run him close, if he matches Steves loyalty) and he has been involved with the club for over 16 years, in many different capacities. Never complained and despite being humiliated at Liverpool, will always be remembered for exacting revenge in the Semi Final and jumping 3 times his own height when we scored the winner.

Coach

Steve Kember

Had to give the man a mention, played for us twice, managed us whenever we were in the sh*t (1982 and 2001). Got his chance as a manager in 2003 but this didnt work out. However played in many games and was a real worker, tough as old boots and is Palace through and through, it would be rude not to mention him. I remember that he will always be best as a coach, but he had as much to do with keeping us up, as did Freedman in 2001 and with little or no money in the early Eighties did a fair job. Commitment, loyalty, honesty and always gave the fans the time, even when he was "off duty". A true gent.

My opinion of course, and no doubt thousands would disagree....but that is football, opinions!!!! We love it......

"A man may fight for many things. His country, his friends, his principles, the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child. But personally, I'd mud-wrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock and a sack of French porn."

aki is a legend

and making Ron Noades look like a total fool in the process