loud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember that we first decided we should get to the ground 30 mins before kick-off. Then we reckoned it should be an hour. Finally we decided to get there 90 minutes beforehand, and thank goodness we did.

I was down at the front of the Arfur Wait terrace, at the Sainsburys end. I had arranged to meet one of my sons inside but we never met up.

I remember how coolly the Palace played in the second half as they waited for the goal to come. I never really rated Ian Walsh as I reckoned he was usually too slow to react, but his diving header to make it 1-0 was one of the great goals of history.

When Swindels made it 2-0 we were in dreamland - the kind of feeling you get 3 or 4 times in a lifetime of supporting a team like Palace if you are lucky, comparable to the semi-final at Villa Park and Hoppy's playoff winner.

My wife came to the match and the next match she saw was the Cardiff playoff, so she has quite a record - two sensational victories separated by nearly 25 years.

By the way, I was 37 at the time.

Edited by peterg (07 Jan 2007 8:25pm)

The right place at the right time

I managed to get into the dressing room after the game and spoke to Vince Hilare and Dave Swindlehurst. Vince gave me an unused spare pair of shorts. I was in the dugout when it collapsed and was led away to the tunnel and just took my chnace when I saw the open door... what a night!!!!!

Now I don't have to tell you good folks what's been happening in our beloved little town. Sheriff murdered, crops burned, stores looted, people stampeded, and cattle raped. The time has come to act, and act fast. I'm leaving.

I remember a fair amount about it.
We were thinking of going up to the ground at about 6.30 but my cousin called me to say it was filling up at 5.30 !

We got to Selhurst about 6 and got into the Holmesdale. If I recall the gates closed about 6.30 some 90 mins before kick off. Remember looking down the Whitehorse to see hundreds and hundreds climbing in over the walls.
Must have been about 55,000 in the ground I think.

There were huge surges on the Homesdale that night, you could hear the feet sounded like thunder, 24,000 in the Holmesdale.

At the final whistle it was mayhem everybody climbing over the fences with the stewards helping.

My cousin got his belt stuck on the fence and it broke and his trousers got stuck !

Remember the way home after the game and some guy said to me " I dont remember my wedding night but I will remember this for ever". He was right as I still do to !

My dad was a cabbie at Crystal Cars in Norbury and managed to get a couple of tickets off of Peter Nicholas, I was only 10 and I remember going to his flat in South Croydon (I think) to collect the tickets, I even remember the 2 tickets costing £3.20!.

I got there around 4-30pm and got in at 5 ish. I was 11 and went with some of my classmates from Cypress Juniors which included SIMON JORDAN! I think seeing the crowd,winning and getting promoted rubber stamped my decision to be a palace fan for life.

We love you,we love you,we love you and where you play we follow,we follow,we follow, cos we support the Palace, the Palace,the Palace and thats the way we like it,we like,we like it...WOAH,WOAH,WOAH!!!

A winner is a dreamer who never gives up...