This season is the 50th anniversary of Palace's 1960/61 promotion from the Fourth Division. It took 9 years from here to reach the top flight. Any memories of the 1961 team?

Great season after all those years in the doldrums and seeking re-election. It was a bit see-saw though. We started the season superbly with Byrne and Woan scoring at will, including the 9-2 v Accrington Stanley but were brought down to earth at home by the ultimate champions Peterborough 0-2 in front of a huge crowd and then lost to them again 1-4.

I remember Alan Woan, he was a natural goal scorer and he scored an amazing 13 goals in 16 games but suddenly got transferred. He was replaced by the less prolific and much more rotund Dennis Uphill. Woan, apparently didn't get on at all well with the gobby upstart Johnny Byrne and there was a fight which was only going to have one loser. Aldershot was the destination. Great shame because there's no doubt they were a superb partnership.

Roy Summersby picked up the mantle though, with 30 goals in 42 games, as did the other ex Millwall player, Ron Heckman, not to mention the somewhat cumbersome Tom Barnett who was continually lampooned by Budgie but weighed in with a couple of goals as we marched on to the 3rd Div with other stalwarts Rouse, Long, Noakes, Petchey, Gavin and the superb John McNichol.

Happy days!

lo Selhurst silva felix, lo Selhurst cara nutrix, viget, vigeat, vigebit! Best team:- Jackson; Gilbert, Evans, Cannon, Sansom; Hughes, Kember, McNichol; Byrne, Holton, Wright.

No he had been there for 2 seasons and for a couple of seasons after. Then he disappeared to the footballing back water of New Zealand.

One of my favourites, although he only played 14 games scoring two league goals, was Tom Barnett. He was a good old workhorse trundling type centre forward who took dog's abuse from the great Budgie who always wanted the ball to feet which was often a bit beyond our Tom. He scored a superb header though to beat Luton in the semi final of the Southern Floodlight Cup when we went on to narrowly lose to Arsenal, Mel Charles and co., in the final.

Another player from that era was the late Brian Lewis who was a really good player, albeit with a nasty streak. Jimmy Hill formed him into a formidable partnership with man mountain Curtis at Coventry.

lo Selhurst silva felix, lo Selhurst cara nutrix, viget, vigeat, vigebit! Best team:- Jackson; Gilbert, Evans, Cannon, Sansom; Hughes, Kember, McNichol; Byrne, Holton, Wright.