About a year ago I bought a new animation software, and just to get familiar with it, I thought I’d make a very quick video running through our history. Well, ended up growing arms and legs and turned into a year long project.

Like George Lucas with Star Wars, I began in the middle (1959), as the 60’s was when things really started to happen for Palace and also 1959/60, was when the league took on its recognisable 4 tier structure we still have today. But like Lucas, I will no doubt at some point make a prequel, and delve back to the beginning whether that’s 1861 or 1905. Got a funny feeling however, this won’t be as popular worldwide as Star Wars.

I’m sure I must’ve made mistakes here and there, so happy to hear back from any eagle eyed viewers who spot these so I can re edit. I’ve tried to be as impartial and relevant as possible, but I’m sure some will feel I may be should’ve highlighted certain things more or have left out something or someone that you feel deserved mentioning.

Can I also add that the backing music used throughout were hit songs released around those years you hear them in, just to give a bit of a flavour of the times. Now these are not a collection of my favourite tracks from each era (although the Bowie track used in the early 80’s certainly is), but just to add a bit of fun for myself, each song reflects (often tenuously) the general feeling at Palace at that point in time and certainly is on many occasions, a slightly amusing reference to our manager in place at that time.

It’s not exactly an enthralling watch admittedly, but I’m sure will appeal to the fact obsessed purists like myself, and a nice document to use as a reference point to look back on when trying to recall what we did in a certain season. It’s almost a visual version of each season’s summary Ian King gives in his great Palace complete records book.

I suppose if nothing else, when watching it right through, it brings into perspective, where we’ve come from, and appreciate that these past 9 seasons at the top table have really been an amazing feat for our club when compared to the up and down, rise and burn (rinse and repeat) nature of our history.

'Better stop dreaming of the quiet life 'cos it's the one we'll never know'

Thanks Bubbs - great work. I've just watched the first episode, and my only slight complaint is that it moves along quicker than I would have liked. But there's nothing to prevent me stopping it when I want to. It was interesting to see Johnny Byrne playing for Fulham in that 1969 promotion game in the shot of Cliff Jackson scoring. Thanks again, and I look forward to watching the other episodes. By the way, is that you providing the commentary? I presume so.

Yes. Can’t afford to get anyone decent in to do it.

'Better stop dreaming of the quiet life 'cos it's the one we'll never know'