November 23 2004

Selhurst Park

While Chelsea spent £100 million this summer on signings, Oldham, a founding member of the Premier league became the 34th football team in 11 years to declare themselves insolvent, writes Matt Hepburn.

This is an incredible statistic and shows how the modern game can differ so greatly in finances. Oldham's plight compared to Chelsea's financial backing is incomparible.

One aspect I was really looking forward to this season was Palace taking on the 'moneybags' of the league. I feel with teams like United and Chelsea, the heart of the clubs have long since been eroded, so I was longing to see a bunch of honest battlers playing the way football was intended.

A re-occuring theme from visiting away fans is how "dreary" Selhurst Park is. Having travelled to some incredible stadia across Europe I can confirm this. Yet it has character, a character long since eroded from most of the other Premier League clubs in England. Every ground now seems to have a price on it, Arsenals was a lucrative £100 million contract when Emmirates came knocking.

Visiting fans moan, yet it was not long ago that thousands felt alienated at the ban on standing on terraces. Where are these people now? Is the modern day Chelsea fan who values comfort and facilities over atmosphere now the dominant voice among fans?

Have all the hardcore supporters been priced out of the market? Or did they all simply abandon ship, leaving it to float contently on the stock market.

With gates and revenue down by 6% this season, it is a sign that people are re-evaluating the nature of football. Most fans would agree that it has gone too far, with supporters being pushed further and further away from the club in favour of those who can afford tickets and will conform to the rules of the PLCs.

Maybe Sky are realising this too? Their coverage (although some pundits are still stubborn) has been fairly positive towards Palace this season, with many features often being shown on Sky Sports news. This represents Sky realising that they've covered heartless clubs like Chelsea to death and are maybe on the brink of championing a team with honest (and English) players.

Andy Johnson's goal tally has shocked many pundits and impressed others who are eager to praise a homegrown talent instead of the countless foreign stars, again a reaction against the influx.

Crystal Palace can represent the very grass roots that football was based on, in a league that has been driven crazy by money and ruthless foreign investment. If Crystal Palace remain in the league this season, it will be a victory for the true essence of football and a two fingered salute at those who have threatened to ruin it.

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