January 31 2010

Danny Butterfield

Jamesey was concerrned that a pall of administration gloom might have had an adverse effect on our home game against Peterborough. He needn't have worried...

Although I feared the worst, I detected a hint of something special when I read Shaun Derry's captain's notes in the match programme (Jan 30).

Now, Shaun isn't usually the greatest of writers and his notes are often leaden and lacking in any wit and sparkle.

I don't blame him for that because he is a professional footballer in the top category and a superb on-field captain and motivator, and probably a far better writer than I ever would be as a footballer if the two were at all comparable.

Shaun, commenting on the plane journey to Newcastle earlier in the week (Jan 27) said that "We took off thinking that we were a point from the play-offs and landed just outside of the relegation zone." Nice bit of black humour there, Shaun.

So when our Victor-less team tore into the Posh with a brilliant display of football I was delighted to enjoy the backs-to-the-wall attitude from the whole team.

The greatest revelation was the bloke in the No 20 shirt, er what's his name, er Butterfield, who played as a forward and showed such guile, speed and intelligence that I couldn't believe he was normally a full-back and had been thought of as finished a year ago, after a seven-year spell at Selhurst.

Neil Danns, of course, scored both goals in our 2-0 victory and scared the pants of the Posh defenders with a display that had Palace faces breaking into smiles whenever he got the ball.

History and experience, of course, tells us that a performance like that is usually followed by a dud display. But those of us who are of the optimistic persuasion will hope that anything like that could see a victory in a Cup replay against Wolves at Selhurst during the week (Feb 2).

I had the pleasure of sitting near and having a brief word with Hy Money, the photographer who has chronicled Palace fortunes for quite a few decades now ( http://www.holmesdale.net/page.php?id=82&story=2879).

Hy was keeping well although she said she felt a bit wobbly climbing the steps. She's still snapping shots for the Palace and was carrying a disgustingly elaborate digital (are there any others now?) camera and that reminded me that I really ought to upgrade from my Sainsbury's special offer Christmas cracker job bought five years ago.

Hy has earned her place in Palace lore with many of her beautiful pictures. Her book is entitled "Hy on Palace" and that, I think, reflects how we were all feeling at 4.55 on Saturday afternoon.

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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