November 27 2011

Glenn Murray

Jamesey reflects on Palace's latest clash with the Old Enemy from Bermondsey.

On Friday night I had what I hoped would be a prophetic dream.

A footballer in a red-and-blue strip hurled himself at the ball and headed in a superb goal.

But, of course, by 5pm on a Saturday afternoon (Nov 26) that dream turned out to be like fool's gold, if you'll pardon my mixed metaphor.

What looked like being the end of the goal famine was not to be when Glenn Murray's penalty kick went sailing over high and wide. I certainly wouldn't want to demonise any player for a costly mistake but if he carries on taking penalties, Glenn must stop being coached by Jonny Wilkinson.

Also, the arrival of substitute Darren Ambrose immediately before the penalty led most of us to assume that Dazza would take the spot kick. Shame he didn't.

So our last league goal was away to Ipswich on Oct 22 and we are now steaming into December. And the scorer was that well-known striker Paddy McCarthy.

Nevertheless the eventual 0-0 draw with Millwall FC was a decided improvement on last season when the Lions beat us 0-1 at home and 3-0 at the New Den, the latter result being the last nail in the coffin of then manager George Burley.

There was a smaller gate than there might have been for a big South London derby game - 15,150 - although apparently the 'Wall ticket allocation was restricted on the order of the Met who were concerned at what mischief those cheeky little monkeys might get up to on the streets and at the rail stations.

I found the Lions supporters generous and warm-hearted when they even offered our team drinks from their water bottles at one point. A noble gesture, much appreciated, chaps.

On the day, a booklet revealing the pricing for 2012-13 season tickets was made available.

There was good and bad news regarding the damage to our bank balances in the year to come.

With a sensible eye on youth, the consortium are offering free season tickets in the family area for under-10s when buying an adult ticket and junior season eligibility has been lifted from under-16 to under-18.

For us oldies, the tidings are not so munificent - understandable, one supposes, as our potential contribution to the club coffers is not so longstanding.

My own Main Stand senior concession, bought early, rises to £320, roughly a 10% hike from last year but still an excellent buy, in my view.

However, the consortium has rather sneakily raised the senior concession qualifying age from 60 to 65. Thus, many of you supporters in your late 50s, eagerly anticipating cut-price football, will have to wait another five years. C'est le Brie or tough cheddar, as the French don't say.

Finally, I have just finished reading "The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes, recent winner of the UK's most prestigious literary award, the Man Booker.

The novel is not remotely about football but contains a tirade quoted below from the book's hero, Tony Webster, a middle-aged man looking back over his life.

"You can take Lucas to the football when he’s older," she once told me.

Ah, the rheumy-eyed grandpa on the terraces instructing the lad into the mysteries of soccer: how to loathe people wearing different coloured shirts, how to feign injury, how to blow your snot on to the pitch – See, son, you press hard on one nostril to close it, and explode the green stuff out of the other.

How to be vain and overpaid and have your best years behind you before you’ve even understood what life’s about. Oh, yes, I look forward to taking Lucas to the football. But she doesn’t notice that I dislike the game – or dislike what it’s become."

The author is a toff, with a public school/Oxbridge background and the words come from the mouth of a fictional character but the sentiments give food for thought.

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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