January 15 2012

Sean Scannell

Booted out of one cup and so near to Wembley for another, Jamesey gets back down to earth at a big league game.

Your correspondent has certainly been changing his perch at Selhurst in recent weeks.

Having swapped from the Main Stand to the Arfur, I then discovered that we were being booted out to accommodate away supporters for the second and fourth league games of 2012 (Leeds and Brighton).

My reallocated seat for the Leeds Utd match (Jan 14) was in the Croydon Advertiser Family Stand and I hadn't been in that area since, let me see, er, possibly the 13th century.

In those days the place was a heap of dung balanced on a converted midden. Norman guards prodded us with spears to keep order and threw potato peelings and pigswill at us for half-time snacks.

If you were rich enough to have a groat or two, nettle soup was available from a giant cauldron, usually reserved for pouring boiling oil on Viking invaders.

But I digress.

It had certainly improved somewhat since those days and, although I don't particlularly like being behind the goal, I had the thrill of being only a few yards from Julian Speroni's logic-defying save in the second half which kept us in the game.

After a spirited first half ending with a 1-0 advantage, the Eagles had to play all of the second period without Sean Scannell who collected two yellow cards just before half-time and took no further part in the proceedings.

Considering we were a man short, I thought the final 1-1 draw was a pretty reasonable result and it was great to see Chris Martin getting on the score sheet and turning in an excellent performance up front until he made way for Wilfried Zaha in the 82nd minute.

Our new loan player, full-back Mustapha Dumbuya, also impressed with his speed and flair. Many of the crowd where I was sitting expressed their admiration for Mustapha... a cracking home debut in Palace colours indeed.

The referee had an unmitigated stinker and there was no consistency at all in his decisions - one minute a yellow card, the next minute not even a foul for the same offence. But enough of that or I'll start sounding like the recently jobless Neil Warnock.

A gate not far short of 18,000 was one of our biggest league crowds of the season although it was swelled by 3,000 to 4,000 Leeds fans (as I write, I'm not too sure of the precise number).

Leeds of course have an illustrious history and like many other clubs who once were performers at the top level in England and Europe, their supporters want to see them back at the zenith.

The club used to have a bad reputation for hooliganism but I had thought those days were long gone. So I was surprised to see the massed ranks of mounted police when I walked out of Norwood Junction rail station. "Where were you during the riots?" I was tempted to shout but craven fear of a truncheon cracking across my pate stopped me in the nick of time.

One can only assume that the Met expected problems but as far as I know, there weren't any major incidents to deal with.

Finally, last week's 1-0 Carling Cup home leg victory over Cardiff City puts us within sniffing distance of Wembley. We all know that the away leg (Jan 24) is going to be monumentally tough. But keep believing Palace fans. If we can beat Man U at Old Trafford, surely we can at least draw in south Wales and make it to the Carling Cup final.

I visited the old Wembley five times in the 90s - the FA Cup final and replay, the ZDS final, and two play-offs finals. (won 2, drew 1, lost 2).

I have never been to the new Wembley and time is getting ever shorter. Make an old man very happy, and stuff the Bluebirds, lads.

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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