November 4 2012

Curtis Fleming in charge...but not for long

These are exciting times in SE25. Jamesey travelled to the home game against Blackburn Rovers to see what would happen next.

After days of speculation we learned on Saturday morning (Nov 3) that Ian Holloway would be the new manager of Crystal Palace FC. The news mollified the shock of losing Dougie Freedman to Bolton, for this supporter at least.

And so, after all the musical chairs in the Championship party, Ollie was Selhurst-bound and would be at the ground for the Rovers match.

Interestingly, I think it must be the first game I have ever watched after a lifetime's support where there were two current managers simultaneously within Selhurst Park.

Curtis Fleming was in charge of team matters after being the only one left of our former triumvirate, the other two having upped and headed north-west.

I well remember Curtis from the early years of this millennium. He seemed to be injured for much of the time and I've no clear recollection of what sort of a player he was although he was a Republic of Ireland international so he must have been a fair performer.

Anyhow Curtis looked like creating a new record for the shortest ever managerial reign at CPFC - one game?

Our other manager, Ollie, was in the ground somewhere and would make an appearance at half-time.

An official gate of 16,744 (about 1700 of whom were from the north-west) were enthusiastically looking forward to the match. With our current run of devastating form you'd have to be barely human not to be enthusiastic.

And I have to say that for once, instead of apparently fewer bums on seats than the stated figure, I would have put the crowd at a few thousand more.

But all good things come to an end and any sensible football fan knows that days of wine and roses can curdle and wilt.

However the team we have at present seems totally unaffected by all the managerial shenanigans and tore into the Rovers with the skill and speed with which we are belatedly becoming accustomed.

Watching the Blackburn team (including former top internationals like keeper Paul Robinson and Danny Murphy) struggling to cope with Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie was sheer delight and our joy was unconfined when Glenn Murray nodded in a crackerjack of a goal at the cusp of half-time.

During the break our other manager was wheeled onto the match and said some nice things (well, he wouldn't have said nasty things would he?) including "how lucky are we to be watching a team like this?" I can't honestly disagree at the moment.

Blackburn were certainly no pushover and in the second half looked dangerous indeed. But two more Murray penalties, one scored and one missed, settled the game for the Eagles with a convincing 2-0 victory.

As I write, Palace are one point off top spot in the Championship and lying in third place.

I will be at my station on Tuesday night (Nov 6) to watch Ollie's first game at the real helm against Ipswich, who despite a victory against Birmingham City under new manager Mick McCarthy, are still in bottom place of the Championship.

I will regrettably miss Ollie's second home game as boss against Derby Co (Nov 17).

An old friend is celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary on that very day (he knows who he is).

Like me he has been an Eagles (and formerly Glaziers) supporter for more than half a century and is also a HOL member.

On being bombarded with outrage on choosing to have a celebration when Palace are at home, he has pleaded that it was the only day that some of his family could make it.

I was at his reception in 1962 and will be toasting him and his wife's continuing happiness at his Anerley home...and listening to the game on Palace Player, of course...

Email Jamesey with your comments to jevans3704@aol.com

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