June 2 2004

Crystal Palace

Just minutes after Crystal Palace achieved their impossible Premiership dream, Australian fitness coach John Harbin was already setting the toughest of new targets for the club, by Joseph O'Shea.

He told the Guardian: "Our goal is to be in Europe in five years time and that's where we're aiming. To aim for any less is ridiculous. We are in the big league now and some people are talking about fighting for survival but our goal is a five year plan to play in Europe."

When he joined the club in December to assist IAIN DOWIE, Palace were fourth from bottom in Division One and facing a relegation battle, but the former rugby league coach, his manager and chairman Simon Jordan were convinced the play-offs were still achievable.

A gut-wrenching training regime, meticulous preparation and psychological conditioning helped the squad achieve 45 points from 22 games, and three play-off games later, Palace were promoted to the Premiership.

Harbin said: "I feel really pleased for the players. It has taken a while to convince them that belief is the major factor but there’s nobody disbelieving now. I am really proud of them and what they have achieved.

"We believe now that we can go on from here. This is the end of one chapter and the start of another.

"Wouldn’t life be boring and mundane if you don’t look for a challenge and we have certainly got a big one ahead of us. We have got to leave no stone unturned and be the best prepared team in the Premier League."

Harbin flew out to Australia for a family holiday in Queensland on Tuesday, and like DOWIE, he has no plans to move down to South London from his Wakefield home in the summer.

His future is tied to that of the manager, but rather than addressing the issue of DOWIE’s contract, which only has a year to run, he was keen to see credit given where it was due.

He added: "The chairman Simon Jordan has been very good and it was great to see him out there on the field with us today. We appreciate the fact that if it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t be here as a club. We all owe him a debt of gratitude."

When Jordan took over the club less than four years ago, he promised Premiership football in five years; on appointing DOWIE he insisted the play-offs were still achievable; and no doubt Harbin’s new target will be music to his ears.