June 23 2004

Iain Dowie

Palace boss IAIN DOWIE says chairman Simon Jordan’s future at the club will not affect his own decision to sign a new contract, by Joseph O'Shea.

The 39-year-old arrived back at work on Monday to begin the task of keeping Palace in the Premiership, and found a new four year deal waiting for his signature.

His representative PFA executive Mick McGuire negotiated the contract with Simon Jordan, and DOWIE, whose current deal expires in July, should put pen to paper in the next few days.

DOWIE told the Guardian: "I would hope so. There’s every chance it will be settled in the near future."

While DOWIE was away, Jordan made the shock announcement that he was considering his future at the club, but it came as no surprise to his manager.

He said: "The chairman has been up front and spoke to me about it before the news became public. He wants to leave a legacy and I would not be signing a new deal if I didn’t feel he was committed to the future of the club."

And Jordan appeared to give that commitment when he said: "My legacy at Palace is as important to me as the four years it has taken to bring success. I will do nothing to stop the progress of IAIN DOWIE and this football club."

Tying DOWIE to the club until 2008 should help lure fresh talent to Selhurst Park and secure the signatures of out-of-contract players Michael Hughes, Aki Riihilahti, and Tony Popovic. But Julian Gray is waiting to speak to his manager before deciding his future.

A new long-term deal will also allow DOWIE to move his young family down from Bolton, while inspirational fitness coach John Harbin, and assistant manager Kit Symons are expected to be offered similar terms.

Meanwhile Jordan has told a Sunday paper he will never sell to former chairman Ron Noades, who still owns Selhurst Park.

He said: ''So long as I've got breath in my body, I won't sell this club back to Ron Noades."

In 1998, Noades retained the Selhurst Park freehold when he sold the club for £28million to Mark Goldberg in an ill-fated takeover which saw Palace fall into administration a year later.

Jordan has since pumped £30million of his own personal fortune into saving the club, and has been involved in a legal dispute with Noades' Altonwood company over the terms of the Selhurst Park lease which has five years to run.

Noades is rumoured to be interested in reuniting club and ground through a consortium which may include former Chelsea chairman Ken Bates, who recently pulled out of a move to buy Sheffield Wednesday.