May 18 2004
Crystal Palace
Rubbing his eyes in disbelief, Jamesey looks ahead to a play-off final and then?
After an agonisingly thrilling victory against Sunderland last night (May 17), CPFC takes us to our third play-off final in eight years. As I write, we don't know who our opponents will be (West Ham or Ipswich?).
It will certainly be a more pleasant day out in Cardiff if Ipswich get through, judging by the general attitude and behaviour of Hammers supporters at Selhurst recently.
I still can't believe I was writing about the R word (relegation) a few short months ago and now we are one victory away from the Premiership.
I was at Wembley for both play-off finals in 96 and 97 and you couldn't have had two more contrasting events.
A sickening miskick in extra time by Steve Claridge gave the first final to Leicester but David Hopkin's last-minute screamer gained the spoils against Sheff U the following year. Everyone remembers that one!
The 97-98 season was a time of political uncertainty at Selhurst with the emerging Mark Goldberg jousting with the then-chairman Ron Noades to take over the reins. Eventually he did and we have only just got over his dreadful legacy of impoverishment and failure.
If the unthinkable and unimaginable happens (I am trying not to tempt fate here) and we win this year's final let us please learn a few lessons from our last experience in the top league.
* Don't buy another Ishmael for over £2m who can't defend against high crosses.
* Don't buy another Curcic, A strange Serbian mixture of genius and buffoon, more often the latter.
* Don't buy another Padovano, just because he's an Italian.
* Don't bring in any big names on their way out like the Swede Brolin.
* Don't let any Israelis called Zohar take penalties.
Well, that will do for starters. And I think that we can say with some confidence that with Simon Jordan at the helm the future could look a lot more sensible.
Email Jamesey with any of your comments to Jevans3704@aol.com
In Depth Jamesey's Veteran View Index
In Depth Palace in the Play-offs 2004
Feel like writing about a current Crystal Palace issue? Email it to us and we'll publish your words for Eagles around the world to read.
Up for an Europa League protest??
at 12.21am by ex hibitionist
Palace players competing at Euro 2025
at 10.00pm by Inquisitive Aquila
Winners Shirt
at 9.55pm by kingdowieonthewall
Palace potentially denied entry to Europa League?
at 9.49pm by Plaistow Eagle
Sean Scannell interview
at 8.42pm by Runningman
Joe Whitworth
at 1.26pm by Nicholas91
Marc Guéhi
at 9.34am by Dogburger
Community Shield Tickets
at 9.12am by jc1990
Palace potentially denied entry to Europa League?
at 7.57am by Forest Hillbilly
InvictaK9 Security 'firm'
at 4.55am by BuzzBeats
Registration is now on our new message board
To login with your existing username you will need to convert your account over to the new message board.
All images and text on this site are copyright © 1999-2025 The Holmesdale Online, unless otherwise stated.
Web Design by Guntrisoft Ltd.