September 12 2005

Crystal Palace

Four victories on the trot at Selhurst Park and Jamesey basks in the afterglow of our 2-0 defeat of Hull City (Sept 10).

The old Victoria stopping train seems to be floating on Cloud Nine from Selhurst to Clapham Junction in recent weeks.

After a dreadful start, CPFC is picking up some points - nine to be precise in our last three home league games, and a nice little league cup win as the icing on the cake.

Indeed with two Premiership standard strikers like Andy Johnson and Clinton Morrison at the sharp end, one hopes that more goals of the quality of the Hull City ones are in the offing.

But it was great pleasure to see Hull manager Peter Taylor walk to the dugout to a loud and well deserved ovation.

Earlier this year when I penned two homages for HOL to former Palace giants Jim Cannon and Kenny Sansom, I was tempted to include Peter Taylor but ultimately it seemed to me that three years at a club is not nearly long enough to qualify as "hero" status.

In the Hull match programme, Peter was quoted as having had "three fantastic years" at Palace.

And can I say that I had three fantastic years, from 1973 to 1976, watching his superb skills.

Peter's first couple of seasons as a Palace player were under the management of another charismatic figure, Malcolm Allison.

Although Malcolm's reputation is inevitably linked with Fedora hats, cigars, champagne, night clubs and pin-up girls in the players' baths, according to Peter he was keen on correct diets even three decades ago.

But Malcolm's idea of a pre-match meal for the team was a large rare beefsteak. Don't know what Iain Dowie and John Harbin would think about that?

Peter chose to take the route - later taken by Andy Gray and this year by Wayne Routledge - to Tottenham.

He was a talented winger who won many England caps but, strangely, none after his North London move.

After his playing career, he went on to guide Gillingham to promotion, has enjoyed two successful spells as the England under-21 coach and he has guided the Tigers to two consecutive promotions since taking over there.

After the shambles we witnessed in the senior England squad's spineless 1-0 defeat by Northern Ireland (Sept 7), one can only speculate what might have been had Peter been at the helm.

Anyhow I mustn't roam off topic - let's just say that a victory against any team managed by Peter Taylor is a victory to be proud of.

Email Jamesey with any of your comments to Jevans3704@aol.com

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