A wonderful afternoon and I still get a thrill watching the highlights. There was a fantastic atmosphere at Selhurst that afternoon helped by it being a mid-winter pre-Christmas game requiring the floodlights to be switched on early. That match is still up there with my favourite games of all time that I have been to in 48 years of watching football.

We played with such style that day and it should have been a springboard for Palace to climb to safety. Alas that wasn't to be the case. As I mentioned in another thread it did seem a bit odd us getting relegated that year when we arguably had our strongest squad of the four seasons we were in Division One.

Edited by Pete53 (21 Dec 2011 10.58am)

There are the "good old days" and then there are games like this that still make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Unbelievable and I feel sorry for those supporters who are too young to have experienced the thrill of watching these class players in action in front of a big crowd at Selhurst. And some people wonder why I hanker after the old claret and blue days, with no shirt sponsorship or music playing after a player farts as we get nowadays ... absolutely brilliant match and a game that will always stay with me.

Mel Blyth's half-hit backpasses ... a thing of beauty (usually to the opposition centre forward)

I was in my usual position next to the floodlight pylon on the Holmesdale standing on my wooden box that my old man tirelesly carried to every home game.
I seem to remember being disappointed that neither Best or Charlton were playing but not a bad debut for Whittle and Rogers was amazing..............happy days

There's no sun, the shadow of the wizard.......

I'm sure someone will prove me wrong, but didn't every team that season finish with a plus goal difference at home?

Wish I'd gone to the game. Went to quite a few that season though.

Dulce et decorum est pro Palace mori

"Gee, you and I oughtta get on swell Mister Burton, as we're both Selts".
"No, I am a Selt. You are a Sunt."

"24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not." ~ Stephen Wright

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yes I remember it well ! heck am I this old !!

There was a brilliant documentry on over here over Christmas on RTE called 'The Frank O Farrell'story. O Farrell was sacked as Man U manager three days later by Matt Busby, and replaced by Tommy Docherty who was sitting three rows behind him at the match. Docherty swore blind that he wasn't lined up for the job, but had been at Selhurst Park in his capacity as Scotland manager to watch Palace's left back [I presume he meant Iain Phillip]. Docherty said he had been let down regarding his ticket to get in, and that Bert Head, got him a ticket , which was why he was sitting so close to O Farrell and Busby.
Anyway, O Farrell ,who is now 84 and in fine health, came across as a very decent man, who had been absolutely shafted by Busby,who knowing his old team were on the way down,resigned as manager to become a director,and let someone else take the flack when it all fell apart for them.