September 11 2008

Brian Clough and David Shepherd

David Shepherd is our Crystal Palace Fan of the Week in our search for Fan of the Year.

Name

David Shepherd

Where do you live?

Fulham, London

Which part of the ground do you sit?

Holmesdale Lower

How did you become a Palace fan?

Grandparents and parents

Tell us about your first Palace game

August 1982 a 1-1 draw with Barnsley at home. I was 3 months old. To be fair i can't remember much before I was five other than the people who threw boiled sweets into the crowd before the games!!

Your favourite player of all time?

Dougie Freedman. Just too many great memories in my impressionable teenage years and an absolute gentlemen of the game.

Best goal you've seen?

John Salako's equaliser in the cup in the117th minute at Nottingham Forrest from the half way line!!

Best Palace kit?

1982 season first ever red & blue stripes and my first year at the Palace.

Favourite Palace memory?

The moment Cloughy picked me up as a ball boy was very special, as was Villa park in 1990, but as a kid it's hard to realise just what it all means.

We've always watched Palace as a family (grandad, dad and two brothers and a virtually adopted brother Jason) so i'd have to say Darren Powell's goal at Sunderland was just an amazing moment.

We'd all been to virtually every game home and away that season. We had all been at Sunderland in December for the league game when we lost to a 93rd minute penalty and their fans were less than sporting afterwards. So to avenge that defeat 5 months later in that way was just incredible.

My dad, after 50 years at the Palace had tears in his eyes. It was a truley special moment. The look of berwilderment on the faces of the Palace fans leaving the stadium that night will never leave me. I remember stopping for petrol just outside Durham and a chap started asking me about the tac-tics and DOWIE's subs and all sorts of other nonsense.

I looked at him and told him i couldn't think about any of that at that time as i was an emotional wreck.... at which point he said he understood and that he was only asking as he was Bob DOWIE IAIN's brother!! He could of been the King of England that night, it just didn't matter!!

Why do you think you should be voted Fan of the Year?

From my grandfather being Arthur Wait's billiards partner, to the days of having John Salako and Nigel Martin over for dinner, through the late 80's and 90's as a palace ball boy, having my 7th birthday at the Palace with Richard Shaw (the year of the Birmingham riot) right through to being stupid enough to get involved in modelling the Palace training kits for this years catalogue, Crystal Palace Football Club has and is an extention of my family.

The years of watching Palace reserves at Plough Lane amongst other venues (mostly for a family friend Grant Watts), of watching my brother play for the youths, of travelling from Oxford for every game for five years without a car.... I've held a season ticket since five the youngest I was allowed to get one and i've been to watch Palace at over 80 grounds.

In more recent times i've even managed to get involved in things like modelling this years training gear for the catalogues, opening me up to a whole new level of ridicule.

In recent years we've made some good friends around the country and the group of regulars we watch away games with has grown and really added to the whole experience. (So come and join us for a beer when you spot us around the country!!)

For years i've watched my dad, clapping the opposition when they score a good goal, never ever wearing a replica kit (apparently unheard of until the late 70's), and seemingly unfazed by wins, loses, relegation and promotion alike. I guess that comes with having seen it all before.

I haven't, but after 26 years, i've been lucky to witness first hand some of the clubs highest highs and lowest lows of their history. I genuinely hope those kids i see at Selhurst now just starting out, can look back in 20 years time having been lucky enough to see 20 years as special as those i've seen.

We are searching for Crystal Palace's Fan of the Year 2008.

This award will honour the supporter who demonstrates a high standard of dedication, passion and loyalty to Crystal Palace - voted by fellow fans.

They may travel hundreds of miles for each home game, may have had a red and blue themed wedding, named a child after Palace player, not missed a game in years, have a massive tattoo of the club crest... you get the idea!

Over the coming months, we will feature a mini interview with the Fan of the Week. Then at the end of the year, YOU have the chance to review the candidates and vote on our voting page who you think should be crowned Crystal Palace Fan of the Year 2008. The winning fan will get a specially-engraved trophy.

Simply copy and paste the questions above and email your answers with "Fan of Year" in the subject line to editor@holmesdale.net with a photo of yourself in Palace colours and we will publish the best ones each week.

The closing date for entries will be in December 2008 and voting will take place shorty after with the winner announced in January 2009 and presented with the trophy and honour of being crowned Fan of the Year.