You are here: Home > News > Ee-I-Ee-I-Ee-I-No?
July 19 2025 12.43am

Ee-I-Ee-I-Ee-I-No?

May 6 2004

Iain Dowie

Iain Dowie

Palace are one point from confirming their place in the Division One play-offs, but James Ball says we shouldn't get excited about promotion just yet...

Palace's most exciting season for five years? Arguably, yes it is. Best team for five years? Arguably, yes we have.

Best manager? Again, yes, we probably have the best manager that any Palace team has seen in the past half a decade. Palace fans setting themselves up for heartbreak? Yes.

What a season! What a climax! Never have I found myself anticipating the final game of the season as much (including Stockport!).

We're the in-form side, the wind in our sails and to be honest we have three perfectly beatable sides surrounding us in the play-offs. So why am I pessimistic? Because we're Palace, that's why.

As a Palace fan I've grown accustom to disappointment, I've got used to leaving there on Tuesday nights in the rain when we've lost to a team that couldn't hold their own in a pub league, and to be honest, I've learnt to deal with the "Who?!" after I tell someone who I support.

I read these boards, the programmes, I hear the chants at Selhurst, and it's as if we've already got our tickets booked up for Highbury.

Until Christmas it was painful to watch Palace. Since then we've had a kick up the backside by Dowie, and lets not forget Kit Symons, and Palace have started raising a few eyebrows here and there.

From everyone complaining how dreary it was, to our over-optimism in one season is a dramatic turn around and I fear for those who've got a bit carried away. Let's just remind ourselves how far we've come and the progression this seemingly once feeble side has made.

If we don't win the play-offs, it's not a failure, it's infact a fantastic achievement from all parties: Dowie, the players, us. If we do lose, it'll take one huge push from us to lift our boys' heads, and for that to happen we can't mope around feeling sorry for ourselves.

We are Palace, First Division, Premiership or wherever else we may end up and I just can't help thinking that although we could do it, there's still that chance we might not and that seems to have escaped the enthusiastic minds of a few.

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.

Latest Headlines

Palace Talk Forum Latest

Time to start doing Business Steve..!!
at 12.22am by Fanofzhiyi

Palace potentially denied entry to Europa League?
at 11.56pm by Jim_Cannon

Chant for Forest games next season
at 10.37pm by Part Time James

Home kit
at 9.16pm by Part Time James

Happy Birthday Steve Parish
at 7.37pm by Teddy Eagle

Our present squad
at 5.34pm by theorist

I can see a poor start again this season and a struggle to match last season's achievements
at 3.16pm by ambrose7

FA cup final commerative ticket
at 1.31pm by LukaLukaLuka

What age did you take your son/daughter to their first game?
at 12.18pm by ASCPFC

Christian Palace
at 5.15pm by Lanzo-Ad

You are here: Home > News > Ee-I-Ee-I-Ee-I-No?