July 16 2004

Crystal Palace

Walking past his local William Hill betting shop, Jamesey was delighted to see that Palace were favourites for something... until he looked more closely and saw it was for relegation

To pinch a phrase from the late, great Douglas Adams (Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy), we football supporters are currently in "the dark teatime of the soul".

Euro 04 is all done and dusted and the next feasible friendly (for most of us, I would imagine) is home to Sporting Lisbon on July 28.

Yes, we are in that dreaded football limbo where, apart from keeping an eye open for the latest foreigner to be bought by Iain Dowie, there is little activity in the beautiful game.

However I was rather shocked to see that our leading bookmakers make us favourites for the drop in May 05 at odds of 2/5. It may well be that the play-off finalists are always favourites for this dubious honour?

I wouldn't know as my interest in betting is normally zero.

Closely following us are, of course, West Bromwich Albion (4/7) and Norwich (8/15). That's to be expected, I guess, as the new-boy trio are always favourites to go slithering back down again.

Unfortunately, the bookmakers have a habit of being right. That's why they are so rich and the miserable-looking people who patronise their establishments are usually skint despite their claims that they are big winners.

And one has to admit the Gods certainly smiled on Iain Dowie in the first few months of 2004. Taking a look at our previous two visits to the top tier, you could forgive many punters for having a bet on our demise.

In 1994, Alan Smith won the First Division championship with a Premiership standard squad, added nobody, squabbled with chairman Ron Noades and the players, and back tumbling down we came.

In 1997, we made a late burst, similar to this time, and scraped through at Sheff U's expense (There's Only one David Hopkin). I have already spent enough time in this column bemoaning the total Horse's Posterior we made of that season and there is little more to say.

Napoleon said: Give me generals who are lucky so let's hope the same applies to football manager Iain Dowie. At least he seems to have a good relationship with Simon Jordan, assuming Mr J doesn't succeed in unloading us to Mr X.

I will, no doubt be criticised for lack of ambition, but our realistic aim for next season must be 17th in the Premiership.

Mind you, any really unhinged gamblers could have a bet on Palace winning the Premiership. Currently the odds offered are 2000/1. That's 10 grand for a fiver.

Well. look at Greece in the recent events in Portugal (my second team after England, so I had something to be cheerful about).

But, of course, Greece only had six games to get through, not 38!

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

In Depth Jamesey's Veteran View Index

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.