December 5 2004

Selhurst Park

In common with all of the red-and-blue persuasion, Jamesey was feeling sick as an eagle at 6pm on Sunday evening

Well, the stage was set for a thrilling, dogged south London derby at Selhurst today (Sun, Dec 5).

The visit of old rivals under the floodlights, a big crowd, a recent league cup victory at the Valley - the ingredients were all there.

But the reality was, of course, deep disappointment.

I thought our last home performance against Newcastle Utd (0-2, Nov 20) was lacklustre but we were really at our worst against Charlton Athletic.

To lose a south London derby at home is bad enough but to miss a penalty and then concede in the dying seconds is a very bitter pill to swallow.

"Mugs" is the word that regrettably springs to mind.

Nevertheless there is still time to put things right and perhaps the attacking tactic of pumping high balls to a brilliant (but small) striker surrounded by tall defenders, is due for revision.

Your columnist has already been roundly abused by some, earlier this season, for daring to suggest that we will probably descend to a lower division next May.

Our golden October showed that we have the mettle to stay in the Premiership.

Our talented manager Iain Dowie must buckle down and get things back on course for our imminent home game against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (Dec 11).

To cap a bad Sunday afternoon, I caught a fast south coast train from East Croydon to Clapham Junction after the game.

A group of thoroughly obnoxious Palace "fans", with too much booze inside them, got into my carriage and filled the air with obscenitiesand attempted to intimidate other passengers, many of whom were foreign visitors (alighted at Gatwick) who were totally bemused and disgusted by barbarian behaviour (and the morons weren't kids...all in their mid-30s).

I was deeply ashamed to be a football supporter.

What a day...

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