March 6 2005

Selhurst Park

Our 0-0 home draw against Man U (Mar 5) felt sweeter than many victories he has enjoyed, says Jamesey

We all hoped for the best but maybe expected the worst on a sleety, raw, March Saturday at Selhurst Park.

Yes, Man U were back in town and when the teams were announced, any Palace fan could have been excused some shivers of apprehension, hearing that Rooney, Ronaldo and Scholes were substitutes.

Any club that can put three multi-million-£ behinds of that calibre warming the bench, has some awesome artillery lined up.

But, as I write, a couple of hours after the final whistle, we held our own, grabbed a point, did no harm to our Premiership survival chances and did a bit of harm to their championship aspirations.

We have some admirable optimists on this website, but could any Palace fan put his or her hand on their heart and say they thought we would hold out against the onslaught, as wave after wave of attacks rolled in?

Well, I thought we would be inevitably be overcome and I still can't believe how we kept them at bay, especially after Lakis departed.

All the old Man U tricks didn't work out - niggling fouls behind the ref's back, dives and intimidation of the officials.

Surely Sir Alex Ferguson's gesticulating and shouting at the referee at half time was more deserving of a red card than whatever Lakis was supposed to have done?

And while I am in full throttle, I have an old aquaintance who I meet for a beer and a chat every week or two.

He is, and always has been, a Man U supporter. But he comes from Manchester, speaks with a north-western accent and goes to as many games as he can every season...so that gives him three extra layers of credibility above most of their "supporters".

He told me that he hoped HOL was not supporting the ban at Cantona masks at the game.

I told him that this website doesn't have blanket policies and that everyone speaks their own view.

Incidentally, we were both at the Cantona Kung-Fu game in 95, but on opposite sides of the barricades, so to speak.

I said that I have never had any sympathy with the kicked idiot Simmonds, but that Cantona was totally wrong to assault a spectator, however great the provocation.

Monsieur Cantona deserved his lengthy ban imposed by the FA, just like the other latter-day "hero", Rio Ferdinand.

I said that the whole scenario of Man U supporters wearing Cantona masks was inflammatory and provocative and likely to bring about the sort of behaviour among football fans which we desperately don't need.

I then recieved a full-on broadside accusing me of not knowing how harrowing it was to listen to Munich taunts over the decades and how trivial it was to be wound up by such a minor matter.

The FA and the CPFC administration were all "tossers" he thought we "cockneys" lacked a sense of humour...the Cantona fiesta was only a fun thing to celebrate a legend.

Oh well, that's the sort of mindset you get into after dwelling too long in the Theatre of Dreams and when the dust has settled we will enjoy another beer or two together.

But in the meantime, I am enjoying a couple of beers after what might be an important Palace draw in our tough struggle to stay up with the big fellows.

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

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