March 23 2005

Crystal Palace

Football fans are a fickle lot who can often never remember further back than last week's defeat, writes Neil McSteen.

Listening to Middlesbrough fans on BBC Five Live on Sunday deriding their manager Steve McClaren as clueless' was laughable.

Palace fans may have seen Andrew Johnson miss a sitter from six yards to put us 2-1 up at Stamford Bridge and then seen Gabor Kiraly do a passable impression of Dave Beasant, but you didn't hear any of them moaning on national radio.

Our support on Saturday was magnificent, and all the better for the fact that Neil Shipperley was sitting in among us.

There was also the slightly surreal sight of one of the world's most expensive footballers sitting just in front of him.

Yes, Christian Vieri was also in the Palace end, no doubt cheering on former Inter Milan team mate Gonzalo Sorondo.

The thought did pass my mind that if Sorondo scored, how wildly would Vieri celebrate?

Would the over-zealous Chelsea stewards chuck him out? Or would Vieri remain calm and just go for a drink with Shipps after the game?

Who knows but it made a change from spotting that funny bloke off the BBC in the crowd.

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