October 16 2006

Selhurst Park

Jamesey was looking forward to, if not a victory, at least a good performance against Cardiff City. Neither were forthcoming.

The last Palace game I witnessed was the horrible shambles against Southampton (Sept 12).

Well, whatever happened couldn't have been worse than that. Could it? To be fair it wasn't anything like as bad as that although it was hardly a performance to inspire us.

Giving a goal away before the echoes of the ref''s opening whistle blast had died away doesn't do our chances a lot of good, and ultimately, of course, we lost the match 1-2.

What we hoped would be a victory celebrating the ownership of our own stadium ("10.10.06 Reunited") after an eight-year gap was not to be.

In the match programme, chairman Simon Jordan was quoted as saying: "The freehold now belongs where it should be, with the owners of the club. The custodians of the club are the fans, I feel them to be the owners of the club as much as me..."

Well said, Simon, and we "custodians" gave the chairman a well-earned standing ovation before the kick-off and at half-time.

I saw the chairman making a grand entrance into the stadium as I made my way to the turnstiles.

I had not seen him in the flesh for a few years when he was a somewhat nondescript figure, wearing a maroon jacket and wandering disconsolately around the ground, ignoring and ignored by, the crowd.

Now, as we know, his face and long-flowing locks glow orange like a psychedelic, gilded icon.

What a difference.

Twenty minutes into the game, four men climbed up the steps of Block H of the Main Stand and plonked themselves down a few seats away from me.

I can sniff out a Cardiff accent a mile away, having spent my childhood in the area, and the quartet soon announced their Bluebird status by giving it big-time for Cardiff City, with noisy shouting and not a little anti-Palace abuse.

The Main Stand is unsegregated, of course, but I have never encountered such blatant disrespect before.

Over the years I have encountered many away supporters sitting in the Main Stand since it stopped being the Members Stand. They have always been sociable and pleasant people, very much aware that they were our guests and on their best behaviour.

The four Bluebird bozos were obviously naive, brave or utterly stupid - almost certainly the latter.

The fact that they were in one of the most peaceable areas of the ground probably saved them from immediate and violent retribution although quite a few heads were beginning to turn, with a number of requests to "shut up" or even earthier recommendations.

Mercifully for our enjoyment and their own safety, a squad of stewards arrived just before half-time and escorted them off to the away corner.

Even then, one of them was protesting, repeatedly saying "I'm happy here..."

"But we're not" came a unanimous chorus from the surrounding Palace throng.

Email Jamesey with your comments to Jevans3704@aol.com

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