March 24 2026

Fact or fiction?

Most Crystal Palace fans don’t spend their spare time sifting through Victorian club minutes or Italian municipal archives. Fair enough – we care about football, not footnotes.

But recently, the club’s own website has been repeating stories that just aren’t true – like the Spezia Calcio kit tale and the “founded in 1861” claim – and it’s important we set the record straight, with actual evidence.

This isn’t about debating obscure history. It’s about protecting the real identity of Crystal Palace FC.

Myth #1: “Palace were founded in 1861.”

Sounds great. Completely false.

The 1861 Crystal Palace Club was an amateur cricket-and-football outfit that died decades before the professional Crystal Palace FC was formed.

Here’s what the real sources say:

In 1905, newspapers like the Athletic News, Daily Chronicle and Sporting Life all reported Palace’s creation as a brand-new club.

The Crystal Palace Company registered the team in 1905 – with no mention of any 1861 predecessor. The foundation is well-documented in:

* Company formation records;

* FA and Football League registrations;

* Southern League documentation;

* Club minutes and correspondence.

No directors, players, kits, finances or assets that link the 1861 club and the 1905 one.

Today, the FA and National Football Museum only recognise 1905 and have rejected the fake history.

If there was any link, the Crystal Palace Company would have shouted it from the rooftops. They didn’t – because it wasn’t true.

Myth #2: “Palace gave Spezia their first kit.”

A recent article on the Crystal Palace website tells an attractive story: that Hermann Hurni took Palace’s old blue-and-white shirts to Italy in 1906, founded Spezia Calcio, and thereby carried Palace’s colours into Italian football. It is a story supporters would love to be true. It’s a brilliant tale. But again – zero evidence.

What research actually shows:

Hermann Hurni (the Swiss lad at the centre of the myth) moved to La Spezia in 1905 and helped found Spezia in 1906.

There are no records of Hurni playing for CPFC in 1905/06 and 1906/07. He is first listed as playing two reserve games in 1909/10 – three years after Spezia’s founding – which were likely trial matches.

The first English newspaper to mention him is a 1909 Morning Leader report, describing him as having "played a lot of football in Italy" – not London. It says he was new to the English game and lacked "general knowledge" (i.e. English tactical schooling).

There is no record of either the 1861 or 1905 CPFC teams having shirts that were light blue and white.

No surviving 1906-11 match reports record Spezia’s shirt colours. Italian club histories – especially Alfredo Liberi’s well-regarded book – says the club adopted light-blue shirts and black shorts "in honour of the municipal banner" of La Spezia. There is not a single Italian or English primary source linking Crystal Palace to Spezia’s kit.

So why should Palace fans care?

Because once the official club website repeats a myth, it becomes “the truth” in the eyes of thousands.

Future commentators repeat it. Documentaries repeat it. It appears in chants and on banners. And suddenly, the real story gets buried under fan-fiction.

We’ve got one of the most unique histories in English football – we shouldn’t dilute it with false claims.

The truth makes Palace look strong, not weak.

Why Accuracy Matters

Calling this out is not “criticising the club” – it is defending its real history. Crystal Palace have a fantastic real history:

* Founded in 1905 at one of the most famous sporting venues in the world;

* Southern League success;

* Early FA Cup giant-killings;

* A strong tradition of South London identity and community support;

* A club that has always stood out from the rest.

None of this needs embellishment. Our real heritage is rich, unique, and proudly our own. False narratives do not strengthen Palace – they undermine our credibility.

Accurate history strengthens the club’s legacy and ensures that future generations of Palace supporters inherit a story rooted in truth, not folklore. The myths may be fun – but the truth is better.

In plain terms: the club is being irresponsible

Because:

* It is publishing claims without evidence;

* It is presenting myths as fact;

* It is confusing and dividing supporters;

* It is jeopardising future historical accuracy;

* It is endorsing narratives that contradict the archival record.

It is entirely reasonable – and responsible – for supporters to ask the club to:

* Fact-check historical articles;

* Avoid publishing unsupported theories;

* Clearly separate history from myth.

This is standard practice across professional clubs and is not responsible behaviour for an institution representing 100+ years of South London football heritage.

Crystal Palace FC were founded in 1905, and Spezia’s colours came from La Spezia, not SE25.

Sources That Prove This

These are real, checkable, primary or authoritative sources that anyone can look up. No speculation. No guesswork.

1. The 1905 Formation Records

Athletic News, 1 June 1905 – Reports Palace’s creation as a new Southern League club.

Daily Chronicle, May–August 1905 – Describes Palace as newly formed by the Crystal Palace Company.

FA & Southern League registration lists (1905–06) – First appearance of Crystal Palace FC.

Crystal Palace Company documents (1905) – No reference to any 1861 continuity.

2. Contemporary Evidence on Hermann Hurni

Morning Leader – 16 December 1909 – Describes Hurni’s first appearance for Palace, calling him new to English football and experienced in Italy. This alone disproves the idea he played for Palace before 1906.

3. Spezia Calcio Early Kit Sources

Alfredo Liberi, Quando la domenica andavamo al campo. Storia dello Spezia Calcio (2013) – Standard scholarly history of Spezia; early kit listed as "celeste and black", chosen in honour of the municipal banner.

Heraldic records of the Comune della Spezia – confirm the civic colour is azzurro/celeste.

La Nazione, Eco di Bergamo, other Italian papers – All agree Spezia’s colours came from La Spezia, and later changed to white in homage to Pro Vercelli.

4. The 1861 Club (What It Really Was)

Early Victorian sporting press (Bell’s Life, Sportsman, Field) – Confirm the 1861 Crystal Palace Club was an independent amateur organisation. No continuity exists with the 1905 club in its personnel, organisation, or fixtures.