Crystal Palace FC History

The Crystal Palace Football Club is a professional football club in the Premier League grounded in Selhurst, in the Borough of Croydon in South London. The stadium has a capacity of more than 25k, which has seen history being created right before it.

The Club’s History

According to the Football Association, Notts County is the world’s oldest league club founded in November of 1862; but what still remains in history are the bold traces of the Crystal Palace Football Team being established in 1861 and playing their first match on March 15th, 1862. The club was originally founded by men working at the Crystal Palace who usually played cricket but intended on keeping fit during the winters through football.

In 1863, when the Football Association was founded, Crystal Palace’s captain Frank Day took part in the inaugural meeting; and the club was among the core clubs which advocated for the football rules against strong opposition from Rugby clubs. Crystal Palace FC sent more delegates to the inaugural meetings than any of the other clubs.

In 1871, Crystal Palace’s captain Douglas Allport was involved in the formation of the FA Cup, and he was one of the three members of the FA who bought the first trophy. Crystal Palace played in the first round of the FA Cup and reached the semi-finals in 1872; it is the only surviving league club to have done that. Shockingly though, the pioneers, Crystal Palace stopped playing organized matches themselves for two whole decades. A reasonable explanation might be because their play was affecting the cricket field.

The Crystal Palace’s surroundings started to grow in the early years of the 20th century, developing into a pleasure park and an arena that hosted the FA Cup Finals. The ground owners thought of forming a team to take part in the Southern League and revived the Crystal Palace Club’s name to form a new club. However, in 1905, when the club applied for membership in the football league, they were rejected and they later ended up securing a place in the Second Division. John Robson was appointed the first manager of the club. The club started with a 4-3 defeat but made sure that they won every other match that season. The club soon secured its place in the FA Cup.

The First World War affected the club in a dreadful way; it had to vacate the Palace ground since, with short notice in February 1915, it was requisitioned by the Admiralty. The club kept the same name but moved to a borrowed ground at Herne Hill Velodrome, which used to be home to Croydon Common FC. The club joined London Combination because the Southern League and FA Cup were suspended. The later years saw the club move to a ground called The Nest with improving performance on the field.

In the time between the two world wars, Crystal Palace FC boasted 16 unbeaten games, with a record of 8 straight wins during the 1920-21 session. Off the ground, the club had been planning to buy a brickfield that belonged to the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company, which was eventually fated to become Selhurst Park. The stadium was designed by Archibald Leitch and Messers Humphreys. It was officially opened on 30th August 1924.

After the second world war broke out, Football League’s season was cancelled and the clubs were divided into several regional divisions, the club had to fight a lot to stay afloat in the division games. Since 1964, the club has only once been defeated below the second tier, for only three seasons from 1974 to 1977. The 1980s saw the steadiest flight of the club as they finished third in the 1990-91 season of the old ‘First Division, now called the ‘Premier League.

The club has a rich and significant legacy that takes us through not only the club’s history but also documents an important part of football’s history.

Latest News

Crystal Palace FC has seen a lot, and shown a lot; so, following the history of the club, it is important to take a look at the most significant news concerning the club right now:

The Crystal Palace FC partners with GamStop

Crystal Palace FC becomes the first Premier League Club to partner with the UK's free national self-exclusion program for online gambling. The club says that it is ‘committed to encouraging its supporters to gamble safely’. Moreover, the club will help GamStop to make people aware of how the service can help those who are in a vulnerable state and refer players to the NonStopCasino website to check the sites that aren’t on GamStop.

The Crystal Palace FC partners with iPro Hydrate

Crystal Palace FC has teamed up with iPro Hydrate to provide all its players, from men’s, women’s, and academy teams, with healthy hydration drinks. The drinks give the players their daily need for electrolytes, minerals, and vitamins, especially Vitamin C and B Vitamins with a sweet taste that comes from the stevia plant.

Good hydration is necessary for the players to increase efficiency, reduce fatigue and increase concentration. Moreover, the drinks come in 100% recyclable bottles. The representatives of both parties delightedly shared the news.

Conclusion

Crystal Palace FC is one of the most famous clubs playing in the Premier League. They have gained a name over the years on Feedinco for their performance and the legacy that they hold. This article gives the supporters an opportunity to know more about their beloved club.