Football Poets

CRYSTAL PALACE MEMORIES. ( 1969 – 1979 )

¶ 1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 Bobby Woodruff, Mark Lazarus,
David Payne in the Roger Hynd,
3-2 against Fulham in 1969.
Players giving shirts away,
fans all on the pitch.
finding out that in the First Division,
life can be a bitch.
First game v Man United,
2-2 and a record crowd,
Selhurst Park had never,
ever been that loud.

¶ 2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Skinheads and hippies,
shrunken levi jeans,
Ben Sherman shirts,
and braces worn by teens.
Mel Blyth and John McCormick,
whose face was always red,
led on the field by ‘Shovel’ Sewell
and off it by Bert Head.
Per Bartram and Borge Thorup,
silk scarves around the wrist,
and many a terrace arguement,
settled with a fist.

¶ 3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 Eliminating Spurs from the Cup,
after drawing at the Lane,
it resulted in Jimmy Greaves,
never playing for them again.
Kember going to Chelsea,
he was the local boy,
Alan Birchenal, Tony Taylor,
John Jackson, Roger Hoy.

¶ 4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Tank tops, hats and cardigans,
in the colours of the team,
Anglo Italian Cup,
and each year the Wembley dream.
“Queen in brawl at the Palace,”
was a famous headline shown,
but it was about our Gerrry Queen,
not old Lizzie on the throne.
Ted Heath, Thornton Heath,
Northwood Road, Addington Rule,
late goal v Leeds by John ‘Shovel’ Sewell.

¶ 5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 Signing players whose time had passed,
who were doing their final rambling,
Charlie Cooke and Yogi,
Willie Wallace ,Scott and Tambling.
Peanuts for Sixpence,
knees up Muvver Brown,
every year the experts
saying we’re going down.
Taking swimming lessons, *
before Notts Forest away,
the Trent could be quite nasty,
on a cold December day.
Reject players to Orient,
T.Rex, Slade and Sweet.
playing all the London teams,
and always getting beat.

¶ 6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 Yogi’s pair v Sheffield,
a super 5-1 win,
on Match of the Day that evening,
so we all had to stay in.
De De De De Don Rogers,
Stuart Jump the Peter Wall,
and John Jackson for England,
was the pleading Holmesdale call.
5-0 v Man United, sure it’s written in folklore,
if it wasn’t for Alex Stepney,
we could have scored four more.

¶ 7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 Doctor Martens sprayed with silver,
some were sprayed with gold,
and Parka anoraks,
to fight the winter cold.
Palace Dollies, Glad all Over,
old ma Minchella selling peanuts,
and police brutality taking place,
inside the Holmesdale police huts.
“As I see it BERT HEAD MUST GO”
read the banner every game,
and the Palace board of directors,
seemed to think the same.

¶ 8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 Big Mal’s arrival at the Palace,
greeted with elation,
defeat at Carrow Road,
assigning us relegation.
Two tone tonic pants
and loafer shoes well shone,
things were going to change
under Malcolm Allison.
The Claret and Blue, becoming Red and Blue,
The Glaziers are the Eagles,
Big Mal chomping Cubans,
no time for Embassy regals.

¶ 9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 Nodding discreetly to fellow fans,
when you saw them at Mill-Wall.
Jackson leaving Palace,
with his head held tall.
Peter Taylor beating defenders,
as down each wing he’d burst,
Paddy Mulligan, Jeffrey Johnson and David Swindlehurst.
Timpson coaches from East Croydon,
the Railway Travelers Club,
Grotneys Party Sevens,
and motorway cafe grub.

¶ 10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 Relegation to Division Three,
after a night of tears in Wales,
Bobby Kellard and Roy Barry,
both as tough as nails.
Tooting and Mitcham away,
on a Wednesday afternoon,
the dregs of society showed up,
and inflicted many wounds.
Away day trips to Brighton,
to Port Vale and Halifax,
Jeffries and Jim Cannon
solid at the back.
Defeat at Plymouth in the Cup,
with Venables missing a pen,
praying to have a wedding ,
when we’re playing at the Den.
Terrace surges, New Stand singing,
thousands going away,
but in the old Third Divison,
for three years we had to stay.

¶ 11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 Champagne, cigars, fedoras,
drawing attention to the club,
and the day Fiona Richmond ended up in the players tub. **
David Kemp and Phil Holder,
Nick Chatterton the groundsmans son,
1976, and the Cup was nearly won.
Swindles goal at Leeds,
Chelsea on the pitch,
Whittles goal at Roker,
and the semi at the Bridge.
Taylor capped for England,
whilst playing in the Third,
and an average 20,000
making sure they’re heard.

¶ 12 Leave a comment on verse 12 0 Birmingham bags and flares,
that we’ve conveniently forgotten,
Stranglers and the Clash,
Sex Pistols, Johnny Rotten.
Kenny Sansoms debut,
at Tran-mere on a Monday night,
Big Mal resigning,
and to Lisbon taking flight.
Venables being appointed,
Paul Hammond, Tony Burns,
Rachid ‘Spider’ Harkouk,
fooling defenders with his turns.
A 1-0 win v Brighton,
at a rainy Chelsea ground,
Mullery losing his marbles,
and acting like a clown.

¶ 13 Leave a comment on verse 13 0 Trips to the North of England,
and greetings at the station.
“have you got the time mate?”
it could be a dodgy situation.
Hy Money taking photos ,
Len Chatterton mowing the lawn,
Martin Hinslewood, Billy Gilbert,
Ian Walsh and Jeffrey Bourne.
Winning big at Wrexham
and pipping them to the post,
opening bottles of champers
as we gave the team a toast.

¶ 14 Leave a comment on verse 14 0 Perms coming into fashion,
mustaches no longer cool,
and Doris scoring a cracker, ***
in the Cup v Liverpool.
The sound of Evan’s leg being shattered,
by Fulhams Georgie Best,
starting to play the youngsters,
who were ready for the test.
Jerry Murphy, Terry Fenwick,
Vince Hillaire, and Peter Nick,
and the return of Stevie Kember,
to help the midfield click.
Playing super football,
John Burridge in the goal,
Maggie in power,
and thousands on the dole.
Sideburns selling programmes, ****
Wings and Mull of Kintyre,
and the EAGLES from South London,
soaring higher and higher.

¶ 15 Leave a comment on verse 15 0 1979, on Friday May 11,
Palace fans are thinking,
they’ve finally going to heaven.
2-0 v Burnley, who we had,
always on the run,
and the promotion party witnessed
by fifty one thousand, eight hundred and one.
Celebrations on the pitch,
the Holmesdale in full song,
and Crystal Palace finally returning,
right back where we belong.

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