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Hy Money: First Lady of The Palace

John J O’Connor

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 “Get this woman out of here,
its now become a farce,
but just to shut her up for good,
give her a touchline pass.”

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 Those were the words of old Bert Head
the boss of Crystal Palace,
who despite his weary tone of voice
didn’t hold no malice

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 So Hy Money got her press card
and a spot behind the goal,
photographed the action
and let her camera roll.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 Born in colonial India
in a place called Bangalore
Hy knew at an early age
she’d have to leave her native shore

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 With fifteen quid, a suitcase
and a little camera box,
she came ashore in England
at London’s Tilbury Docks.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 She got a job in Croydon
processing photo shots,
married very early
and soon had children in their cots.

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 She started taking photos,
family snaps and fashion,
and soon for her, photography
became an all consuming passion

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 T’was for her young sons birthday
I believe his age was eight,
he asked to go to Palace
she thought he meant the Palace Gate.

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 But when he told her Selhurst Park
she reluctantly went along,
where she got hooked on the atmosphere,
the chanting and the song.

10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 HY begged to get a press pass,
to take photos of the games,
but as one hack said sarcastically
“we don’t give them out to Dames.”

11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 So she pestered poor Bert Head
and refused to go away,
and once HY had the press card,
she joined the NUJ*

12 Leave a comment on verse 12 0 Now she was a member
of the macho papparazzi
and she became known at Selhurst Park
as the Palace Mammarazzi.

13 Leave a comment on verse 13 0 She was ignored by fellow members
all of whom were males,
but Hy Money wasn’t bothered
she was as tough as nails..

14 Leave a comment on verse 14 0 She made a glamorous figure
in her leather red and blue,
and she soon became a favourite
of the Crystal Palace crew.

15 Leave a comment on verse 15 0 Away fans though made curses
threw staples and gave threats,
but Hy’s camera it stayed focused
from her place beside the nets

16 Leave a comment on verse 16 0 She snapped Fiona Richmond**
in that famous bathtub pic
and when she stood her ground with Clough
his wounds he had to lick.

17 Leave a comment on verse 17 0 The night of tears in Cardiff,****
City players thought they’d have a laugh,
and they threw HY and her camera
into the players bath.

18 Leave a comment on verse 18 0 Despite being soaked and angry,
she didn’t say a word,
the pain was watching Palace,
go down to the Third.

19 Leave a comment on verse 19 0 Her celebrity it grew greater,
with famed sports stars she was pally,
she snapped great shots of Barry Sheen
and the great Muhamed Ali

20 Leave a comment on verse 20 0 She started shooting movie stars
and all the cast of ‘Dallas’
and she’ll ever more be known
as ‘First Lady of the Palace.’

21 Leave a comment on verse 21 0 She still goes up the Palace now,
and the crowd give her a cheer,
grand children they come with her
the great lady pioneer.

© John J O’Connor Nov 2009

Notes

John J O’Connor Nov 2009
Hy( Hyacynth) Money was officially recognized as the first woman photographer to become a member of the National Union of Journalists. jeff Powell of the Daily Mail called her the Emily Pankhurst of Photography and she’s effectionately known at Selhurst Park as ‘The Mammarazza.’. She took more than 10,000 photos of Crystal Palace which resulted in her putting together a book in 2005 called HY ON PALACE. Danny Kelly on his London Sports Radio show called it the best, most intimate photographic history of a football club he’s ever seen.
Brilliant John …what a great story.Carve her name in pride and celluloid.
The anti-women sexism thing in football bubbles below the surface still although it has improved. Editor

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/hy-money-first-lady-of-the-palace/