Frank de Boer and Tony Pulis may think differently, but we advise you urgently to go to Crystal Palace to experience an authentic football atmosphere in the Premier League. And on top of that, Selhurst Park is one of the nicer stadiums in London.
Not so long ago, this club was on the brink of death and Crystal Palace had to be rescued from the abyss. But we can safely say that those days are gone now. Crystal Palace is a stable mid-table club in the Premier League today, and is in many ways, the odd one out. A London club that doesn't feel like London, and one you have to visit urgently.
When you get off the train at Norwood Junction station, you enter a less metropolitan area. It's like you are not in London anymore. Given a lack of competition, Crystal Palace likes to present itself as the club of South London and also feels more like a neighbourhood club than a multi-million dollar Premier League company.
Much of that image is determined by Selhurst Park, the ancient stadium of The Eagles, located against a hill. At the intersection between Park Road and Holmesdale Road, you're on top of that hill and basically higher than all stands apart from one that immediately catches the eye. From a distance, it looks like the main stand, but it is the stand behind one of the two goals, where Palace's diehard fans are standing.
Those diehards deviate considerably from the image you may have of English fans: Atmospheric actions, drums and melodies taken from Southern Europe are a rarity in England, but not at Palace. You cannot help but fall in love with them and the noise they create.
Arguably, Crystal Palace has the most beautiful name in the Premier League. Whether you like it or not, it is a unique name, one that originates from the 19th century. Elsewhere in South London – in what is now called Crystal Palace Park – stood a large glass exhibition building over 500 meters wide and 40 meters high, called 'The Crystal Palace'. The cricket club, which had the same name, played in the park in front of the building. Over the years a football club was added. Although football has been played under the banner of the Crystal Palace for over 160 years, the building itself, unfortunately, disappeared after a devastating fire in 1936. The terraces of the palace are still there and give an indication of how huge it was.
The park is also home to the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre with its eye-catching athletics stadium. The stadium is not very special, but the ground on which it is located is: Crystal Palace played its matches here very early and between 1895 and 1914. The stadium even hosted an FA Cup Final.
Oddly enough, Crystal Palace was only an extra in the most famous event at Selhurst Park, when the leading role was being played by someone who embodies the title 'crazy genius' more than anyone else: Éric Cantona. In January 1995, the Frenchman of Manchester United kung-fu kicked a fan in section G of the Main Stand after being provoked by him. The images went viral, and Cantona barely escaped a prison sentence and was not allowed to play for nine months. It's not like he regretted it by the way: “I should have hit him harder”.
There is surprisingly little to do around Selhurst Park by London standards. The stadium is located in a bit of a boring residential area in South London. In front of the Main Stand there is a 'fan zone' where you can drink a beer, but going there is not our recommendation. We would rather stay in the area around Norwood Junction station, where there are a number of pubs where Crystal Palace supporters gather before and after the games. The Albion (ironic considering their rival is Brighton and Hove Albion) is located on 26 High Street, and was painted red and blue until a few years ago. The facade has since taken on a more neutral appearance, but on match days red and blue are still the norm here.
To get tickets at Crystal Palace you usually need a membership, £45 for international fans. You can also wait for The Eagles to draw a small lower-division club into the FA Cup, then you can easily sit in the main stand for £20.
From central London, take the Thameslink or Overground trains to Norwood Junction station. From here it is about a ten-minute walk to Selhurst Park. Don't be distracted by Crystal Palace station, this is a park, not the football club.
Images: Shutterstock, BSR Agency
