We haven't faced Palace in the 2020 years, the last time being in March 2007 towards the end of our brief spell in the Championship when we went down 2-1 at Selhurst Park with two goals from Clinton Morrison and an own goal from Mark Hudson. We have played each other 57 times and have won 18, drawn 16 and lost 23.
The most memorable game for me was back in August 2005, our first game after promotion to the Championship when against all expectations we won 2-1 at Selhurst Park with goals from Steve Howard and Ahmet Brkovic. Andrew Johnson (remember him?) scored for them.
This afternoon we look forward to this game in the top-flight. This stop-start nature of this season has been frustrating to me and we now go into a manically intensive run up to Christmas. Seriously though, we feel privileged to be where we are pitting our wits against some of the top teams in the world and I suppose we have to expect to make some sacrifices.
We are excited about this afternoon's contest and look forward to hosting Steve Parish and his fellow directors, and Roy Hodgson and his talented squad. I'm sure it will be another fascinating tactical battle and let’s hope we can emulate our teams of the recent past by getting a positive result at home.
There is little doubt that we are beginning to find our feet in this league having been in every one of the last four games against former Champions League winners with a chance, in every case, of a better result.
This week Gary and I took part in a Shareholders’ Meeting of the Premier League. There was a full agenda covering a wide range of topics, the most newsworthy of which was the "New Deal for Football" and the topic of the incoming Regulator for Football having been recognised in the recent King’s speech. I'm sure you're aware both are designed to help clubs become more sustainable, implement financial controls to protect a more level-playing field and make it more difficult for rogue ownership and poor management putting clubs at risk of going out of business often carrying the devastating effect on the communities they serve.
Clearly the details of the discussions are confidential and are continuing, but it’s clear that the majority want a deal done. It is highly complicated and as you can imagine the diversity of opinion is extreme, largely because the clubs themselves are so different in their ownership model and financial muscle.
We have found that the debate is of high quality and the management of the meeting very professional, with all clubs being encouraged to have their say in a pleasingly democratic manner. As we are the only club with recent experience of the top five divisions, and with Gary in particular having made important connections in the EFL, his experience can be a valuable part of the discussions.
We feel confident that nobody will be completely happy with the eventual outcome, but it would seem wrong otherwise. There isn't anyone here who enjoys giving money away, but it is vital for the health of the pyramid. Having said that it is important that the deal achieves the result it is set up for, so it makes a bad situation better and the funds are used in the appropriate manner with tighter controls to prevent clubs from deviating from the rules. When you are dealing with 20 givers and hundreds of takers, it's impossible to please everyone and in this instance probably anyone, but it is so important for the future of our game that we get the best deal we can for everyone concerned.
The deal has momentum and will attract a great deal of interest over the coming months. There are good people with the best intentions working to achieve the desired result, and we feel confident of a positive outcome for the long-term benefit of our "beautiful game".
On a completely different note, and as it really is a matter of life and death, a more important one. A couple of weeks back I was invited to The Brache to meet Roseann Taylor, the mother of 18-year-old Azaan Kaleem, or AJ, who was stabbed to death in Luton in 2018, and members of the Beds Violence and Exploitation Unit (VERU) who are launching a new knife crime campaign called ‘Just Drop It’.
A number of our academy players sat in to listen to Roseann tell the story of how and why her son died. It was very moving. The boys then joined in a discussion asking questions and offering their take on it on camera as BBC Look East were covering the event.
Roseann now works with the VERU Youth intervention specialist team and said that having the backing and support of a Premier League club meant the campaign takes on a different dimension.
The official launch of the campaign was at Youthscape in Luton and there were contributions from the Crime Commissioner, the Police and Emergency medical experts highlighting the problem.
In the five years up to 2021, 1,800 people between the ages of ten and 24 have been treated in A&E in Bedfordshire alone for injuries resulting from assault.
This is not a new problem, but is a worsening one. It's 17 years since the youth player at QPR, Kiyan Prince, died from stab wounds. Perhaps what saddens me most is that there is so little known generally about the problem. Awareness of it seems very generational and hopefully this campaign will draw more attention to it.
It was a shock to me to hear of the dangers and difficulties young people suffer on an almost daily basis and it seems important to get across how these crimes do not just affect the victims, but also the perpetrators and the families, friends and local community of both sides.
We are backing this campaign and hope that you will all support in whatever way you can.
Finally, and on a more cheery note, Lisa McEvoy, our fan engagement officer, is trekking in Madagascar for NOAH, our charity of the year. She has so far raised over £5,000. Well done her and good luck for the rest of her journey.
"We are all different. Don't judge, understand instead." – Roy Bennett.
Enjoy the game
COME ON YOU HATTERS
David
