Crystal Palace F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Crystal Palace Football Club | |||
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| Founded | 10 September 1905 | |||
| Stadium | Selhurst Park | |||
| Stadium capacity |
25,486 | |||
| Owners |
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| Chairman | Steve Parish | |||
| Manager | Oliver Glasner | |||
| League | Premier League | |||
| 2018–19 | Premier League, 12th of 20 | |||
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Crystal Palace Football Club, often called Crystal Palace or just Palace, is a professional football team. They are based in Selhurst, South London, England. The club plays in the Premier League, which is the highest level of English football.
The club officially started as a professional team in 1905. This happened at the Crystal Palace exhibition building. However, its roots go back even further to 1861. From 1905 to 1915, the club played its home games at the FA Cup final stadium. They had to leave in 1915 because of the First World War. In 1924, they moved to their current home, Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace spent its early years in the Southern League. They joined the Football League in 1920. Since then, they have mostly played in the top two divisions of English football. In 1990, they reached the 1990 FA Cup final. In the 1990–91 season, they finished third in the league. This is the club's highest league finish ever.
The club was one of the first teams in the Premier League in 1992–93. They were relegated that season and a few times after. But they were promoted to the Premier League again in 2013. They have stayed there ever since. As of 2025–26, they are playing their thirteenth season in the top league. They also reached two more FA Cup finals in 2016 and 2025. They won the 2025 final, which was their first major trophy!
The team's kit colours were claret and blue until 1973. Then, they changed to the red and blue stripes they wear today. Palace has a strong rivalry with Brighton & Hove Albion. This rivalry started in the 1970s. They also have local rivalries with Millwall and Charlton Athletic.
Contents
- Club History
- Early Days (1854–1905)
- Becoming Professional (1905–1920)
- Joining the Football League (1920–1958)
- Rise to the Top Flight (1958–1973)
- Changing Colours and Nickname (1973–1984)
- The Steve Coppell Era (1984–1993)
- The "Yo-Yo" Years (1993–1998)
- Financial Challenges (1998–2010)
- Back in the Premier League (2010–Present)
- Glasner's Success (2024–Present)
- Colours and Crest
- Stadium
- Supporters
- Ownership
- Club Records
- Players
- Coaching Staff
- Managers
- Honours (Trophies)
- European Record
- Crystal Palace Women
- Crystals Cheerleaders
- See also
Club History
Early Days (1854–1905)
In 1854, the famous Crystal Palace Exhibition building was moved from Hyde Park, London to South London. This area was then called Crystal Palace. It included Crystal Palace Park, where many sports facilities were built. The Crystal Palace Company, which owned the building, started a cricket club in 1857. Later, they decided to start a football club too.
An amateur Crystal Palace football club was formed in 1861. Many players were also part of the cricket team. They shared the same pitch in Crystal Palace Park. This amateur club was one of the first members of The Football Association in 1863. They played in the very first FA Cup competition in 1871–72. They reached the semi-finals but lost to the Royal Engineers.
In 1895, the FA Cup final found a permanent home at the sports stadium inside the Palace grounds. The Crystal Palace Company wanted more attractions to bring in visitors. So, they decided to create a new professional football club to play at this stadium. They hoped it would attract many fans.
Becoming Professional (1905–1920)
The professional Crystal Palace football club was officially formed on September 10, 1905. Edmund Goodman, who used to work for Aston Villa, helped set up the club. Palace wanted to join the Football League, but they were not accepted. Instead, they joined the Southern League Second Division for the 1905–06 season.
Palace did very well in their first season. They won the Southern League Second Division and were promoted! They also played in the mid-week United League. Their first match ever was in this league, where they won 3–0 against New Brompton.
Palace stayed in the Southern League until 1914. A big moment was their surprising 1–0 win against Newcastle United in the FA Cup in 1907. When the First World War started, the Crystal Palace building was taken over by the military. This forced the club to leave their home stadium in 1915. They moved to Herne Hill Velodrome and then to the Nest in 1917.
Stadium Incident (1913)
The Palace stadium was almost damaged in 1913. This was during the 1913 FA Cup final. A group of women fighting for the right to vote tried to damage the stands. This was part of a wider campaign across the country.
Joining the Football League (1920–1958)
In the 1920–21 season, Crystal Palace became one of the first teams in the new Football League Third Division. They won the league in their first year and were promoted to the Second Division. This made them one of the few clubs to win a league title in their first season in the Football League.
In 1924, Palace moved to their new stadium, Selhurst Park. This is where they still play today. Their first game at Selhurst Park was against The Wednesday. Palace lost 0–1 in front of 25,000 fans. They were relegated back to the Third Division South that season. Before the Second World War, Palace often finished in the top half of the table. They were runners-up three times. During the war, the Football League stopped. Palace won two wartime leagues. After the war, they were less successful in the league.
Rise to the Top Flight (1958–1973)
Palace was in the Third Division South until the end of the 1957–58 season. After that, the league was reorganized, and Palace ended up in the new Fourth Division. But they didn't stay there long. In 1960, chairman Arthur Wait hired Arthur Rowe as manager. Rowe's exciting style of play brought success.
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In the 1960–61 season, Palace won promotion. In 1962, they played a special friendly match against the famous Real Madrid team. This was Real Madrid's first game in London. A strong Madrid team beat Palace 4–3. Even though Rowe left due to health reasons, this promotion was a big turning point. Managers Dick Graham and Bert Head then led Palace to back-to-back promotions in 1963–64 and 1968–69. This took the club from the Second Division all the way to the First Division, the top league!
Palace stayed in the top league from 1969 to 1973. They had some memorable results, like a 5–0 home win against Manchester United in the 1972–73 season. Malcolm Allison became manager in March 1973. However, the change came too late, and the club was relegated back to the Second Division.
Changing Colours and Nickname (1973–1984)
After being relegated, the next season was even tougher. Under manager Allison, Palace was relegated again, ending up in Division Three for the 1974–75 season. It was Allison who changed the club's nickname from "The Glaziers" to "The Eagles." He also changed their kit colours from claret and blue to the red and blue vertical stripes they wear today.
Palace had a good run in the 1975–76 FA Cup, reaching the semi-finals. They beat Leeds and Chelsea but lost to Southampton. Allison resigned, and Terry Venables took over. Under Venables, Palace earned two more promotions in 1976–77 and 1978–79. In 1979, they were crowned Division Two champions!
That 1979 team was called the "Team of the Eighties" because it had many talented young players. They even topped the entire Football League briefly in the 1979–80 season. However, the club faced financial difficulties, and many players had to leave. Palace was relegated from the First Division in 1980–81.
The Steve Coppell Era (1984–1993)
On June 4, 1984, former Manchester United and England player Steve Coppell became manager. He had just retired from playing due to injury. Coppell steadily rebuilt the club. The Eagles were promoted back to the top league through the play-offs in 1988–89.
Palace then reached the 1990 FA Cup final, drawing 3–3 with Manchester United in the first match. They lost the replay 0–1. The club built on this success in the 1990–91 season. They challenged for the English league title, finishing third. This is still the club's highest league finish. They also won the Full Members Cup in 1991, beating Everton 4–1 at Wembley.
The next season, star striker Ian Wright left to join Arsenal. Palace finished tenth and became a founding member of the new Premier League in 1992–93. The club then sold another top striker, Mark Bright. They struggled to score goals that season and were relegated. They had 49 points, which is still a Premier League record for the most points for a relegated club. Coppell resigned, and his assistant, Alan Smith, took over.
The "Yo-Yo" Years (1993–1998)
In Alan Smith's first season as manager, Palace won the First Division title and were promoted back to the Premier League. Their time in the Premier League was exciting and sometimes controversial. In January 1995, during a match against Manchester United, United's player Eric Cantona was sent off. He reacted to a fan, Matthew Simmons, with a flying kick. Cantona was punished, and Simmons was banned from Selhurst Park.
On the field, Smith led the club to the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and the League Cup. But their league form was not consistent, and Palace was relegated again. They finished fourth from bottom because the Premier League was being reduced from 22 to 20 clubs.
Smith left, and Steve Coppell returned as technical director in 1995. Palace reached the play-offs but lost the 1996 First Division play-off final in the last minute. The next season, Coppell became first-team manager again. The club reached the play-offs for a second year and won promotion back to the Premier League. They beat Sheffield United 1–0 in the final at Wembley.
However, their stay in the Premier League was short. Palace was relegated again at the end of the 1997–98 season. This is why they were sometimes called a "yo-yo club" – going up and down between leagues. Mark Goldberg became the new owner in June 1998.
Financial Challenges (1998–2010)
Terry Venables returned as manager for a second time. Palace even played in a European competition, the UEFA Intertoto Cup, in the summer. But in 1999, the club faced serious money problems. Owner Mark Goldberg could no longer support the club financially. Venables left, and Steve Coppell became manager again.
The club was eventually bought by Simon Jordan, a lifelong fan. Coppell was replaced by Alan Smith for a second time. In Jordan's first season, 2000–01, Palace almost dropped to the third division. Smith was fired, and coach Steve Kember took over. He won the last two games, keeping Palace in the league. Dougie Freedman scored a late winning goal on the final day to secure their survival.
Steve Bruce became manager for the 2001–02 season. After a good start, Bruce tried to leave the club. He was eventually allowed to join Birmingham City, and Trevor Francis took his place. Under Francis, Palace finished in the middle of the table for two seasons. He was then replaced by Steve Kember.
Palace started the 2003–04 season well under Kember, but then their form dropped. Iain Dowie, a former Palace striker, was appointed manager. He led the club to the play-off final, winning 1–0 against West Ham and gaining promotion. But again, Palace couldn't stay in the top league and were relegated on the last day of the season.
After that relegation, Simon Jordan struggled to keep the club financially stable. In January 2010, Palace faced money problems again. The club was deducted ten points, and key players had to be sold. Neil Warnock had left as manager earlier that year. Paul Hart took over as caretaker manager. The club avoided relegation from the Championship on the very last day of the season with a 2–2 draw against Sheffield Wednesday.
Later that year, a group of wealthy fans called CPFC 2010 bought the club. This group was led by Steve Parish. They also bought back Selhurst Park, the club's stadium, after fans put pressure on the bank that owned it.
Back in the Premier League (2010–Present)
The new owners hired George Burley as manager. But after a poor start, Burley was sacked in January 2011. His assistant, Dougie Freedman, became caretaker manager and then permanent manager. Palace improved and avoided relegation. In October 2012, Freedman left to manage Bolton Wanderers.
The next month, Ian Holloway became manager. He led the club back to the Premier League after an eight-year absence. They beat Watford 1–0 in the Championship play-off final at the new Wembley Stadium.
Holloway resigned in October 2013. Tony Pulis then took over and successfully kept the club in the Premier League. He even won the 2013–14 Premier League Manager of the Season award. After a short second spell for Neil Warnock, former Palace midfielder Alan Pardew became manager in January 2015. He led Palace to a tenth-place finish, their highest in the Premier League.
In the 2015–16 season, Pardew led the club to the 2016 FA Cup final. It was their first FA Cup final in 26 years. They faced Manchester United again and lost 1–2 after extra time. Pardew was sacked in December 2016 and replaced by Sam Allardyce. Allardyce kept the club in the Premier League but resigned at the end of the season.
In June 2017, Palace hired Frank de Boer as their first foreign manager. He was dismissed after only 77 days, as the club lost their first four league games without scoring. The next day, Roy Hodgson, a former England coach, became manager. He kept the club in the Premier League for several seasons. Hodgson left in May 2021.
In July 2021, former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira became the new manager. He led the club to an FA Cup semi-final and a twelfth-place league finish. However, Vieira was sacked in March 2023 after a long winless run. Hodgson was re-appointed manager until the end of the season and guided the club to safety. In July 2023, Hodgson became permanent manager again. He stepped down in February 2024 and was replaced by Austrian manager Oliver Glasner.
Glasner's Success (2024–Present)
Under new manager Oliver Glasner, the club finished the 2023–24 season strongly. They matched their highest Premier League finish of tenth place. Four Palace players were chosen for the English national team for Euro 2024. This was more than any other Premier League club!
In the 2024–25 campaign, Glasner led Palace to their first major trophy ever: the 2025 FA Cup. They won 1–0 against Manchester City. This was the club's third FA Cup final. They also secured their thirteenth consecutive season in the top league and qualified for the Europa League for the first time!
Colours and Crest
The original amateur club wore blue and white striped shirts. When the professional Crystal Palace club started in 1905, their colours were claret and blue shirts with white shorts. This was because Edmund Goodman, who helped form the club, used to work for Aston Villa, whose colours were similar.
The club mostly kept these colours until 1938, when they changed to white shirts and black shorts. They went back to claret and blue from 1949 to 1954, but then returned to white and black with claret and blue trim. In 1963, they even used yellow shirts as their home colours. In 1964, they wore an all-white kit, like Real Madrid. They returned to claret and blue in 1966.
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When Malcolm Allison became manager in 1973, he completely changed the club's look. He chose red and blue vertical stripes, inspired by FC Barcelona. Palace has worn variations of red and blue ever since.
The club was quite late in getting a crest (logo). The initials "CPFC" were on the shirt from 1935–36. A crest showing the Crystal Palace building appeared in 1955. This crest disappeared in 1964. In 1972, a round badge with the club's initials and "Glaziers" nickname was used. Allison changed this too. The club's nickname became the "Eagles," inspired by the Portuguese club Benfica. The new badge showed an eagle holding a ball. This eagle emblem stayed until 1987, when the club combined the eagle with the Crystal Palace building. The crest has been updated since then, but it still has these features. In 2022, the club changed the year on its crest from 1905 to 1861. This reflects the year the original Crystal Palace Football Club was founded.
From 2010 to 2020, the club had a real American bald eagle named Kayla as its mascot. Kayla would fly across the stadium before every home game. Sadly, Kayla passed away in June 2020.
Kit Sponsors
Since 2022, Crystal Palace's kits have been made by Macron. The club's shirts are currently sponsored by NET88 (since 2024).
Stadium
In 1905, the Crystal Palace Company wanted a professional club to play at the FA Cup final stadium. They formed Crystal Palace FC for this reason. However, during the First World War, the military took over the Palace grounds. In 1915, the club had to move. They found a temporary home at the Herne Hill Velodrome. Later, in 1917, they moved to the Nest.
In 1919, the club started buying the land where they would build Selhurst Park, their current home. The famous stadium architect Archibald Leitch designed the plans. Selhurst Park was ready for the 1924–25 season. The stadium didn't change much until 1969, when the Arthur Wait Stand was built. More work was done in the 1980s. In 1994, the Holmesdale Terrace was replaced with a new two-tier stand.
Selhurst Park's record attendance was 51,482 fans in 1979. After safety changes, the stadium's current capacity is 25,486. In 2011, there were ideas to move the club back to the original Crystal Palace National Stadium. But after the club was promoted to the Premier League in 2013, they focused on making Selhurst Park bigger.
Plans for a new 13,500-seat Main Stand were approved in 2018. This would increase the stadium's total capacity to 34,000. These plans were delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic and other issues. In August 2024, the expansion plans were approved again. Work has started, and it is hoped to be finished by summer 2027.
Supporters
Crystal Palace has many fans from South London, Kent, and Surrey. Their passionate support at home games comes from the Holmesdale Road Stand. This is where the ultras group, the Holmesdale Fanatics, have been since 2005.
Fans have also created other groups. The Palace Independent Supporters' Association helps share fan concerns with the club. The Crystal Palace Supporters' Trust was formed to help fans buy the club during its financial troubles in 2000.
Fans have also created many fanzines (fan magazines) over the years. Eagle Eye and Palace Echo were popular. Five Year Plan is another fanzine that now has an online presence. Fans also discuss the club on internet forums like The BBS and Holmesdale.net. The club uses these forums to talk with fans.
Crystal Palace is a London club, so it competes with other local clubs for fans. But it has a large fan base of about 900,000 people. When the new owners took over in 2010, they asked fans for their ideas. They even based a new badge design on a fan's idea from an internet forum.
The club works closely with the local community through the Crystal Palace F.C. Foundation. They offer sports and educational programs in local areas. This work helps the club connect with its fans and grow its support. Many famous people are also Crystal Palace fans, including comedians Kevin Day and Jo Brand, actor Bill Nighy, and TV presenter Susanna Reid.
Rivalries
Crystal Palace has several local rivalries because it's in London. They have rivalries with Millwall and Charlton Athletic.
They have a very strong rivalry with Brighton & Hove Albion. This rivalry grew after Palace was relegated in 1974. It became very intense when the two teams played each other in the FA Cup in 1976–77. The game went to two replays. In the second replay, there was a controversial moment when the referee made Brighton retake a penalty kick. Palace won the game 1–0, and a fierce rivalry was born.
Ownership
The Crystal Palace Company started both the amateur and professional clubs. The first chairman of the professional club was Sydney Bourne. He was found by club secretary Edmund Goodman. Bourne remained chairman until he passed away in 1930.
After Bourne, several people served as chairman. Local builder Arthur Wait bought the club with a group of other businessmen in 1949. He became the permanent chairman in 1958 and stayed until 1972. Ron Noades and his group took control of the club in 1981. Noades eventually sold the club to Mark Goldberg in 1998. However, Noades kept ownership of Selhurst Park and leased it to the club. Goldberg's time as owner was difficult, and Palace faced money problems in 1999.
A group of fans tried to buy the club. But Simon Jordan, a millionaire and lifelong fan, made a deal and took control. His company also faced money problems in 2010. In June of that year, a group of four wealthy fans called CPFC 2010 completed a takeover.
CPFC 2010 was started by Steve Parish, Martin Long, Stephen Browett, and Jeremy Hosking. Each owned a 25% share. They successfully bought the club and also bought back Selhurst Park.
In 2015, American investors Josh Harris and David Blitzer each bought a share in the club. In 2021, another American investor, John Textor, bought a large share, which increased to 45% in 2023. Steve Parish remains chairman and owns about 10% of the club.
Club Records
Jim Cannon holds the record for playing the most games for Crystal Palace. He played 660 first-team matches between 1973 and 1988. He also played the most league games, with 571. Striker Peter Simpson scored the most goals in one season (54 in 1930–31). He is also the club's all-time top scorer with 165 goals. Goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey has played the most international games while at the club.
Crystal Palace were the first champions of the new Third Division in 1920–21. This was their first season in the Football League. Their average league attendance of 19,092 in the 1960–61 season is a record for the Fourth Division.
The club's biggest win in the league was 9–0 at home against Barrow in 1959. Their heaviest defeat was also 9–0, away to Liverpool in 1989.
The highest amount of money received for a Palace player was £50.8 million for Michael Olise in July 2024. The most the club has paid for a player is £32 million for Christian Benteke in August 2016.
Palace's highest league finish ever is third place in the old First Division (now the Premier League). This happened in the 1990–91 season. They hold the record for the most points for a relegated Premier League club, with 49 points in the 1992–93 season. They are also the only club to be relegated from the Premier League while finishing fourth from bottom. This happened in 1994–95 when the league was reduced in size.
Palace holds the record for the most play-off final wins (4) that led to promotion to the top league. Each of these wins happened at a different stadium!
Players
First-team squad
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Players on Loan
These are players who are currently playing for other teams on a temporary basis.
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Youth Academy
The club also has a Youth Academy where young players train to become professional footballers.
Coaching Staff
| Position | Name |
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| Manager | Oliver Glasner |
| Assistant manager | Ronald Brunmayr |
| First-team coach | Paddy McCarthy Emanuel Pogatetz Michael Angerschmid |
| Goalkeeping coach | Dean Kiely |
| Fitness coach | Michael Berktold |
| Academy director | Gary Issott |
| Under-21s manager | Darren Powell |
| Head of sports medicine | Imtiaz Ahmad |
Managers
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Edmund Goodman, Palace's longest-serving manager (1907–1925).
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Roy Hodgson, who managed the club over two periods (2017–2021 and 2023–2024).
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Oliver Glasner, the club's current manager since February 2024.
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Crystal Palace has had many managers throughout its history. Some of the most notable include Edmund Goodman, who was in charge for a long time, and Steve Coppell, who led the team to its highest league finish. More recently, Roy Hodgson and the current manager, Oliver Glasner, have guided the team.
Honours (Trophies)
Crystal Palace has won several important titles and cups:
League Titles
- Second Division / First Division / Championship (Level 2)
- Champions: 1978–79, 1993–94
- Runners-up: 1968–69
- Play-off winners (a record 4 times): 1989, 1997, 2004, 2013
- Third Division / Third Division South (Level 3)
- Champions: 1920–21
- Fourth Division (Level 4)
- Runners-up: 1960–61
Cup Wins
- FA Cup
- Winners: 2024–25
- Runners-up: 1989–90, 2015–16
- Full Members Cup
- Winners: 1990–91
Other Titles
- Football League South
- Champions: 1940–41
- Wartime South D League
- Champions: 1939–40
- United League
- Champions: 1906–07
- London Challenge Cup
- Winners: 1912–13, 1913–14, 1920–21
European Record
Crystal Palace has played in European competitions:
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
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| 1998–99 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | Round 3 |  Samsunspor |
0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 |
| 2025–26 | UEFA Europa League | League phase | ||||
Crystal Palace Women
Crystal Palace F.C. (Women) is the women's football club. It was started in 1992 and is connected to the men's club. They play in the Women's Super League. Their home games are at the VBS Community Stadium in Sutton, South London.
Crystals Cheerleaders
The "Crystals" or "Crystal Girls" are the official cheerleading squad for Crystal Palace F.C. They are the only club in English football to have NFL-style cheerleaders. They started in 2010 and perform before each home match and during half-time. The squad also helps at charity events as club ambassadors.
See also
In Spanish: Crystal Palace Football Club para niños
- Football in London
