Does anybody actually enjoy to a trip to Selhurst Park???

[mattintheprem]

Morning all,

Normally i'm sitting here on a Saturday morning miserable as sin if i'm not able to get the away game, not for any blinkered opinion that we might win or maybe snatch a draw but just because it's usually a good day out.

BUT BUT BUT Crystal Palace and Selhurst Park in particular is one fixture which would always be rock bottom of the pile when it comes to choosing the away games to go to.

Me & Selhurst Park do have a bit of history but does ANYBODY honestly enjoy going there??????????

My first (abortive) visit to Selhurst Park was on a wonderful club coach for a meaningless midweek match back in the early 90's I think, it was a ground i'd never been to so we decided to tick it off the list. We left the Victoria Ground around lunchtime and had the usual midweek journey from hell & after a stop at Toddington Services the weather took a serious turn for the worse. For the next 3 hours or so we crawled round the M25 and snail paced it up into Croydon through a monsoon. I don't think we got into Croydon until about 7 and as we finally got to the ground (after kick-off time) everybody was walking away & shaking their heads or just laughing & pointing. Yep, match abandoned, waterlogged pitch. So we didn't even get off the buses, they just turned around and headed home................about 12 hours on a bloody coach with just a stop at Toddington Services (twice!!). I couldn't face going for the re-arranged fixture even though they were offering free coach travel...(ahhhhhhhhhh not going there again!).

I did finally make it to Selhurst a couple of seasons later, train journey down, a few pints in Thornton Heath before the game & it wasn't going too bad. Then the heavens opened again and we were standing in that open corner of the old away end, getting soaked and we were 4 nil down before Sheron or somebody made it 4-1, soaked and pissed off...........

Since then i'd dodged every offer of free travel, nights out in London etc. etc. when Palace away came about & in the main I think it's been a wise move.

So after those 2 traumatic visits I didn't go again until a couple of seasons ago when I stupidly thought another meaningless end of season game April/May time was a safe way to clear the demons, no chance of waterlogged pitches or midweek travel stress so here goes.

Smooth journey down, lunch and a few beers, got there in plenty of time, Charlie Adam even scores so we take the lead, Jesus i've broken the hoodoo.............oh shite, usual Stoke sitting on a 1-0 lead, Palace come roaring back tails up heading for the Cup Final and we lose 2-1 (I think - could have been more, i've blanked it out). Walking back to the station we even get the worst chant I think i've ever heard from some pissed up Tarquin who came up with "We're going to Wembley, You're going to Center Parcs".........it actually would have been funny if I didn't hate the place so much.

I've not even gone into how shit the ground is, hodge podge of old, new and checkout number 5 please, how crap the view is in the away end, how crap the 30 "ultras" actually look in real life, how crap the area round the ground is, I know the Bet 365 isn't exactly the Nou Camp but that place needs raising to the ground.

I've actually searched long & hard for something to find to like about the place, their home kit used to be decent (away kit better) but even that's bang average now, the best I could come up with is half a point for actually having a live eagle (in these days of Health & Safety madness) flying across the pitch before the game & that's it!

Come on folks, please tell me i've actually been missing something after all these years.....................................???????

[davejohnno1]

I enjoy the trip and everything that the day offers before and after the game.

Given that we always lose There, the 90 minutes always ruins it.

[shipshape]

On the train now. I enjoy it as I do most London ones. Palace is only 12 mins on train from London Bridge. Around there there is plenty of decent pubs. The one time I went in car was not great though. And our results have been shite. Never seen us win there despite many attempts. Still the sun is out, Borough Market is open so perhaps today is the day.

[madmickthe3rd]

Been 3 times I think. Even saw us win there not so long ago in a mid week fixture. Colin Wanker was their new manager at the time so definitely not so long ago! Also saw us lose by the odd goal in 9, again in recent times. Andy Johnson terrorised us in that game.

However I live on the south coast so the journey is pretty straight forward.

The ground is a real throw back to years gone by with just one side developed which is a huge stand behind the goal.

I do like their announcer there though when they score. It goes something like " And the scorer for The Eagles in the 37th minute, DOUGIEEEEEE FREEEEEDMAN " Then a moment of silence and he goes  " Dougie " and the crowd respond with "FREEDMAN"

OK OK not a major thing but it entertains my simple mind in those dark moments just after they score a goal against us.

[stokemark]

Been there with Stoke at least 10 times over the years (probably more like 12/13) and as a ground it's not one to savour as it's old, characterless, lacks decent pubs and in an area that's a bit of a shithole. It's also not easy to get to and we usually lose so all in all I agree with the OP.

That said it can be ok for a beer in London around Borough Market but that's about all you can say for it. TBH today is the first time I haven't been for a long time and given that last years trip still feels pretty raw then there is good reason. I went Brighton so you can't do it all (some do and credit to them) but the main hope I give us today is the very fact that I'm not going may mean we will get a result !!

Let's hope so

[terrorofturfmoor]

As a kiddie, I used to enjoy a trip to Hanley park!!! 👍😉

[Gods]

I've been a dozen times and never seen us get any atmosphere going since we got stuck in that side of the ground.

The problem has been 3 fold:

1.We always lose
2.Our fans are segmented by walkways so there is no unified voice and in any case the high open roof means any noise just disappears in to the ether
3.Palace have some licensed fuckwit thrashing away on a big base drum and the stultifying racket just drowns everything in its path

I hate this one, the game itself at least.

[adoptedessexstokie]

Plus if you want a drink at half time & it's raining you get soaking wet.

The ground has character but let's face it is years out of date for a Premier League ground.

[Los Alfareros]

I went once and have also been scarred for life.

I drove, so had to endure the misery of the other 4 in the car getting leathered on the way down and screaming for me to stop everytime they saw a pub.
Fucking late, stuck in horrendous traffic at 3pm somewhere near the ground.
No parking anywhere, eventually abandoned the Escort on a church driveway.
Raining, legged it to the ground, late, we are 2-0 down on entry.
Lost 4-1. It was one of their players return from injury and he scored a hattrick (forget his name).

Yeah you guessed it, clamped upon return to vehicle.
Head in hands in the cold drizzly London air, as your mates tramp of to the supermarket to "get some cans in".....

[Fenparkpotter]

Went there once against Wimbledon just before their move to Milton Keynes. It was under Pulis, we drew 1-1 in front of about 1,500. Having been about 5 times, that was as good as it ever got.

[AlbertTatlock]

More to the point does anyone actually enjoy a trip to the BET365 anymore?

Gouranga.

[mattintheprem]

Groundhog day