Spav

Nobody likes to see their team get beaten. Ideally one’s team would go through the season unbeaten on its way to picking up the championship. Of course, the majority of fans would put up with the odd defeat or two if it meant watching their team go on to take the league title at the end of the season.

But what if you couldn’t stomach those defeats? What if you instead shifted your allegiance to the victor of the match you had just witnessed and followed that team instead? And you followed that pattern over and over again. You would have become the ultimate “fair weather” fan – a supporter who only follows his team in the good times and deserts them when things are bad.

I am going to become that ultimate “fair weather” fan for the duration of the 2004/05 English Premier League season. I will pick a team to start off the season and I will stay with them as long as they do not lose a match. As soon as my team tastes defeat I will move on to support the victor.

Where will I end up on the final day of the season? Perhaps I will be with the newly-crowned champions or perhaps my “fair weather” form will have me at a relegation clash or a meaningless mid-table fixture. Come with me as I make this journey and hopefully we will have some fun along the way.

Cheers, Spav.

Spav

In order to select my first club I needed some kind of mechanism to make the decision. I decided that the team which had the best result in its last friendly match prior to the first weekend of the Premier League would be my new club. I scanned the results and found that Crystal Palace had been to Wales for their final friendly. A 3-0 win over Caenarfon Town was the best result of all twenty Premier League sides. The decision had been made – I was a Crystal Palace supporter and I would be following the Eagles as they consolidated in the top flight and then made an unlikely push for the Premier League title.

Saturday 14th August 2004:

Norwich City v Crystal Palace – Carrow Road, Norwich

A quick trip to Selhurst Park on the Friday got me my new Crystal Palace scarf and a ticket for the game at Norwich today. I drove up to Norwich in good spirits. They had been promoted with us from Division One last season and I was quietly confident that we could get a result here to start us off on the right foot for the season ahead.

It was a lovely sunny afternoon in Norwich. Ian Dowie wandered out into the middle and gave us all a wave when we called out to him. The sun seemed to be shining on us as Dougie Freedman had the first chance of the game when he volleyed a long throw from Vas Lakis and bought a flying save out of Green. Nicola Ventola headed just over a few minutes later and we looked to be settling into the game well. Gabor Kiraly had to be alert to tip a shot from Mulryne onto the cross bar, but it bounced safely away. Ventola had another chance for us which Green scrambled away, but then Huckerby broke free behind our defence. As he came in from the left, Kiraly spread himself well and bundled the ball away for a corner. Michael Hughes and Joonas Kolkka did some fine work on the left which ended in Hughes shot going into the side netting. The first half ended at 0-0, but I felt that we had the better of the play. Things looked good for us and I was sure that we could get a goal in the second half.

Bloody Norwich caught us cold at the start of the second half. Barely a minute had gone when Jonson got free down the right wing. He crossed to the far post and Huckerby stretched to knock it back into the middle where Svensson turned it into the net from 8 yards range. Just a minute later and another Jonson cross from the right found Safri who belted it at our net from 14 yards out, only to see Kiraly make a stunning save. Dowie’s 3-4-3 formation was leaving holes out wide and I was happy to see him bring on Popovic and change to a 4-3-3 tactic, which seemed to be what Norwich were employing as well. Gradually we got back into the game and Ventola poked the ball just wide when he was given half a chance close to goal. Young Ben Watson took a superb free-kick in the 60th minute which beat Green all ends up, but it rattled against the cross bar instead. Two minutes later and Ventola surged through the centre of the Norwich defence. Doherty got in a challenge just as the Italian was about to shoot, but the ball deflected into the path of Hughes who fired it home from 20 yard to make it 1-1. Late on it was all us and we had chances to win the game as Andy Johnson fired over from a neat Lakis lay-off and moments later as Ventola hit his shot into the legs of Green when through one-on-one. In the end we had to be satisfied with a point, but at least we are unbeaten and things are bound to get better.

Norwich 1 Svensson 46
Crystal Palace 1 Hughes 62

Norwich: Green, Helveg, Doherty, Charlton (Edworthy), Drury, Mulryne, Safri, Holt, Jonson (Jarvis), Svensson (McKenzie), Huckerby.

Crystal Palace: Kiraly, Beckles, Lucic, Borrowdale (Popovic), Lakis (Andrews), Watson (Riihilahti), Hughes, Kolkka, Johnson, Ventola, Freedman.

My MOM: Gabby Kiraly was excellent in goal for us and saved our bacon on several occasions.

High-point: Mickey Hughes and his thumping equaliser. Magic!!

Low-point: The greasy chips that I was served at half-time. Sort it out Norwich!!


Next up: Crystal Palace v Manchester City – Selhurst Park, London

Mike Rogerson

Yeah, my brother did this IRL. At one point there were only four teams he'd not supported in the EPL. Thankfully, Man Utd wasn't one of them so I let him be. Anywy Spav, good idea for a tale. Who're you going to start with?

Mike Rogerson

Mmm, bit late. Sorry.

Brian of Nazareth

Good luck - interesting idea

Spav

Thanks to everyone for their comments.

Spav

I saw my brother at the pub on Monday evening and I told him all about Palace’s fighting performance at Norwich and how we were gonna give the Premier League a real scare this season. He didn’t seem too impressed with my fervour for the mighty Eagles, but then again he’s a cócky little **** who’s on the Chelsea / Mourinho bandwagon. He’s been following Chelsea for years, but he rarely ever goes to the matches. I don’t know how he has the nerve to call himself a true fan when he doesn’t attend his club’s matches like I do. He reckons that Manchester City will do us in the next game on Wednesday night, but I fancy our chances. City only had a 0-0 draw at home against West Brom in their opening fixture and that isn’t the type of form that you’d want to be taking to Selhurst Park to face a rampant Crystal Palace.

Wednesday 18th August 2004:

Crystal Palace v Manchester City – Selhurst Park, London

I nipped into the club shop before the match and got myself the new season’s jersey. It felt brilliant slipping on those famous colours before joining the rest of my Palace mates out on the terraces.

We were all over City in the first 10 minutes and only poor finishing stopped us from being several goals in front. James saved at the feet of Nicky Ventola and then Dougie Freedman headed against the cross bar. The best chance fell to Gary Borrowdale who snuck up on the far post to collect Andy Johnson’s flick on from a Vas Lakis long throw. He only had James to beat from 12 yards, but he panicked and pulled his shot horribly wide. City gave us a bit of a wake-up call when Sinclair headed a Wright-Phillips corner against the cross bar after 13 minutes. The chances dried up for a while after that exciting start. Barton had been putting himself around in the centre of the park and bit too violently for my liking, so all of us Palace fans cheered when the ref booked him for a foul on Mickey Hughes. Hughes had the last laugh as well as he was involved in a swift counter-attack in the 37th minute. Freedman and Ventola worked a great move on the left wing and only a desperate diving header by Dunne cut out the final pass to Johnson who was free on the right. The headed clearance looped towards Hughes and on his weaker right foot he volleyed it from 22 yards and it flew in at James’s near post to put us 1-0 in front. It was a thoroughly deserved goal for the team and we defended the lead without trouble until the half-time break.

I told the geezer next to me that an early second half Palace goal would knock the stuffing out of City and he agreed with me. I reckoned that Ventola was due to open his account whilst he thought Freedman would net his first of the season. After 52 minutes I was proved correct when Hughes and Lakis did some fancy passing before the Greek slipped it through a hole in the City defence for the Italian. I’d seen Ventola balls-up a number of these chances in the game and a half that I’d seen so far this season, but this time he calmly slid it under James to put us 2-0 in front. Manchester City threw everything at us for the next 20 minutes, but goalie Gabby Kiraly really earned his pay with four excellent saves. Twice he denied Anelka and then McManaman, but his best save was from Sinclair after 73 minutes when he dived high to his left to flick a goal-bound curler away for a corner. City seemed to give up after that and we cruised through to the final whistle and registered a fine 2-0 win.

Crystal Palace 2 Hughes 37, Ventola 52
Manchester City 0

Crystal Palace: Kiraly, Beckles, Lucic, Borrowdale, Lakis (Andrews), Watson (Soares), Hughes, Granville (Popovic), Johnson, Ventola, Freedman.

Manchester City: James, Mills (Sun Jihai), Dunne, Distin, Thatcher, Wright-Phillips, McManaman (Gudjonsson), Barton, Sinclair (Sibierski), Macken, Anelka.

My MOM: Gabby Kiraly got my vote again today and the media agreed with me on this one.

Most promising youngster: Wesley Beckles – a Dowie discovery. The unknown 18yo marked Anelka out of the game. Outstanding!!

Biggest load of tosh: Steve McManaman – He’s taking City for a ride on the money that they’re paying him. Has-been!!


Next up: Crystal Palace v West Brom – Selhurst Park, London

BobBev

Nice idea Spav, and a good read too - will be following with interest.

Spav

Thanks Bob.

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I’ve been walking the walk and talking the talk at work this week – and why shouldn’t I after Palace’s great start to the season. My work-mate Andy reckons that all promoted teams always start off well and then the arse falls out of their season after 6-8 games. It told him that it’s different with Palace though as there’s a real steel and determination about their play now that they’re in the Premier League. Then Andy tells me to sod off because he remembers that I was an Arsenal fan last season. I tell him to sod off too cos he’s got me mixed up with someone else – I’m Palace through and through. We’ll make it three games unbeaten at the start of the season after tomorrow’s game. West Brom had their midweek fixture postponed, so they’ve still only played one match, which was a 0-0 draw at Manchester City on the opening day. No way are they in the form necessary to get anything from their visit to Selhurst Park.

Saturday 21st August 2004:

Crystal Palace v West Brom – Selhurst Park, London

West Brom didn’t show much in the first 20 minutes and Palace were all over them. Joonas Kolkka was brilliant out on the left wing. He set up several chances with his clever crossing and passing. The first chance fell to Vas Lakis whose header was tipped over by Hoult. Kolkka then hit a free-kick into the side netting and he followed that up a few minutes later with a pass to his fellow Finn Aki Riihilahti who hit a low shot that was turned away for a corner. Andy Johnson took a knock and had to be replaced by Wayne Andrews. West Brom had weathered the early storm and I was worried that we had missed our best chance to take the lead. That all changed in the 36th minute though. A long clearance by Hoult was returned by a Lucic header and Riihilahti picked up the loose ball 40 yards from goal. He rolled a pass to Dougie Freedman on the left who took one touch to control it. Freedman then hammered it goalwards from 30 yards and it flew like a rocket into the far corner leaving Hoult standing flat-footed. What a bloody brilliant goal!! West Brom were still trying to recover 2 minutes later when Lakis feed Andrews on the right and he slipped past Albrechtsen before sliding a pass into the feet of Neil Shipperley. Shipperley took a touch to make some room on the left of Moore and his early shot caught Hoult by surprise as the Albion keeper could only palm it into the corner of the goal. That was two goals in two minutes and it was 2-0 to Palace. There were no further chances in the first half and I was chuffed with our 2-0 lead at the break.

Palace were a bit slow out of the blocks at the beginning of the second half and that let West Brom back into the game. Earnshaw had come on for Horsfield at the break and he was buzzing all around the forward line. Koumas gave Gabby Kiraly his first challenge of the match with a low shot after 56 minutes, then Dobie set up Earnshaw who hammered it at Kiraly from 14 yards, but the Hungarian held the ball. West Brom’s Hungarian Gera was getting away from Mickey Hughes a bit too much, so Dowie sent on Ben Watson to keep an eye on him instead. It didn’t work though as Gera got free in the 73rd minute and he picked a pass to send Earnshaw away. Kiraly came out bravely, but Earnshaw dinked it over him as he dived and the ball trickled into our net to make it 2-1 and give Albion some hope of a point. Shipperley took a knock with 10 minutes to go, but we‘d used all our subs, so he was forced to stay on the pitch. He was next to useless though, so it was really 10 men against 11. West Brom’s Johnson forced another good save out of Kiraly as we defended desperately. In the end, the boys held Albion out to give us a 2-1 win and our third game unbeaten with all that putting Crystal Palace up to 5th place on the Premier League table.

Crystal Palace 2 Freedman 36, Shipperley 38
West Brom 1 Earnshaw 73

Crystal Palace: Kiraly, Boyce (Butterfield), Lucic, Borrowdale, Lakis, Riihilahti, Hughes (Watson), Kolkka, Johnson (Andrews), Freedman, Shipperley.

West Brom: Hoult, Contra, Moore, Purse, Albrechtsen, Robinson (Clement), Koumas, Farinos (Gera), Johnson, Horsfield (Earnshaw), Dobie.

My MOM: Dougie Freedman did some superb work up front with Ventola out today and Johnson off injured early. His super 30-yarder set us on the way to victory.

New memorabilia: I picked up a Riihilahti key-ring after the game at the club shop. Very tasteful!!

Big prediction: A UEFA Cup spot for Palace at the season’s end – no problems!!


Next up: Aston Villa v Crystal Palace – Villa Park, Birmingham

Spav

I've been trying to estimate how many teams I'll be following during the season as I stick to my lose-and-move policy. I reckon about 10-12 teams at the most.

Anyone else care to have a guess?