Crystal Palace - The Facts and Stats for 2012/13

With just over 24 hours until Crystal Palace face Brighton in the 1st leg of the Championship play-off semi-final, I thought I would put together a list of statistics for the 2012/13 league season, ranging from the number of penalties awarded and scored to the the number of clean sheets kept, from the average number of goals scored and points won at home to the disciplinary records of the players.

2012/13 Championship season - Crystal Palace   

Final League Position: 5th

Total points: 72 (Champions: Cardiff 87pts, Runners-up: Hull City 79pts)

Overall analysis: Played 46 Won 19 Drew 15 Lost 12 Goals scored 73 Goals conceded 62

Home form analysis: Played 23 Won 13 Drew 8 Lost 2 Goals scored 52 Goals conceded 31
(65.3% of Palace's total league points were won at home).

Away form analysis: Played 23 Won 6 Drew 7 Lost 10 Goals scored 21 Goals conceded 31
(34.7% of Palace's total league points were won away from home).

Most league appearances: Julian Speroni (46), Wilf Zaha (43), Glenn Murray (42), Damien Delaney (41 + 1 as sub), Mile Jedinak (41), Peter Ramage (40 + 1 as sub)

A total of 30 different players were used by Crystal Palace during the 2012/13 league season.

Top Palace goalscorer: Glenn Murray (30). Murray was the top goalscorer in the Championship.
Of Murray's 30 goals, 24 were scored at home and 6 away. 8 of his 30 goals were scored from the penalty spot.

12 other Palace players also scored at least one goal for the club this season.

Total club goals scored this season: 73

Club goals scored at home: 52 (71.2% of Palace's league total for the season)
52 goals was the highest number of goals scored at home by any team in the league.

Club goals scored away: 21 (28.8% of Palace's league total for the season).

Total club goals conceded: 62

Club goals conceded at home: 31 (50% of Palace's league total conceded for the season).

Club goals conceded away: 31 (50% of Palace's league total conceded for the season).

Of the 73 goals Palace scored in the 2012/13 league season 37% were scored in the 1st half of matches and 63% in the 2nd half.

Of the 62 goals Palace conceded in the 2012/13 league season 41.9% were scored in the 1st half of matches and 58.1% in the 2nd half.

Goal times in 15 min segments:

Palace jointly scored most goals (16 goals) in the 15 min period between the 46th and 60th min and also (16) in the 15 min period between 61st and 75th min.

Palace conceded most goals (18 goals) in the 15 min period between the 76th and 90th min (inc. added time).

Palace opened the scoring in 24 of their 46 games this season (52.2%).
Palace conceded the opening goal in 18 of their 46 games this season (39.1%).

Hit-man Murray scores again!

In the other 4 games no goals were scored by either side.

Average number of goals: 

Average number of goals scored at home: 2.26 per game.

Average number of goals conceded at home: 1.35 per game.

Average number of goals scored away from home: 0.91 per game.

Average number of goals conceded away from home: 1.35 per game.

More than 2.5 goals per game:

In Palace's 46 league games, on 30 occasions (65.2%) they were involved in matches that produced 3 goals or more.
The league average was 52%.

                                                                                                     

Failed to score: 

In Palace's 46 league games they failed to score in 11 (23.9%), with five of those blanks coming in a run of consecutive matches between 17th March and 16th April 2013.

Palace scored at least one goal in every one of their opening 18 games, from 18th August to 24th November 2012, before they were held to a goalless draw at Hull on 27th November 2012.

Penalties:   

Number of penalties Palace were awarded/scored: 15/12

Of those 15 penalties 13 were awarded to Palace at Selhurst Park. The penalties that were awarded to Palace away from home were at Middlesbrough and at Bolton, (both were scored). Murray missed 3 pens this season versus Blackburn, Ipswich and Hull. The other penalty scorers this season were Garvan (2) against Watford and Brighton, Easter at Middlesboro' and Phillips versus Hull.

Number of penalties Palace conceded/scored: 4/2

Palace conceded penalties away at Bristol City, at home to Millwall (both were scored), and at home to Huddersfield and away at Derby (both were missed).

Clean Sheets:

In Palace's 46 league games they kept 11 (23.9%) clean sheets.

Margin of victory/defeat:

Biggest league win of the season: 5-0 versus Ipswich at Selhurst Park on 6th November 2012.

Biggest league defeat of the season: 4-0 versus Birmingham at Selhurst Park on 29th March 2013.

Most goals in a league game this season: (7) Palace 4-3 Burnley on 6th October 2012.

Attendances:

Biggest home crowd of the season: 22,154 versus Peterborough on 4th May 2013.

Lowest home crowd of the season: 13,153 versus Nottingham Forest on 18th September 2012.

The total number of fans to visit Selhurst Park during the 2012/13 season was 397,450.

The average attendance at Selhurst Park for the 2012/13 season was 17,280. (That is 65.6% of the grounds official capacity)
This was the 13th highest of the 24 clubs in the division.

Cup competitions 2012/13:

FA Cup: Lost 4-1 versus Stoke in a 3rd round replay at The Britannia Stadium on 15th January 2013.

League Cup: Lost 4-1 versus Preston North End in the 2nd round at Deepdale on the 28th August 2012.

Naughty Boys:    

Damien Delaney - 9 yellow cards and 1 red card, Dean Moxey - 6 yellow cards and 1 red card, Mile Jedinak - 10 yellow cards, Glenn Murray - 9 yellow cards, Wilfried Zaha - 8 yellow cards, Kagisho Dikgacoi 8 yellow cards.

(Jedinak also received 2 yellow cards in cup games and Zaha 1 yellow card in a cup game).

Player of the Year: Mile Jedinak.

Young Player of the Year: Jonathan Williams.

Academy Player of the Year: Hiram Boateng.

Palace Goal of the Year: Glenn Murray v Middlesbrough on 16th February 2013.


Upcoming fixtures:

Friday 10th May 2013: Championship play-off semi-final 1st leg: Crystal Palace v Brighton at Selhurst Park (7:45pm ko).
Monday 13th May 2013: Championship play-off semi-final 2nd leg: Brighton v Crystal Palace at The AMEX (7:45pm ko).

Fantasy Football 2012/13 - The npower Championship. Update!

With one-third of the 2012/13 football season gone, I thought I would take this opportunity to update you all on my progress in this seasons Phones 4u sponsored Championship Fantasy Football league. In doing so I will also highlight any players that have shone, some that have had shockers and some unexpected performances whether good, bad or indifferent among all the players involved!

In August I selected eleven players from the second tier of English football that I felt would excel for their respective clubs this season, as I pitted my wits against friends and football fans around the country, in a 'foolish' attempt to convince myself that my knowledge of Championship football was equal to or maybe even superior to that of other football fans.

As the months have gone on, I have delved in and out of the transfer market as players have lost form, moved clubs or suffered injury.

A lot was expected of some players this season, some have delivered whilst others have failed. There are a lot of 'experienced' players in the Championship such as those among the ranks of the clubs relegated from the Premier League last season, namely Blackburn, Bolton and Wolves. I am thinking of the likes of Paul Robinson, Roger Johnson, Danny Murphy, Kevin Doyle and Kevin Davies. However of the three relegated clubs only Blackburn have been able to sustain some consistent form. Part of the reason for this has been down to their £8 million pre-season acquisition of Jordan Rhodes, who has found the back of the net eight times so far this season. Both Wolves and Bolton have struggled and sit 13th and 17th respectively in the Championship, as I speak.

Despite Bolton's woes which have included a change of manager, with Crystal Palace playing legend Dougie Freedman leaving the South London Club and taking over from Owen Coyle at the Reebok, Chris Eagles has been a hit this season and has the second highest points tally for a midfielder, behind Blackpool's Tom Ince. Ince and Palace's phenomenally talented Wilfred Zaha are without doubt the most exciting players to watch right now in the Championship. Zaha's wing wizardry has helped Palace to the top of the league, while Ince has contributed massively to Blackpool's solid start to the season with 8 goals and 6 assists. In an ironic twist Palace lured Blackpool boss Ian Holloway to Selhurst Park following the loss of Freedman, and he began his tenure last Tuesday with a 5-0 thumping of Ipswich. Glenn Murray was the hat-rick hero and his 13 league goals has been another reason for their lofty league position.

The Championship's top striker is Burnley's Charlie Austin. The 23 year-old hit man has bagged an astonishing 17 league goals in just 14 appearances for the Clarets, who sit just one place outside a play-off spot. If Burnley can tighten up defensively they may well be in with a shout this season.

Talking of defence, Brighton have conceded only 11 goals in their opening 15 matches and statistically they currently have the best goalkeeper in Tomasz Kuszczak, and they posses the highest scoring defenders in this seasons fantasy football competition. Salter, Bridge and Greer have scored 60 points between them and Brighton currently lie 8th in the league.

Of the clubs promoted from League One last season, namely Charlton Athletic, Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town, only Huddersfield have started well and currently lie in 7th place. Charlton currently lie 19th and Sheffield Wednesday 20th.

So how has all this reflected on my Championship fantasy football team since I selected it back in August?

In August my team was as follows:

Goalkeeper: Paddy Kenny (Leeds).

Defenders - Wes Morgan (Leicester), Anthony Gardner (Sheff Wed), Aaron Cresswell (Ipswich), Curtis Davies (Birmingham).

Midfielders - Chris Burke (Birmingham), Tom Ince (Blackpool) Wilf Zaha(Crystal Palace).

Strikers - Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield, pictured right), Simon Cox (Forest), Marlon Harewood (Barnsley).

I have made seven transfers since the campaign kicked-off in August. First out the door was striker Stephen Fletcher who moved from Wolves to Premier league side Sunderland before a ball had been kicked. Then I replaced ex-Palace defender Anthony Gardner who wasn't getting a look in at Hillsborough, with Stephen Crainey who's Blackpool side were flying high early doors. Since then Crainey has only kept one clean sheet in eleven.  Ipswich's Aaron Cresswell was next to get the chop as his Ipswich team started and continue to have an awful season. Ipswich currently sit bottom of the league having conceded 31 goals in just 15 league games and have a goal difference of -20. I replaced Cresswell early in the campaign with Hull's Abdoulaye Faye, but his return has not been great, just one clean sheet in seven games, although he has netted twice. Next to go was Curtis Davies as his Birmingham side had real trouble keeping clean sheets, just two in 12 games before I let him go. To fill the defensive gap left by Davies I brought in another ex-Palace player Cardiff's Mark Hudson.

So three of my first four changes changes were all defenders, in what would be comfortably described as a real defensive headache if I were using footballing terminology. I certainly made a mess when I picked my back four in August!

Next out was Marlon Harewood who I genuinely believed would get a regular run out could bag a few goals at this level. Oh how wrong I was. Not only was he not scoring goals, he wasn't often in the Barnsley starting XI. I brought in Brighton's Ashley Barnes to replace him and Charlie Austin to replace Simon Cox. Cox was getting regular games at Forest but could not find the onion bag. After a return of one goal and two assists in eight games he had to go! With hindsight I should have had Austin in my team about ten games earlier.

My most recent change was my first in midfield. Birmingham's Chris Burke was having a 'mare' and although I persisted with him for eleven games neither he nor his side were showing signs of an up turn in their fortunes. One goal and one assist says it all. In his place I brought in the exciting Wolves midfielder Bakary Sako. The French under-21 international was a deadline day signing by Wolves boss Stale Solbakken and he scored in his first game after I signed him.......nice one Bakary!

It's not been a great opening three months for me, particularly compared to this stage last season when I had the likes of Rickie Lambert, Rob Earnshaw, Robert Snodgrass and Kevin Nolan tearing up defences left right and centre. However this season the league is much more competitive. There are no runaway leaders and only 7 points separate the top 10 teams. They are a lot of goals being scored in the Championship this season and not a lot of clean sheets being kept. It is apparent that the strikers certainly have the upper hand over the defenders as we go into the second third of the season. Finding a a decent back four and goalkeeper could be the key to winning this competition!

As it stands today my current team is as follows:

Goalkeeper: Paddy Kenny (Leeds).

Defenders - Wes Morgan (Leicester), Stephen Crainey (Blackpool), Abdoulaye Faye (Hull), Mark Hudson (Cardiff).

Midfielders - Bakary Sako (Wolves, pictured right), Tom Ince (Blackpool), Wilf Zaha (Crystal Palace).

Strikers - Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn), Ashley Barnes (Brighton), Charlie Austin (Burnley).


I am 15,548th overall in the whole competition, 17th of 28 players in the 'Holmesdale Radio' private league, 237th of 449 in the 'Official Crystal Palace FC' private league and 23rd of 39 in the 'RednBlueArmy.co.uk' private league.

Until next time............good luck!

A front row ticket to The Circus. Charlton v Palace tonight. The facts and the betting!

Tonight sees a unique derby match at The Valley where Dougie Freedman takes his Crystal Palace side on a short trip to a local circus, where they have not won so much as a donkey ride for sixteen years. This however is not Merseyside, Glasgow, Sheffield or The Black Country because but this is no ordinary derby, this a South London derby where the rivalry is predominately one-sided!

Charlton Athletic hate Crystal Palace, the football club and of course that includes the fans of the club. Nothing strikingly unusual about one club and its fans disliking another club, other than that we as Palace fans care little about what goes on in London, SE7, as our true disdain surrounds a football club some sixty miles away on the East Sussex coast.

It’s fair to say that there is history between the clubs, most recently Charlton sent Palace reeling out of the top flight on the last day of the season back in 2005, but the damage had been done many weeks and matches prior to the lights being turned out on Crystal Palace’s last taste of top flight football. Charlton celebrated the relegation of Palace on that infamous last day of the season as if they themselves were celebrating a big fat gypsy wedding. The Clowns as they are affectionately nicknamed by the Palace fans’ have hit a few highs and plenty of lows in recent years, culminating in a fall from grace which ended up with Clowntown (an area of London with the postcode SE7 twinned with.......well absolutely nobody) being visited by such footballing giants as Scunthorpe and Hartlepool in the third tier of English football, (no disrespect whatsoever is meant to either The Irons or The Monkey Hangers or their fans in this piece).

Then unlike a phoenix rising from the ashes, and more like a bunch of red nosed buffoons in wigs, baggy trousers and face paint Charlton Football Club and their fickle fans pulled together and managed to rescue a semblance of respectability, by regaining their Championship status this season, after three seasons in the wilderness.

I have never known a football club like Charlton to want a rivalry with a fellow club who only on the basis of geography happen to reside close by, whilst their neighbours simply do not feel the same. For Palace, a match against the Clowns is just another league fixture, and for Crystal Palace and their fans it is the opportunity to win a match, as with any match, every week of the season. The notoriously loud Crystal  Palace fans will turn up in their numbers on the day and win, lose or draw they will sing for 90 minutes to show the pride and passion and absolute love they have for their club, no matter what!

Palace and Charlton are bordered by another South London club, in Millwall, all three of whom now ply their trade in the second tier of the English game and some sizeable Premier League London based giants such as Arsenal, Chelsea and  Tottenham, whilst we are also surrounded by some other novelty clubs in areas such as West London, East London, Hertfordshire and Kent.

Palace have a rivalry with Brighton that is as animated as any footballing rivalry in the Country, and probably the most unusual of its kind, because if you are not a fan of either team it is very unlikely that you will understand the history and subsequent loathing that the fans of these two clubs have for each other. It is indeed a truly intense and fierce rivalry and the game that both sets of fans look for the moment the fixture lists are released. If as a fan of football you want to understand better what fuelled the Palace v Brighton hostility then do please read this article.

As for Charlton, well they are looking forward to this evening’s game under floodlights like a rabbit about to pass a row of six snarling caged greyhounds before the traps fly open. This is their Cup Final! For Palace fans it’s another game with three points at stake and some clown and traveller based banter to occupy the moment, but bragging rights......well we’re just not interested!

Palace fans love their club, the owners, the management team and the players. To Palace fans, the players must play for the crest on the front of the shirt first and foremost. Any name on the back of the shirt will not break or divide the unyielding united front amongst the fans. The players know this, they play their hearts out for the name on the front of the shirt, because the name on the back can easily be replaced. At Palace we believe in the players under the stewardship of Dougie Freedman, because we have a boss who is a Crystal Palace playing legend and knows how much the club needs the fans and the fans need the club.

Charlton currently have an ex-player as their manager, and I have great respect for him, but I bleed red and blue and 3,000 Palace fans on Friday night will I believe out-sing a stadium where they will be outnumbered in the region of 6 to 1. Come what may after tonight’s match, believe me, this is just the undercard. Come the 1st December and the 17th March, as Palace fans this is when the main event truly takes centre stage!

Bring on Brighton!

Betting Preview:
Charlton win: Evens (Coral and Ladbrokes).
C.Palace win: 33/10 (BetVictor).
Match Drawn: 5/2 (Betfred, Paddy Power and Totesport).

First Goalscorer:
B. Wright-Phillips 6/1 (Paddy Power and William Hill), D. Goodwillie 9/1 (Bet365), G.Murray 10/1 (BetVictor and William Hill), O.Garvan 14/1 (Ladbrokes and Coral), A. Moritz 16/1 (Bet365 and Blue Square).

Correct Score:
Charlton win 1-0 13/2 (Bet Victor), Palace win 2-1 12/1 (Hills, Betfred and Coral) Draw 0-0 10/1 (Ladbrokes).

# Odds correct at time of going to press.
For more odds go to Oddschecker

Fantasy Football 2012/13 - The npower Championship

The opening game of 'The Championship' football season kicks-off tonight, when Cardiff City host newly promoted Huddersfield Town, and I have decided to take part in the forthcoming Phones 4u sponsored Championship Fantasy Football league game for the 2012/13 season.

In doing so I shall be pitting my wits against friends and football fans around the country in an attempt to gain some bragging rights, and similarly dent a few egos of those fans who 'believe' they know everything about the second tier of English football. I shall attempt to keep you updated throughout the season on my progress, good or bad as I suffer like any football manager does by trying to select an initial starting eleven of the best players available, without exceeding my 'fictitious' set budget.

Then as every week passes I will have to cope with injuries, suspensions, players moving clubs, along with 'jettisoning my flops' - those players that promised so much but failed to deliver! Then as the manager of my team I will be responsible for any wheeling and dealing in the transfer market, whilst keeping within my financial means.

Click on this link for the rules on how to pick your team, score points and make transfers.

The 'Team of the Season' for 2011/12 in terms of top points scorers in their respective positions was as follows:

Goalkeeper - Adam Federici (Reading).
Closely followed by: Rob Green (West Ham) and Julian Speroni (Crystal Palace).

Defenders - James Chester (Hull, pictured right)), Alex Pearce (Reading), Danny Fox (Southampton), Kasper Gorkss (Reading).
Closely followed by: Mark Hudson (Cardiff), Ian Harte (Reading) and Liam Rosenior (Hull).

Midfielders - Peter Whittingham (Cardiff), Chris Burke (Birmingham), Robert Snodgrass (Leeds).
Closely followed by: Adam Lallana (Southampton), Grant McCann (Peterborough), Kevin Nolan (West Ham) and George Boyd (Peterborough).

Strikers - Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Ross McCormack (Leeds), Marlon King (Birmingham).
Closely followed by: Billy Sharp (Southampton), David Nugent (Leicester), Michael Chopra (Cardiff), Jermaine Beckford (Leicester), Darius Henderson (Millwall) and Kevin Phillips (Blackpool).


Here is my team to start the 2012/13 campaign:

Goalkeeper - Paddy Kenny (Leeds).

Defenders - Wes Morgan (Leicester), Anthony Gardner (Sheff Wed), Aaron Cresswell (Ipswich), Curtis Davies (Birmingham).

Midfielders - Chris Burke (Birmingham), Tom Ince (Blackpool, pictured right), Wilf Zaha (Crystal Palace, pictured below right).

Strikers - Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield and Captain), Simon Cox (Forest), Marlon Harewood (Barnsley)


If you fancy playing and you want to prove you know the most about the beautiful game then go head-to-head with your friends, work colleagues or family by logging onto the Phones 4u Fantasy Football game and sign up right away.

It's free to play and there's plenty up for grabs including: a whopping £10,000 in cash for the person who accumulates the most points during the season. Also top priced tickets to the npower Championship Play-Off Final 2013, including VIP hospitality at Wembley stadium, a signed shirt from the npower Championship club of their choice, plus every 'Manager of the Month' wins the chance for a unique behind the scenes tour of an npower Championship club, including match tickets, a manager of the month trophy presentation at the game and £500 in cash.

If you miss the opening match deadline (the new season gets underway at 19:45 this evening, the17th August), don't worry just join the league as soon as you can. Remember the competition is not won in the first week of the season, but in May of next year.

Finally, Good Luck!

Fantasy Football 2011/12 - The npower Championship. Update!

With just two months of the 2011/12 season remaining, I thought I would take this opportunity to update you all on my progress in this seasons Texaco sponsored Championship Fantasy Football league.

In August I selected eleven players from the second tier of English football that I felt would excel for their respective clubs this season, as I pitted my wits against friends and football fans around the country, in a 'foolish' attempt to convince myself that my knowledge of Championship football was equal to or maybe even superior to that of other football fans.

As the months have gone on, my last update was back in October, I have delved in and out of the transfer market as players have lost form, moved clubs, suffered injury or been suspended.

A lot was expected of some players this season, some have delivered whilst others have failed. There are a lot of 'experienced' players in the Championship such as West Ham's Kevin Nolan, David James of Bristol City, Leeds United's Luciano Becchio, Blackpool's Kevin Phillips and Kenny Miller of Cardiff. This season has also seen a lot of exciting young talent emerge. The likes of Birmingham's Nathan Redmond and Crystal Palace's Wilf Zaha to name just two.

Perhaps unsurprisingly Southampton and West Ham sit at the top of the league. The Saints, although a League One side last season are looking for back to back promotions, and are the Championship's top scorers. The Hammers spent heavily in the summer and are looking good for an immediate return to the Premier League.

The other relegated sides from the 2010/11 season, Birmingham and Blackpool sit 3rd and 7th respectively, and will both have a keen eye on promotion. Birmingham who started the season slowly have been in cracking form since Christmas. In fact they last lost a league game at Selhurst Park on the 19th December!
Reading like Brum started slowly but now sit 4th. Also in the play-off places are Middlesbrough, who have been up their all season and Cardiff, who take on Liverpool in this Sunday's Carling Cup Final at Wembley.

Hull, Brighton and Leeds occupy those places just outside the top six, and will be looking to take advantage of any slip ups by the teams above them as they press for a an end of season place in the play-offs.

So how has this reflected on the Championship fantasy football team since I last updated you back in October?

In October my team was as follows:


Goalkeeper: Kelvin Davies (Southampton).

Defenders: Ian Evatt (Blackpool), Jason Shackell (Derby), Anthony Gerrard (Cardiff), Jonathan Parr (Palace).

Midfield: Matt Taylor (West Ham), Ben Davies (Derby), Robert Snodgrass (Leeds and right), Adam Lallana (Southampton).

Strikers: Rickie Lambert (Southampton and Captain), Rob Earnshaw (Cardiff).


I have made twelve transfers since October and seventeen out of a possible thirty since the campaign kicked-off in August. Only the free scoring Southampton striker Rickie Lambert and Leeds United's midfield maestro Robert Snodgrass have been ever present in my side since the start of the season.

Finding a strike partner for Lambert has been a problem! I selected Cardiff's Rob Earnshaw at the start of the season, and stupidly stuck with him until around Christmas time, when I replaced him with Glenn Murray, the Palace striker. Earnshaw scored just three times and fell out of favour at his club. Murray started the season well but lost his form and starting place at Palace and scored just twice for me before I replaced him a month ago with Billy Sharp. Sharp a proven goalscorer, moved to Southamton in January but he too is struggling to hold down a starting place alongside Lambert. I had to sacrifice Kelvin Davies and bring in Birmingham's Boaz Myhill to accommodate Sharp. I think on reflection 16 goal Ross McCormack would have been the answer. Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

I brought in Derby duo Jason Shackell and Ben Davies at a time when Derby where flying and looking like a good bet to be play-off candidates come the end of the season. However their season has badly fallen away, and the club now lie 15th in the league. As a result both players had to go.

In their places I transferred in Hull duo Liam Rosenior and Robert Koren. Both signings have been outstanding, with Rosenior keeping eight clean sheets in ten appearances, and Koren scoring three times and claiming three assists in his ten games. Matt Taylor has had an injury ravaged season, making just 17 appearances for West Ham and scoring just once. I replaced Taylor with the ever reliable Peter Whittingham, and the Cardiff midfielder has scored six times and claimed nine assists in his 19 games for me. Happy days!

Recently I replaced Adam Lallana the Southampton midfielder player with his team-mate, the exciting French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin to freshen things up a bit. Lallana has had a cracking season, but lately he seems to have lost his spark.

I also brought in Birmingham's Curtis Davies to replace Cardiff's Anthony Gerrard, who is seemingly unable to hold down a regular first-team place with the Bluebirds. In his thirteen appearances Gerrard kept four clean sheets. In just five starts Curtis Davies has already kept three clean sheets. Finally I replaced Blackpool's Ian Evatt who did an 'average' job keeping six clean sheets in twenty games, and I replaced him with the underrated Alex Pearce and the Reading man has already delivered, with five clean sheets and a goal in eight games. Enough said!

As it stands today my current team is as follows:

Goalkeeper: Boaz Myhill (Birmingham).

Defenders: Alex Pearce (Reading), Liam Rosenior (Hull), Curtis Davies (Birmingham and captain), Jonathan Parr (Palace).

Midfield: Robert Koren (Hull), Peter Whittingham (Cardiff and right), Robert Snodgrass (Leeds), Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton).

Strikers: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Billy Sharp (Southampton).


I am 393rd overall in the whole competition, 2nd of 28 players in the 'Holmesdale Radio' private league, 9th of 752 in the 'Official Crystal Palace FC' private league and 3rd of 99 in the 'Where Eagles Dare' private league.

Between now and the end of the season............good luck!

Fantasy Football 2011/12 - The npower Championship. Update!

With the football international break upon us, I thought I would take this opportunity to update you all on my progress in this seasons Texaco sponsored Championship Fantasy Football league.

Two months ago I selected eleven players from the second tier of English football that I felt would excel for their respective clubs this season, as I pitted my wits against friends and football fans around the country, in a 'foolish' attempt to convince myself that my knowledge of Championship football was equal to or maybe even superior to that of other football fans.

I must point out that I have stayed within the rules, which fundamentally consist of four main criteria - keeping within my set 'fictitious' financial budget, selecting a maximum of no more than three players from any one club, choosing one of two formations for my team, namely 5-3-2 or 4-4-2 and finally observing the rules regarding the transfer of players in/out my side, as set out at the start of the competition.

Now, who would have thought with nearly a quarter of the season gone, newly promoted Southampton would be top of the league, with Middlesbrough second and Derby, along with another newly promoted club Brighton in the top six.

More surprising is possibly the shocking form of managerless Nottingham Forest and South London's Millwall, and the rather average start to the season made by the likes of relegated Birmingham and last seasons play-off finalists Reading.
Money-bags Leicester started poorly but are making good progress, as are Leeds and Cardiff.

My own club Crystal Palace have surprised me with a solid start to the season after fighting off relegation for the previous two seasons, and they are also into the last 16 of the League Cup. Peterborough too have kicked on well after promotion from League One last season...........but it's still very early days!

So how has this reflected on the Championship fantasy football team I selected two months ago?

At the beginning of the 2011/12 campaign my team was as follows:

Goalkeeper: Kelvin Davies (Southampton).

Defenders: Ian Evatt (Blackpool), Jose Fonte (Southampton), Anthony Gerrard (Cardiff), Sean St Ledger (Leicester).

Midfield: Kevin Nolan (West Ham and Captain), George Boyd (Peterborough), Robert Snodgrass (Leeds), Lee Bowyer (Ipswich).

Strikers: Rickie Lambert (Southampton, pictured right), Rob Earnshaw (Cardiff).

Since then I have made five transfers: First to go was Sean St.Ledger, a player I really thought was going to score me a lot of points after his £1.2m move from Preston, but he has failed to deliver. Leicester started the season poorly and St.Ledger has rarely featured, so I think that was a good move. I replaced him with Palace's versatile Norwegian full-back/midfielder Jonathan Parr and he has one cleen sheet and two assists in five appearances. Steady if not spectacular.

I recently made another defensive transfer when I off-loaded former Palace favourite Jose Fonte from a Souhampton side that was scoring goals for fun but conceding too many for my liking. Derby's Jason Shackell has replaced Fonte, but although he was a cheaper option he has not really improved my defence significantly with one cleen sheet in three appearances, but if Derby continue their good form he may prove a valuable acquisition. Without doubt the purchase of a Middlesborough defender would have been a better option, as three of their defenders are the top defensive points scorers in the league!

In midfield I believed the experience of Lee Bowyer would have been a bright light in the Ipswich side, but both Ipswich and Bowyer started slowly, and although Ipswich's season has picked up, Bowyer has failed to impress in my opinion. I replaced Bowyer with another Derby player, the experienced Ben Davies and he has had a greater impact, with four assists in his six games since I brought him in.

Kevin Nolan was my most expensive purchase at the beginning of the season, but he has had a stop-start season so far, terrific one week and anonymous the next. Maybe he is taking time to settle in at West Ham. However I have been more impressed with the displays of his team-mate Matt Taylor, a summer signing from Bolton, so I swapped Taylor for Nolan.

In midfield I have also replaced Peterborough's highly rated George Boyd with Saints Adam Lallana who has so far had an outstanding season for his club. The England U'21 international is currently the top point scoring midfielder in the Championship. Lallana has four goals from midfield and a host of assists in a free-scoring Southampton side, who have bagged 25 goals in their opening 10 games!
Meanwhile Boyd has made a disappointing start to the season.

Up front Rickie Lambert is rattling in the goals with eight in just ten appearances, but Rob Earnshaw concerns me. He has only netted three times this season, and has recently lost his place in the Cardiff team. I am definitely looking for a new striker, perhaps Miller, Jermaine Beckford, Glenn Murray, Ross McCormack or Chris Wood would be more effective. I have the international break to decide who to partner Lambert with.

As it stands today my current team is as follows:

Goalkeeper: Kelvin Davies (Southampton).

Defenders: Ian Evatt (Blackpool), Jason Shackell (Derby), Anthony Gerrard (Cardiff), Jonathan Parr (Palace, pictured right).

Midfield: Matt Taylor (West Ham), Ben Davies (Derby), Robert Snodgrass (Leeds), Adam Lallana (Southampton).

Strikers: Rickie Lambert (Southampton and Captain), Rob Earnshaw (Cardiff).

Rickie Lambert, Blackpool defender Ian Evatt, and Leeds midfielder Robert Snodgrass have been my stand-out players so far this season. As far as my own season goes I am in the main competition along with tens of thousands of other players, and also in three private leagues.
My current points total is 125, after ten league games.

I am 2,386th overall in the whole competition, 3rd of 28 players in the 'Holmesdale Radio' private league, 26th of 752 in the 'Official Crystal Palace FC' private league and 3rd of 99 in the 'Where Eagles Dare' private league.

Until next time............good luck!

Fantasy Football 2011/12 - The npower Championship

The opening game of 'The Championship' football season kicks-off in just 48 hours, when Hull City host Blackpool, and I have decided to take part in the forthcoming Texaco sponsored Championship Fantasy Football league for the 2011/12 season.

In doing so I shall be pitting my wits against friends and football fans around the country in an attempt to gain some bragging rights, and similarly dent a few egos of those fans who 'believe' they know everything about the second tier of English football.

I shall attempt to keep you updated throughout the season on my progress, good or bad as I suffer like any football manager does by trying to select an initial starting eleven of the best players available, without exceeding my 'fictitious' set budget.

Then as every week passes I will have to cope with injuries, suspensions, players moving clubs, along with 'jettisoning my flops' - those players that promised so much but failed to deliver! Then as the manager of my team I will be responsible for any wheeling and dealing in the transfer market, whilst keeping within my financial means.

Click on this link for the rules on how to pick your team, score points and make transfers.

The 'Team of the Season' for 2010/11 in terms of top points scorers in their respective positions was as follows:

Goalkeeper: Paddy Kenny (QPR).

Defenders - Angel Rangel (Swansea), Ian Harte (Reading, pictured right), Clint Hill (QPR), Ashley Williams (Swansea).

Midfielders - Lewis McGugan (Nottm Forest), Max Gradel (Leeds), Andy King (Leicester), Adel Taarabt (QPR).

Strikers - Danny Graham (Watford), Grant Holt (Norwich).



Here is my team to start the 2011/12 campaign:

Goalkeeper:

Kelvin Davies (Southampton).

Defenders:

Ian Evatt (Blackpool, pictured right), Jose Fonte (Southampton), Anthony Gerrard (Cardiff), Sean St Ledger (Leicester).

Midfield:

Kevin Nolan (West Ham and Captain), George Boyd (Peterborough), Robert Snodgrass (Leeds), Lee Bowyer (Ipswich).

Strikers:

Rickie Lambert (Southampton, pictured right), Rob Earnshaw (Cardiff).


If you fancy playing and you want to prove you know the most about the beautiful game then go head-to-head with your friends, work colleagues or family by logging onto Texaco Fantasy Football and sign up right away.

It's free to play and there's plenty up for grabs including: npower Championship Play-off Final tickets, VIP 'behind the scenes' experiences at your favourite npower Championship club, Texaco fuel vouchers, signed shirts, mini-footballs, and even the chance to meet your club's manager!

If you miss the opening match deadline (the new season gets underway at 19:45 on Friday 5th August), don't worry just join the league as soon as you can. Remember the competition is not won in the first week of the season, but in May of next year.

Good Luck!

Crystal Palace F.C - What A Season ! The Facts and Stats.

Darren Ambrose celebrates putting Palace 2-1 up at Hillsborough in the final game of the season.

Palace boss Paul Hart & his management team celebrate Championship survival at the final whistle yesterday, whilst Sheffield Wednesday boss Alan Irvine can only look down in frustration, as his team are relegated.

Crystal Palace Football Club - Season 2009/10

Final game of the 2009/10 Season: Sheff Wed 2-2 Crystal Palace

Final Championship Position: 21st

Total games played season 2009/10: 53 ( inc. 7 cup ties)

Total league games played: 46

Points total: 49

Games won in total: 14

Games drawn in total: 17

Games lost in total: 15

Home form: Won 8 Drew 5 Lost 10

Away form: Won 6 Drew 12 Lost 5

Total goals scored: 50

Total goals conceded: 53

Clean sheets in the league: 9

Top scorer: Darren Ambrose (20 in ALL competitions)

Most assists: Darren Ambrose (11 in ALL competitions)

Hat-rick(s): One - Danny Butterfield v. Wolves FA Cup 4th Rd Replay, Selhurst Park, 02/02/10

Most games played by a single player: 53 - Shaun Derry

Players sent off: 5 - Lee Hills, Paddy McCarthy, Neil Danns, Matt Lawrence, Claude Davis

Most yellow cards: 12 - Clint Hill

FA Cup progress: Reached the 5th Round. Lost to Aston Villa in a replay, 24/02/10

Coca-Cola League Cup progress: Reached 2nd Round. Lost to Manchester City, 27/08/09

Highest home league attendance: 20,642 v. Newcastle, 22/08/09

Lowest home league attendance: 12,328 v. Swansea, 09/02/10

Biggest home win: 4-1 v. Blackpool, 03/10/09

Biggest home defeat: 0-4 v. Scunthorpe, 12/09/09

Biggest away win: 4-2 v. Reading, 08/12/09

Biggest away defeat: 0-2 v. Newcastle, 27/01/10

Points total without deduction: 59

Finishing position without points deduction: 13th