With the lack of material on this site of late, due to my pc packing up I now have an opportunity to share with you a recent event that was indeed the buzz I felt on the opening day of the new footy season.
It arrived on Saturday 11th August and it did so in style, as myself and around 3,000 other Crystal Palace supporters headed down to the South-Coast on a balmy late summers day.
The day began about 10.30am when I met my pal Kevin at East Croydon train station for the first stage of the the journey to Southampton (Saufamptonne, if your from Sauf London of course) wearing my club colours, with a copy of a red top newspaper under one arm and a four-pack of lager under the other.
We hopped on a train to Clapham Junction to join the fast service to Southampton Central.
On our arrival at CJ we were greeted by a throng of red and blue shirts lining the platform. It was if we had hired a 'private' train to ourselves.
I felt the buzz inside of me. The new season was upon us!
It may have been a Saturday but as with most train journeys nowadays there were no seats.....well there were seats, but they were all taken!
In fact in truth we had to push and squeeze ourselves just to get onto the train itself. The doorways were packed with suitcases, anything up to three or four feet high.
Most generous of the travelling tourists we thought as some of us climbed up onto them and sat precariously on the mounds of luggage, necking the first beer of the day.
The look on the owners of the suitcases was priceless. Their faces dropped like canines that had lost their bones. But they were not going to say anything!
Confront a group footy fans on a train, necking beer in between exercising our vocal cords for the match ahead. Far too intimidating I would guess.
More fool them for any one of us would have respectively relinquished our hazardous positions if asked.
The majority of us either sat on the floor or lent on each other, the space was so limited!
One hour 20 minutes later, we arrived at Southampton Central and having joined up with some of our other pals at CJ or as we were being ferried out of the station we only had one thing on our minds - liquid refreshment,( it was a hot day!). We decided to head straight for the town centre rather than get the shuttle bus to the ground - it was only about 12.30 for goodness sake, and we had also made a loose arrangement to meet some more pals in a bar called 'The Standing Order.'
Anyway off we purposefully strode bypassing the cultural sights which rendered zero on the Richter scale, but the humour and banter was top draw all the way.
Now this bar was supposedly a 10 minute walk away from the station, smack bang in the middle of the town centre. Simple enough one would have thought, but oh no, half an hour later and gagging for a drink we found ourselves still aimlessly and vacantly wandering around the streets hopelessly looking for the bar in question. We had politely asked the well dressed locals of the town, who in turn just pointed and told us to keep walking, so we re-grouped and decided to pursue an alternative method of finding this particular venue.
Who did we feel would know the location of the local pubs and bars best?
Yes the local 'down and outs.' So we approached a couple of guys fitting a description not dissimilar and they couldn't have been more helpful or more precise.
Having discovered 'The Standing Order' was a part of the JD Weatherspoon chain they not only told us where to find this particular pub but also 'The Bright Water Inn' and 'The Giddy Bridge' also owned by the same chain.
They were quite charming, and we were most grateful in turn.
Five minutes later we arrived. The pub had a good mix of rival fans, the banter was light-hearted, the sun was out, the beer was flowing and it was just under two hours to kick-off!
As the time approached to move on and head for St. Mary's we all agreed to disagree as to the best way to get to the stadium. As a result it became a case of see you at the game, as some stayed to keep on re-fueling, others slopped off to look for a taxi, while myself, Kevin and six others left and headed in the same direction all the other fans were going.
To be fair this time we found ourselves on course, and even had time to stop off in 'The Anchor,' an old-fashioned ale pub for one final pre-match livener.
Although obviously outnumbered by about eight to one, a sea of red and blue was highly evident and the fans were in good voice, as we approached the impressive St. Mary's stadium. We walked around the outside of the ground to join the near 3,000 Palace fans in the Northam Stand.
Let the game commence!
We were sitting behind the goal in line with the corner flag, the Saint's fans were no more than 50 yards away to our left, and we gave them some stick from the very first minute. In fact we didn't sit down all through the game as what was to follow you usually only dream of.
Southampton, one of the favourites to go up, at home and up against Crystal Palace, 25-1 outsiders to win the Championship....we said on the way down we would settle for a point.
I don't think Taylor or the players had read the script, and the most unlikely of heroes emerged in the shape of James Scowcroft. Five goals in total for the whole of last season, he scored twice in a minute in the first half as Palace took control and the Saint's defence played like something out of a 'Wickes' advertisement. We looked very comfortable, but watching Palace is the ultimate rollercoaster, and in injury time in the first half Southampton nicked a goal back.
2-1 at half-time but as we queued for a lash and more alcoholic refreshment ( yes this was a stadium where the facilities meant you could achieve both during the interval ) you could sense murmurs of discontent among the fans.
Before the game all of us would have settled for a 2-1 lead at half-time but in a bizarre kind of way we felt we had thrown away our advantage by conceding late on in the half.
The second-half began, you could sense the Southampton fans felt their team could turn this one around, but our fans were still in good voice and we looked reasonably in control. Speroni had to tip one over as he had done equally athletically in the first half, but otherwise Southampton to be honest offered little more.
Then with about 20 minutes of the second-half gone it was not a case of whether the Eagles were going to win but by how many!
Scowcroft hit his third, his first hat-rick since 1998, and a couple of minutes later Saint's fans began to leave as Morrisson made it four.
We were delirious, we childishly waved good-bye to the opposing fans, sung our hearts out to the final whistle and at the end gave our players a fantastic round of applause.
How often do you go away from home, on the opening day of the season, watch your team win 4-1 against supposedly far superior opposition, on a beautiful sunny day and..........it doesn't get much better!
We all went for a couple of celebratory beers in a pub not far from the station before heading back to London.
But the night was young!
Four of us went back to East Croydon, headed for the 'Porter & Sorter' next to the station, sank a few more libations before deciding what to do next!
Kevin and I were now really reved up, so we said our good-byes and headed into Beckenham to party on. Still in Palace colours and pretty hammered we thought we would probably get thrown out of anywhere before we got in, but no it was only about 8.30pm and Patrick's bar let us in as if we were regulars.
Now it has to be said that this is a bar with a signed and framed Palace shirt hanging up, so maybe we had made a good choice.
Feeling elated and on cloud nine from such a cracking day out Kevin suggests it's time to wheel out the plastic and pop the champagne to celebrate. Not wishing to spoil the moment, he duly comes back from the bar, ice bucket, flutes, bubbly and........spouts those immortal words, 'Ladies would you like a glass,' as we suddenly 'seemed' to have become very popular in a heaving bar in the space of a few minutes.
A couple of middle-aged drunken footy fans under the influence maybe, but sober enough to enjoy the moment.
The night went on in much the same vain and they had to literally kick us out in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The only problem was we were probably two of 150 other people in the proximity all wanting a minicab home.
At this point we decided to draw stumps, it was late, well early to be precise and we each went our separate ways and 'walked' home.
It was nearly 4am when I hit the sack but what more can I say except......
Great Game!
Great Fans!
Great Day!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Apologies To Readers Of This Blog.
Due to my pc 'crashing and burning' about ten days ago and with the ISP from hell, I have been unable to access my computer and internet to write any articles of late.
Please bear with me as I expect this problem to be rectified shortly.
Regards,
Mark.
Please bear with me as I expect this problem to be rectified shortly.
Regards,
Mark.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
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Thursday, July 26, 2007
Why Agents Cruise Jordan, & Can Afford To Drink Cristal Champagne, Care Of The Palace!
While it gives me absolutely no pleasure in reading the latest report regarding the fees paid to football agents, I would think it will leave Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan in particular, absolutely seething!
Anyone who follows 'The Eagles' or reads the national press knows his stance and feelings of superciliousness concerning the behaviour of Players’s Agents.
After all they are simply ‘advisors’ and advise they indeed do, but in many cases pretty badly. They habitually prey on naive young professionals, extorting outrageous sums of money, they describe as ‘fees’ for doing quite often very little, in an effort to further line their already opulent pockets.
Surely parents, fellow professionals, managers and chairman alike can see this!
Greed is their food of love. It’s a set menu.
In a previous life they were probably all failed insurance salesman, who drove bottom of the range company four door saloons, with their fibre mix jackets hanging up in the back whilst listening to dolphin music.
Their idea of an evening out is meeting up in a once fashionable now re-furbished wine bar and drinking non-vintage champagne straight from the neck of the bottle.
I digress, and bad taste is not an excuse to abuse, just one to avoid.
However this does not change the fact that morally they are evil self centred individuals, whatever their taste!
The Football League's annual report into payments to these so called 'middlemen' reveals agent's fees paid by clubs outside the Premiership rose by nearly £1 million last season.
The report exposes an outlay of £8,584,321 - compared to £7,660,028 in 2005/06, a rise of over 12% on the previous 12 months!
Championship winners Sunderland topped the table with £881,594 spent on agents.
As if to emphasise Jordan's previous disquiet on the matter, it has been revealed that his own club were in fact, 'major victims' of these unscrupulous rogues.
Crystal Palace were London's biggest spenders, forking out £433,818 in fees, followed by QPR (£192,340), Millwall (£111,140) and Leyton Orient (£53,000).
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Football Club Nicknames
With the new footy season only three weeks away and pre-season friendlies and club tours well and truly upon us, I thought it might be time to write a short piece on a source of information that every football supporter can relate to........club nicknames.
The tradition of football clubs having a nickname often extends back to when the club was first created.
In Britain, football club nicknames basically fall into five broad categories:-
1/ Colours - not very imaginative for obvious reasons, e.g The Blues, The Reds, The Sky Blues.
2/ Animals - only slightly more creative, e.g The Rams, The Tigers, The Foxes, The Lions, The Terriers.
Birds are a particularly popular choice, e.g The Eagles, The Seagulls, The Robins, The Magpies, The Owls, The Canaries.
3/ The Town's Traditional Industry - e.g The Hatters, The Irons, The Railwaymen, The Silkmen, The Saddlers, The Chairboys, The Glovers, The Tractor Boys, The Cobblers, The Blades.
4/ Local Landmarks - e.g The Minstermen, The Imps, The Spireites.
5/ The Obscure - Often endlessly debated and ultimately incomprehensible, e.g The Baggies, The Monkeyhangers, The Shakers, The Pilgrims and Posh.
A glance through the League's nicknames is still a pretty reliable guide to 19th-century industrial England, when you could safely assume that shoes came from Northampton, chairs from Wycombe and saddles from Walsall.
From the 1960's some clubs began to discard nicknames that they felt didn't convey the right kind of image.
Such clubs included Chelsea (formerly The Chelsea Pensioners, now The Blues), Crystal Palace (formerly The Glaziers, now The Eagles) and Reading (formerly The Biscuitmen, now The Royals).
Bristol Rovers are officially known as The Pirates, but more commonly as The Gas, after the gasworks next to their former ground at Eastville.
Fans of Everton and Manchester City are these days reluctant users of their given names, The Toffees and The Citizens respectively.
Swansea City, officially The Swans, have also adopted the town's nickname of The Jacks, allegedly after the 1930's lifesaving exploits in Swansea docks of a black retriever called, unsurprisingly Jack.
Charlton have without doubt the least conclusive or decisive club nickname in the league, flirting between The Robins, The Valiants and The Addicks.
The Addicks is a corruption of the word 'haddocks' and named after a local fish and chip shop, and also apparently because a local fish man would shout 'haddocks'..........all very odd!
In 1997 after leaving their Roker Park ground, Sunderland formerly The Rokerites decided to be known as The Black Cats.
More recently a few clubs have adopted more snazzy go-getting names, such as QPR's 'Superhoops', Wimbledon's 'Crazy Gang' and Scottish club Livingston's 'Livi Lions.'
Thankfully football has been largely immune to the American-inspired rebranding efforts that have affected some sports, including rugby league and to a certain degree limited overs cricket.
Scotland has it's own tradition of colourful nicknames, most of which are attached to the more unassuming clubs e.g Forfar (The Loons), Montrose (The Gable Endies), and Arbroath (The Red Lichties).
The general rule of thumb is that the bigger the club the less likely it is to have an intriguing or unusual nickname.
Notable exceptions outside of Britain might be Real Madrid (The Meringues) and Juventus (The Old Lady).
The tradition of football clubs having a nickname often extends back to when the club was first created.
In Britain, football club nicknames basically fall into five broad categories:-
1/ Colours - not very imaginative for obvious reasons, e.g The Blues, The Reds, The Sky Blues.
2/ Animals - only slightly more creative, e.g The Rams, The Tigers, The Foxes, The Lions, The Terriers.
Birds are a particularly popular choice, e.g The Eagles, The Seagulls, The Robins, The Magpies, The Owls, The Canaries.
3/ The Town's Traditional Industry - e.g The Hatters, The Irons, The Railwaymen, The Silkmen, The Saddlers, The Chairboys, The Glovers, The Tractor Boys, The Cobblers, The Blades.
4/ Local Landmarks - e.g The Minstermen, The Imps, The Spireites.
5/ The Obscure - Often endlessly debated and ultimately incomprehensible, e.g The Baggies, The Monkeyhangers, The Shakers, The Pilgrims and Posh.
A glance through the League's nicknames is still a pretty reliable guide to 19th-century industrial England, when you could safely assume that shoes came from Northampton, chairs from Wycombe and saddles from Walsall.
From the 1960's some clubs began to discard nicknames that they felt didn't convey the right kind of image.
Such clubs included Chelsea (formerly The Chelsea Pensioners, now The Blues), Crystal Palace (formerly The Glaziers, now The Eagles) and Reading (formerly The Biscuitmen, now The Royals).
Bristol Rovers are officially known as The Pirates, but more commonly as The Gas, after the gasworks next to their former ground at Eastville.
Fans of Everton and Manchester City are these days reluctant users of their given names, The Toffees and The Citizens respectively.
Swansea City, officially The Swans, have also adopted the town's nickname of The Jacks, allegedly after the 1930's lifesaving exploits in Swansea docks of a black retriever called, unsurprisingly Jack.
Charlton have without doubt the least conclusive or decisive club nickname in the league, flirting between The Robins, The Valiants and The Addicks.
The Addicks is a corruption of the word 'haddocks' and named after a local fish and chip shop, and also apparently because a local fish man would shout 'haddocks'..........all very odd!
In 1997 after leaving their Roker Park ground, Sunderland formerly The Rokerites decided to be known as The Black Cats.
More recently a few clubs have adopted more snazzy go-getting names, such as QPR's 'Superhoops', Wimbledon's 'Crazy Gang' and Scottish club Livingston's 'Livi Lions.'
Thankfully football has been largely immune to the American-inspired rebranding efforts that have affected some sports, including rugby league and to a certain degree limited overs cricket.
Scotland has it's own tradition of colourful nicknames, most of which are attached to the more unassuming clubs e.g Forfar (The Loons), Montrose (The Gable Endies), and Arbroath (The Red Lichties).
The general rule of thumb is that the bigger the club the less likely it is to have an intriguing or unusual nickname.
Notable exceptions outside of Britain might be Real Madrid (The Meringues) and Juventus (The Old Lady).
Monday, July 09, 2007
London BAR King - 'Dirty Martini'
Last time I sat down to write a piece on drinking in London it was 'Flaming April.' Perhaps that was the kiss of death as the venue I suggested was al fresco on a moored boat.
Now nearly three months on, after enough rain to have sunk the vessel in question, and in typical pessimistic fashion I have decided to write off this so called 'Summer' (all due of course to global warming and my larger than life carbon footprint!!!!!!!!!!)
A more apposite experience all things considered might be to therefore venture below 'sea' level in order to find liquid sustenance.
May I suggest then getting down to 'Dirty Martini' in Covent Garden, as I did last Thursday.
This idyllic intimate milieu is ideal if you want to avoid being seen (maybe its our caveman instincts), but sometimes you want to go out and circumvent the goldfish bowl experience aka that of a large, uncomfortably busy, ear-splitting, boisterous bar or pub.
'Dirty Martini' is in Russell Street, and although it is right in the centre of the tourist zone and literally only yards from the market itself, it is unexpectedly chic.
The lighting is cool. Being an underground retreat it is dim and moody with the odd splash of blue uplighting here and there.
The booths are lined with burgundy leather sofas and low stools and there are areas of bare brickwork in amongst mirror clad columns.
All this gives it a dark almost eerie effect, but at the same time it also helps generate a tranquil, serene, almost calming atmosphere.
Not surprisingly at 'Dirty Martini' the tipple of choice is the 'martini' itself, and boy oh boy do they know how to mix one.
Having been a cocktail bartender in a former life, a martini has minimal ingredients but is a 'bastard' to make..... WELL!
They have a 'happy four hours' from 5pm to 9pm and a first-rate martini in The West End for £3.95 is plenty good reason to get down and dirty!
Now nearly three months on, after enough rain to have sunk the vessel in question, and in typical pessimistic fashion I have decided to write off this so called 'Summer' (all due of course to global warming and my larger than life carbon footprint!!!!!!!!!!)
A more apposite experience all things considered might be to therefore venture below 'sea' level in order to find liquid sustenance.
May I suggest then getting down to 'Dirty Martini' in Covent Garden, as I did last Thursday.
This idyllic intimate milieu is ideal if you want to avoid being seen (maybe its our caveman instincts), but sometimes you want to go out and circumvent the goldfish bowl experience aka that of a large, uncomfortably busy, ear-splitting, boisterous bar or pub.
'Dirty Martini' is in Russell Street, and although it is right in the centre of the tourist zone and literally only yards from the market itself, it is unexpectedly chic.
The lighting is cool. Being an underground retreat it is dim and moody with the odd splash of blue uplighting here and there.
The booths are lined with burgundy leather sofas and low stools and there are areas of bare brickwork in amongst mirror clad columns.
All this gives it a dark almost eerie effect, but at the same time it also helps generate a tranquil, serene, almost calming atmosphere.
Not surprisingly at 'Dirty Martini' the tipple of choice is the 'martini' itself, and boy oh boy do they know how to mix one.
Having been a cocktail bartender in a former life, a martini has minimal ingredients but is a 'bastard' to make..... WELL!
They have a 'happy four hours' from 5pm to 9pm and a first-rate martini in The West End for £3.95 is plenty good reason to get down and dirty!
Monday, July 02, 2007
C.P.F.C Pre-Season 2007 - Fixtures, Results and Scorers.
Friday 13th July Chelmsford 0 Palace 2 Freedman(2) - Away
Saturday 14th July Bromley 2 Palace 2 Own goal, Green - Away
Tuesday 17th July v Aldershot 0 Palace 2 Watson (pen), Kuki - Away
Friday 20th July Dartford 0 Palace 3 Fletcher, Green, Ifill - Away
Saturday 21st July Barnet 2 Palace 3 Own goal, Watson, Ifill - Away
Tues 24th July IFK Gothenburg 1 Palace 2 Ifill, Scowcroft - Away
Fri 27th July Oddevald 1 Palace 4 Dayton,Martin,Morrison,Watson - Away
Tuesday 31st July Palace 1 Watson (pen) Anderlecht 1 - Home
Saturday 4th August Palace 0 Everton 0 - Home
*All kick-off times are subject to change.
Saturday 14th July Bromley 2 Palace 2 Own goal, Green - Away
Tuesday 17th July v Aldershot 0 Palace 2 Watson (pen), Kuki - Away
Friday 20th July Dartford 0 Palace 3 Fletcher, Green, Ifill - Away
Saturday 21st July Barnet 2 Palace 3 Own goal, Watson, Ifill - Away
Tues 24th July IFK Gothenburg 1 Palace 2 Ifill, Scowcroft - Away
Fri 27th July Oddevald 1 Palace 4 Dayton,Martin,Morrison,Watson - Away
Tuesday 31st July Palace 1 Watson (pen) Anderlecht 1 - Home
Saturday 4th August Palace 0 Everton 0 - Home
*All kick-off times are subject to change.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
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Saturday, June 23, 2007
'Whipped Cream'
The 21st June 2007 had the outward appearance of something resembling 'Black Thursday.'
The day in question resembled a cross between The Madhatter's Tea Party and an Ann Summers shindig, somewhere en route between 'The High Court' in London & 'Royal Ascot' in Berkshire.
Was their a full moon on Wednesday night?
It was certainly an atrocious day for Iain 'Coco the Clown' Dowie at The High Court, and in part for the bookmaker Paddy Power at Royal Ascot on Gold Cup and Ladies Day.
As it is Dowie is now facing the biggest blow to his morale, as well as to the lining of his pockets, since he last looked at his own reflection in the mirror!
He was 'taken to the cleaners' by Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan.
Jordan has shown in the past that he cannot stand managers/players that do NOT honour their contracts, and quite rightly so!
(In 2001 he put Steve Bruce on 'gardening leave' at the Palace after refusing to allow him to leave his contractual managerial post with Palace, after being linked to a role with another football club). I must take this opportunity to thank Brucie for all the weeding he did that year. The pitch has never looked in such tip-top condition since!
Dowie should have gone to see a therapist NOT a solicitor before deciding to take on Jordan in court, particularly as it has subsequently been proven that he was indeed knowingly lying, and made 'fraudulent misrepresentations' on leaving the club in May last year.
Dowie had foolishly hoped that somehow he would NOT get caught, a bit like a naughty little school-kid!
Dowie in fact may as well have turned up at court in a school blazer, knee length trousers with a plimsoll bag over his shoulder, lent over some court apparatus and allowed himself be thrashed with a whip, for he was always onto a good hiding, from the first moment he decided to take on his ex-boss, a serial High Court winner!
Now having lost, he has to foot the entire bill. He has to pay HIS own costs, Jordan's and Palace's costs.....along with any compensation awarded to Palace.
Mr. Justice Tugendhat ordered Dowie to pay £150,000 within the next six weeks, but warned Dowie that Palace's bill could total £400,000 in legal costs alone.
There will be another hearing towards the end of the year to decide how much in 'damages and other financial relief' Dowie must pay Palace. Ouch!!!
Jordan said on Friday he had no sympathy for Dowie and went on to say: 'This is a resounding, overwhelming judgement of Dowie's deceit and guilt.'
No Xmas card from Dowie then this Yuletide. He'll probably be so skint by then that he'll have to send home-made cards to his remaining friends and relatives!
Interestingly but of less financial clout, bookies Paddy Power were hit by a flurry of bets on Thursday on what colour hat the Queen would be wearing on Gold Cup Day at Royal Ascot.
Suggestions in previous years that inside information might have been used went down like a lead balloon at the Palace.
So without wishing to stir up any more bad feeling nobody was pointing any fingers on Thursday, despite a rush of money that saw the winning 'beige/cream' colour cut from odds of a rather tasty 6/1 to a miserly 1/25.
Claiming to have lost around £15,000, bookie Paddy Power said, 'We got creamed.'
The day in question resembled a cross between The Madhatter's Tea Party and an Ann Summers shindig, somewhere en route between 'The High Court' in London & 'Royal Ascot' in Berkshire.
Was their a full moon on Wednesday night?
It was certainly an atrocious day for Iain 'Coco the Clown' Dowie at The High Court, and in part for the bookmaker Paddy Power at Royal Ascot on Gold Cup and Ladies Day.
As it is Dowie is now facing the biggest blow to his morale, as well as to the lining of his pockets, since he last looked at his own reflection in the mirror!
He was 'taken to the cleaners' by Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan.
Jordan has shown in the past that he cannot stand managers/players that do NOT honour their contracts, and quite rightly so!
(In 2001 he put Steve Bruce on 'gardening leave' at the Palace after refusing to allow him to leave his contractual managerial post with Palace, after being linked to a role with another football club). I must take this opportunity to thank Brucie for all the weeding he did that year. The pitch has never looked in such tip-top condition since!
Dowie should have gone to see a therapist NOT a solicitor before deciding to take on Jordan in court, particularly as it has subsequently been proven that he was indeed knowingly lying, and made 'fraudulent misrepresentations' on leaving the club in May last year.
Dowie had foolishly hoped that somehow he would NOT get caught, a bit like a naughty little school-kid!
Dowie in fact may as well have turned up at court in a school blazer, knee length trousers with a plimsoll bag over his shoulder, lent over some court apparatus and allowed himself be thrashed with a whip, for he was always onto a good hiding, from the first moment he decided to take on his ex-boss, a serial High Court winner!
Now having lost, he has to foot the entire bill. He has to pay HIS own costs, Jordan's and Palace's costs.....along with any compensation awarded to Palace.
Mr. Justice Tugendhat ordered Dowie to pay £150,000 within the next six weeks, but warned Dowie that Palace's bill could total £400,000 in legal costs alone.
There will be another hearing towards the end of the year to decide how much in 'damages and other financial relief' Dowie must pay Palace. Ouch!!!
Jordan said on Friday he had no sympathy for Dowie and went on to say: 'This is a resounding, overwhelming judgement of Dowie's deceit and guilt.'
No Xmas card from Dowie then this Yuletide. He'll probably be so skint by then that he'll have to send home-made cards to his remaining friends and relatives!
Interestingly but of less financial clout, bookies Paddy Power were hit by a flurry of bets on Thursday on what colour hat the Queen would be wearing on Gold Cup Day at Royal Ascot.
Suggestions in previous years that inside information might have been used went down like a lead balloon at the Palace.
So without wishing to stir up any more bad feeling nobody was pointing any fingers on Thursday, despite a rush of money that saw the winning 'beige/cream' colour cut from odds of a rather tasty 6/1 to a miserly 1/25.
Claiming to have lost around £15,000, bookie Paddy Power said, 'We got creamed.'
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Ex-Palace Player Lifts Trophy!
Former Eagles midfield player Sasa Curcic last week won the Serbian version of Celebrity Big Brother.
The controversial Serb who played for Palace between 1998 and 1999 won 50,000 Euros for being crowned winner after spending 30 days in the Serbian Celebrity Big Brother House.
Curcic retired from football in 2000 at the age of 27, following spells at Palace, Bolton, Villa, Motherwell and the New York Metro Stars.
He enjoyed partial cult status in Britain, but more for his actions and annotations off the field than on it!
Following Curcic's retirement from the game in 2000, he conducted an interview with a Yugoslav sports magazine in which he said: "I have given up football because of sex. I would rather score in bed than on the pitch."
The controversial Serb who played for Palace between 1998 and 1999 won 50,000 Euros for being crowned winner after spending 30 days in the Serbian Celebrity Big Brother House.
Curcic retired from football in 2000 at the age of 27, following spells at Palace, Bolton, Villa, Motherwell and the New York Metro Stars.
He enjoyed partial cult status in Britain, but more for his actions and annotations off the field than on it!
Following Curcic's retirement from the game in 2000, he conducted an interview with a Yugoslav sports magazine in which he said: "I have given up football because of sex. I would rather score in bed than on the pitch."
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