I got my Crystal Palace season ticket, or as there more profesionally known, access cards, for the season 2009/10 this week and I can almost taste the start of the season.
Of course, for some of the other Palace fans, and fans of all clubs for that matter, the season has already begun, with them visiting America for the America tour, and going to the Boreham Wood away match. I thoroughly enjoyed the Americans bigging up Palace as "one of the greatest clubs in the world." Yup...
This has got me thinking. Some people say that the Championship is the fourth best league in the world, behind the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A. If this is true, which I believe it is, as it is where you find the real fans, why is the money involved so small? Because it is so heavily overshadowed by the Premier League. FA Cup games are, financially, some of the biggest games going for the lower clubs like Cambridge Utd, or the recently promoted Burton Albion. Last year I was told that when Havant & Waterlooville played Liverpool in the 4th Round of the FA Cup a few years back they made more money than all the other clubs in their league. Put together. This is because more people wanted to see this historic event. As a result of more people watching, it also meant any half-decent players of theirs got snapped up by League 2, League 1 and maybe even Championship clubs, meaning their chances of promotion into these leagues is slimmer. It's a vicious cycle, because without this money the clubs struggle to survive.
Some of my friends, and fans of other clubs are still wondering what the season ahead has in store for them. I know many people who support clubs heavily in debt and on the brink of going into administration, myself being one of them should the rumours going around the CPFC BBS and Holmesdale.net fans forums be true. I also know of many players playing for lower clubs, and I really hope they are still paid and fully employed when the final ball is kicked in May.
My first home Championship game of the season will be at Selhurst Park to watch Palace take on Plymouth. It will be very interesting to see what the fans and pundits make of both Palace's and Plymouth's prospects, Plymouth a team who normally struggle for survival, Palace a team who should be challenging for promotion, but last year finished in roughly the same place.
I enjoy taking part in friendly bets with mates over who will go up, and I said first and foremost Reading will go straight back up, as did all my friends taking part. We were all wrong, but only just. After spending a season in and out of the automatic promotion spots, Reading ended up making it no further than the Play-Off semis, and I thought this was Palace's year, with NW at the helm, but after a good start to the season, we slipped away, so do we stand more chance this season of going up than Middlesbrough, Newcastle and West Brom, the teams who have just been relegated from the Premier League?
I started and finished the last Championship
season at the Selhurst Park; an opening day win over Swansea and the last day draw by a desperate Sheff Utd team. In August, the Eagles walked through the tunnel to the sound of "Glad All Over" looking bold and confident; in May they were tired and wanting the season to end with a run of just by a run of just one win in their last 10 games.
That they survived was down to their brilliant start to the season, and some lucky wins against Swansea and Doncaster.
The next game after Palace play Plymouth, I am going to watch Palace at home to Newcastle; and for the first midweek game I am off to Loftus Road to watch QPR v Palace.
I have never been to Loftus Road before, and am looking forward to the occasion, as it is as close as Palace will get to a rivals match this year following the recent relegations of Charlton, Millwall and Brightom.
So, as the new season fast approaches, I'm off to the CPFC Eagles - Nike club shop, or superstore as it's been rebranded, to buy the new shirt so I'm ready for the new season!
Gibbo
