I was of the generation, ‘when Geoff gets up to lift the Zenuith Data Systems Cip, we’ll be there.’ A crap highlight to our existence it may well be, we’ll take it, but I’m really struggling to get my head around the supposed football cancer of the Europa Conference. Yes, I get that we should never settle for the mediocrity that we historically do, but ultimately it is this mediocrity in our DNA that left the club March last year deciding the season was already over, when an FA Cup victory led to a drop of near title form pre that final, that had we been knocked out earlier may well have provided the momentum to get into Europe through a league place. On two fronts we could have qualified, but seemingly had already written off the season, so fickle, so Palace. Have we lost our historical perspective?
We may or may not have been dropped down from the Europa League into the Europa Conference League. A brutal twist, if you were dreaming of Thursday nights against Bayer Leverkusen or Marseille, bloody John Textor, although his initial investment in players, I believe, led to a positive change in direction at the club, but his stake in both Palace and Lyon ran straight into UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules. You’re not supposed to own two clubs in the same competition, and since Lyon also qualified for the Europa League, something had to give. That “something” was us. Now, there’s an appeal coming up at CAS between the 8th and 11th of August, this is becoming so boring I’ve given up on taking notice of dates. We can all shout about UEFA’s corruption and bias, and let’s face it, they’ve earned the criticism, it is well documented, but if the Court of Arbitration for Sport upholds the ruling, then we have to own it. We broke the rules.
What mattered most to me wasn’t staying in the Europa League, it was being allowed to stay in Europe at all. The Harris/Blitzer/Brondby axis was looking decidedly dodgy for a moment. That’s why, to be completely honest, I’m quietly thrilled we’ve ended up in the Conference League.
Because here’s the thing. There are barely any good teams in it. With the right draw and a bit of momentum, Crystal Palace could actually win this thing. Yes, win. A European trophy. I don’t care if it’s the third-tier one. I remember the Fairs Cup. I remember when winning that meant something. This would mean something too. It would mean everything. For a club like ours, where the glory years can be counted on two arms , odd cup runs, and flashes of brilliance that never quite last, this could be it. And with Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze possibly leaving in the next year, this may be the only proper chance in my lifetime for European victory and something special we will always remember, before the customary rebuild. A trophy, any trophy, would be a genuine, unforgettable moment in our history. What would stay in the memory for you, an early exit in the League or winning the Conference? Talk to any West Ham fan and the delight of their victory still palpable.
When did we start adopting the self entitlement of the BHAFC plastics? (full respect to their proper fans who did the Withdean years,) Just imagine the meltdown from Brighton fans. The ones who were demanding we be booted out of Europe altogether. The ones who love to remind us how progressive, polished, and properly UEFA compliant they are. If we actually win the Conference League? The schadenfreude would flood the South Coast. That alone makes this whole thing worthwhile. We wouldn’t just be in the luxurious position of telling them what it is like being an FA Cup winner, but a European winner too. All the moaning, all the “no standards” nonsense from North Stand Prats would get buried under the noise of Palace fans parading a European trophy through SE25. It would be beautiful. Because for all the drama and the technicalities and the bitter politics of modern football, this might just be the only time in my life that Crystal Palace lift something with European lettering on the base. And frankly, I don’t give a toss whether it’s a second tier or third tier trophy. It’s a European trophy. That’s all that matters.
#Crystal Palace #Brighton and Hove Albion #Europa League #Europa Conference #Selhurst Park
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