whiskylion
Well-known member
Not really true, Moody.It seems they were founded as nothing more than a way for the middle class residents of Surrey to have a professional football club, such was the popularity of the professional game in the south thanks to the likes of Millwall and Arsenal at the time.
Palace were formed in the same year as Chelsea and in almost identical circumstances: as a money-making business.
The owners of the Stamford Bridge grounds wanted to maximise its financial potential by having football played in it. When Fulham turned down the offer to move there, the Mears family formed their own club.
Likewise, the Crystal Palace company who owned the Cup Final grounds wanted a club to bring in regular money, so they did exactly the same thing.
Oddly enough, Chelsea tried to join the Southern League but were turned down. So with Clapton Orient and Palace applied to join the Football League. The Football League welcomed Chelsea and Orient, but told Palace to fuck off.
So Palace went cap in hand to the Southern League, pointing out that they had a bunch of professional footballers, a big ground but no games. The Southern League relented and let them join the competition's Second Division, playing mainly small Welsh clubs and reserve teams of Southern League First Division clubs.
Mind you, Palace did get some revenge, and that season they slaughtered Chelsea 7-1 in the FA Cup!
So, Palace - completely unlike their amateur namesakes of a generation previously, who played the game for the sport alone, came into being to make money for a bunch of landowners.
Not very romantic, I'm afraid. No wonder a present day historian is trying to re-write history...
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