Went to South London for a league match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United yesterday. Via Bromley South and Peckham Rye, I arrived at Thornton Heath at almost exactly the 1.45pm I had agreed with Ben. Two more of Ben’s friends, Eddy and Matt, showed up in short order, but we had to wait another half hour at the station entrance for Jon, cutting into valuable drinking time. He had miscalculated, with parts of the Victoria Line out, how long it would take. Incidentally, both Jon and I left at 12.30pm (though that’s when my train departed; I made off from my house 15 minutes prior), but he took an extra half an hour just to cross the city from Crouch End and go south of the river. We still had time for one pint though before the game.
This was first visit to Selhurst Park and it was quite old school in my stand, with the wooden seats reminding me of section at Fulham’s Craven Cottage and the television gantry looking decidedly unsafe on scaffolding. The Magpies got off to a superb start, neat passing leading to a goal within five minutes. Freddie Sears, on loan from West Ham United, was the Eagles’ liveliest player, displaying another level of class from his team mates with penetrating runs and diligent tracking back. Leaving aside the competent goalkeeper, Palace needed ten Freddie Sears out there. Neil Warnock, the Eagles’ manager, was frequently furious on the touchline opposite where we were. Magpie defending was nothing special and often harum scarum, pretty much illustrating, even with summer departures, why they were in this division, though the Eagles could not capitalise with the paucity of quality in their own ranks, bar Sears. However, Newcastle’s ball possession skills (eliciting cries of olé from the travelling support when seven or eight passes were strung together) and forward play sometimes left Palace for dust and, sure enough, another goal followed.
In the second half, the quality markedly depreciated as United sat on their lead and Palace pressed in vain as they squandered opportunities. Usually, when watching United play my heart is racing, much faster than normal, but Newcastle were never in any real danger here and I could watch with equanimity - useful given I was among Palace supporters.
After the match all the pubs were shut so we bade farewell to Ben, Eddy and Matt and Jon and I journeyed north of the river, first to see Ed, Laura and Jamie in their office at Old Street where Jon had left some shopping and then on to Crouch End, where I supped some Bulmers’ cider with Jon and shot the breeze, until 9.30pm when it was really time to go. No rush this Saturday and I got to Victoria in good time for the 10.45 service.