It’s cup final day, and I started the morning by dropping my hardback copy of Crystal Palace FC 1969-2021 on my foot. Such is the superstition of the modern football fan that I’ve already pledged that, should we today win our first-ever major trophy, I’ll do this on every final day as a warm-up ritual. And in fairness, although the drop was involuntary and it’s a heavy hardback, it’s fitting that this would be the book. Reading Chris Winter has been an important part of following Palace and his book is a key guide to the ups and down of supporting our club.

Complete Biased Commentary brings together Winter’s two previous books which cover 1969-1990 and 1990-2011 respectively, with new material to take us to Roy Hodgson’s first retirement in 2021 and a slightly baffling intro by Attilio Lombardo. Winter has made slight amendments to the previous copy and I realised how well I knew the first book as I noticed small changes in phrasing. 1969-1990 was an invaluable guide when I’d just started attending games, and I took everything Winter wrote as gospel. It’s good to see that we largely agree on matters following 1989 (when I first started attending Selhurst Park), but great that we don’t agree on everything.

Winter is a sharp writer, with a fan’s eye on what’s important in the game and for the supporters. He cuts through some of the frippery and small-p politics that surround much of the modern game, and makes some well-judged and arch remarks. I am glad that he has never quite got over John Jackson being dropped from the team in the mid-1970s, and his advocacy for Dougie Freedman over other strikers is admirable, although his haiku written when the Doog suddenly upped sticks when our manager in 2012 is unnerving. I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading 1969-1990 and 1990-2011 in my preparation for today’s game – although Winter’s assessment of referee Mark Clattenberg’s performance in the 2016 cup final has reawakened my fury from that day.

No matter. If you’re interested in the Palace, you should read this. 

Now. Nobody asked, but since Winter provides his 1969-2021 team, and the FYP podcast this week nominated their 1990/2016/2025 team, here’s my 1989-2025 team, in an 4-4-2 formation:

GK – Nigel Martyn

RB – Aaron Wan-Bissaka

LB – Dean Gordon

CB – Marc Guéhi

CB – Gareth Southgate

LW – Michael Olise

RW – Wilfried Zaha

CM – Geoff Thomas (c)

CM – James McArthur

CF – Mark Bright

CF – Ian Wright

Subs: Henderson, Ward, Shaw, Moore, Puncheon, Lombardo, Wharton, Eze, Mateta

Now I’ve got that off my chest, see you at Wembley. COME ON YOU REDS AND BLUES