1990/91 season - game by game

[Latvian Eagle]

I went to this game, I can only assume it must have been during the school holidays. Eric beating Thorstvedt to the ball seemed like a miracle as we seemed to struggle scoring past him. He was like a pre Schmeichel... Well Schmeichel I guess.

[E.X Moontoad]

Recall it was a freezing cold night for that Spurs game and wearing a heavy duty overcoat, as I took my place on the Whitehorse terrace. Also think I’m right in saying Simon Osbourn started for us – not sure if this was his first start or even appearance for the first team. Either way was keen to see how he did, as was seen as a great prospect around that time.

[bubbs11]

PALACE 1 Young
SPURS 0

Att: 26,285

Palace: Martyn Humphrey Bodin Pardew Young Thorn Salako Bright Wright McGoldrick Subs: Collymore (Salako) Osborn (Bright)

Spurs: Thorsvedt Hughton Van den Hauwe Polston Mabbutt Gascoigne Howells Moncur Nayim Lineker Walsh Subs: Robson (Gascoigne) Polston (for Moncur)

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[Olympian2]

Originally Posted by bubbs11

PALACE 1 Young
SPURS 0

Att: 26,285

Palace: Martyn Humphrey Bodin Pardew Young Thorn Salako Bright Wright McGoldrick Subs: Collymore (Salako) Osborn (Bright)

Anyone recall whether this was Bod's 1st league start of the season? I just noticed his name for the 1st time.

[bubbs11]

A game I've never forgotten. Not so much for the match itself, but what it meant. At the final whistle we'd heard Leeds had lost 2-0 at QPR, which meant with just four games to go, we were 7pts clear of both Leeds and Man U. European qualification was virtually ours.

Unusually for me i sat in the Old Stand for this one. It was the Sunday after Spurs superb win at the first FA Cup semi final to be played at Wembley, against Arsenal. Gascoigne had scored the kind of free kick that had me and my mates (all neutrals) watching on TV, jumping about the room in sheer excitement of what we'd just seen.

The good thing was, the euphoric victory left Spurs a little low in energy come this match, and it was quite a comfortable 1-0 if i recall. But my main memory is the glow of happiness i felt at the final whistle. My brother and me had vowed that if we got to Europe, we would definitely go to the first away game wherever it sent us. The excitement, that i'd finally see my Palace team in European competition just felt great. This just felt like the pivotal win as the papers alluded to and perhaps we would mathematically clinch it against Everton on the Saturday.

The following day, UEFA met in London to discuss Liverpool's application to rescind their European ban that still had two further years to go. To everybody's absolute shock and horror, UEFA chairman Lennart Johansson announced that the ban had been overturned and Liverpool were reinstated to European competition with immediate effect. I can't actually recall when I heard the news (maybe the Advertiser), but come Saturday's game at home to Everton everyone knew and the atmosphere was just one of real hurt and sorrow. The players played like they had the stuffing knocked out of them and a normally reticent Steve Coppell went beserk, calling out the FA for not working in Palace's best interests. I'll write more about it in the Everton report.

[Bipe]

I thought the UEFA thing was some time around now. At this stage Liverpool did still have the league title in their sights of course.

The rest of the league table is quite an interesting read. Despite their dire run Spurs were still eighth - but only four points above Sheffield United in 16th in a massively congested mid-table. The Blades' great escape was now all but complete - having looked absolutely dead and buried at Christmas they now only stood a mathematical chance of relegation on goal difference. Derby look all but down and things were also starting to look grim for Sunderland unless they could win their game in hand.

Worth noting that all of the modern day 'big six' are also in the top nine of this league table. Back then of course Leeds were also considered a big club albeit re-acclimatising to the top division, so the only real party poopers were us and good old Wimbledon in seventh.

Finally, you have to go all the way down to Sheffield United in 16th to find a team which had scored fewer goals than us at home, backing up the point I made a week or two back about our lacks of goals outside of Wright and Bright being our downfall. If 'downfall' is the right word for a team which finished third!

[ElwissAtMemphis]

Originally Posted by Olympian2

Anyone recall whether this was Bod's 1st league start of the season?

Yes, it was his debut.

[Maiden Eagle]

I was at this one and I remember for Eric's winning goal, he went up for a challenge with the Spurs keeper (can't recall his name, Norweigan guy ?) who dropped the ball and Ninja tapped into an empty net. I was at the other end, but even from where I was, it seemed a clear foul on the keeper and I was astonished (but delighted) the goal stood.
I don't think Venables was very happy about it !

[Olympian2]

Originally Posted by ElwissAtMemphis

Yes, it was his debut.

Cheers Elwiss