Crystal Palace are in uncharted territory.
The sight of the team walking out in Krakow to confront Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League semi-final will stoke a sense of pride back in south London.
This is a club which has emerged through challenging times over the years. They have been beset with financial difficulties and plunged twice into administration, and narrowly avoided dropping into the third tier of English football in 2001 and 2010. They have experienced the highs and lows of play-off wins and losses, and the despair of twice being beaten in the FA Cup final before putting that right a year ago.
The last few years have seen them establish themselves in the Premier League and, following that success at Wembley last May, enjoying a first campaign in Europe. The injustice of being denied entry to the Europa League has spurred the team on through a draining campaign, and they are now three games away from more silverware and a crack at that higher competition.
This is one of the greatest points in the club’s history. The Athletic asked former players and managers with an affinity to the club what it means to them.
Steve Coppell
Manager: 1984-1993, 1995-96, 1997-98 and 1999-2000
Palace’s most revered manager across four spells in charge, he led the club to their best-ever finish in the top flight: third in 1990-91. That season, Palace were denied entry to European competition for the first time when UEFA re-admitted Liverpool, who had been handed an extended ban in the wake of the 1985 Heysel disaster, a year early.
Coppell oversaw Palace’s promotion in 1989 and took them to the FA Cup final in 1990, only to be defeated by Manchester United in a replay. He took Palace to two top-10 finishes in Division One and won the Full Members’ Cup in 1991, but also oversaw relegation to the second tier in 1993. His fourth spell saw him secure the club’s second-tier status despite the club spending 18 months in administration.
Steve Coppell had four stints in charge of Crystal Palace (Phil Cole /Allsport)
Coppell: “It’s almost justification for what happened before. That was a time when being in Europe would have been of more significance than possibly now after the issues we had (with the ban to which English clubs were subjected post-Heysel). To be one of the first teams allowed back in would have been really significant in the development of the club. So this seems like it was almost meant to be.
“That 1991 team would have done well in Europe, but it was built on shaky foundations, as time showed. Was the team or the club then ready? The team was probably better prepared than the club at that stage. The foundations very quickly began to crumble (after the sale of Ian Wright to Arsenal in 1991), whereas now I firmly believe the club is built on very solid foundations.
“It’s looking forward not as a one-hit wonder, but thinking that this could be a regular occurrence for success to happen this year.
“The similarity between then and now is the mentality — wanting to prove something. Back in the day, we were very much young pretenders and wanted to make an impact; players who hadn’t achieved a great deal but wanted to go on a higher stage and perform at the top level. You see elements of that obviously with the FA Cup win.
“That gave such confidence last year, but there’s still an element of individuals and collectively wanting to prove something on the bigger European stage.
“I feel so pleased and happy for the club that, finally, it’s been able to be a major player on the European scene. What happened in the summer seemed to be almost like Europe once again toying with the club. But to get to the semi-final is a tremendous achievement.
Ian Wright’s goals helped propel Steve Coppell’s first Crystal Palace side to third in the top division (Steve Morton/Allsport)
“It has been sneaky but steady progress despite setbacks. It is a badge of honour for Crystal Palace to be successful in Europe; it’s just outstanding and a testament to all the hard work that’s gone on from (chairman) Steve Parish downwards.
“The club now is a totally different animal from the Palace that would have gone into Europe all those years ago. People see it in a totally different way. They are Premier League regulars but face what seems like insurmountable challenges almost on a season-by-season basis, yet come through it.
“My message would be enjoy every second. It’s been a long time coming and the period of time waiting has undoubtedly made this more meaningful.”
Steve Kember
Player: 1965-71 & 1978-80
Caretaker manager: 2001 & 2003
Manager: 2003
Kember graduated through Palace’s apprentice scheme and made his debut in 1965, becoming a key player and fan favourite before joining Chelsea in 1971 for a then club-record fee. He returned in 1978 and helped take Palace back into the First Division, then later spent time in various backroom roles at Selhurst Park: coach, assistant manager, chief scout and then caretaker manager on two occasions.
That interim role was first given to him in 2001 with the club languishing in relegation zone at the foot of the Championship, requiring six points from their final two league games to have any chance of staying up. Kember oversaw a 4-2 win at Portsmouth in the penultimate game and then a dramatic last-gasp victory at Stockport County on the final day, meaning Palace survived by the skin of their teeth.
There was another interim stint in 2004, and an unsuccessful stint as full-time manager, but his contribution to the club means he is considered a Palace legend. He still works at Selhurst Park as a matchday ambassador for Palace.
Steve Kember is lifted up by Dougie Freedman (left), Clinton Morrison and Mikael Forssell after Palace’s last-ditch survival at Stockport in 2001 (Alex Livesey/Allsport)
Kember: “Back in 2001, we looked like we were going down but we got away with it in the last few minutes at Stockport when Dougie Freedman scored. To go from that to this… from the fans’ point of view, it’s unbelievable now. The noise they make now compared to when I was there is something else, and the backing is great.
“We deserved to go through to this stage and, if we can put our best players out, we have a chance of a decent result against Shakhtar and, hopefully, we can beat them at home. Selhurst will be full again but the away game matters. If we can get a result there, then the home crowd will be amazing. It’s an unreal atmosphere.
“I’m a Palace man and I hope we can get ourselves into the final and win the competition. It will be good for the club in the here and now, but it’ll also help push us on in the future.”
Aki Riihilahti
Midfielder: 2001-06
The Finland international joined Palace in that 2000-01 season, scoring in the vital win over Portsmouth. He became a favourite for his work ethic in midfield, accumulating 174 appearances and 14 goals across six campaigns at the club.
He was a member of the side that won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2004, and the team that dropped out of the top division 12 months later when a 2-2 draw at Charlton Athletic condemned them to relegation. These days, Riihilahti is CEO of Finnish top-flight club HJK Helsinki and the vice-chair of the European Football Clubs Executive Committee.
He was a key advocate behind establishing the UEFA Conference League.
Aki Riihilahti spent six seasons at Crystal Palace (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Riihilahti: “If there’s people that I would wish all the best and to enjoy success, it would be the people of SE25 at Palace. I was there for seven years and spoke most days with fans. The support is inherited from the parents and is in the local community, which is rare at that level. They deserve it because their support has never been about the glory or simply because they’re the ones who are trending at the moment.
“I had the choice to sign either for Crewe Alexandra or Crystal Palace and I always felt Palace was a club with huge potential and a lot of talent. At the time I was there, they could go up and down, either the Premier League or the Championship. Or even drop out of the Championship. But what we achieved… it’s a big part of who I am.
“I spent my best football years in south London. They shaped the way I think about football, the fandom and the way it’s played. I have such fond memories and it’s still my club.
Aki Riihilahti celebrates with Andy Johnson, Tony Popovic and Ben Watson after scoring for Palace against Fulham in 2004 (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
“I’ve been the UEFA Club Competitions Committee vice chair for many years and I started in 2014 to drive the agenda for more clubs in Europe. It’s been my focus since retiring. So Crystal Palace winning the Conference League would be so special. I still watch every Palace game, whether it’s in the Premier League or the Conference League and, because of my role in UEFA, I would go to the final.
“They’ve done really good work because other clubs have more resources. If they win, it will be talked about by generations of supporters.”
Danny Butterfield
Defender: 2002-10
Another determined, hard-working player who became a fan favourite during difficult times, Butterfield joined Palace from Grimsby Town in 2002 and his eight seasons at the club took in promotion to the top flight, relegation and then difficult years struggling in the Championship.
He was a key figure during the spell in administration in 2010, scoring a perfect hat-trick in the FA Cup fourth-round replay against Wolverhampton Wanderers that year. He was part of the team which avoided defeat against Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of the 2009-10 season at Hillsborough, staving off the threat of liquidation by retaining Championship status.
Butterfield is now assistant manager of Northern Premier League side Hednesford Town, who have reached May’s play-off final for a place in the National League North.
Danny Butterfield (left) holds off Wolves’ Michael Mancienne en route to scoring a hat-trick in 2010 (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
Butterfield: “You absolutely wouldn’t have considered this possible when I was playing there. The club maintaining its Premier League status for the longest time ever has enabled them to build gradually. It’s been small, steady steps, which is credit to Steve Parish. But, back then, no one would have envisaged this.
“To achieve European success really puts them on the map. That pride among the fans to say: ‘We are a smaller London club historically, but now we’re in a really good moment.’ Long may that continue because they have been through tough times. Some of the fans are probably questioning whether this is all real, but they have to go and see the job through. They’re more than capable of doing that.
“Just before I left, the club looked like it might potentially fall into League One, but we managed to survive. If they’d dropped, it would have been a huge mountain to climb. From my time, it’s now about being proud of what they’ve achieving and knowing I was part of it all back then. It’s about the happiness for the fans and what they’ve been through; they’re on the crest of a wave and let’s hope that continues.
“My message is just enjoy the ride. Live in the here and now because, if you go back 15 years, the club was in a very different place. Enjoy the moment, you’re good enough to be successful. You’re a very well-established group of players. They all know the potential they have and I’m sure they’ll play to that over two legs.”
Mile Jedinak
Midfielder: 2011-16
Across six seasons at Palace, Jedinak became one of the most influential players in the club’s history, captaining them to promotion via the Championship play-offs in 2013 before playing a key role in maintaining their Premier League status.
He witnessed the difficult times, too, including the struggles in the years immediately after their administration in 2010 as the team and club were rebuilt under new owners. He also experienced the numbing disappointment of defeat in the 2016 FA Cup final. But he remains adored by the supporters for his contribution to the club, his passion and his leadership.
Jedinak, who had previously worked under Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, is now former Palace defender Tony Popovic’s assistant manager with the Australian men’s national team and will be at the summer’s World Cup.
Mile Jedinak was a source of inspiration at Crystal Palace (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Jedinak: “Reaching this semi-final is a huge achievement, particularly after winning the FA Cup and the responsibility that comes with it and what that means moving forward. They are learning how to navigate a European adventure for the first time. It’s brought challenges, but they are in a very promising position and everybody should get excited by that.
“It would have been hard to imagine all this when I was there. However, it’s about the steps along the way and, during my time, those steps were taken. All you want is the club to move forward and have the ambition to see it come to fruition. Watching it progress is really pleasing.
“You always remember those times when there is some success on the field. I’m sure this period will be looked upon in the same manner as the one I played in. I always have a tremendous amount of pride.
“I’m probably speaking to the majority of people who follow or know anything about Crystal Palace, but this is a reward and something special. They’ve gone through difficult times, but there have been some really good times, too, of late. For them to have another opportunity (to win silverware)… everybody’s deserving of it and hopefully they can get it over the line and celebrate again.
“Seeing everyone getting behind the club in its European adventure — you can’t help but think what an incredible experience it must be. Not only that but what it does for the opposition in those moments, knowing how loud and proud the fans are during those crucial ties. That’s vitally important. I was at the second leg against Zrinjski Mostar and witnessed it first-hand.
Mile Jedinak celebrates after scoring a free kick against Liverpool in 2014 (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
“My affinity with those fans has been evident in the past and will always be there. They know how to get behind their team better than most. So all I’d say to them is continue on that path because every single effort that they give resonates onto the pitch.
“I wish everyone the best of luck.”
