The 'real' history of the BHA/Palace rivalry, according to npower...

[element]

what did I say then?

I think the polite answer is, 'Only you know...'

 

[u'vebeenamexed]

But, by the time of the Feb'1976 league clash at the Goldstone (Peter Taylor manager era), there was hatred in the stands and streets, and I remember surges of fans even in the old East Terrace to aim abuse at the ski-jump-nosed winger Peter Taylor.

The intense rivalry/hatred seemed already well established pre-Mullery and pre-Challis.
Perhaps simply because: near-ish neighbours, both well supported, and both on the rise at the same time, in an era of violence?

Harry Wilson used to let Peter Taylor out of his back pocket 5 minutes after the games at the Goldstone ended. (different story at Selhurst but we wont dwell on that)

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Somehow was not Malcolm Allison part of the catalyst ?

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Somehow was not Malcolm Allison part of the catalyst ?

Allison and Mullery strongly disliked each other. However, Allison quit Palace in summer of 1976, the same summer that Mullery was appointed by the Albion, so it's not as if they had much of a chance to fuel the rivalry as managers that were antagonistic to each other.

 

[raymondbriggs]

Good old Mullers - can't we invite him down as an Albion legend for the game next March?

No.He will for ever be despised for taking a pro archer and bullshitti stand against the fans and for his disgusting comments on The Big Match about the Bournmouth away protest.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

No.He will for ever be despised for taking a pro archer and bullshitti stand against the fans and for his disgusting comments on The Big Match about the Bournmouth away protest.

What did he say?

 

[pog5]

i remember going to a friendly at your place in 1973, one all i think
thats when i started you hate you , been to most games since then and to be honest it isnt the same. or perhaps im just getting old

 

[Baron Pepperpot]

....and Blyth Spartans won the FA Cup

Blyth Spartans won the FA Cup 1978, you idiot...

and they're now rivals with Wrexham after that dodgy corner.......

 

[catfish]

the north end of the East terrace was definitely not palace as I was there with about 3 k others
as for the "seagulls" chant that came from the north stand and was almost immediately taken up by the East terrace then later on by those in the West stand(when they eventually woke up)


they were good days and even then the with all that going on the bile was not as bad as it is now and I for one cannot understand it

I'm not so sure about your last point. There was some vicious trouble at the games in the 70's and 80's.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Allison and Mullery strongly disliked each other. However, Allison quit Palace in summer of 1976, the same summer that Mullery was appointed by the Albion, so it's not as if they had much of a chance to fuel the rivalry as managers that were antagonistic to each other.

I was there one night when 'Big Mal' was there Fedora an all and we were playing Palace,Bloody saw him take his hat and wave. Was sat near the North exit of the West stand. If not Lge must have been a 'Cup' ?

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

Blyth Spartans won the FA Cup 1978, you idiot...

and they're now rivals with Wrexham after that dodgy corner.......

if my history's correct Blyth Spantans 'rivalry' withe Wrexham continued in The Debenhams Cup, a competition around that time between the two teams that progressed furthest in the FA Cup from round 1, although I might have dreamt it!

 

[element]

Was just looking in the Sun (spit) 1970 footy sticker book, and Mullers scored in the 1970 World Cup 1/4 final against West Germany, that we lost 3-2 aet. Can't take away the man's pedigree

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

I was there one night when 'Big Mal' was there Fedora an all and we were playing Palace,Bloody saw him take his hat and wave. Was sat near the North exit of the West stand. If not Lge must have been a 'Cup' ?

Big Mal was Palace boss for a few games against the Albion. It was probably when Peter Taylor MK I was Brighton's manager, though, but not when Mullery was there. Didn't the police stop Allison from taking his Fedora off to the fans as they considered it antagonistic?

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

In 74/75 Palace had been relegated to join us in Div 3. The games were already'built up' as the two main ITV pundits were Brian Clough & malcolm Allison so would be facing each other, except Clough left before the season started.

Albion v palace was the opening fixture and there were some 26,000, with loads from Palace, but Albion won 1-0. Back then we were hardly their rivals. They were 'Billy Big Bollox' having not long been a div 1 club and having Allison in charge with Venebles as his assistant, they were going to walk this league....except they didn't

And they didn't get promoted the following season either, plus we won up there. As far as the fans go, they visited in huge numbers so there was trouble, but Albion being more in the role of picking off smaller groups, picking the battles. Going to Selhurst was much the same, Albion fans in small groups.

By the time 76/77 came along, Albion's fan base was more evenly matched with Palace and now trouble involved large numbers on both sides. The Cup game at Stamford Bridge was one where the Albion were so hard done by that our fans went mental and looking for blood. The Palace knew it and didn't hang around. That's when the balance changed.

 

[Billingshurst Eagle]

 

[Return of the Rev]

I've just had a mailout from npower, and this little nugget was enclosed...

'Crystal Palace vs Brighton & Hove Albion

The Managers’ Feud, 1976

The Palace and Brighton feud began during the feisty 1976/77 season-long battle for promotion. Palace were managed by Terry Venables and Brighton had Alan Mullery in charge. The two managers themselves already had a rivalry of their own after falling out over the captaincy as players while at Tottenham.

Both the players and the fans followed their managers lead. The two clubs met five times throughout that season and the matches were littered with incident. But it was the third replay of a first round FA Cup clash that finally lit the touch paper.

First of all Brighton had a perfectly good goal disallowed. Then to add insult to injury they scored from the penalty spot only for it to be disallowed for encroachment. Brighton’s Brian Horton then duly missed. To this day referee Ron Challis is referred to by Seagulls as the “Challis of the Palace.”

Both clubs went on to win promotion that year but 36 years later the mutual animosity remains fervent. After all, no one enjoys a good grudge quite like a football fan, eh?...'

Any grain of truth in it folks