Crystal Palace F.C., often simply known as Palace, is a professional football club based in Selhurst, South London. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest tier of English football. With a history that can be traced back to 1861, the club holds a unique place in English football history, being a founder member of the Football Association and the FA Cup.
History and Origins
While the club’s origins are linked to an amateur team formed in 1861, the professional club as it is known today was officially founded on September 10, 1905. The club’s name is derived from the historic Crystal Palace exhibition building, which was the site of their initial home matches. In 1924, the club moved to its current and long-standing home, Selhurst Park.
The club has primarily spent its history in the top two divisions of English football, experiencing periods of success and fluctuation. A notable period was in the late 1980s and early 1990s, where they achieved their highest-ever league finish, securing third place in the 1990-91 season.
Notable Achievements and Recent Performance
Crystal Palace has recently achieved a significant milestone, winning its first-ever major trophy in the club’s history. They clinched the FA Cup in the 2024-25 season, defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the final. This victory also secured them a place in the UEFA Europa League.
However, due to a multi-club ownership dispute involving their owner, John Textor, and the French club Olympique Lyonnais, UEFA ruled that only one of the two clubs could participate in the Europa League. As Olympique Lyonnais finished higher in their domestic league, Crystal Palace was demoted to the UEFA Conference League, the third tier of European club competition. Crystal Palace appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but the appeal was dismissed.
Following their FA Cup triumph, Crystal Palace continued their success by winning the Community Shield for the first time in their history, beating Liverpool 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Other key achievements include:
- FA Cup Winner: 2024-25
- FA Community Shield: 2025
- English Second Tier Champion: 1978-79, 1993-94
- English Third Tier Champion: 1920-21
- FA Cup Finalist: 1990, 2016
Stadium: Selhurst Park
Crystal Palace’s home ground is Selhurst Park, located in the London Borough of Croydon. The stadium, which opened in 1924, has a capacity of 25,486. Known for its passionate and vibrant atmosphere, Selhurst Park is considered one of the most popular away trips for visiting supporters in the country.
Current Manager and Squad
The current manager of Crystal Palace is Austrian coach Oliver Glasner, who was appointed in February 2024. He has made a significant impact since his arrival, leading the team to its recent FA Cup glory.
Complete Squad
Here is the complete Crystal Palace first-team squad:
Goalkeepers
- Dean Henderson
- Remi Matthews
- Walter Benítez
Defenders
- Daniel Muñoz
- Marc Guéhi
- Tyrick Mitchell
- Maxence Lacroix
- Chris Richards
- Chadi Riad
- Nathaniel Clyne
- Borna Sosa
- Caleb Kporha
Midfielders
- Eberechi Eze
- Jefferson Lerma
- Daichi Kamada
- Adam Wharton
- Will Hughes
- Cheick Doucouré
- Matheus França
- Naouirou Ahamada
- Romain Esse
- Justin Devenny
- Hindolo Mustapha
Forwards
- Jean-Philippe Mateta
- Ismaïla Sarr
- Eddie Nketiah
- Odsonne Édouard
- Jesurun Rak-Sakyi
- Franco Umeh
- Zach Marsh
Former Head Coaches (1950s to Present)
Crystal Palace has had a long list of managers throughout its history. Here are the head coaches who have managed the club since the 1950s:
- Charlie Slade (1950–1951)
- Laurie Scott (1951–1954)
- Cyril Spiers (1954–1958)
- George Smith (1958–1960)
- Arthur Rowe (1960–1962)
- Dick Graham (1962–1966)
- Bert Head (1966–1973)
- Malcolm Allison (1973–1976)
- Terry Venables (1976–1980)
- Malcolm Allison (1980–1981)
- Dario Gradi (1981)
- Steve Kember (1981–1982)
- Alan Mullery (1982–1984)
- Steve Coppell (1984–1993)
- Alan Smith (1993–1995)
- Steve Coppell (1995–1996)
- Dave Bassett (1996–1997)
- Steve Coppell (1997–1998)
- Attilio Lombardo (1998)
- Terry Venables (1998–1999)
- Steve Coppell (1999–2000)
- Alan Smith (2000–2001)
- Steve Bruce (2001)
- Trevor Francis (2001–2003)
- Steve Kember (2003)
- Iain Dowie (2003–2006)
- Peter Taylor (2006–2007)
- Neil Warnock (2007–2010)
- Paul Hart (2010)
- George Burley (2010–2011)
- Dougie Freedman (2011–2012)
- Ian Holloway (2012–2013)
- Tony Pulis (2013–2014)
- Neil Warnock (2014)
- Alan Pardew (2015–2016)
- Sam Allardyce (2016–2017)
- Frank de Boer (2017)
- Roy Hodgson (2017–2021)
- Patrick Vieira (2021–2023)
- Roy Hodgson (2023–2024)
- Oliver Glasner (2024–Present)
