Hello and how are you?
Saturday the 21st of December sees the Mighty Cannon play the second game in our double header against Crystal Palace, only this time we are at Selhurst Park. The game kicks off at 5.30pm, western European time.
After the Carabao cup match, a game of two halves and having been sick as a parrot we found ourselves over the moon with our second half display, lets hope we’ve learnt a few lessons, aside of it being a funny old game? One thing for sure it was great to see some quick-fire one touch football and goals from open play? Nice. More please! Hopefully our eyes will be on the game and not tempted by the ‘come hither’ advances from the plum pudding and the Christmas booze cache!
Selhurst Park always seems to be a tough place to play, as their stadium still has the 12th person/ old style F A Cup 3rd round giant- killing feel to it, the Nest holds just over 25,000 people, and I’m sure it will be packed as the look to beat us and grab some Christmas cheer. Well, the Mighty Cannon might have something to say about that! Bah humbug!
When the Crystal Palace burnt down in 1936, my Grandfather went out from his house in Plumstead and watched it, he recalled how the sky glowed that night and the fire could be seen for miles, perhaps being on high ground meant people could see more easily? What a fabulous piece of work the Palace was, so sad that it had deteriorated and the fire started and it was destroyed, as can be said of many other great buildings (world-wide there were many ‘crystal palaces’ that also succumbed to fire), built by unknowns and forgottens as architects take all the glory. No, it wasn’t built by Archibald Leitch. But Selhurst Park was! The man gets everywhere!
There’s some fascinating documentaries on YT, including modern day Urbex guys having a wander around examining what’s left of the old Palace grounds etc.
Nearly thirty years ago I went and had a look/dig around myself and found pieces of glass, some thick and some melted, and some bits of framing too. I had a look online about a year ago and although there are still some areas you could have a dig around in, mostly they are shut off and the whole areas changed.
At the time of writing this the Gunners have been given 59.1% chance of winning and the Smeagles 17.6%. I’m sure we all have a small spring in our supportive step for this one, Palace might have a better idea of what we can do after Wednesdays clash, and hopefully we will have the answers to anything they can conjure. COYG!
Well that’s it, lots of bits and pieces that I’m sure have made you feel like going off and seeing if you can make the North sea deeper by taking a leak in it in instead of reading this tediousness.
Even so, here’s to a great game for us and lucky horses!
COYG and keep on keepin’ on!
Mills