Crystal Palace gained access to an exclusive club after winning the FA Cup last season.
Not only did it see the Eagles secure a first major trophy and £2m in prize money – along with a place in the UEFA Europa League which has since been robbed by Nottingham Forest – but it also allowed Crystal Palace to make a unique change to Selhurst Park.
It had not been actioned for the home games against Fredrikstad and Nottingham Forest, but the 0-0 draw against Sunderland on Saturday saw Crystal Palace buy into the triangular corner flag tradition.
Crystal Palace now able to display triangular corner flags
Some may not have heard of this tradition, but it dates back as far as 1927 after Cardiff City defeated Arsenal in the FA Cup final.
The Bluebirds wanted to commemorate the victory in some manner, and decided to change their square corner flags to triangles as a way to do that.
Since then, it has become an unwritten tradition in English football that any club to have won the FA Cup can display triangular corner flags, as the likes of Arsenal – winners of the competition on 14 occasions – have done at the Emirates Stadium.
Corner flag at the Emirates Stadium
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is expected to sign a new contract soon, will hopefully be kicking these new look corner flags on many an occasion throughout the 2025/26 campaign.
Crystal Palace will also have a slight kit amendment after FA Cup win
Not only did the 1-0 win over Manchester City last term ‘unlock’ the triangular corner flags for Crystal Palace, but we will also get to wear the FA Cup winner’s sleeve patch in FA Cup games this season.
As you can see below on a Manchester United shirt from last term, the FA Cup champions get to wear a silver sleeve patch in the season after winning the competition.
Silver FA Cup champions patch on 2024/25 Manchester United shirt
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Typically, clubs would normally wear a red patch if they are not holders of the FA Cup.
FA Cup patch on Crystal Palace shirt
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
This season will also see Crystal Palace, who loaned Jesurun-Rak-Sakyi to Caykur Rizespor last week, have a tiny number one in the top right of the FA Cup sleeve patch, to signify the amount of times the club have won the competition.
Hopefully, Oliver Glasner can take us far in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and the UEFA Conference League this season, to build on what was a truly historic campaign in 2024/25.