On the buses: the parade route may have been short, but it there was no shortage of affection from the Eagles fans along Whitehorse Lane " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-11.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-11.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1" class=" wp-image-203652" src="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-11.jpg?resize=593%2C445&ssl=1" alt width="593" height="445" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-11.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-11.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-11.jpg?resize=150%2C113&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-11.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-11.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-11.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-11.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-11.jpg?w=1920&ssl=1 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 593px) 100vw, 593px">
On the buses: the parade route may have been short, but there was no shortage of affection from the Eagles fans along Whitehorse Lane
Inside Croydon’s PETER GILLMAN followed the team from Wembley to SE25 for yesterday’s outpouring of joy at the Palace victory parade
Even now, it seemed unreal. Here we were on a packed Whitehorse Lane yesterday, waiting for the Crystal Palace Cup Final victory parade. The morning radio news bulletin I heard was all about Liverpool and Arsenal staging their parades, but nothing about south London’s Palace celebrating the greatest triumph in the club’s history.
The parade was due at 12.45 and the minutes passed – and then, at 1.15 on the Bank Holiday Monday, a commotion further up the road told us it was underway.
Gathered for the glory: tens of thousands lined the route to Selhurst Park " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-26-at-13-17-20-Home-\_-X.png?fit=300%2C264&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-26-at-13-17-20-Home-\_-X.png?fit=411%2C361&ssl=1" class=" wp-image-203654" src="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-26-at-13-17-20-Home-\_-X.png?resize=361%2C317&ssl=1" alt width="361" height="317" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-26-at-13-17-20-Home-\_-X.png?w=411&ssl=1 411w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-26-at-13-17-20-Home-\_-X.png?resize=300%2C264&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-26-at-13-17-20-Home-\_-X.png?resize=150%2C132&ssl=1 150w" sizes="(max-width: 361px) 100vw, 361px">
Gathered for the glory: tens of thousands lined the route to Selhurst Park
There it was, edging down Whitehorse Lane, a double-decker bus with the Palace team and that gleaming silvery cup in pride of place.
An instinctive roar rose, along with shouts of “Eagles”, as the bus passed.
Palace stalwart Joel Ward was clutching the cup, Wembley heroes Chris Richards and Adam Wharton were waving to the crowd, as was owner Steve Parish, while manager Oliver Glasner, wearing a red Palace flag, was beaming from ear to ear.
Yes, it was real. It was truly happening.
We followed the bus towards Selhurst Park stadium. The crowd was dense and it was half an hour before we took our seats, to find an exuberant DJ, the perfectly-named Sister Bliss, holding sway on a stage in front of the Arfur – the Arthur Wait Stand – with 7,000 fans on the pitch and maybe 10,000 in the stands.
She ended at 3pm and the Palace players filed on to the stage.
Then came a series of short speeches and presentations, punctuated by showers of glitter and flares.
Historic moment: for the first time in Palace’s 120-year history, a proper open top bus parade to celebrate a trophy win " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-15.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-15.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1" class=" wp-image-203656" src="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-15.jpg?resize=383%2C287&ssl=1" alt width="383" height="287" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-15.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-15.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-15.jpg?resize=150%2C113&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-15.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-15.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-15.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-15.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-15.jpg?w=1920&ssl=1 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 383px) 100vw, 383px">
Historic moment: for the first time in Palace’s 120-year history, an open-top bus parade to celebrate a trophy win
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson was lauded for his match-winning heroics at Wembley.
Eberechi Eze’s winning goal was replayed time and again.
Eze had at least four contenders for the goal of the season, but the prize went to Jean-Philippe “Boom Boom” Mateta for his glorious lob that brought Palace a draw at Arsenal.
Daniel Munoz won two prizes: the Holmesdale Player of the Year and the club’s Player of the Year. It was his birthday, so we sang “Happy Birthday” as a bonus celebration. “My English is not very well,” Munoz apologised, before telling us we were “fantastic fans”.
Joel Ward was honoured again after playing his last minutes for Palace against Wolves six days before. “It’s magical, incredible, amazing,” he said.
Then it was Glasner’s turn, talking of “one loyal Palace” and thanking the fans again. He looked forward to Palace going on a European tour next season: “It will be very exciting – and we all will enjoy the journey.”
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Party time at Selhurst: speeches and presentations were punctuated by showers of glitter and flares
Finally came Steve Parish, who saved the club from extinction 15 years ago, speaking with manifest passion. “It has been the best week of my life.” Glasner had taken the club to new levels, and the fans were “our superpower – you are the best fans. Now let’s do it all again”, Parish said.
Tifo moment: Nathan and Dominic Wealleans, subject of the Fanatics’ display at Wembley, introduced on stage " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-17.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-17.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1" class=" wp-image-203660" src="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-17.jpg?resize=384%2C288&ssl=1" alt width="384" height="288" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-17.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-17.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-17.jpg?resize=150%2C113&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-17.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-17.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-17.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-17.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w, https://i0.wp.com/insidecroydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Palace-party-17.jpg?w=1920&ssl=1 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px">
Tifo moment: Nathan and Dominic Wealleans, subject of the Fanatics’ display at Wembley, introduced on stage
After the fans left the pitch, there was an affecting cameo involving brothers Nathan and Dominic Wealleans, who had been pictured with their late father at Wembley, when a giant picture, a tifo, was unrolled by the Holmesdale Fanatics showing the three of them together when the boys were young.
Nathan and Dominic came on to the platform to thank the fans, saying it had been an unbelievable day.
The crowd began to disperse but we seized the opportunity to join those still on the pitch, stepping reverentially across our hallowed turf.
Around us, fans were still cheering and taking selfies and as we drank in the atmosphere, a middle-aged man wearing an 80s Palace shirt asked us to take his photograph on his mobile. He told us he had been a Palace ballboy and knelt in front of the barrier where he was deployed during matches. He thanked us for the photograph and told us his name was Andrew.
As he turned to leave, we could see that he was in tears.
Read our match report from Wembley:A dream becomes reality: Wembley shook and it was beautiful
Read more:Council boss denies demanding £200,000 in Palace parade row
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