By Steve Cavell
October 5 2003

The Bluebirds have won just one game in six following a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace. City ended the game with only 9-men as Willie Boland and Andy Campbell are shown red. Graham Kavanagh was on the scoresheet for the visitors.

Decided to go to game at last minute, relatively speaking. I was in Brighton on the Friday night for a Round Table "do" and always coming home by train so it seemed easy to break the journey at Croydon. Didn't have a ticket and asked one reasonable looking steward if there were any "walk ups" in the away end and got a firm no

Chose to sit in the Arthur Wait Stand on the basis it was the same side as the city fans - cost me £20 for the privilege.

What a dull stand! There was absolutely no atmosphere from the Palace fans other than a handful of few die hard chanters at the very back. I sat in front of a group who were more interested in having a go at Shipperley.

Less said about the game the better. The had a couple of half decent "shouts" for a penalty before they scored that on another day might have been given and Shipperley managed to stand on the ball and miscue from within the 6 yard box with the goal seemingly at his mercy. The goal had a certain air of inevitability when it finally arrived. Straight after we had our best chance when a free kick was moved forwards 10 yards after dissent to place it right on the edge of the box. Kav's shot went beyond the far post.

Second half was downhill all the way , an early second goal and the two sendings off! The second goal did seem to subdue the away fans for a while although they found their voice again at 2-1.

What else to say? I didn't hear a MoM announcement although I'd probably have given it to Routledge for CP - he got the first goal and caused a lot of problems down the flanks. None of the CCFC players really stood out, it was that sort of day I guess.

The policing looked very heavy handed from where I was sat. Being alongside the fans I may have missed something, but I could see no reason for a line of police in riot gear complete with shields that stationed themselves in front of and to the side of the fans. Spoke on the train with a couple who sat on the opposite side and they couldn't see a reason for it either.

One feature I liked in the programme was a small table of how many away fans had travelled to Selhurst and how many CP had taken away, itemised by game. West Brom were leading before today with 2,293 fans taken. The crown was announced as 16 something but pointedly they did not announce the away following so don't know if we bettered that.