Palace

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Palace a true Community Club.

I live just over 20 miles from Selhurst Park. In my last Job as a football manager (Horley Town) my First Team Coach and close friend Mark, was a huge Palace fan and season ticket holder since his 20's. We stepped down after 6 years in 2013 and our captain took over.

A year later Mark was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer at 44 and started treatment. In 2015 it had spread to his Liver. Mark was told it was terminal. he set up a foundation in his name and spoke at many events about getting yourself checked regular and not to ignore signs as he did like blood in your poo. As a group of friends we determined to create as many happy memories for him , his wife and three children.

I contacted Palace and explained his situation. I said I'd like to book a block of 12 tickets so we could as a group attend a match with Mark. I made it clear we weren't looking for a freebie.

Person I spoke to said he would see what he could do. About an hour later i got a call from the Mark Bright (ex palace player and ambassador).

He said the club would like to offer us a box with food and drinks free of charge to honour Mark.

His wife and kids, me and Mrs Ifield and another 5 close friends were treated like VIP's. Mark Bright came to our box for about for about half an hour with the club photographer before the game.

After halftime the Crystal Palace Cheerleaders, the Crystals came to our box (sorry @Doc Shrink can't find those photos).

After the match (Palace lost 1-0 to Sunderland) we were invited into the Players Bar. Where Wayne Hennessey (Palace Keeper and MOTM that night) presented Mark with his shirt.

They also did a bit in the programme that night about Mark and cancer screening and followed it up sending an almost full strength team to play in a Charity match at the end of the season for Mark's Foundation.

Proper Community Club.

Mark sadly passed away at 46 in the autumn of 2016. Sadly missed. he was a lovely man.

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Ifield Hibee said:
Palace a true Community Club.

I live just over 20 miles from Selhurst Park. In my last Job as a football manager (Horley Town) my First Team Coach and close friend Mark, was a huge Palace fan and season ticket holder since his 20's. We stepped down after 6 years in 2013 and our captain took over.

A year later Mark was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer at 44 and started treatment. In 2015 it had spread to his Liver. Mark was told it was terminal. he set up a foundation in his name and spoke at many events about getting yourself checked regular and not to ignore signs as he did like blood in your poo. As a group of friends we determined to create as many happy memories for him , his wife and three children.

I contacted Palace and explained his situation. I said I'd like to book a block of 12 tickets so we could as a group attend a match with Mark. I made it clear we weren't looking for a freebie.

Person I spoke to said he would see what he could do. About an hour later i got a call from the Mark Bright (ex palace player and ambassador).

He said the club would like to offer us a box with food and drinks free of charge to honour Mark.

His wife and kids, me and Mrs Ifield and another 5 close friends were treated like VIP's. Mark Bright came to our box for about for about half an hour with the club photographer before the game.

After halftime the Crystal Palace Cheerleaders, the Crystals came to our box (sorry @Doc Shrink can't find those photos).

After the match (Palace lost 1-0 to Sunderland) we were invited into the Players Bar. Where Wayne Hennessey (Palace Keeper and MOTM that night) presented Mark with his shirt.

They also did a bit in the programme that night about Mark and cancer screening and followed it up sending an almost full strength team to play in a Charity match at the end of the season for Mark's Foundation.

Proper Community Club.

Mark sadly passed away at 46 in the autumn of 2016. Sadly missed. he was a lovely man.

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Brilliant from Crystal Palace.
RIP Mark
 
My brother in law is a life-long palace fan. Ironically he lives about as close to Easter Road as I do to Selhurst Park. Sadly he had a knee operation last week and couldn’t make the final. There used to be a couple of palace fans on here didn’t there? I hope they had a great day.
 
Bofahibee said:
My brother in law is a life-long palace fan. Ironically he lives about as close to Easter Road as I do to Selhurst Park. Sadly he had a knee operation last week and couldn’t make the final. There used to be a couple of palace fans on here didn’t there? I hope they had a great day.
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I did. Had to watch on the tellybox as couldn't get a ticket. I read on the Palace Holmsdale forum that a Palace fan who moved to Australia paid £2k for airfares for him and his two laddies and £2k for tickets from an online ticket provider. £2k for 3 tickets! How do these thieves get tickets to sell, I thought ticket touting was illegal. It should be law that tickets (all tickets Sport, Theatre etc) can only be sold at face value. Only about half my pals back home got a ticket, fecking joke. It's not just Palace but some ST holders who travel home and away had to watch the final on tv. They had been to all the FA cup ties inluding the semi fint Wembley against Villa and had to watch the final in the pub.
Still I had a great day (and a few days after).
 
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Wishbone said:
I did. Had to watch on the tellybox as couldn't get a ticket. I read on the Palace Holmsdale forum that a Palace fan who moved to Australia paid £2k for airfares for him and his two laddies and £2k for tickets from an online ticket provider. £2k for 3 tickets! How do these thieves get tickets to sell, I thought ticket touting was illegal. It should be law that tickets (all tickets Sport, Theatre etc) can only be sold at face value. Only about half my pals back home got a ticket, fecking joke. It's not just Palace but some ST holders who travel home and away had to watch the final on tv. They had been to all the FA cup ties inluding the semi fint Wembley against Villa and had to watch the final in the pub.
Still I had a great day and a few days after.
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I’m sorry to hear that. Still must have been an amazing day.

Apparently people who understand computer coding can write a script which helps them buy tickets. I’m working with someone who has been to Glastonbury every year for the last six years. Her fella works in tech.
 
Ifield Hibee said:
Palace a true Community Club.

I live just over 20 miles from Selhurst Park. In my last Job as a football manager (Horley Town) my First Team Coach and close friend Mark, was a huge Palace fan and season ticket holder since his 20's. We stepped down after 6 years in 2013 and our captain took over.

A year later Mark was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer at 44 and started treatment. In 2015 it had spread to his Liver. Mark was told it was terminal. he set up a foundation in his name and spoke at many events about getting yourself checked regular and not to ignore signs as he did like blood in your poo. As a group of friends we determined to create as many happy memories for him , his wife and three children.

I contacted Palace and explained his situation. I said I'd like to book a block of 12 tickets so we could as a group attend a match with Mark. I made it clear we weren't looking for a freebie.

Person I spoke to said he would see what he could do. About an hour later i got a call from the Mark Bright (ex palace player and ambassador).

He said the club would like to offer us a box with food and drinks free of charge to honour Mark.

His wife and kids, me and Mrs Ifield and another 5 close friends were treated like VIP's. Mark Bright came to our box for about for about half an hour with the club photographer before the game.

After halftime the Crystal Palace Cheerleaders, the Crystals came to our box (sorry @Doc Shrink can't find those photos).

After the match (Palace lost 1-0 to Sunderland) we were invited into the Players Bar. Where Wayne Hennessey (Palace Keeper and MOTM that night) presented Mark with his shirt.

They also did a bit in the programme that night about Mark and cancer screening and followed it up sending an almost full strength team to play in a Charity match at the end of the season for Mark's Foundation.

Proper Community Club.

Mark sadly passed away at 46 in the autumn of 2016. Sadly missed. he was a lovely man.

View attachment 17910
Click to expand...
Nah, you see? That's what I love about this game. I get the argument that the English league is sanitised, plastic, fake, football tourism etc etc. This is EXACTLY the kind of thing that shows that's not the case. Real people. Real lives. Real stories and real clubs creating memories. I don't have an English team as such, but I've always had an affinity for West Ham as a proper mans club. Palace are clearly up there.

Kudos to Palace and RIP to Mark.
 
Excellent for Palace, they are always a hard working side, wouldn’t mind meeting them in our group.
 
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