Eagles 100 Years Old
One hundred years of Crystal Palace Football Club is being celebrated in an exhibition marking the Eagles' centenary. The Crystal Palace Football Club Centenary Exhibition opened last week at Croydon Clocktower and is hosted by the council's museum and heritage service.
The exhibition is seen through the eyes of fans and the club and charts the side's humble beginnings in 1905 right up to the dizzy heights at the top of the football league.
It celebrates 100 years of highs and lows and the changing faces of characters connected with the club through old programmes, photographs, newspaper cuttings as well as artefacts donated to the exhibition by fans from years ago.
Memorabilia from the decades between 1905 and the present day is packed into display cases set out as replica red and blue Eagles stands, which also have a timeline of key events in the club's history.
An old leather match ball from 1938, loaned by the daughter of a local fan, sits alongside photographs and personal effects of Palace legends George Clarke and Peter Simpson and reports of memorable matches, such as Palace v Arsenal in 1940 and playing Real Madrid in 1961,
The Zenith Cup, won in 1991, has also been borrowed for the exhibition and there is also fans' corner where footage of old matches is being screened.
Councillor Stuart Collins, cabinet member for culture and sport, said: "Palace is part of the fabric of Croydon and we are delighted to be playing a part in celebrating this important event in the history of the borough."
Lifelong Palace supporter Councillor Gerry Ryan, cabinet member for environmental services, added: "This fantastic exhibition is a tribute to a remarkable football club and is a chance for supporters and those with an interest in the history of the game to reminisce and also look forward to another hundred years." The exhibition is designed to be interactive and promises to be of interest not Just to Palace fans, but to football enthusiasts and those interested in Croydon's heritage.
The exhibits and memorabilia will be updated throughout its time at the Clocktower.