SIMON SHELDON recalls the rapid rise and fall of Crystal Palace all those years ago…

CRYSTAL PALACE
SIMON SHELDON
ON A Friday night in May 1979, I was part of a record crowd of over 51,000 fans who watched Crystal Palace beat Burnley 2-0 to win the Second Division championship and be promoted to the First Division (what would now be known as the Premier League).
Managed by a young Terry Venables, this was a highlight of a fantastic rollercoaster ride.
However, this journey had started during the 1975/76 season under Malcolm Allison along with Venables, who had joined Palace as a play...