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If you're shopping while working, eating or even listening to this podcast, then you know and love the thrill of the hunt. But are you getting the thrill of the best deals? Rakuten shoppers do. They get the brands they love with the most savings and cash back. And you can get it too. Start getting cash back at your favorite stores like Samsung, Expedia and Sephora. And even stack sales on top of cash back. It's easy to use. And you get your cash back through PayPal or check. The idea is simple. Stores pay Rakuten for sending them shoppers. And Rakuten shares the money with you as cash back. Download the free Rakuten app and never miss a deal. Or go to Rakuten.com to start getting the most bang for your buck. That's R-A-K-U-T-E-N. (upbeat music) Hello and welcome to the Five Year Plan podcast, our first interview of 2025. And this week, we're delighted to have a cult hero, Palace legit cult hero, Matt Janssen, joining us for a chat about his time at Palace. Also joining us, another Palace cult hero. It's Jack Pierce. Jack, how are you? - Outrageous. I'm going to speed up myself. Not outrageous. How excited to start here with a proper cult hero, as you say. I think he featured in the club's cult heroes series a few years ago, didn't he? You could self win a maturely FCI, I seem to remember, so. - Yeah, yeah. - Yeah, absolutely, absolutely cool. But lovely player. More than just a cult hero, top quality player, just wish he's had him for slightly longer. And until we started researching this episode, I had no idea it was such a fleeting time for him in South London. - I think in 11 months. - 10 or 11 months, 33 games. I think in a really exclusive category of cult hero, we loved players who played less than 50 games per Palace. I don't think there's many other, a Lombardo probably in there as well. Well, he probably played slightly, maybe slightly over 50, maybe, but, you know, not many. - Probably not actually with the injury, the ending of the Premier League. So anyway, this isn't about Tilla Lombardo, this is how I met the answer. And you said something about the goalie score a couple of months ago on an episode or we were having a chat somewhere, and you mentioned the goalie score against Norwich about being one of your favourite Rapalist goals. So then when we got, stop putting the cap, I thought we got to try and get him on. And it was, it was really lovely to talk with him, wasn't it? It was very, very nice. - Yeah, lovely, lovely. I mean, I would say, you know, we've talked about Michael Elise a lot on the podcast. It's probably the most naturally talented player we've had. I'd put Janssen probably in certainly in top 10, potentially top five, in terms of the actual natural ability he had. I remember, we didn't have that much time with Matt, so a few things didn't get to mention, but I remember being in the Renegade the second season, so Championship season, being at home to someone, I want to say Birmingham or someone like that. And there was a long ball, and down the White Horse Lane end, and I think everyone thought it was going out for a goal kick, and Janssen brought it down with one touch, you know, one sort of smooth movement. And I remember the entire stadium going, "Ooh!" And you just don't, you just, I mean, at that time, we would be lucky enough to have Ebson, Michael, recently. He just did not get players like that. - His ability to control the ball, play the game at his speed, and be very decent with both feet. He did stick out. He stuck out, and I just remember remembering, I remember remembering, I remember how quickly he settled in the Premier League, and we have a chat with him about his feeling. It's really interesting, actually. White's spoilers will let him explain how he thought about it at the time, but really nice guy, and yeah, one of the reasons why we wanted to get him on now was his current role at Stockport. - Indeed, so Palace Playing Stockport, this weekend in the Epic Cup, we talked to Matt about that towards the end of the episode, so we'll get his thoughts on that upcoming game, his thoughts about being reunited with Palace, but for now, let's jump in, Jack, with the one and only, Matt Janssen, our first interview on the FYP podcast this year. (upbeat music) We are joined with this special episode, our first interview of 2025 by a man, who ranks as one of the most loved players to have played for Palace, especially of those that played for the club for less than a year. Ten goals in 33 appearances during an infamous period in the club's recent history, saw this centre forward become a firm fan favourite and regularly featured in conversations about the club's most technically able players. It's former Palace striker, and now player liaison officer at Stockport, it's Matt Magic Janssen. Matt, welcome to the podcast. - Thank you for having me, a very nice introduction there. It just depends on how many people can remember that long ago, you know, '98, '97, '98, was it? - Yeah, it was a while ago. I remember it very well because I was in my teens, so seminal time for me, Jack's slightly younger than me, and there will be some listeners listening, thinking what's a 1998, I have no idea what that is. - Yeah, it makes me feel old, but no fond memories, loved the club, fantastic club, didn't want to leave the club, but unfortunately it was out of my hands and the club was in dire straits financially and needed to raise money, so I was sold. - Indeed, we'll come onto that. I mean, it was a crazy time to be, I guess, a Palace player or a fan. Obviously we've got you on with Stockport coming up with Palace in the FA Cup next weekend, so we'll come onto that bit, maybe end with just your thoughts on that, but in the intervening 20-something years, how often has Palace come into your thoughts or has the draw made Palace come back into your thoughts a bit? - Well, I always follow the clubs that I've played for. Starting at Carlisle, I follow their results. And Palace, I love the club and Blackburn as well. I follow the three teams that I've majorly played for. So I was back for a book sign in 2019, I think, 2019, 2020, and I had a warm reception then and did a Q&A, but it was nice to be back. That's the only time I've been back, so 2019-20 was the last time I was back from Man City game, I think it was, he played so. But like I say, it's a fantastic club, great fans and looking forward to a week on Sunday. - Can we take you back, Matt, to how the move to Palace came about? 'Cause your reputation at Carlisle was building week on week and you were seen as this bright young thing coming through at Carlisle. Think you've had a promotion, you won the, I think the equivalent of the Johnson's to paint trophy. So you were part of a team in a good place there, but how did the move to Palace come about? Infamously, you declined the advances of Manchester United to make the move to South London, but can you just give us a bit of detail about that time and from your perspective as a young man, making is when the Carlisle first teams are making the move to Palace? - Yeah, going back a while. It was in the time of, I don't know whether many people will remember a chap called Michael Knighton who infamously was trying to, well, he tried to buy Manchester United for not much, I don't think at the time, but that fell through and then he bought Carlisle United saying that he really, there is only one United as in Carlisle United, that was in the tabold. He was a surreal, eccentric person and he was sending the likes of myself and Rory DeLap to Derby County one week and we trained with them and then come back and play for Carlisle and he sent us off to Manchester United for a week and we'd been with them and then come back and play for Carlisle. He was just touting myself more around different ones, trying to get it the best price he could possibly get for me. And it came to a head where I was, are you going to sell me or are you going to sign me? Am I going to get a new contract or do you just want to sell me? And when will you sell me? Because I don't want to keep traveling around the country to different more clubs. Not yet, so tall. - So there was a bit of an ultimatum, we wanted a decision and he said, right, okay, well, the two highest offers I've had so far are Crystal Palace and Manchester United and the time that I was down at Crystal Palace was spent with the late Ron Nodes, who was fantastic, took me to the golf course, wine and dined me, showing me around the ground. It was really personal, whereas at Manchester United it was more, I was in Diggs. I met Sir Alex Ferguson, it was great with me as well, but not, it was more of a personal touch at Palace and more family environment. I also thought that I'd love being, that I'd broken into the first team at Carlisle United and I thought I'd maybe have more opportunity at Crystal Palace than Manchester United. So I was given the choice of Manchester United or Crystal Palace, chose Crystal Palace. And then my father said that out to let Sir Alex Ferguson know so I was as a 19, 20 year old petrified ringing Sir Alex Ferguson in a Carlisle United boardroom saying, sorry, but I'm choosing Crystal Palace. He was great with it, didn't get the hairdryer treatment. He just said, I wish you all the best and maybe I'll pass across again. So it was really good with it. And then I was on my way to Crystal Palace. - Are you aware that joining Palace, having turned down United almost made you a legend before you'd kicked a ball? - Yeah, really, well, no, no, I wasn't aware of that, but it was the right decision. I have no regrets at all of it. And like I say, I spent the first two or three weeks living with Ron Nodes, which was fantastic. Novella, Novella, his wife was a phenomenal cook. So I got wine undined and it was a really good settling period for me. - I mean, that's really interesting, Jack, isn't it? 'Cause you want a team like Palace to put on the personal touch because that's what you have over these big clubs. But what was living with Ron Nodes like? 'Cause I mean, he was a character as well. I actually think Ron Nodes doesn't quite get the credit. He deserves from a lot of Palace fans 'cause of the very tumultuous time when he was chairman from the sort of 80s to the late 90s. But what was that like as an experience? 'Cause I can't imagine many players have shacked up with Ron Nodes. - No, to be fair, he was, he's got a dry sense of humor. Well, he had a real dry sense of humor. He was really good. He loved Palace, he was Palace through and through, really. And it was the time where Mark Goldberg was looking to buy the club and he didn't wanna sell it. He says, but the numbers that he was offering were just crazy and ended up selling it to Mark Goldberg. But it was fantastic living with him. I, before, I think it was maybe 10 years later, I met him in Barbados, I think he had a place in Barbados and I saw him there and I ended up playing golf with me and my dad against him and Novella. So it was great to catch up with him. But he was, I think he was given a bit of the wrong opinion of Crystal Palace 'cause he was a fantastic man and he did have Crystal Palace in his best interests. Who won the golf? (laughs) Well, it was me and Novella against Ron and my dad as we threw the balls up and I was hopeless. So they ended up winning and I got the blame from Novella. (laughs) - No dinner for you. - No. (laughs) When you joined that, did you expect to play, you know, appreciate the jump from maybe League One, Division Two as it was then into the top flight. It was a big jump back then, it's probably bigger now. Did you anticipate playing many minutes the rest of that 97-98 season when you signed or did you think it was going to be more of a learning experience and kind of settling in period? - To be honest, I didn't even think about it. I just, I was confident I'd broken into the side at Carlisle and I think when you're younger, you have less fear, you have less expectation. And I went there and trained well and was given a chance and I think nowadays, my age, you'd think more about it. But at that time I was on the crest, we were way of coming from Carlisle, just been sold for a million pound person and you just high on confidence. And unfortunately, for me, I hit the ground running and managed to force my way into the side. And unfortunately though, we got, we got, we were unfortunate to get relegated that season. - Yeah, I often think that with young players, actually, it's the perfect time sometimes to make a leap. And I think clubs, I think sometimes are a bit more hesitant to chuck young players in. But actually when you are 18, 19, 20, you feel untouchable, like you're so confident. It's actually kind of the perfect time. The older you get, I think you get a bit more nervous about big things like that. - Yeah, you think, yeah. When you're younger, you just, you don't have the experiences of not doing things well or you don't have the experiences of, you know, I've got three kids now, and you don't do that, don't you? But you do it when you're a kid, 'cause you don't know what could happen. But I went there relatively, like I said, high on confidence being sold from Carlisle, I've been doing well at Carlisle. And I just felt it worked really well. It was a family club. It wasn't like I was left to my own devices. I was living with Ron Nodes. The fans were fantastic. And it was easy for me to settle in. - You, you just touched on something now. We've just seen it recently. We've had a Morton who signed last January, February time. And within five, six months was, wasn't in international and his kind of lack of inhibition kind of shone through quite quickly that it took him no time to adapt into a new league and look like he'd been playing in that league for such a long time. And you were very much of that. You scored two goals, I think, within a week of each other. Your first goals in the Palace shirt, one of which was an absolute rasp, where there's a consolation goal at Miller Park for the best goal of the lot. - A long, long goal. - That day. But it finished 3-1 when substitute Matt Jansen intercepted and then did this. A Jansen interceptor with Rocket Thrust. Welcome to the hot seat atelio. - Do you remember, like moments on that, were you just pinching yourself just thinking, I've just scored an absolute blind in goal in the Premier League? Or was it a case of this is just the natural progression moving on from your time at Carlisle? - Yeah, it was a natural progression, but yeah, I can remember the goal vividly, but unfortunately it was a consolation goal, as you said. But yeah, the first Premier League goal, I can remember the one at Newcastle as well. It wasn't quite as good, but it was a goal, and we won that game, so that was fantastic. - Nine minutes later, they were two-nil up, a long shot from Thomas Brolin, the Swede. And Matt Jansen was quickest to the loose ball, his second goal for the club, since his move from Carlisle United. - But yeah, I think I've got three goals at the back end of that season, and I felt really good, felt great. And all the noise behind with the Goldberg and everything in the chaos that was going on, I just didn't really feel because I was like, well, I was young and experienced in that, but then everything changed and Terry Venables came in, Goldberg had sold the club and it was a new era, or a new chapter. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Sergeant and Mr. Smith, you're gonna love this house. - Bunk beds in a closet? - There's no field manual for finding the right home, but when you do, USAA homeowners insurance can help protect it the right way. Restrictions apply. (upbeat music) - When you, when you join the club, the era of relegation was quite evident to fans. Were you already having one eye ahead to the following season, perhaps in the division one in the championship, that following season was the playing staff kind of preparing themselves for that, or was there still an effort to, or sure there was still an effort to stay up, but that the lead position wasn't great? - No, I think there always is a winning mentality with players and you always think that you can get away, you can get out of the trouble that you're in and you give all your, all your can at that time. So I wasn't really really focusing on, on next year's gonna be a championship year and we'll come back up. It was more, it finished the season and then focus on the next season once the season had finished and there had been a lot of change from the end of the season to the, to the new season. So that's, well, we also had Tilly Olamado as interim manager, didn't we? - That's too much. - So there's a story for you, Newcastle. We're away at Newcastle United and suddenly there's champagne glasses being put on each player's table the night before the game 'cause we'd gone up there the night before to stay over and we're thinking it's a tradition to toast a new manager in Italy with champagne. So we had champagne, but when you give English people, champagne, they want another one and then another one. And we were, I can remember vividly that to them, myself, Andy Linigan, Neil Shipley, maybe, and a few of the others would just, can we have another bottle of champagne please? - We really wanna wish you luck. - So it was ended with, I think it was ended, ended with, we just must have been two o'clock in the morning where I think Terry Fennec said, oh no, was it, no, no, he wasn't there then. I think it was Attilio's interpreter had said-- - Thomas Perlin. (laughing) - Yeah, I think it's time that you went to bed, you got an important game tomorrow. We shot sheepishly, finished off the rest of the bottle and then went up to bed, but that didn't do us any harm 'cause we won the game the next day, so. - Yeah, it's probably as long as science is rubbish now, a days, isn't it? - We should have been getting the champagne out every weekend, so we'll have to go out. - Exactly, exactly, so. - I love the guys at the Sports Science guys at the Stockport, Mass Lovey, every Friday, lunchtime time, with a great of, great champagne. - Exactly. - We were going to ask you about Longbard a bit later, but as you've just introduced him, what were your impressions of him when you first joined the club? Appreciating that you were a young man yourself, you'd probably seen him on, 'cause at a football atalia, probably knew of him and all of a sudden you're sharing a dressing room with him, but what was the experience of playing with him and how good was he? - Oh, he was a funny guy, he was really funny guys. Fantastic player, good as a manager as well, didn't say much, but in those days, management is completely different to these days, it's more of a chess game now, and if he comes in there, you've got to go over there, and if he, but whereas it was, come on lads, give us 100%, we'll win this today, we're better than them, and that was it, and that was your team talk, but it's changed a lot, but he didn't say a lot because of the language barrier, but he was a funny guy, he came out with some funny comments, but fantastic player as well, fantastic player. - He must have had three managers at Palestine, so I guess possibly back into Steve Corporal before he went upstairs, then Atilio, and then Venables, in quite a short time. Are you not, are you think at this point, what is going on at this club? - It is great. - And I was only there 10 months or less than a year, so no, it was surreal, really. But all, I got on well with all of them, obviously Atilio, and playing with him, and Steve Corporal's a great guy, and then Terry Venables was fantastic. I remember the first pre-season, it was baking hot, and he took us to the running track, and we were, oh, here we go. So, he's set off, he says, right, jog a four, they said jog a 400 meters. Right now, we're gonna do a 400 meters as fast as you can, so we all did this 400 meters fast as we can, right now, we're gonna do a 200 meters as fast as we can, so we did that, and now 100 meters as fast as you can, and we did that. Right, lads, well done. Tomorrow off, I'll see you Thursday. And he was like, that was pre-season. But the lads were loving it, but he had, he had, he was a big name at that time, he had ultimate respect, so players wanted to play for him, and it was a great group of lads as well. But unfortunately, it didn't pan out. Just before we go on to that, half a season you were with us in the second season, you were with Palace, just wanted to quickly touch on the Derby County game in the Premier League, because they weren't, towards the end of that season, there weren't many positive afternoons as a Palace fan, but that one was one. It was our first home end of the season. It's just a pity we had to wait until April 4 at Matt, but that was your third, you said you scored three league goals that season, that was your third, and it was the first in a three one, when what were your memories of that afternoon? - The Derby County? - Yeah. - I can't remember that one. I remember the Villego, but I can't remember the... - It was, I think, Shipley, not Dan. - Not Dan, you just instinct that you built it. - Right, yeah. - Bottom corner. - 70 minutes at Sellhurst Park, that was the cue for the player manager to come off the bench. Almost at once, Sasha Churchich took the chance to show his skill, and Neil Shipley's nod down was just perfect for Matt Janssen. - We'll send you the link later. - All right, please send me the link later. - And it was the third against Coventry? - No. - No, so you got one against Bella, one against Newcastle, and then the other county goal. - Yeah, sorry. - Yeah, 'cause that season was tough going at point tonight, like we just didn't win at home. As I said, it was April while until we win a game. So I remember Sasha Church is doing some great stuff on the by-line and then, you know, the ball. - There's another man, man. - He was a character, he was a character. But there was full of characters that team back then. But no, the reason, I mean, you're going back more than quarter of a century ago, I can't. - I know. - Okay, well, it's funny 'cause I remember the Newcastle 'cause I used to spot them as a boy and I remember the villa one. - But the Derby won't not so much. - And if you'd have said who did you score? You're third, I wouldn't have known. It's funny that I just don't remember as well. - I think that memories do blend into one another and that does happen. - You're just trying to be kind now. - So I do. We're like a cop back up. That summer, we go down and quite a lot of the squad stays together, actually. And I think there's an expectation from the fans, certainly from me as a sort of 15 year old. Oh, we're going to bounce back up again. Was that the mood amongst the squad as well? We've kept quite a lot of our decent players here. We should really be romping this league. - Yeah, you do. You think a lot of the teams that come down go straight back up again. And we'd just got Terry Venables and, well, you know, a marquee manager and Goldberg was going to spend money on marquee players, which weren't necessarily the best players that came in. And there was an expectation level that we were going to romp it because we had this new owner who was going to play the club with cash. And unfortunately, that wasn't that money soon, dwindled and soon ran out. He was too generous. I remember I ended up signing a six year contract. At the start, I'd just gone there and they'd called me and said, would you would like to give you a new contract? So I know, happy day. So I rang up Tony Woodcock, who was my ex Arsenal in England center forward. He was my agent at the time. And he flew over because he was living in Germany. He flew over and he says, right, well, we'll ask for ex. And if we can't, we'll try and make it up with appearances or what have you. So they went off and they came back and we had some dinner and I says, how did it go? He says, and he laughed. And he says, did you, did we get what we asked for? And he went, he said, he said, we asked for this. And he said, and they said, yeah, that's no problem. What else does he want? And he said, and he said, he took me aback. And he says, well, he wants this appearance money. Yeah, what else does he want? A car, yeah. And who else, gold bonus? Does he want anything? Yeah, gold bonus, anything else. Try that in. And he goes, OK, and Willie signed for six years on that. I always said, I'm sure he would. So that's why I signed for it. And he was just too generous. And another story was when it was our Christmas do and all the lads were saying, oh, yeah, Matt, you've got to ask Mark because he's your, you're his favorite player. You've got to ask him if he had a limousine business if we could borrow a limousine or two for the Christmas do in London to transport everybody. You'll be your, you're his favorite. You won't say no to you. So I ring him up. And he says, is it possible for the lads to borrow a couple of limousines for our Christmas do? And he said, yeah, no problem, believe it with me. So phone rings 10 minutes later. And he says, yeah, sorted. But how many bottles of champagne do you want in each limousine? And I was like, well, just whatever, we don't expect-- That's your reputation, Matt, because he didn't. That's right. But yeah, he was like, that was, that was him to a tea. And then he met us in London. And in Caffey de Paris, I think he was at the time. I don't know whether that's still around. And he bought all the drinks all night for the players. He was just too generous. But it caught up with him in the end, unfortunately. Generous is one word, Matt. Someone's got to make a documentary about that time at Paris, because I'm sure there's so many other stories as well. I think he was just a fan, a big palace fan, who came into a lot of money and maybe didn't. Weirdly, when Paris, many years later at a stopport in 2010, when we survived, back end of all the spending, essentially, sent us into administration the second time. And me and my mates went and outside the way end. Everyone's like, we'd drawn two two. We stayed up in the championship. And it was kind of like, if we didn't, Halist might go under as a club, a big result, walking out. And we suddenly saw Mark Goldberg there. And you can't miss him. Everyone knows what Mark Goldberg was like over a certain age of a fan. And he looked at us. We looked at him. And then we all just slowly, without thinking, moved together and had a massive group hug with Mark Goldberg. And I said, we've done this, because he's a fan. He was there as a fan, obviously not as owner. And then we stepped away and we were like, that was a bit weird. That was a bit weird. But it was just, I think, just an indication that he was obviously a big fan, just like us. What was even weird, Jim? Was he all gay? He gave you each a bottle of champagne. [LAUGHTER] He said, the limousines are down there, lad. [INAUDIBLE] So you're back down and under. Oh, man. What about Venables, Matt? I mean, just two years before we got appointed, he's leading them to the semi-finals of the Euros. Again, there must have been another kind of pinch be moment of like, is Terry Venables my manager? You talked about the pre-season. But what was his influence on you, particularly, in terms of his kind of time with you? I don't know, he's good. He's got an aura about him. Obviously, it was just shortly after that he led us to the semi-finals. I remember they used to do technical phases of play and different bits of different free kicks and how they were going to work. Defensive units and midfield units. And he said to me, you used to say to me, you messed this up because you just get the ball and dribble past people. So you go and do what you want and practice your own free kicks in your own time. And he used to exclude me from which I took as a compliment. So he used to just say, oh, no, Saturday. He said, just do what you want. He said, you float around and do what you want. He was brilliant that way. And I was like, wow, I've got a free will to roam and pick up the ball and try and do what I could do best. So I'm not the type of player who has this, like a lot of players nowadays, rigid positions. And this is your job. For me, that's like painting by numbers rather than being an artist. And I like to be a free spirit and being given the license to go and get the ball. You weren't mercurial. You really were. For us, a black bird. No, just lovely to watch, like you were a pleasure to watch as a fan. But I've been given that license. And I did with soonness at Blackburn as well. And if I was put in a regimented position and that's what I had to do, I probably wouldn't have had the same effect, I guess. But I enjoyed my free movement as well. Meanwhile, during the technical drills, Dean Osteins going, what the fuck? What is this? Yeah, the tire's ventures have to draw what a goal looks like. Yeah. I was going to ask you about a couple more goals. In particular, five-one thrashing of Norwich. I remember beating Norwich. If you'd said what was the score, I'd have said we'd have won by four, probably. I didn't know these guys at all. Did I get two minutes or not? Yeah, you did. But then the new improved Crystal Palace got to work, transforming the match with two high-quality goals in the space of two minutes. Youngston Nikki Rizzo, thumped in a brilliant equalizer. Italian international Attilio Lombardo, then combined with England under 21 star Matt Janssen for a goal founded on the sort of pace, technique, and class, Terry Venables so admires. And that's the ominous warning to the rest of Division I. With Australian internationals Craig Moore and Craig Foster newly signed, Palace have a greater mobility. Matt Janssen exploited more hesitancy in the Norwich back four to score his first Palace goal. Before Janssen underlined his class with more neat twists, faints, and flair. And his second goal of the afternoon. The only concern for fans around rumours that every Palace player would appear to have his price as new chairman Mark Goldberg balances the books. Venables, of course, will play it shrewdly. Lombardo is top quality, and on this form, Elle Tel has a team of real contenders. One of the first one, there's like a sort of one touch move started by Hayden Mullins, almost on our own box, and then it ends with you and Lombardo doing a one, two, and there's the box, and you knock it in. And me as a 15, it's rolled, it's like, oh my God, we're the best team since Brazil in 1970. This is, I mean, it really all came together that. That was one of the moments that, like, I think as fans, we were hoping we'd see that season, it was incredible. That was just a few minutes after Nikki Rizzo, who you might remember, scored one from 35 yards out, put it to the corner. Again, that was another fun afternoon because we scored, we scored lots of goals, but we were scoring great goals. We all won with Lombardo, I mean, it's not fair on the Norwich defenders, they don't know which way is up for them, but having fun in that period, I'm guessing, given how free you were, and you just talked about it, but playing with players like Lombardo with search it, it must have been fun to be playing against, maybe weaker calibre teams as well, so toying with teams in games like that 5-1 against Norwich. Yeah, obviously, it was great. At that time, I think, I was living with, by then I'd moved out of runs running the valleys. Did you move into Marx? Did he, was that part of it, by homestock? I'm sure I could have. But now I've moved in with Herman Eryderson. Oh, I was landing, the crazy man, the crazy Icelandic, who ended up being my best man at my wedding. Oh, wow. Amazing. Yeah, good friend. So that's where I was living. It was a great team, a great bunch of lads, and we were, I don't, I think, the Norwich game typified what we could have achieved, but we didn't do it on a regular basis, we didn't put those kind of performance on a regular basis, whether that's, there was a lot of noise going on around, or there's a lot of disruption in and around the club, or what. But we were certainly capable of doing better than, than we did that season for me. But it could have, could have been because of the, the problems from the administration side. And it was quite kind of short-lived for me. The second season. Oh, what was the, what was the, what were the first few clues that players, yourself included, had that things might not have been right off the pitch, the champagne stopping, the limos, being a bit late. Well, it all seems, what, what type of things for any player at any club that are going through that, what type of things start to happen that you think? Hang on a minute, this isn't, this isn't the way it should be. Well, I, I personally didn't, I can't recall us hearing too much about it. I mean, maybe more, the more experienced players were privy to it a little bit, but I didn't know an awful lot that until one day, I can't remember who we're playing. I got a phone call from Steve Copple who said, uh, yeah, you're not, you're not playing today. And I went, really? Why? Um, and I was shocked. He says, because we've accepted a bid from, from the eventus to sell you. Oh, for five million quid to the eventus. And I was like, oh, wow. So I was disappointed that I wasn't playing, but I was buzzing that somebody like the eventus had come, it'd come in for me, but, um, but it, it transpired that the, then there was problems and they needed to raise money. And I was an asset that they were going to have to. So did you know you were for sale? Did you have any clue that? No, it was just, that was the first, that was the first, I knew that something must be wrong, um, when Steve Copple ran me up and they said, we need to raise money. And you're, you're an asset that would realize some much needed money as soon as possible. So, and then it changed to Arsenal, then came Chelsea, then Rude Hullet rang me and wanted me a new castle. Um, and then money night, it came back in. And then, Sir Alec, remember me. And I went, I didn't, I, I should have, uh, again, and rang him, sorry, I'm going to Blackbird, but. Even if they weren't interested, he turning him down. But at the 11th, yeah, it was, that. I think, I think I was, I would, I'd half agree to go and talk to new castle, but then they rang me and Mark, I think Mark Goldberg rang me and asked, would I be willing to go to, to Blackbird? Because Sir Jack, uh, Jack Walker, um, was willing to pay. They paid a slightly less, slightly less fee from five million to 4.1 million. But he paid all up front rather than staged payments. And that was what Crystal Palace needed. Um, and only the season before or two season before they'd won the league. And they were a lot better aside than they are right now. But, um, and Brian Kidd had gone there who I remembered from Manchester United. And he was possibly building the next successful team. So, and to help, obviously, to help Crystal Palace out. Um, they'd been good to me. Uh, I opted to go to Blackbird. Well, so even in leaving, you've thought doing Palace a favor, essentially. Yeah, well, yeah, well, it wasn't, it wasn't, it wasn't. It worked out as a favor. It was one of the reasons that, um, I went to Blackbird and, but it helped. I think it helped with the, the financial situation at that time. I've got a very important, one of the most important question of the whole podcast now. But my memory is that when you joined Palace, you joined as a matty, but you left as a mat. Is that correct? I think, yeah, a matty. Yeah. Yeah. People call me matty. Yeah. I think Steve, couple, call me matty. I think Terry of animals call me matty. But it threw out my career. Well, I think I don't know where Yanny came from. Carla, but I don't think they, they used that at Palace, but then at Blackburn, I was Yanny and at Stockport, I'm Yanny as well. So Yanny is more so than, than, but I think it was matty to start with. And then it changed to, to, to my, you might be right about that. It's a, it's a, it's a long transition. Fame transition. Yeah. It's important part of a football of career. It is important. Um, yeah, I mean, your time at Palace just had, it was, it was, it was, so quickly over, but such a memorable time for us at least, Matt. Maybe not you. Oh, for me. In terms of goals, you could remember it, but it turns for us. But when you look at that 10 and a month period, I presume you, you did wish it would have continued for a little bit longer. I'm sure you had ambitions to get back to the Premier League at some point, whether that was a Palace or someone else. But were you surprised at how quickly that moved? And, and do you think it was the events around the club rather than anything else that really led to you moving on as soon as you did? Cause that's a quick transition, almost in a year from Carlisle to Palace, to potentially event, you know, big transition. Yeah, like a Wilwyn, but I, I'd signed a six year deal. I, I wanted to stay. I love the club. I love the fans. I love having free access to runs golf courses. Erm, I just bought a place in Caterham. So I just moved out of Hermans and I bought a place in Caterham. And yeah, it was just circumstance that, that led me to, to, to leave the club. Cause so I certainly wouldn't have, it was just right out of the blue. And unfortunately, the finances at Palace had gone wrong. And I was, I was sold. Sorry, just, just last question on, on, from me on, on that bit. So when Steve coupled calls you and says, you're not playing this game, did you ever play for the club again? Or was, was that it? Did it all move quite quickly after you got the, the heads up from, from Steve? That, that phone call. I don't know. I, I, I thought I've got, I don't know who we played. Erm, I think we played maybe Julian. I don't know. I'd have to look back at it. It was all very surreal and, and yeah, in, in app and quite quickly. I don't know. I might have played one more. I might not have, but if I probably didn't, if they, they probably wouldn't have wanted me to get injured. I was going to say, yes. I think they might have been so important for the club that they probably. I've got a really quick question about coming back. Cause you played in Steve Kemba's testimonial in about 2006. I think it was, I think I can remember that. Ian Wright was playing, I think. Yeah, I think it was like Palace Legends, which again shows, you know, you're standing at the club to be in this and Palace Legend team of 33 games. Again, so I think it was like you've seen players or something. And I remember everyone was like buzzing for you to be back at the club. And obviously what you've been through as well to be back on the football pitch. And, and there was rumors then that like, Oh, I think you may be unattached at the time. Yeah, Anderson's talking to Palace. He's going to come back to Palace. And I was absolutely buzzing for this. Was there any truth to that? Or was that basically sort of Journer's putting two and two together? I, no, I, I didn't know that I was going to come back to Palace. So I guess, so no speculation. So, um, maybe I would have. Um, but no, it was, it was, I was just there for the, for the testimonial, I think. Yeah, I stayed at Herman's, uh, I remember I was on a touch at that time. Was I think I can't, I think possibly I can't, maybe it. No, something like that. But so many questions about living with hermaphritis. And another, another time, another time. Yeah, that's for the documentary. And when we get into Netflix, all the sitcom would be like, um, should we get onto the third round cup time? I appreciate time is, is pressing for you. But the draw comes out and you've been at Stockport for a couple of seasons now. Uh, and I think Stockport played Blackburn in perhaps the lead cup, um, either early in this season or last season. So again, a bit of a, a, a tying of the old with the, with the new few, but when Palace came out of the cup, did you get a smile on the face? Oh, yeah, definitely. Um, it was useful. It was funny, um, my wife had just said, and we were watching the, the draw alive, uh, with my, my youngest. And he's got, because we, I came for the book side in a crystal fire street in 2020. And he got a shirt and a, and a scarf and, um, he had the scarf on. He says, you're going to get Palace. And I was like, yeah, can you imagine? And then he kept saying it and our names were in kept staying in. He said, you're going to get policy. He said it from the start of the, the draw. It was so, so weird, freakishly weird. Um, Nostradamus. Yes. Yeah, it was crazy. But yeah. Um, and it was brilliant, you know, and it'll be great to go back again. And, um, because like I say, I've got such fun, much, such fun memories of the club. So you'll travel down for the game with the, yeah, I'll be with the, with the team. So the team, you'll get, you'll get a great reaction, I'm sure. Yeah. If people can remember, so we'll be there. We're going to drop them off the week, from the old guard, maybe. But there's a bit, there's a bit of a palace. Oh, boy's club at stop. We spoke to Clint last year, who's assistant to Dave. So, um, he spoke very funny about the time at Palace. And again, he left the club in a similar situation to you. Um, in that again, the kind of situation was out of his control. And he, he had to lead basically to secure himself a contract elsewhere. Um, given the state that Palace were in, but he spoke funny. So yeah, I think there will be some, some, yeah, warm, warm welcome. So some much loved Palace Palace. Oh, boys, but in terms of the game, Matt, obviously is primarily versus, um, versus League one, but you have a good season. I think you're currently seventh at the time of recording. Um, first season back in that second tier off the promotion last year. How's the season going for you guys? Um, I think we should be above where we are. I think we've played better than, than our position suggests. And we've dropped odd, odd points here and there. And when we've deserved more games, so it's going well. Um, I think, like I said earlier, Birmingham, uh, should, should run away with it. Um, then there's a possibility of second, but I'd be disappointed if we don't make the playoffs, because I think we, we've got a squad that's capable of that. Um, and like I said, we, we were better than Birmingham in the second half of the game, uh, our last game took a point, then took a point with the game. Sorry game next weekend. Um, so how are you guys going to line up and what you're starting line up? Going to be because that's not about all the tactics that be great. We've got a couple of injuries. Um, and obviously Matt just tells all the players to go out and do whatever they want off the table. You bought some champs. Do what you want to. Yeah, just have some, just have some of this champagne before you go out and play how you feel, but no, it's, um, we've lost Louis Barry, obviously, he's a big miss, but, um, you mentioned the lead cup and, uh, against Blackburn, we, we, we fielded a, uh, a slightly less strength. Was that this season, Matt? I was this season. Yeah. Slightly less strength team to give people minutes, but, uh, it'll be as strong as we can, can feel, I guess, and we'll, we'll give it a good go. Um, you know, it's the, it's the FA Cup and it can create upsets, but, uh, I'm sure Crystal Palace, uh, it'll be far too strong, but, uh, you never know on the day. Yeah. That's magic of the FA Cup. What, what I do love Matt is the idea that some of the, maybe the younger players in your squad, I think in the glamour of the Premier League, but you can quickly remove that from them, given your knowledge of Selhas Park and the fact your coach will be stuck outside the ground for two hours. So, uh, yeah. No, yeah, because the place hasn't changed much, it's, you know, honestly going, driving to and from Crystal Palace, it's like a rabbit warren all around it. But, uh, no, the atmosphere is fantastic. The, the fans are brilliant there and, uh, I'm sure the lads, the lads are really looking forward to it. And I keep reminding them, yeah, I used to be, I used to be, they, they take the mic out of me that I'm too old. How did you play? Or if I have a bad touch in training, you used to play in the pram. It's must have been so bad then. It'd probably be like League two is, you know, so. The pro center, a link to the Villa goal. That's, that's it. I have actually got a few on that I can, I can bring up on my Instagram. And I see they get, they get bored of me showing the same one. So I need it. I need a couple more. I'll send you the link of the Derby goal and you can have that fresh. Yeah, please do. Matt, thank you so much. It's been such a lovely, such a lovely time going back. That made me relate with you. Thank you so much. All the best we've stopped part of the season apart from next Saturday. Someday. Yeah. Far from not today. Sorry. Thank you so much. Um, really appreciate it. And, um, yeah, maybe we'll catch up with you again at some point. Cool. Thanks for having me. Well, there you go. Magic Matt Janssen. I don't know if he was even aware that that was his nickname, Magic. Magic Janssen, which was after Magic Johnson as in NBA. Um, what a guy, lovely, lovely guy. Very, just a very wholesome vibe about him. Um, and fantastic football and some great stories in nursing, great memories. Yeah, really, really, uh, friendly, nice conversation with him. And, um, his love for his time at Palace and the club really shown through. Um, told a couple of stories that. Really didn't expect to hear from him in terms of the Goldberg era. I mean, it just, it's something that stuff leads up that time. Yeah. Yeah, really typify the bonkers nature of that time and how the club ended up in the situation ended up with, can perhaps be explained by some of the decisions that Mark Goldberg made that Matt talked about there. But, um, yeah, really genuine in terms of how he felt about the club at the time and got real sense from that he didn't want to leave when he left, even though he was being linked with Juventus and Arsenal. I didn't know that that's mental. Yeah. That, that is quite the difficult, Carlisle to Juventus in a year. Yeah, that is, that is crazy. But, you know, even where he ended up, as he, as he said, he went to the club who at that point were, you know, recent Premier League winners. He went to a massive club. And I know that he experienced a relegation with Blackburn shortly after that as well. But, you know, to go from Carlisle to Palace to, um, to Blackburn. So, so quickly in less than a year, it must have been a bonkers time for him. But that time he had with Palace is, um, yeah, very fondly thought of my Palace fans. It's so, it's nice to hear him speak very fondly of it too. Didn't get to ask me about coming back, actually, and scoring that goal in that backburn game. Rashi Cole scores. Yeah. Great guy. And yeah, a long time ago now, real long time ago. But in my mind, because he was so young when we were young, yeah, it still feels quite recent because I'm into all about my own age. Oh, me too. But that, that Blackburn goal really quickly, all right. My memories, he didn't celebrate it. And obviously, we're in a, you know, a terrible time and that, but one new up thankfully came back to win. And I wanted to ask, like, it was out of respect for Palace. But I think it's really obvious, really evident that it was given the fondness he talks about the club that actually it was a moment of respect against a team who was struggling, but a team who, you know, he had really fond memories of playing for. So yeah, I mean, sir, I think more so now, I think players are a bit more sort of savvy, but certainly back in those days, there was a real, not, there was a real assumption that players aren't necessarily the best sort of people and their sort of mercenaries. But I think Matt really bucked that trend and was clearly a really nice guy who treasured his time at Palace, treasured nice people being nice to him. And it is harder still in South London. Yeah, and every decision he made seems to be quite a considered one. And so the, the right step for him at the right time, when he probably didn't celebrate that goal against Blackburn, because he knew that when he got back to the dressing room, there would have been a greater champagne from Mr. N Goldberg on the, on the bench. I still can't go with the, I don't think Matt can go over it 20, 25 years later about the, the generosity as he termed it of the that is mad, isn't it? I mean, I mean, I guess it's a bit of an insight into sort of 90s football. I mean, obviously you wouldn't get that now, but even back then, I think for Premier League football, that's probably a bit, a bit weird. Two things I need to know more about one, living with Herman Bryderson and two Herman Bryderson's best man speech. And what was that stag day? What was that stag day? Well, you know, it's not like limo's and champagne. I hope it did. Well, listen, if anyone from Palace is listening, we are happy to sell the rights to that, sell the rights that we don't know, to that documentary. We're happy to be execs on that, aren't we? I think I would be in the ring, ring out on board. So any regard, yeah, Herman for a time. Hey, Herman, if you're listening, we'd love to have a chat with you as well. Oh, let's try and get, let's see if we can. I don't want to ask listeners, you know, we've been doing this interview series now for two and a bit years and we've had some really fun conversations and Matthew Anson was actually somebody who a few people have said to me, wouldn't be great if you can get my answer. We got him and that was lovely. But listeners, if you've got anyone in particular that you would like to hear from, do let us know and we will try and find a way of making it work because they are really enjoyable conversations for us to have. And, yeah, if there's anyone in particular, you think would be a good, a good chat, then then do give us a shout and we'll see if we can make it work. Particularly those sort of cult hero players, I think they are. The podcast format, I think, allows players to relax a bit and get and I think you get some good stories and we've had that with Matt today and with Clint Hill, who said previously and Wilbur Hamm and Johnny Ester. And William, yeah, these are great chats. And I think they do lend themselves a sort of good storytelling. So if there's anyone, you know, it might not have to be the highest profile player, but if it's, you know, I will try and get Steve Thompson. If people want it, I loved him as a player. I think I was the only talent fan that rated him. I loved him. I can't like him quite tidy, but I'm a carriage. If you're out there, we'd love to know. Is he a line? Is that your line? Is he a line, probably? I mean, to be honest, probably a very interesting time. So actually anyone, anyone, or open, probably. No, listen, they give us a shout if there's anyone in particularly you think would be fun. Or if you have a link to a former player and you'd like us to have a chat with them, I mean, have a chat with them yourself, if you like. But if you'd like them to come up the podcast and you can make it work, then let us know. We will be very grateful. But nice way to start the year. And hopefully we'll have a few more in 2025, Jim. Definitely. And we wish Matt all the best with stopport this season. Again, as we said, apart from this weekend, but yeah, I hope they have a good season and I hope Matt and Clint and stopport going to go on to great things. Right. That's the end of the podcast. Jack, thank you very much. Thank you to Matt, what a legend for joining us. We're back again with more interviews. So keep an eye out for those in the meantime, up the palace. Bye bye. This podcast is part of the sports social podcast network. At King Super's pharmacy, care is what's most convenient for you. Care is being here when you need us for open evenings and weekends. Care is helping you save more. Most insurance plans and discount cards are accepted at your local King Super's pharmacy. Care is saving you time by managing your prescriptions online. You can request free fills, check order status and more. Care is convenience that works for everyone. King Super's a world of care is in store. 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Our first interview of 2025 is with a bonafide Palace cult hero as Matt Jansen joins Jim and Jack to discuss; turning down Man United to sign for Palace, Mark Goldberg's fleet of limos, Attilio Lombardo's love of champagne, not wanting to leave for Blackburn and much more.
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