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After all, this industry is confusing and it's hard to know who to trust. But the truth is, we're an ally for agents. We want them to succeed. That's why we help agents get ahead with complimentary resources and stay ahead with premium solutions. Zillow works for agents. 'Cause home doesn't happen without them. Visit Zillow.com/worksforagents to learn more. This summer, go to the movies. Projected on the side of a mountain. Discover a new favorite restaurant, your campsite. Find yourself when you lose your signal. Discover a new playlist. Mother Nature. Make your summer special at the Kia Summer Sales event with the dependable Kia SUV or powerful sedan. Kia, movement that inspires. Call 800-333-4 Kia for details. Always drive safely. Event N7523. I am Steve Parrish and you are listening to the 5-year plan podcast. Hello listeners, welcome to the 5-year plan Christmas podcast. Oh boy! Merry Christmas to all our listeners. Well, depending on when you're listening to this, merry-nearly Christmas if it's before. I thought holiday occasions are available. Yeah, exactly. Merry Christmas or whatever you're into. Anyway, welcome to the 4-year Christmas podcast. What are people that might not be celebrating Christmas but people that might be other denominations that are not celebrating Christmas? So, as treated, happy holidays. Without limp and peace in God and in the podcast that we have to just cover all bases. I think that's just happy holidays. Anybody who says happy holidays can do one. Okay. Whatever you're into, doesn't feel. That was the wrong phrase. Yeah, basically. If you say we're aware that there are many other ways of worshipping God, whatever you're into. Whatever you're into. Yeah, that did sound a bit weird. A weird anyway, welcome to the FYP Christmas slash holiday slash festive podcast. I'm Jim Daley. I've got Kevin Day Christmas It's Christmas. Okay. I love it. What a Christmas day. Um, Kevin, what's your name? And then the cop oh oh oh and Annie straight Mary Christmas God bless us everyone. Are you guys feeling on that side of the table? You feeling festive? I've always feeling festive, but he doesn't like me to call it that But I Love Christmas Christmases in my heart all year round good. It's the correct answer. Yeah, well done Yes, you just enter in the Viking goals center. I love you know, I guess I'm feeling rather festive For a little bit, um, I Feel as I need to wake up. Okay apart from that. I'm fine Good. I've got a cup of coffee in front of me. So watch out when the caffeine kicks in That's a good start. Andy feeling full once a bit festive. No, absolutely not I've done my shopping now early. I mean, I can't wait to there for 150 mile round trip to joy of Christmas Well, that's got the Yorkshire. You say no, you choose you choose that Yeah, you also pull your foot down and there is one man who's got a much longer journey on Christmas Eve So, you know, exactly there you go. Good. Let's crack on then with talking about pallets because it's a very festivey Successful peer of a palisant moment because we are joint fourth in the table, but we're not really sick We're sick, but we're joint for them. Well, no, we're not because they've got more goals not fine We're sick from the day that team's got more goals in us But we're sort of joining fourth coming up next your two million pound Premier League's they go. No, you can't have an extra two million pound Yeah, very Christmas every year. He's really Christmas treaty. You're welcome. He's technically right though. It's technically very very good. We're going Christmas Thank you Christmas Christmas is about about being festive and positive so we're being festive and positive and we go with pallets being fourth Which is crazy because we want to on a stoke. Guess every newspaper this morning was incorrect Points with the team before it's not that difficult to grasp. Yeah, but which one of us is trying to be a lawyer again? Yeah, yeah, the boring pedantic Two-on-minute stoke fantastic often can only to win it. Yes. Yes, but my question to you guys now is are we being as a We're joint fourth class. See if they're Christmas. Are we serious European contenders? Well, according to Martin Kio I'm not sure they do that's not we're title contenders because he insisted on including us in the list of teams that were possible and That must be the first time anyone has ever said Well, actually, I mean his logic was right because they showed five teams with the with the bookie's odds And he said well, you have to include pallets in that because they got the same points as Maybe not the totems of which would put them 24th and I was actually a good point. Or we'll put them in 60 Yeah, well, don't believe me. She obviously made a mistake because they had us in six. Yeah, but um, I was actually generally You know bearing in mind that Christmas babies had been taken. I was actually quite enthusiastic in emotional that the fact that we were mentioned as title contenders But the question that you know, I think it's really interesting that the club are To our big it up then there's no sort of false modesty. There's no, you know parrotial party was saying There's no reason why we can't finish in this position and For you, so it's it's it's great to be in a situation where everyone has that admission It's a crazy season, isn't it with Lester top and what for just partner? So if there's any season that Palace can finish top six this this is surely it To the future, I mean Because it doesn't we've said this before it doesn't feel like it's a way it doesn't feel like I Think what for fans would probably say? This is a one-off bonus and perhaps next season. We might be struggling Yeah, I don't know but this doesn't feel like it's a one-off Feels like this we're on the start of something big I do I agree with Kevin I think if you're a Chelsea fan it feels a bit of a weird season if you're a Lester fan it Maybe feel a little bit odd being top because if you're what for fan it feels odd being a palace fan It just feels like the natural extension of the last two or three five years I mean really does yes, of course we are six and it's a bit mental, but We have finished in the top ten the last two seasons we have but I don't think we've started the season We were saying this is the season we got a push on it'd be great to get we are pushing up Yeah, but yeah, not to this extent. I think we're already expected this sure I don't know I don't I mean we start the season we all do we pay lip service to the you know, let's get to 40 points Let's finish 17 for the table, and I don't think any of us Fully believe that but I don't think I didn't think we'd be Where we are this not no, but also the thing is deserving so the thing is just about Lester as well Much as I don't like him they deserve it I mean it's not showing any signs of flagging that much interesting as well as I think the one journalist pointed out the weekend Palace and Lester our teams that want to win games. It's they're almost like their attitude is a poise not You know might as well not get a point. It's trying we didn't all get no points. Yeah, yeah, we've won a lot more games There was a shot or two three notes and I think it's really it's really interesting we try and we go Between two of them as well as no just that sort of direct and a slightly different way But it's that willingness to get it forward to the front as quickly as possible and to you know Try and attack a bit we do down the flanks they do sort of in the channel of the last man and play sort of already just It's not it's not possession for the sake of it and but also what's interesting is a palace of old once stoke equalized on Saturday Palace Fans happy with the draw would be able to be able to play to a draw and want to try to show up shop I'm more likely would have considered another would have been happy with the draw. I won't know absolutely really happy with it Not like I wish we'd gone for it. Absolutely where's these days? It's just like well let's just go and that's what Alan Pard you said when he came in Yeah, he said, you know, why I'm going to play Cavaliers swashbuckling for whatever phrase you use, you know, meaning maverick. Yeah, we're we're gonna win Are we gonna lose? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, and he's proved it But I know when they came in the letter the gold we had Delaney and Dan. We're both up there in the 88th minute So we're still going for it Well the break the letter to go as well. I mean it was you know Yeah, the board the ball said the dummy by McCarthy was it. Yeah, I don't know yet. Yeah, it was great But again in years gone by you know, Pulitzer would have done is not if we've done that Yeah, Pulitzer said just holdable where it is taken to the corner. Yeah. Yeah, which you're seeing at West Bromet moment He's actually how they're like well, you know, I think with Pulus is you keep you stay up and any keeps you up again It's easy. Yeah, exactly. It's it before as we would pay for parties to answer but that and also I thought it was really Not patronizing the party, but you have to be a good team This sounds odd, but you have to be a good team before you could admit that you were lucky to get To get the win. Yes, which we were we were having said that how many times has it happened to us? I don't give it stuff. Yeah, also is another cliche, but again, we don't get set off and that's a goal to deserve to win To win the game. I did enjoy Mark Hughes's interview after the game go. That's two seasons and all right Well, perhaps there's a pattern there mark your team is able to put away games If you work on that, then you might be winning about not not getting the points that you did also I think as we as we predicted they set up in a completely different way of getting they took man city apart The last time game and they didn't set up in it and they were near as attacking formation as they did Against us and we we beat a team that took man city apart. So Yeah, and we were the first team to score against them since the end of September and as I'm sure crosses can see Yeah, and and we've got a player who's on the fringes of our squad who had the ability and the technique to score that goal Which was and again he never see for the third or fourth game running. Yeah, man of the match stepped up and In fact, yeah, I'm speaking of Hennessy I just really I want to definitely talk about him because there's a question about him I'm going to plop it in here because it loads questions for later on and from Chris Emmanuel Who I met on Saturday and very nice. Great name for Christmas Really made some good films as well And he says after Hennessy's fantastic performance on Saturday is it now the time that Andy Street or eat a great Serving of humble pie. Well, you don't get a figure like this by eating a lot of pie tea. No. Mm-hmm. Thanks, Chris Another push so weird today's me so he was fantastic that wasn't it he It's interesting because obviously as you know, I read a lot of these sort of stats and analytics guys and a few of them have been Still very critical of Wayne Hennessy and I think it's interesting one I think sort of six weeks ago I was ready to sort of criticize him fairly readily because there was lots of sort of hesitancy in his game And there were times when his handling wasn't quite sharp as it should be but I think since Well, it's a substitution in between the post Position was between the posts and his ending position was between the pipe He's improved massively I think in the last sort of six weeks and he's growing into the role so I was quite surprised all about confidence on it Street Put most waivers to bed because of those two saves the first one and one for the header was I thought a better save than I think the only slightly worrying thing is that for the first time this season. He's had to he's had saves to make because Oddly, he had a sort of period of 10 games where our defense was so strong that I'll be I know your your stat last week about shots But he didn't he wasn't putting a situation that Julie needs to be where he was having to make save after save and in the last couple of games He has had the so which I don't think indicates any failing on the defense But it's it's I hope it's not a pattern It's more like the way the way we're the way we're playing Yeah, but I don't want to see my I don't want to get to a situation again Where as every week you could be that's Julie was gonna be mad at the match. Yeah, I see Wayne being mad at the match every week He's definitely a number one keep you can't argue with Well, he is but I think in the same way that you know, I thought it was a little bit foolish to write McCarthy off so quickly and so early I think it's a little bit, you know early to go Well Wayne Hennessy is gonna be palace number one for got knows how long and for years and years I think he's doing well at the moment It's great to see and he's starting to prove people wrong But you know, let's see if he can do that for another six weeks for six months for We were arguing for arguing say cuz I'm not giving for Oh, yes, you are You're trying to speed the arguing out because you get paid by the minute But you say you see the bill for you could say you could say down there any palace player You could say well, let's wait for four years to until we judge with it Oh, he's gonna be a brilliant player or Sorry, Hennessy's Hennessy has had a run of what seven or eight games now You'd say the ladies are the run of two lucky seasons, so let's Okay, right well judge Wayne Hennessy based on the first ten minutes against Bournemouth And if he's good, then I say fine. He's gonna be great for the foreseeable future The last you game for Hennessy has been fantastic is that he hasn't been one of the match By distance because there's always been at least a couple of the players that have run him close Always is MacArthur or Wickham last of the games, so it's not like he's the only player that's doing anything for us There are other players And actually I'm gonna constitute myself here because actually the Southampton game He only really had two saves to me. It didn't need to be fair and Both of them I thought the one from the header was I better say because he because again I didn't see this as a criticism of him. His weight was on this left foot But the thing about the same thing about this But the thing about the second thing was just drop him Just drop him I'm just rubbish. I agree with you. I agree with you. Yeah, I agree with you. I don't know why Jim Daly's so I don't know Just for parity but the second save was great because it was late in the game when he hadn't had a lot to do Yeah, ten or fifteen minutes before that, so but I don't think there's no these are number ones Yeah, I was you season was out of one keeper and yeah, and I think for the moment there's no thing to worry I think we'll bring in another goalkeeper in the next season. Do you? Yeah, I think we will really Love the coffee, so why would you bring another goalkeeper in the coffee? So I'm not the palace manager So that you throw Jules a beat Jules beat I think Jules set upstairs or Chet Jules be putting the cup I'd like to set a few weeks back and then he likes having three first choice goalkeepers or close the first choice goalkeepers McCarthy hasn't you know Had a great start to life at palace. I didn't think he was that bad. I made a few mistakes But I thought apart from that you know the promise the crowd got his back a little It's been told is his mistakes were costing they work. Yeah, they were In the same way that Jules in his first pellet Palace. Yeah, he's mistakes No, I get I understand that I understand that but I thought actually thought he wasn't playing badly No, I mean if the club does want to become a top six club But I'm not saying whether they should or whether they do but I think they'll need an upgrade on both those goalkeepers Neither those goalkeepers is a top six Premier League goalkeeper What the two serve keepers? That's hard. Hennessy or McCarthy. I don't think either of them if you look to them, you'd say they're top sproneys Well, I don't need a day like a top six keeper last his form definitely was I think Hennessy could be like I don't I mean who else are a top six is Jack Butler and the top six keeper. Yes, Hennessy It's only but London heart that you would say yeah, I don't think there are not many others today. I guess that check Yeah, I suppose they're okay Before we was talking about better stats than I suppose he might make something in the car You made more saves than all of them. Yeah, do you have any mistakes against Norwich on? Yeah, exactly Chex me making this time is Hennessy's not world class, but he's a good Perfectly fine for where we are now. Are we talking about Wayne and us in the same breath as day? Because he's a goalkeeper. Yeah. Yeah, you started it why that's because I said you shouldn't be talking about him in the same breath But his form over last few games was just that we should why not he's been really good Let's make us let's not make us vote this street is wrong Okay, well, she was just part of that. I don't even know my line of honkers If we are talking about world-class players, all right Let's talk about one that definitely is world class because Palace one on Saturday for the first time What played with us and without your hand goodbye? Yeah, and we were talking about Lester earlier and saying how grow up They're doing but I think if with Lester if you take out Mario's and Vardy or one of those I think they would well I definitely both they would struggle but on Saturday we proved that we can win without your hand Well, you say that and I get everybody would have thought that we would struggle without Goodbye, so maybe they wouldn't struggle without Mario's party. Oh You know you've started Cool street disease now, okay, the flavor it was a big statement to put somebody just answer the questions asked them. What was the question? Was it a massive statement to to win without your hand and is it proof that they're after a role Legally and Jen that to play. Oh definitely Yeah, I mean it's a difficult question to answer because you don't know what the outcome would have been but I think it if you're gonna pick a game for Ledley to come into then stoke away would be the ideal The ideal game if if you're home to a team you'd expect to be then That you want a bit more creative flared and possibly not but I think I think yeah It proves that we still have that core of resilience that we had in under PULIS for a start off that we go to a difficult ground and Let's be fair grind out a two on we're and whether Kebai would have made a difference to that creatively. I don't know but he's I mean his range of passing was definitely missed on yeah on Saturday Yeah, there were periods where we didn't with we could have had on the ball but bit longer and we did Give you an also they do you could see they do look to him under periods of pressure for that sort of calmness And he talks to them all the time so but no, it's a great. It's it's fantastic that we've got that result without without Kebai and We can they gave Wickham the chance to step up and take the penalty which he took really well And I was really pleased to see Wickham's response because it obviously meant a lot to him Yeah, and also to the on also to the rest of the team. Yeah, we're going the last time He was like wading to the Palace fans which is which was as much as it meant it was really great to see everybody willing Yeah, the fans as well loved it. Yeah, that's great. Yeah, I think the fans are really taken to Wickham because they recognize He's a worker Well, it's not just a worker though. He's like he's not just a worker like Cameron Jerome is a worker that really brings other people into the He's got it's not just occupying centre backs like Jerome used to do for a lot of time He's actually, you know, he's he's gonna create a lot of goals He's I don't think any of us are expecting score 20 year olds a season, but no and he's got a much I really really am the rated because I just thought he was a big Cartels, so he's got much much better touch than I thought he had done. He's much more mobile than I thought he was as well um Like when Palace came up a couple of years ago and started this season We were all saying we want to we want to emulate teams like Stoke the maximizing normal emulate teams at Southampton We now beat in Southampton and Stoke last two games. Are we are we at their level now? Level I think we probably shouldn't get too carried away because I mean in both games You're talking about very fine margins against Southampton even in that game, which we were excellent in You know, if they they equalize at the end with a very very very clear cut opportunity You go away going well at the point at Stoke they should have won I think we're now performing at level where we're sort of befitting of being at the same level in the Leagues and ultimately we've got a good squad now But they are decent teams as well, so you shouldn't you know say well We've moved beyond that because we've got to stick by Christmas et cetera. I would refer you to a blog by A friend of FYP called Harry House He wrote this week for dartford chauffeurs on its own. It's on it's online. It's a chop up. It's a really it's Really it was picked up It was picked up by Stoke fans who were furious about it Basically he's talking about it. It was very funny and slightly exaggerated about Stoke still being a boring team and the rest home for old people The fact that if you if you order a Prosecco and target target doesn't make you classy It's very funny, but um, I think the interesting thing is that Southampton and Stoke see us as at their level now And that was people certainly perceive. I mean, I I think Your head is important. It's probably your main here that you have to Ask that question to get into his time in terms of infrastructures and players coming in, but I think If if you were to say to a start the season Would you would you settle for being the 10th place being table team you go? Yeah, yeah I'm getting to the stage where I generally don't think this is a fluke anymore and You think I think we probably will be born for Swansea. This is like I hate saying it But I'm getting to the stage where well, you know, I can't, you know, it's like we're It's like I could be disappointing if we don't beat Bulma from Swansea over the next two games I think that's what we're trying to say. Yeah, it'll be disappointing if we don't get six points in the next two games I thought the performance against Southampton and the game Harry said this in the book. I thought for me That was more important than the Newcastle performance Because again, it's like the evidence point away from it is a grown-up performance against a good side You know, it's sort of a really good players Who played good foot? Well, no, they're in a bit of a rut But that was a proper Premier League performance me and then that's a sort of game We would never expect to win. They've beaten us seven times and yes, been in the league That sort of things normally important and we deserve to beat them. I don't care what Cuban said We deserve to beat them. Yeah, and we were better than them all over the picture. That's it's just There is there is something happening here. It's not a fluke anymore. It's not like a cup run anymore It's just where the competent Premier League side that no one no one really wants to play Yeah, and we're capable of beating them and I know the top four I'm just good this season, but we're capable of beating anyone It's funny you say growing up because that literally was my next question was Literally judging by the you know the performance away Everton where we we were probably second best But got up buying performance away stoke. Have we it feels like we've matured like this this team has a team that if you look at the average age It's it's not a young team really there's a lot of 29 year olds And yeah, you've got you know a couple of 30 year olds in there as well It's it's a team that I've done the club will be fully aware of the fact that 29 year olds can quite often decline a little bit very quickly But it's certainly a team that looks like it's at the sort of peak of its abilities It's great to see particularly, you know the likes of MacArthur and Punch and they they look like mature footballers who Not necessarily long in the tooth, but mature enough to play in a responsible way and sort of bring the best out of the team around them So yes, I think grown-ups are a very good way of describing them. Yeah, also and I don't want to tempt hate here But what you don't see anymore polish you don't see The rush of blood to the head you don't see the bad tackle what apart were gay or was the one exception this year But for the most part you don't see palace players going the ground you don't see you know punches keeping his his temper The defenders are not giving away stupid fouls it is We're a problem and obviously there's a lot of confidence comes from pardon from results, but We're a decent Premier League side and it's I can't say enough because I really enjoy saying it We just haven't ever been Yeah, we've we've always struggled in the Premier League. We've always looked like we'd stay up one season and and now you know next season we'll be there fifth or sixth of the betting and which is always and Yeah, probably this squad the team two years time will be virtually unrecognizable. That'll be a shame, but You know things happen things develop at the moment. It's just Six going into Christmas in the Premier League. It's crazy after all those all those years when you know We were 17 for the championship or you know, maybe hopeful about getting in the playoffs. It's just like that's just fantastic. So I'm not I home to mr. Street and his goalkeeping negativity I said that Wayne and this is started this season very well, and he's already confounded my expectations Where I thought he would be let's see how he develops That's a great lawyer. He's argued for He's argued for the prosecution and the defense I'm acting on both sides You're getting two invoices to be for today It's almost like um it is almost like pallets have sort of given us an early Christmas present Hasn't it with the four-minute seasons? I tweeted on Saturday It's one of those glorious days when you know, we won with a fantastic goal. Chatham, Millall, Brighton All lost my many goals. It's like thank you center. There's no need to visit our house Christmas arrived a week early. It's fine. I've been a good boy this year. Obviously stuff It doesn't happen. It doesn't happen. It doesn't happen. You know, it's just the fact that Millall Brighton channel fans have just been so cross when they switched to tellies that I went into their pub and saw that Palace had equalised and then Palace had scored the winner. So Enjoy it while it goes. We are. Yeah, I think the argument about South London's number one has long been settled. Oh, yeah, I'm not even in not enough to have a debate and also hats off to Millall fans for talking the Gilligan player about losing his nan. Did they? Mark Wright's brother, who plays for Mark Wright from Towy, plays for Gilligan and Nana, who was famous in Towy, died last week. Millall fans, what was hilarious for Nana is to chant things like "Where's your nan gone?" It's not very Christmasy at all. It's not very any Christmas spirit. It's what we come to expect from them. Well, let's be honest. If you spend every other Saturday at the new den, you're probably going to take your entertainment where you can. That's true. So, yeah, when you're free and all down at the Gilligan. Yeah, yeah. Well, it was opened up. Only three and all down to Gilligan. Give me Gilligan. We're having a good season to be fair. Give me a little more Gilligan. We're talking about Millall again. Anyway, I was hoping to end part one on a festive note about the week that sort of went, that nose dive when we mentioned the Millall thing. But that's fine. We are going to end part one there. In part two, which I forgot to mention on the top of the pod. In fact, I also forgot to mention our sponsors. You've got to mention there's a part two. I should probably mention our sponsors. They know who they are. Well, I'm all the printing embroidery company that's vector with us. Okay. And there we go. And JC, I guess you've got us very drunk last week. John's a lovely man. He's got a mash-up of a South African Irish and South London accent, which is quite a joy to the whole turn. They're a very nice guy indeed. Does brand and consultancy stuff. So if you've got a business that needs brand and consultancy services, get in contact with John and they'll buy you a Guinness. I don't know if he will or not, but he bought me what? Worldwide. More than one from South London. That's the one. Well, I am from South London. Fantastic. Good. And we're also part two as well. And I forgot to mention this at the top, is we've got a very special guest because Steve Parrish, the palace chairman. I've got Tonya. Oh, yeah. Go and go and go. Get dressed quickly. It's going to be joining us. In fact, it's going to be joining us right now because we're going to end part one there. And in part two, we're going to be talking to Steve about all things palace. So join us in a bit. Welcome back to the Five Year Plan podcast and it's time for our very special guest indeed. Becoming an annual tradition now to have you one. So it's the Santa Claus of the FYP Christmas podcast. It's palace chairman Steve Parrish. How are you doing? Absolutely, boy. It's very good. How are you? Very good. Yeah. Good. But you know, it's been a lot of work over the last few weeks. So probably looking forward to like everybody looking forward to a bit of a break. Are you feeling festive? I am actually. Yeah, I'm finally getting between meetings. I'm getting around to doing some Christmas stuff. Just been with the kids and selfages trying to get some Christmas bits and bobs. My sister's coming over from Canada and Boxing Day. So yeah, no, starting to really look forward to it, but we don't get much in football. Do we get one day and then straight down to Baltimore from Boxing Day? Exactly. Obviously the players, you know, I think they're getting a Christmas lunch and then they're off down there in the evening. So, you know, it's a great career, but it's a tough period for them. This is the busiest part of the part of the season and could crucially be quite an important one for Palace really given how well we've done. Last time you came on was last Christmas just before that Southampton game, which turned out to be Neil Warnock's last game. Yeah. Fair to say things were struggling a little bit at the time. Yeah. Fast forward a year to now. Did you think we'd be doing so much better right now? Looking back a year ago. Well, six in a league, I guess. I've always thought that it's possible to do better than we've done in the division before we put a whole season together rather than, you know, half at the end, which is what we've done so far largely. All those things were going reasonably well with Neil until we took a big dip. I mean, it was great of him to step in and do what he did. We both knew it would be a short term appointment. But yeah, once we got Alan, you know, you can see the optimism and the crowd that we've got and just the togetherness. I mean, we had the Christmas party last night. Definitely the best one, you know, we were at, you know, just the togetherness of the club, you know, he's and the fans and everybody is just fantastic. So whenever you like that, you can achieve great things. And, you know, at the moment, we're doing very well. But obviously, difficult period, we need to push on through Christmas and see where it takes us. What is, what is the secret to how well we've done over the last year on and off the pitch? Obviously, the manager's been, you know, instrumental in everything. You know, the manager's very much somebody that I think, you know, he thinks like me in 90% of things. And then obviously, he takes that philosophy into football. You know, I like to think if I had the knowledge to do it and the badges and all that, you know, that's how I'd manage a football club, you know, and whenever I, the comments after the game and they're just always spot on for me. And I think the players buy into that. Also, he's just a really positive person. You know, he's a really, you know, the way you see him is how he is. You know, he's really positive with the players, with the people around him, with the staff. He helps me with every aspect of the football club. You know, the banter at the training ground, the game yesterday with the academy staff against the first team staff, which a film will go up of. We saw the result. We saw what we won. Yeah. Listen, they had, like, poor Mike Vayimidfield and Darren Powell and Richard Shaw sent about playing against the club secretary, the sister. Yeah, he's a good little player, you know. But so, but you know, it just creates an engenders and continues to engender that good atmosphere that's all I ever wanted at the club, really, you know. And of course, we've got a great group of players, you know, Alan will be the first person to tell you that, you know, we've got a great group of players with a great mentality and a great spirit and a great attitude. And in this league, you know, you can't, I can't tell you how important that is. You know, you can, you can have, you know, I wouldn't think that my group or our group of players would tell you they're the most talented, they're talent, you know, they're not the most talented in the division as a group of players, but I think in other teams, some of that talent dissipates because, you know, they're just not maybe the harmony, you know. So that's one of the things the manager's been brilliant in gendering and keeping going and looking into. And then just being a manager, his decision-making process, his teamly selects the tactics, the knowledge experiences built up, he uses it every game, you know, and he's, you know, that's in the last year, that is, we've galvanised what we are, the parts that we are, and we've become, you know, what do you want the managers to do? You want him to, you want him to make your team more than the sum of his parts, don't you? That's what you want the managers to do. And obviously in the last year, anybody can see that that's been done. And you know, I was very happy then that we were able to get him and I'm still very happy now that we've got him. Just feel a bit like this is, you're a massive fan of that 1991 team that was so successful for Palace. Feel a bit like this, this 2015 team is kind of the 1991 team for the next generation. It feels like it's got that kind of element, that togetherness and that ability, isn't it? Yeah, and if there's one thing, you know, that's what I wanted, you know, when I started, you know, I'm sure you can find tapes where, you know, to have a team that's doing this well, playing with an identity that is Palace is fantastic. You know, we haven't become something, we're not. There's real integrity in there, finding a manager that fits, you know, I think this is the thing that you need to do with managers in the end. I've learned, you know, you just need to find a manager that fits the philosophy and the spirit and the thing of the club and fits with you. So, you know, that's what we've done. And Alan was the first to come out, wasn't he, after one of the games and say that was like watching a Steve Coppelside, you know, I'm so proud of it. And it's great. Obviously, what we want to do is keep pushing the quality forward on that, you know, and getting better. And Alan and I, you know, Alan's expressed to me where he thinks that is. And, you know, it's my job to work with him to try and, you know, give him the where with all to make those tweaks either in January if we see an opportunity or in the summer. Speaking of moving things forward, we've had the investment confirmed from Josh Harris and David Blitzer. Have they indicated to you what it was about the club that made them interested? Because, I mean, surely they could have taken over plenty of other clubs in the Premier League, but what both of them want to invest in Palace? Well, I think that we do have a brand, if you like, you know, that resonates with Americans because of the red and blue and the eagle and stuff like that. But I think, to be honest, once they started talking to us, like me, they could see the potential of the club. I mean, somebody said to me the other day, oh, you've done a fantastic job, blah, blah, blah, last five years. And I said, yeah, it was there to be done. Do you know what I mean? You know, it was there to be done. I always felt like it was nearly there with Palace, isn't it? All my life. You know, so the job was there to be done. It wasn't, you know, it wasn't like maybe buying some other clubs where, you know, you really are reaching to think that where we are today is possible. So now, obviously, that gives me a great track record. I've learned more about it than I knew when I came in. And then when I was speaking to the guys, I kind of impressed upon them that there's still more to be done. You know, there's still, there's room to run into. You know, there isn't, we've not run out of the things that we can do fairly easily, you know, that low hanging fruit expression. So they were enthused by that, because if you want to get involved with things, you want to get involved with things that you can make better and grow and make successful. So, and then I think over a period of time, you know, this and a lot of people talk about what private activity people do. And, you know, one of the things that private activity guys do really well is they find people that they can work with, you know, they spread their risk across many, many businesses and they don't, they know they can't run every single one. They know good people and they try and get good management. So I like to think they looked at this club and they thought, well, that's kind of all right, that, you know, now there's things that we can improve on. You know, we're already talking to their people about how we, you know, grow our American fan base and they've got property experts, you know, and all that kind of thing. So there's loads of stuff that they can bring, but I think they thought that the basic core of the decision-making process was pretty good. So, actually in a way, it's kind of harder, you know, if you go and buy another club and everybody goes and you've got to put something in, you are really sort of starting again. So I think it, and we've got to know each other. It just felt right. We get on. They're really good guys. They're real, really good to be around. They're, they're, if I can say this, they're not what you'd think, you know, you kind of stereotypical American billionaire is like, you know, they're- Well, it's something we've seen in English football, haven't we, lesbian? It's something we worked out. I mean, David's lived in London for 10 years. You know, David Blitz is a very angry, vile guy, loves it here. You know, he's here with his wife for 10 years, and I think some of his kids, early years were here as well. So, Josh, that's a big office here, you know, they're far more worldly than sometimes Americans are, frankly. You know, sometimes there's so much to do in America that many of them spend that much time out of it, do they? But these guys have really well traveled, you know, Asia and India and, you know, all over the world and bought businesses all over the world. So they're, they're real, you know, they're smart, they're worldly, they're good fun. I think once they started looking at Palace, kind of, it's London, right? I mean, let's not kill ourselves, like, you know, you're getting an outfitty quickly and do something while you're here that's quite enjoyable, not denigrating other places, but, you know, there's more to do so. That's the mystery, but it's the best city in the world. It's only England. Personally, I think it is. New York's pretty close, I like it there. That was the other thing we haven't discussed about the really good excuse for me to go to New York. Well, there you go. That was probably the main reason I did it. So, no, but listen, I'm, you can only make the best and most informed decision you can make. I spent a lot of time with a lot of other people as well, remember, you know, that we, some of them, we really wouldn't want, you know, to be very involved with football club or some of them. Nice guys, they're just going to make so many mistakes when they first come in. And we've seen that, you know, they're, they're all smart, you know, people who've made money, they're typically smart. They'll get there. It's not like they won't get there and work out. It's just why bother going backwards, you know, once you go backwards in football, it's so hard to get that momentum back again. So, you know, it's, I think it's a really positive development. And, you know, now two days or three days on, I guess my thing is I've got to make it work. They speak, spoke very briefly on the palace digital channel after the stoke game about the general partnership. In fact, it's going to be you, David and Josh are making decisions. Can you give like a little bit more background? Because obviously we don't go into the mechanics hugely of a private equity deal because I'm sure it's a private, it's a private deal structured in a private equity way. So, you know, it enables, you know, Josh and David could have bought more of it if they wanted to. Of course they could, but they've got people that they think had value that are happy to come along in their advisory capacity, don't really want any executive control, don't want to be responsible for, you know, all the decisions, but, you know, might have a few bits and bobs to say and things to add and want to be involved in Premier League football. So, you know, and also it broadens the investor base, it just makes it less investment for everybody in the ground and all that kind of thing. So, basically the general partnership runs it as all the executive power and we came up with a constitution where we'll have to agree on the big things, on the budgets, on the big financial expenditures. And I think that that's works, you know, really, it's kind of, you know, although I did everything pretty much on my own, you know, it was always with that backdrop of, I've got to explain this to the boys, you know, I have to talk through this, I have to say I'm pretty sensible, you know, when I do. And I like that, I don't have a problem with that, you know, I think sometimes when you have football clubs that are just run by one person, given that it's initially where you can agree to pretty much anything, you know, there are really no parameters, there's no profit principle driving everything, you know. It can be a problem if you're on your own. I'm very much of that opinion that, you know, if you put three, four, five IQs together, you know, you get the sum of the parts and the boys, Stephen, Mike and Jeremy, still being around brilliant for me, you know, so I've got those guys that I can chat to. Stephen does such a fantastic job with the fans, he's like having a fan on the board, isn't he, really, you know, I think it is an experience business with himself and he's so in touch with the fans, goes to the pub of them, you know, on away games and, you know, all the factions and the groups and, you know, it gives you a great weather vane for us, for, you know, when we're making changes and all that kind of thing. So, you know, it's brilliant, Eastern around, but Josh and David obviously really brought into the projects and the three of us have to agree on amazing decisions and then I run it day to day, I've got a certain amount of parameters and things that I can do without asking. So, but, you know, it's, I don't have a problem, it's a consensus really, boys, that's actually in these situations is what happens. It's what, I mean, Stephen, Mike and Jeremy, we've never had a vote in five years on anything, you know, they've been brilliant, even in difficult times as well, remember, you know, it's always great to talk about when times are going well, you know, but, you know, losing day three when we were setting top of the league, you know, that's not, you know, you have some pretty strong partners at that point, you know, stick with you, particularly when there was, you know, we hadn't done particularly brilliantly up to day and we improved all the time, but people maybe couldn't see the things that I could see about how much work had gone in and how much we were improving and then kind of careless to lose another one, Tony, just before the, you know what I mean. So, but, but, you know, they stuck with me through all those times and trusted me to sort it out and get it right. So, you know, I'm sure Josh and David, it will be the same, you know, we will arrive at consensus and if the worst thing that happens is we don't do something, that really isn't a bad thing in football, trust me, you know, you, you, if things are on the margin of whether they're value for money or sensible, 90% of the time, if you're better off not doing them, really, you really are, you know, because the downside risk is normally so much more than the upside potential of those things, but if you're all alive, like I'm sure we would have been on a Johan or a, or a, you know, those big things that we have done, then, you know, it gives you a lot of confidence when you go into those deals, you know, do you feel like you've really tested it and I'm somebody, you know, I test my opinion and my thoughts all the time against myself, against other people. The reason it's still taking so long is because I'm all over it and I think about it and I go back and I think, well, I've looked at this from another way and in those situations, I don't think that would work that well. So can we do it like this? You know, if you make deals in five minutes, maybe you look like you're the smartest guy in the room, but they very, really work, in my view, because I just don't think anyone's that bright, you know, you can be smarter and brighter, but to compute all those possible permutations, sometimes you only get those things when you talk to someone else, like, what have you thought about? If this happened, what you would, it's a bit of a, you know, so it's, it's, I'm really comfortable with it. We'll see, tell you what, something that needs to be said and that was very important to me because a lot of people, football fans, don't think of downside risk really, you know, just buy a load of players, try and win the league, you know, they don't think the consequences, if you don't look at all those clubs that have, you know, I've gone down that road, but so just thinking of downside risks for a moment, you know, we've got as an investor base, the wealthiest investor base, this football club's ever had by a hundred times, right? I mean, this football club has never been owned by people as successful as with the financial means, right? So I tell you one thing we ain't doing, we aren't going to the administration again, right? Now that, for most people, most football clubs might not be a big thing, right? For us a lot, we've lived through two of them, you know, that's no, and that's traumatic, you know, we're talking about our football club, you know, the work that you guys put in, how much you love it, you know, I've got a wonderful email, which I shared a little bit with Josh and David from Bill Wyman, you know, this isn't your actual rolling stone, you know, and he just thinks about Palace, you know, and just randomly sends these beautiful emails, you know, about how well it's going and how much he's enjoying it, and, you know, it's just so much a part of all of our lives, and we've been through such trauma with it, that, you know, first principles of this job that I did when I came in, the thing that I wanted to do was secure the future of the football club, right? So we just did that, really, you know, we secured the future of the football club in the foreseeable future, and that's got to be a great building block for us. Now what we've got to do is just make sure that we're permanent fixture in the Premier League, we've got facilities that become a Premier League team that ain't going to be easy, really, we know that's not going to be easy, guys are not going to throw their money around, you know, we need to do it sensibly and smartly, and that's my job now, and I'm excited by it, but I'm also kind of a little bit tired, I like a little bit of a race at the end of the year, and then really come out of the blocks flying in January and give it everything we've got, you know, to get that main stand, first of all, built, get planning permission for that, look at the academy, it's okay the academy, we've, you know, it's got its own pitches and all that stuff, so that's a step forward, but we need to find it a permanent home really, and we've got some other things we do with academy, I think it's smart with other people, so it's certainly not all bad, and we've got some really good talent coming through, but we've got to look at that as well, so sometimes, you know, when I look at this deal, actually for me, it's almost a bit overwhelming with what I've now got to do, because one of the things that we had before was well, we're not going to do that, because we're not going to do that right now, unless I, you know, the four of us are going to put some more money, and I didn't want to take that level of money off of the boys really, you know, because it went wrong, you know, I really almost kind of wanted to save their money for if it went wrong, and then we had to stop putting loads of money again, so, but now I've got, I know I can, you know, got the where we've all just stuck getting these things done, kind of, that's a lot, I've got a lot to do, so that's my overriding thought, and that can't be anything other than a positive one for everybody. It's making a little bit about the limited partnership there, and sort of the investors come in, I mean, is that something that fans are going to get an insight into into into who's putting money in other than the ones that people know about, has been sort of talk about small groups of American investors, which are the rules, I mean, they're just people, they're just individuals, mainly that Josh and David know, they don't need to be made public according to the rules, so that would probably, you know, be discussed and be up to them, really, you know, I don't mind either way, you know, there's no secrets in Crystal Palace Football Club, you know, you, you know, more already than I would imagine 99% of clubs would tell people about the way deals constructed and all that kind of thing, so I'm pretty comfortable if they want to let people know they are, you know. You're going to sum up very briefly about the sort of benefits of how the deals have been done, because they don't need to, as I say, go too much into the depth of it, but just very high level points for fans just to sort of sum that all up. Well, the benefits for the fans are security for the Football Club, money available to invest in the stadium and other areas, and a broad investor base of bright people that have all got special knowledge in certain areas, whether it's merchandise in or property or whatever, so, but you know, the three key people this are Josh David and me, so the boys, Mike, Jeremy and Steve, and were very comfortable as long as I was in a position of executive power still, and Josh and David were very comfortable with that, and I was very comfortable with them because I spent a lot of time with them, so, you know, it's for us three guys to really push this club forward, supported by, you know, the other guys that have come in a shower, so, if you think of it, if you thought of it as a public company, we're the executive management, and then we've got some other showers that kind of are along for the ride, the enjoyment, put their expertise in, in an advisory capacity, and to invest further money to make the club grow and be part of something fantastic, because it's what we aim to make it. How much the shares? Because we're getting sponsorship down the board, so, you know, got a bit, got a bit of cash. Now, it's unfortunately not publicly traded, so you're then showing it to somebody to park company for me. We want to be part of the ride. They might, they might be worth more today than they were Friday, I don't know, but after last summer. I don't think we'd be allowed. Um, it's big in the stadium, and you know, and, you know, do on timeline plans, and when we're about to see some, some blueprints or some designs or something? You know, I see things, it's been far too long while we're seeing things. Um, what, what we have to do, we're currently concerned with Sainsbury's, that's the where we are at the moment, so, we need them, they need us, it's a fact, you know, we need to get some terms with them, and then we need to talk to the council, and then we need to show you guys, but we want to show you guys something that we believe is in the realms of possibility. You know, we'll probably show it, you know, before, um, we go to planning, but we want to show something that's in the realms of possibility, in a way that's befitting, you know, marketing a new adventure like that, so we want to build a model, you know, do something nice. So, it was a bit of time yet, I can't put time in it, because I can't, you know, other people, third parties are involved in getting back to us and things like that, but I think everybody will appreciate, you know, we can, I can show you something fantastic, and then never be able to deliver it. Why don't I try and get to a point of knowing roughly what we can get, and then show it to you, and then hopefully we can meet expectations. Any day on potential capacity increases, how much that might be roughly. We'd like to get to just under 40,000, it looks like as possibly, but I think, you know, really the direction of travel would be main stand, um, do stand with the whitels laying. So, if you had boxes in the main stands, you probably wouldn't want them in the whitels laying, probably put another tier on that. Some kind of symmetry would be quite nice in our grounds. Some people would love the home still. Yeah, so I don't think you'd get that in the main stand, because that homestale roof is a strange old, it's an end roof, isn't it really, it's kind of, but I think we've got a plan that looks quite nice, we're homogenising the look and feel, a way of doing it. So, yeah, main stand would be first, we've made our secret, the fact it's building behind it, and then, you know, it's quite a complex process, if you look at what they did at Liverpool, you know, they're built behind it, then they, so we would have to lose that hospitality block that we've got at the back of it at the moment and probably have some kind of hospitality in the, in the, not, not initially, so you could build the main frame behind it, then lose the hospitality block, then join it on, then build out a stand, and then probably the levels would change in the existing stand. Okay, so then there'd be another season's work where you'd have to battle a new main stand, but the front part, where say it's baronas and all that, would all be redone and re-geeked and different levels and all that kind of stuff. So, that's the, you know, that's the first thing that we need to do in, you know, we need a, we need a symbol, you know, of crystal palace, you know, you need to pull up and it looks like it wasn't built in 1924 and had a bit slept on the back of it in the 70s, you know, that's what we need to get it to, and imposing entrance and club shop within the same building, really good corporate, really good good corporate, you know, we're in London, we should be able to get, you know, and I think the direction of travel for us is to try and get more corporate and keep the general admission, so increase the number of general admission seats, keep the prices as, you know, as low as we can, really. And also keep that kind of palace filled, because the last thing you want is, is on a sort of homogenized box stadiums that a lot of clubs have gone for, don't you want something that's still filled by palace? I don't know, like less there's works for some reason, you know, they get really good at the screen, and others don't seem to work, but yeah, we've got the benefit of hindsight on those things, haven't we? You know, so we can go for something that's a bit more urban and angry, and that's why we want to keep the bottom tier of seating, because as soon as you take that out, you have to rebuild it to the green guide, which means you have to have 430 mil wide seats with 800 mil front to back, then it means the seats at the back end up miles away, because you're just so keeping the front tier of seating is absolutely pivotal, as Liverpool have done on their stand, and then you can really lock in the atmosphere. The only stadium elsewhere that you sort of really admire and go, "I'd like a new size to have that sort of feel to it." Not really, honestly, because I don't like just how kind of clean and perfect and sanitised and they all are. I like it tidy, but just the tightness, all those new stadiums, they're amazing, but they're just not very tight, you know, I just don't get that. So I think we want to try and, I mean, I'm not saying there aren't stadiums out there like it, I just haven't, I can't think of it, so I've made it one. I mean, the stadiums I like going to have spurs, but I love, you know, what I like, I think it's a real shame that they're going to build a new one, because I think it's a real good, tight football stadium, good as some park, Anfield, same thing I like, or those, they're the ones I like, really. Okay, so moving on, have you been surprised at some of the negative reaction from fans to the loyalty point scheme, specifically some of the points coming going from merchandise? Some fans saying that really, maybe that should be a separate thing, that you get points for tickets, to use on tickets and points for merchandise, to use on merchandise. Yeah, I am surprised, I don't really understand it, I mean, I've read all the arguments. I mean, it's probably going to get into a contentious area, right, but let's go there, so, it's the only thing, let's go there at Christmas, and it's a bit of Christmas goodwill. So first of all, we get to a point, like Ballmouth, right, where, if you go to every away game, and you've got a season ticket, you've got the same number of points, so what creates a tight break for those points? And as we generate, as we get more fans and more people that want to go to away games, 2007 and point to start, we get 1,000 tickets for Ballmouth. So how do you decide, which one of the 1,000 or 1,500 that have all got the same points get to go, right? So having some way that you can show your loyalty to the football club more than just you went to every home going of the way, to be seems sensible, right? Because otherwise, you're going to end up, well, how do I decide then between, is it first-come, first-served? That hasn't really seemed fair. Also, for me, loyalty, you know, some people can't travel to away games. And bear in mind, the amount of points that we give at home season to get older travels to every away game is so huge, it is pretty impossible for you not to get in a way to get for nearly all of the games. And then if you bought a shirt and some hot dogs and some, you know, but also why shouldn't we encourage people to do that, you know, in the most important way? And also people, they want to go to the other way, they want to break in, they might have a job that means they can't go to every way game. This kind of concept that only people that ever go to away games should be the people that go to away games. I find it's like a club then, it's like a club within a club where only you guys are in it and only you people can ever go to an away game. I just don't think that that's healthy really, you know, I think it's not healthy for the club, it's not healthy for the club, I think there should be a way that you can amass points and loyalty for me to the club is really spending money with a club. I mean, there's a kind of irony, we don't even get the money for the away tickets, you know, but I do understand it's very important that we have a vibrant and strong away following and we love those guys that go up and down, of course, we do and we're not penalising and we're giving them every single chance in the world to have more points, we just want at the lower end the opportunity for people in the same way as we wouldn't sell the whole ground to season tickets even though we can, right, while we sell the whole ground to season tickets, it means nobody can ever go that hasn't got a season ticket and then you don't get anybody getting the habit and then and also what you get is you create a secondary market, if you sell to season tickets, you just get touts buying them. Unfortunately, I've passed fans, you know, there's another email I get, "Oh, it's disgraceful, these tickets are on, this site, well, where do you think they got them from?" You know, they didn't get them from me, they didn't ring the box office today. I mean, you have to be a member, I mean, we have to be fair, 380 members were culled recently that were touts or we get a Premier League list suspected as being ticket touts. So, I think on the loyalty points thing, I think it's perfectly reasonable that the people that go home in a way I've got a way of collecting more points so they can separate themselves out so they definitely get the first dibs on the bottom of tickets or the, you know, or the cup ticket away at Dover or the, you know, whatever might come up, you know, you can show that your loyalty goes beyond just going home in a way and if you spend all this money, we want to encourage people to come in and retail food at a stadium and it has worked, right, people are doing it and we want an opportunity at the lower end for people to, because, you know, if I showed you the stats, there are really not that many people that go home in a way of a game, so the people at all, you know, they're really aren't that many people, there's a kind of core group, I can't remember exactly the number but I'll get, if you want it, I'll get it for you, right? So, actually, it is more different people that go to games, they don't go to all of them, so for those people, they're the people really that want to collect more points from other places and try and make it work for them, so I've seen the Football Sports Federation, we believe that, you know, it kind of, the fans have pressured them to give this statement, only people to go to a way game should get loyal points to go to away games, I don't agree, I just don't, you know, but I think that those people that go to away games and travel up and down the country to spend their money should get a lot of points for going to those away games, absolutely, and it should, they've got iron season to get as well, it should make them almost unassailable if they want to go to an away game, particularly when it's 5,000 tickets and all that stuff, but I do think there should be an opportunity for other people to join the party if they want. You can see any sort of tweets that system, because you're speaking about sort of awaiting the most. All the time, yeah, of course, and we've had loads of stuff from fans, you know, that isn't, I mean, one of the things straight away, the corporate people don't get it, so you can't spend, you know, 150 Queenies and suddenly you've got 150 points, you know, so, absolutely, you know, we want to make it fair, we want to make it a tiebreaker for the people at the top, we want to make it reasonable, you know, like, if somebody's been, it's got a home season, they've been to two away games ever in the season, or last season or season before, remember you carry them forward as well, and then somebody else has bought, you know, loads of shirts, loads of merchandise, always eats in a stadium, you know, should they not get an opportunity to go to the away game against the fan who's been to two away games, might have been Chelsea and Arsenal, you know, not making a massive commitment there are, they might live, you know, up the road, so I think that, you know, you can take the very extreme end, there is nobody that goes home and away, and has got a season ticket and follows us in the championship and all that stuff, you can't get the first different away ticket, it just isn't, but what it does, it enables at the lowering for people to get an opportunity to go to the away game, to find a way to go there, and at the same time support the club by not eating the jerk chicken place and the fish shop and the things, which are all great out there, and our pleas that they're there, you know, and we're pleased to support them as businesses, you know, but we reserve the right as a business as well, to try and find some way to get people to eat our food and our drink and all that kind of stuff, so, okay, cool, okay, well finally then, we've got this new investment coming in, as and when you do depart, so has to stay, well, do you think your legacy will be, or what legacy do you think you'll leave behind at Palace, as and when? Well, I'd like it to be established Premier League club with a great stadium and really good training facilities, like, I'd like to come and ask your permission to go at that point when I've got there, you know, that kind of would feel like a good time, but I can't, you know, I just do my best to get us there, I can't absolutely promise that, you know, look at Swansea this season, they're in the bottom three, you know, I mean, I don't think they'll stay there, by any means, I've watched them Saturday, they were sensational against Westam, very unlucky, not to school, but that's what I want to do, at least get us like a long way there, and then I will look back, and I think I will then feel that I've done what I set out to do, if I can get us that point. Cool, okay, good stuff, right, well, join us later on in the podcast, there's more from Steve answering your questions, but right now it's back to the guys at Kevin's. Hello, welcome back to the podcast. We're going to be doing it. We're going to be doing it half time, we invited them to equalize cigarettes, we're going to have to do the whistle's gone, not now, you idiot, it's singing it half time at Stoke on Saturday. I said the high informer has actually picked up, hasn't it? Last two performances have been very good, yes. Before Stoke we'd got identical home and a record, one as many four wins, and one draw I think it was. All the beer that we played to, I'll get it at home. Yeah, all right, but still, typical string. So, it's actually lower. Let me mention our sponsors, our sponsors are vector printing for all your printing body we need, go to vector.co.uk and that's vector weather. Okay, and JCIS, the Global Research and Brand Consultancy from South London, visit JC-IS.com. So, chap, it is Christmas and there'll be some listeners listening to this on Christmas day, so we wish you a merry Christmas. Really? Well, there might be, why not? And there might be some listeners who will have opened a present and it will be a crystal-palestine present of some sort, I'm sure. But my question to you guys is, what's the best and worst palace themes present you've ever got for Christmas? I think both. The answer to that question is the same thing. It's from my palace garden home, which it's not in, it's two pressures to put in the garden, which I unwrapped one year from my mother-in-law and you can't wrap a gnome and disguise it, it wasn't in the box. It's clearly a gnome of some sort in wrapping paper. Has he got a gnome to go to? Was it laughing? Oh, oh, oh, he's not a good elf at the moment. David Bowie still denies it, he's saying the laughing, doesn't he? He did, yeah. Yeah, it's a very, very reference to it, but he's laughing, though, so he needs to know. Yeah, the palace garden home was my favourite. Although this year, I noticed the club shop I was making an attempt to get class here, all that, was in the years going by, I mean, 10 years ago, pretty much everything the club shop was sold out or tacked, sold out, but no. Yeah, the garden home, I'm very fond of my palace garden home. I'm sure there'll be a few more garden names to get in the delivery of Christmas. Anyone else? Andy, what's the best? On the good side, I've had a number of good palace books at Christmas, there's the official long history. Is that Mr. Sands? The Reverend Sands, is that really large? Not just that, it's the other book, which takes on, I've also had a number of represents ones as well at Christmas, so those have always been fantastic. The worst palace gift has to be the Southampton game last year, on box. And I completely stole that from one of the comments that we had when we asked this question to Twitter or Facebook, so I will give credit to it, but I thought it was a very good answer. That was particularly bad, but it did lead to war on going there, so I got some palace underpants ones, which I think weren't official club merchandise, but the eagle was very unfortunately placed. I don't want my Christmas lunch anymore, I can't think anymore, I can't think. One day worse, the best, usually those two great books by Neil McStean, the palace on this day, the miscellaneous one, the one with all the facts and figures and stories. It's almost like I told you to say that. No, no, it's true, they're all great great books, and I think they're both still in print and available on all sort of social thingy shops. There's one in his full name, Neil Friend, Neil Venderkop, let's do this. No, he's just, he won't come in, he's a friend, he's a friend of mine. Can you ask him then to do an updated version, because the one I've got is from 2008. Why don't we ask him now, because he listens to the part? Neil, could you please do an updated version of your excellent on this day book? I also love the, I also, one year I got the high on Palace book, which is a great book. Yeah, that is fantastic. Oh, to grab some passive future present, whatever. Nearly, if you don't update your book, it means J.D. will have to go on either there. The proper research. For years of proper research, the future photographs, that'd be great, you could take a photograph of the future on it. Well I do it, I do it on a regular basis, I just haven't found a way of printing them out. Well I do, I'll let you know, I hope some of these just exist in Christmas day. I'm done with heavy spray outs, I'm listening to James O'Connorkop to look at photographs of the future. Amazing, I'm listening to what happens in the future, what future photographs have you taken? I'm not telling you. I'll tell you, come on. Oh, come on, no. Yeah, sure you will. Well I ask the listeners for their palis tat they received. John Humphrey has received a knitted woolen palis kit for his action man figure. Really? Oh wow, that's amazing. That's really nice. Yes, that's thoughtful. So I'm a pair and put them for reference to that. James, I'm going to put some reference to that. So I sanded it. James says, "My grandmother once embroidered me a small red and blue cushion, reading, and on the eighth day, God created crystal palis." Really? That's fantastic. Was that a Granny Vector? That was Granny Vector. Granny Vector, yeah. What was that? Back to you with a grand. Oh, similar to what you said to 3. Jack Bristow says that he bought his old man tickets to Mule away for New Year's Day, which would have been, what, 2010? Oh, yeah. Lost 3, Neil got kept in by the old bill. And it shut down. With rain, but much like you said, that was... 2011. 2011. The first New Year's Day going to CBST 2010 at hand. And Bertie got sacked after 2012. No, it would have been 2010. No, it would have been 2011. 2010, we were still in trouble with... No, they took over in 2010. And then Christmas 2010 goes into New Year's Day in 2011. Oh, it was 2011. Oh, wow, yeah. Oh, January 1st is the next year. Oh, I thought it was the same year. I thought it was the first 2010 year. No, I thought it was the first 2010 year. For its New Year's Eve, sorry. This is why New Year's Eve. This is why New Year's Eve. I thought it was New Year's Eve, even though it was... That was also New Year's Day, yeah, yeah. One of your future photographs was taken the day they took over. On 2010, you brought your photographs to the Millwall game. Yeah, I know. Which is why I didn't go, because I knew we were going to lose. And you had a good call here. And who got a hand trick that day? For Millwall? Jason Punchin. Jason Punchin. Whoa. Did he? Yes, he did. Did he indeed? No, John. And whose last game was it as an manager? George Bird. George Bird. Oh, he was there. That's all right. It wasn't this thing. Why, because you can't multi-talk. And was it on New Year's Day on New Year's Eve? I don't even know. Was it 2010 or 2011? I don't know. You literally can't look at your phone. I had a listen at the same time. No, I can't. I can't. But again, like the Warner one-- You just did dead, but they were-- It led to-- I'm getting confused. Like the Warner one. They've stopped the strategy, me. I'm trying to talk. Like the Warner one. It led to a new era. Because it led Birdie going. Doggy coming in. And Dougie, you know, a lot of people have said that he was the one that kind of started us on this upward trajectory. We're still sort of playing his way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We saw what a dullest football would ever see for you. We've progressed. We've progressed, but-- Just a little. Which turned into an act of treachery, unknown, in Palace history. Yeah, we're worried for that now, though, aren't we? Yeah, really, I'm afraid of that. It just ruined my business. Jadie's just ruined Christmas. Again, I'm taking all the tears off. More bad goods. Well, no, I'm going to-- Because thinking of Palace history, I'm going to dip into Neil McStain's excellence. Oh, really? Which is available on all mine shops, I believe. Well, nothing could have happened on Boxing Day, for example. Surely nothing's ever happened on Boxing Day. Well, first of all, because back in the day, they used to play on-- Christmas Day. Christmas Day, didn't they? And then the reverse fixed your boxing day. Really? Yeah. Do people hate spending time with their families that much? Yeah. They did. It was the only holiday, really, because you were a working man. It was only day off. It was only up to about the early 16, man. Well, there's a famous one, Charlton Lost. Are women available as well? Charlton lost seven of them at home. That sounds creepy. But then they won the reverse fix to the next day, so-- Yeah. So they used to play the same team? Yeah, yeah. Two days in the right. Yeah. And it was usually a local team, obviously, because-- Yeah, but not always if you were so-- So, for example, you played Brighton two days in the right. Yeah, yeah. That's amazing. More black than sometimes, because it was-- Imagine if we'd been Brighton twice in just over 24 hours. We'd probably work because they're terrible. Yeah. Yeah. So on the 25th of December, 1920-- I remember, yeah. I said here, on the way to becoming champions of the third division, Palace faced a Christmas double header with Brighton. So he did? Whoa. Away on the south coast. If we won Christmas Day, Palace grabbed a two-year win. Yes. Well done, Palace. Well done, not in 2020. Doesn't actually say what the reverse fix was. Oh, it does. It does. I like it. The nest was packed with 22,000 people on Boxing Day, the next day of 1920. What was the score? So it's the back of the double header second game. Palace. You'll be in the suspense. Palace did the double, because Ted Smith got the winner and it's 3-2 victory. Yes. We've been matching, seeing the big Palace. It's really nice in the space. It's been 3 hours. All we need now is a time machine to go back to 1920, which unfortunately-- Unfortunately, I can only go forward. Oh, yeah. Well, it was at 1920. Yeah, there we go. 1920s. It was all 1920s, eh? So it's been nearly a century we've been better than them. Yeah. Yeah. Just about every round in the crowd were a little missing because of the war. Yeah. Oh, bring it down again. Not nice one. Except the cowards, of course. There's another-- there's more boxing days against Brighton in 1962. Oh, my great-granddad was very proud of what my great-granddad did in the First World War, considering he was very claustrophobic, where he spent the First World War was amazing. Well, absolutely. In a cupboard under his mum's stairs. [LAUGHTER] He had a terrible allergy of feathers, as well. That was very inappropriate. I was shockingly inappropriate. But very funny. Yeah. That's our tagline, isn't it? [LAUGHTER] No, you're just joking. Come on, Santa, I want more facts. 1962, Palace played Brighton again and came away with a two-nil victory. Yes! Unfortunately, we did lose to them on the 27th of-- Oh, but ignore that. You know, they do it a lot more than that. It was offside anyway. We're not going to go into that one. Ref were shocking that, yeah, rubbish. I let the crowd as massive, though, for that game. Wasn't it the '60s one? Probably. It does not say, but I would imagine-- There was some guy with a flobby haircut looking at his finder, not concentrate on the game. Oh, of course. Coming a bit more recent, 1997, after missing a 78th minute penalty in the premiership encounter with Southampton. It's actually a lot. It's actually a lot. Apparently, was given permission to return to Israel for New Year. Zohar returned to his former club, Maccobee Highford, and a friend against A.C. Milan that he didn't have permission to play for. I rightly, he missed a penalty in that game, as well. [LAUGHTER] I think it was less give of permission, though. I could have held it. So there you go. Lots of Brighton themed games, perhaps we should start a song with some sort of out-bought box day, yeah? Brighton, it seems like it'd be them absolutely appropriate. With a Christmas tube, perhaps. Yeah, perhaps. Oh, I found one for 1910, Boxing Day 1910. Do you know what you should do with your research? Probably prepare it better. Yeah, not do it while we're doing the podcast. [LAUGHTER] You only have seven days to do this, yeah. It makes for like more spontaneous. You keep moaning about this two-year-old journey you've got to Chesham on the train. Well, you do it on the train, the Chesham. Well, I stayed at Annie's last night, so the journey was a little quick. Oh, that's why he got a smile on your face. We're doing a morning pod, so others have to get up to it. Well, I've just been restraining all of them. I'm very good. The first ever Boxing Day fixture between Palace and Brighton was 1910. Oh, I bet we lost, didn't we? Played down on the South Coast, Palace lost two now. Oh, that was rubbish game, didn't we? I don't know, because I'm just trying to be here. Can we have a good fact about Liverpool? They're the party. I don't know what happens on this day. Yeah, on the Boxing Day. Well, no, this feature is called on this in this week, isn't it? Oh, it's chose now, isn't it? Yeah, in this week, isn't it? There aren't that many on... Oh, about... Two weeks ago when I realized there wasn't enough things to keep this feature going. I think, yeah, when we realised that the only fact on the day that we last recorded it was Andrew has Ruben staying in the club shop until nine o'clock. Two thousand and one to sign on to go. And I personally found fascinating. Which I think is a brilliant fact, but it's a book. I want a book in fact, just like that. I was furious that I missed out when I read the book, but I'm honest. Well, I turned up sort of size as a queue and thought it was no point. I'll be a lot of people here all night. Well, here's an interesting one from the 23rd of December, 1980. Again to do with Brighton, Brighton chairman Mike Bamber revealed a projected plan for Palace and the South Coast rivals to share a stadium at Gatwick. Yeah, yeah, yeah, didn't know that. Yeah, that came up a couple of times with Stadium at Crawley for Palace and Brighton to share. That would have been a disaster, wouldn't it? Well, Nodes spoke for about two years about building the shared stadium for Palace in Wimbledon. I knew about that one. Slightly close to Brighton. Of course, I see one would have now returned to power lane. Well, I hope they've the local residents of us, Boris Johnson, who stepped in and overturned the planning permission of it. Because they don't want oics in the really classy area of... LAUGHTER ..around that store, that classy door track. That would be a great story, much as they're in gratitude for the time that we saved their asses while sharing their grand with them, still rankers and scotters. But it would be a fantastic story if they ended up back at a plow lane. I like the filler we're doing here while JD continues to research. Yeah, and there's a lot of unbelievable people coming up. I've done the good ones. That's one of the things I tuned in for, JD's live research. We've done the good ones. I've listened to on Christmas Day, what is a massive family rail going on downstairs, cos I'm not in the room having dinner with them, so I'm listening to the change day. I told you to get it on at 4am, Kevin. But I love way down the sea. Of course, it's number one. Those boxing day games, the song was coined after, which is a Harry Belafonte song, that became the boxing day. Mary's Boychild, that became the fun, wasn't it? I think other singers are available for that song. Well, I could be only uncovered it later, but it was a winner. It was a few fun. It was tried out, originally, but yeah. But then he made it into the pop. Whatever. Anyway, when it became the Brighton rivalry, which was the 70s, we played them four times on boxing day in a space about seven or eight years. We actually lost three of those, and only one of those. Did we? Yeah. There was two that set us to it, thinking, "I've never won a wade when it was pouring around. "It took us ages getting down there, because of the weather conditions." Yeah, we actually haven't got a winning factor. Well, there's a last boxing day out of the game, aren't we? '78. No. Oh, we recently? Against Brighton. No. Just last year, Southampton. Oh, that was a wade, wasn't it? Yeah, you missed that. I did, yeah, that was lucky, yeah. So, quick straw part, we're seeing as we're talking about those Tesco bagwares. Do we want them to come up to Premier League to play us here? No, no. I want them to lose on the final day. Yeah, I don't want them to not get in the playoffs. Yeah, agreed to say. I think the really important thing about your Haiti driver was that you're always one division above them. See, I agree with this. I don't know what their nose is pressed against a Premier League shot window for as long as possible, and I want them really hurting, because we're doing well in it. Well, they lost their first game of the season at the weekend. Yeah, quite badly for them to climb. So, with any luck, because the trouble is, it's always the off chance that we, you know, they get up, we play them start the season, they're full of adrenaline, we've got a couple of injuries, they nick a win. Exactly. Then we get six months of not without leave the house, we'll come out for a little bit later. They can't beat us while they're in a division below. Yeah, basically. Good. OK, I totally agree. Enders? Yeah, I agree as well. Good. Right then. Enders is so bored now, he started taking secret photographs. I know, I'm just sending a photograph to my daughter who just said, "Have you just got up, Dad?" She doesn't realise I've been here for an hour and a half, so... LAUGHTER "Have you just got up, texting me, losing the same house as me, sends me a text, "Have you just got up, Dad?" No, I've been seven miles away for the last hour and a half, actually. They're observationless skills. Rob's just ex-all skills are great. Christmas love. OK, well, Enders, you've got a chance to have a little rest now, because we'll go back. Maybe she was looking at one of your photos in the future, when you get back to the house. LAUGHTER But that's that good. Very good. He's drinking breadly just this Santa. I don't know why. Very good. Right, well, look, let's take a break, because we're going to go back to here more from our special guest for this podcast, which is Steve Parrish, Hallis German. He sounded good today. It was keeping quiet in this part, though, wasn't he? Yeah, I think he's just going to make some more sausage sandwiches. He's going back to here, even though he's going to be in the future when we hear him. OK, so we're going to the future. Go back to the future. Ooh, look at that idea, somewhere, somewhere. I don't know, Kev. Right, so let's, let's, let's, we basically, we asked our listeners some questions. So, here's Steve answering your questions listeners, so Johnson a bit. MUSIC Welcome back to the Five Year Plan podcast. We're here with Palace Owner Steve Parrish. How you doing, Steve? Very good, thank you. Well, we've got some questions from our listeners. We have a lot of questions. I apologize right now. I can't read them all out listeners, but there's some fantastic questions. First of all, just a lot of thank yous from fans, just people saying thank you very much for taking the club over five years ago, progressing the club as it is now. What would you say to those guys? No, thank you. I'm glad that, you know, we've given people some pleasure and put some pride back into supporting Crystal Palace. You know, that is the first stage of what we wanted to do, certainly what I wanted to do. And I'm thrilled if, you know, the good, the good will and the good wishes you get from people's brilliant. Really, really good. Very happy for them. Good stuff. Right, so the first question starts from Carl MSX. And he says, will the name Selfhurst Park stay as a stadium name or is there a space for an advertising name, potentially? Well, I think the fans, if we were getting some kind of naming rights deal that really facilitated us getting a good stadium, then I think that people would, would buy into it, think slightly depends what the name is and all that stuff. Yeah, FIP arena. Yeah, if you've got, you know, the right level of wonga, you can probably not know. I just, you know, we'd have to look at it. I'm not sure, you know, for us to do it, it would need to make a difference. And I'm not sure that that market is really there quite yet. You know, I think we'd need to do a little bit more to get there. But, you know, we would look at it, but we would understand the fans' concerns because I share them, really. But, you know, so it's an open question, but it would need to be worthwhile. I wouldn't need to be able to say to fans, look, sorry about this, but it's going to make it happen. So, what do you reckon? OK. So you put it to consultation then, sort of, if the fans first thought, just... No, I don't think you can, you know, yeah, maybe run it up the flagpole, you know, I mean, normally, we tell people we're going to do things before we do them, and gay is the opinion. It's very rare that we go against it if it's a real groundswell, sometimes we have, because I've just think, I know best sometimes, you know, that's what being a lead in a business is all about, you know. But also, you're not a good leader if you don't listen to people. So, we would listen to people's concerns, of course, and it wouldn't be, you know, it's not something that's high on my agenda. You know, if somebody comes and says, "Oh, you know, you can get X for it," and the stadium would be that much better than if you did that, and it depends what brand as well. I think it tasted you like Arena Mike, got a bit of a ringtone. Yeah, absolutely. Another question on the stadium from Louis Zau, which is a fantastic name. Were there any standing area, or the safe standing? Another one. Is that not something that could be on the horizon, potentially? Well, I mean... OK, another one. It's a bit bold with me, isn't it? It's four or five years down the road. There isn't any real momentum behind safe standing in England. What do you think it is? Well, I think, number one, a lot of people have built a lot of stadiums recently. You know, it's quite expensive, actually, to take the seats out and put the rails in and all that kind of stuff. I mean, it's probably the only place that you could really take advantage of it, commercially, in the Premier League, because most championship grounds and below don't sell out, do they? I think it does give you a bit of an issue when the ground doesn't sell out. I think that having fans sat down, it's easier to control, so I think there's a kind of control and safety issue. You know, we're still living in a world post-hillsborough, where that is the overriding concern of everybody. But we'll see, I think there's trials going on in Scotland, is that right? We'll see, I mean, for where we are in the Premier League, I'm in favour of it. You know, I'd like to see a lower home style packed full, but, you know... I went to Mainz, I haven't been to Dortmund, but Mainz have got a big standing section. I think there are safety worries. I mean, I'm not saying that it's unsafe or anything, but it looks... It is packed full of people in a very tight area, because they actually have the away fans in half of the home end, you know, like you used to, with fencing all around them. So, you know, there's just something about it that's not that part... You know, the end where the home fans are looks great, but then they have their standing away fans. I don't know, there's something about it wasn't appealing to me. It's always difficult to stop fans standing, or mess if they want to, with a lot of away fans standing. People are going to stand, sometimes they're going to do it, so... Yeah, it's just when you have those kind of, kind of, cheese-shaped areas in a, away end, in a home end with away fans, it just looks a bit, kind of, I don't know, a bit 70s, and a little bit scary in some ways. So, I don't... It depends how executed, but I just have to tell you, there's no real momentum that I see or hear for it anywhere at the moment. And when you consider that most people don't let people stand up at all, I mean, all over Europe, that primarily grounds or announcements, if you don't sit down, you know, I think it's going to be tough to bring it in. Next question, then, is from Ramsay Musalam, who says, "The only plans to resurrect the Sowers Park open days." Remember those back in the '90s, the open days are for free season? We're going to do proper tours, so there's going to be a proper tour that you can book online at designated times, so... Not those kind of open days, know where the players will be there, and it'll be so many more grass and stuff. I don't think so, no, no. Sorry, Ramsay. Next question is from Rob Gooders, who says, "Barry, where are we on the league right now? Do we really need the distraction of the Europa League if we qualify?" He says, "Messes up league form, question mark." Wow, luxury problems, right? Yes. I can't buy into that. Paris in Europe, you don't want that, really? Come on. You've got one. I put us in him, won't you? It'd be amazing. Yes. Let's... Are we ready for... Are we ready for... Do you think the team is ready for that, if we did this season call or five? Or is that something you just addressed as I went? Well, one time we weren't ready for the Premier League, weren't ready for the Championship, weren't ready for the Premier League, weren't ready for this, weren't ready for that. Of course, it's tough. You've got to look at your squad size, and even the bigger teams are struggling, aren't they? We're told with the European Cup, and we obviously see it with Europa League. It does feel like when the teams are in Europa League, but Tottenham seem to cope pretty well every season. Europa League last year, finished fifth, didn't seem to drain them too much, you know? So, I think we'd love to get there, and we do a pretty good job of backing the odds. So, let's see if we can get there, and it not really affects our league form, maybe. Spoke them out to us at the stadium. We've also had a lot of questions about a different type of tour, though. Pre-season tours of the state spot with the new American investment. I mean, we've done it before, is it something that we're planning again, or are there other types of pre-season tour that we're looking at at the moment? We really enjoyed South Africa last year. Brilliant facilities. Fabulous games. The number one thing is we've got to get the right games for the manager, right? That's really kind of where I am. We've got a great manager that if I said we're going out in Mongolia because we think there's a good possibility of driving fans there, they would go, "Okay, great." But I think that's the most important thing. We get the games and the facilities for the team to prepare well. Obviously, America is a place that, because of the American guys coming in, we love to do it. There's a big cup out there this season, and obviously we've got the European cup as well, which makes it a bit more tricky. So we're looking into every avenue at the moment. We like to get something back and down, unfortunately. It's very difficult because people don't know what they want to do at this time. Some kind of tournament would be great, it'd be really good to participate in something preseason, so it was slightly competitive like we did last year. So we're doing our best. Another question from Mike Wicks. He says, "How innovative do you think we are, Steve, with data and analytics?" I mean, I know the American guys tend to be big on that in their sport, so what are we doing to steal a bit of a march on teams who've got bigger budgets than us? Bigger budgets, what, in data and analytics? Well, now, just in terms of their transfer spend, I don't imagine that would mean. Obviously, we've tended in the past to look at sort of the, not the lower end of players, but look for the bargains. So is there anything particular that you think we're doing in that sort of era? Well, I haven't... I mean, nobody's ever really shown me an example of where somebody was signed on data and analytics where it's been like a rip-roaring success, you know? I mean, the Premier League, you're looking for exposed or semi-exposed talent, really, by and large. I mean, at the level where you'd really like the stats, like academy level, there aren't really any that you could get publicly. When we look at a transfer, we analyze it methodically, statistically, against a peer group of players, often players that we've got that we know are in the same position or players that will play for us. We've got a room where we've got all of the players that we're interested in on videos. We've got an assessment of those players, we've got different ratings for what we think are the best success. But in the end, they're all most more arrests, right? Because there are so many psychological things that make a player perform. So I'm going to give you one example where I think there are certain teams where you've seen a committee buying players on analytics and they could play us. But the manager hasn't got that job for them to do the job that they're good at, that generated those statistics. You know, there are very, very different jobs, even within a midfield in a football team. Very different ways that, you know, managers want to play. You know, we talk a lot of talk now about this higher pressing game. You know, now there's a million different ways of doing it, but one thing that does require is a lot of energy. You know, so you might look at a stat for that if you're going to play in that way. The manager will look at those stats, try and understand that. But the manager's got that picture in his head. He understands how he wants to play. Not just in this game, but in all the games where throughout the season. Not only that, the manager understands the options that he needs. Twenty-five players often isn't enough with injuries. So you need to know, right, who can play right back and centre back? You know, that player is a lot more valuable to me. Don't kill what the stats are for the centre back. That player can play both. And that is really valuable to me, or left back and centre back. Or, you know, the player can play eight or ten, or he can play four, or he can play four or eight. You know, he's a wire player, but he can also play right back at a push. You know, all of these things come into play for the squad planning and the manager. So, and the manager uses loads of analytics with the squad, with his team talks. You know, the manager likes to talk in facts, not perceptions. You know, he will test his, I think this and then he'll ask. You know, he's got a team of analysts. Is that right? You know, I'm forgetting a sense that this is happening. And then they'll go and test that against. They'll go, no, not really how it's not, or they'll go, yeah, no, you're right, it is. Although, give him a particular stat, did you know that this is occurring? So, we use it all the time, and we're all trying to hone in. We buy more packages and more data and all that sort of stuff. But we also have a guy that was 240 games on the continent last year, I had a recruitment. We've also got people that work in the countries that are in the buzz about the next big players. We've got people that scout in the lower leagues. You know, where the stats stats are harder to come by. I think the idea, and also it's levels, you know, you can get all the stats in the world, but they're not the same level. So, in basketball, everybody plays the same basketball. Whoever will play the same college basketball for years and years and years is going back. So, you can compare those stats. You might have a year that's not quite as good as another year, but they're still the same ballpark. How does the Danish League, you know, people will tell you they put weightings on it. So, we've thrown up this player doing really well in the Norwegian League and we've put this weight on it and we think this player can definitely succeed in the Premier League. Okay, you might be right, but that's a big ask. That is a big risk. So, people going to watch players, you know, and combining that with the stats and the analysis, I think is very, very important. And we're not talking about the old kind of divvy sort of scouts, you know, that are kind of divining, you know, trying to walk with a divine, almost talent. You know, we talk about people that are really analytical about the way they watch talent and the way they watch the games and the notes that they make and, you know, they put all of that on the system and they're also in tune with what the manager wants. They understand that position the manager wants and the job that they want the player to do. So, I think that we're trying to build our own system of finding the right talent and so far, you know, it seems to be going okay. Speaking of what the manager wants, the next questions are Mark Davies and he says, "What do you want from Santa Claus for Christmas? Crucially, have you been good enough to get it?" It depends. I think I deserve a little something this Christmas. Obviously, the best thing for all of us is six points on the 26th and the 28th, isn't it? That's where we're made. Other than that, a rest and a few bits and bobs. I'm sure the kids will get me that I would like. Last year, it was pants and socks. Is that what I said? Yeah, it's the socks, boring stuff. No one wants to go and buy their own pants and socks today. I certainly very much enjoy buying my own pants and socks. That makes me who I am. Final question then from Chris Chapman. He says, "Since you're 10 years as chairman, what part of your time at the helm are you most proud of?" I would say all of it. I think there's those moments where you're really tested and called upon. Obviously, I'm proud of that. I'm proud of the fact that through the managerial changes, we've managed to have a culture and ethos at the place that's carried us through that. Good people have come to help players that we've got. I've mentioned before, me, Lay and Daymo and Paddy and players that really care about this football club. Often you get that at football clubs. I don't think in the professional game. Professional pride, caring about the club. I think just generally just look at the culture and ethos that we've got at the football club and have a sense of pride that you were maybe the spark that created that. Most businesses in the end end up reflecting the people that run them, don't they? They do because you pick people, you pick other people, you pick other people. The fact that everybody likes opposing directors and all that, they like coming to Crystal Palace. It's a pleasant place to be. It's a positive people, nice people that want to win, but don't forget that it's actually the end of the world. If you lose the odd game, it's very important now. Your interactions with other people and their interactions with you and how you treat people when they come. We're all in this wonderful thing, football that we love. We're all trying to do the same thing, trying to do the best by our football clubs and our communities. I'm proud of every bit of it. I'm proud of everybody that's involved with the club. I've been since I was four years old. I've always wanted to be a part of this football club. I've always been drawn to it. I'm kind of more proud that I've just been given an opportunity to run it. It's just everybody's dream really. I think if you can't play the game to be able to make a difference to your football club. If I've made a small difference to it and we go on to make a big difference then, that's brilliant. If you do that every little decision, you've got to be proud of because even the wrong ones sometimes teach you things. By the Christmas pod of 2016, would you hope the club would have achieved it? Listen, I honestly picked asking for scores. I don't really like predicting anything for scores because it's like a stock market. I can't tell you what's going to happen with a stock market tomorrow, but I can tell you in five years if you invest in the right things, you'll make money. Same with property, same with anything. Short-term predicting is for idiots really. We're in good shape. We're going well. You lose free games in this division and the confidence suffers a bit. That's when we've all got to dig in. That's when we've all really got to be together. Me, Alan, Keith Millen, all the people at the training ground. That's when we've properly got to be on the same page. Sure, we'll get tested at some point through this season. I'm looking forward to that, actually, because I tell you, we've got a good group of people at this football club. When we do get tested, we'll come through it. Players management, both levels at the training ground and the kind of executive management. I don't know. We're just going to do a nice a cliche, but we're just trying to do the best we can, be as organised as we can, get everything right. That's what Alan does every week, get his preparation as right as he can, give ourselves the best chance of being successful, and then some of it's in the bounce of the ball, and you can't predict it. Finally then, what is your Christmas message to the FYB listeners? Well, first of all, happy Christmas. It's a great Christmas for all of us. We spoke last night at the Christmas party that on the 7th of August 2010, the first game in charge, under a vested football club, terrible food served at the stadium. We're like first team players that summer. Wolfie Zaha scores a goal in 19 minutes, and you just saw a glimpse of what the future could be. We had 30,000 Facebook fans then. We've got nearly a million now. From that time, we've finished higher every season. We've won the playoff final. We're now sitting six in the Premier League. It's just a fantastic moment for us all to stop. I hope everybody has an amazing Christmas stick with us, because I think the ride's going to get even better. That's the aim. I'm just glad it's given everybody so much enjoyment, and for once we can sit there on Christmas Day and just not fret or worry, and be positive about the future. I want everybody to be, so I hope everybody has a great new year. I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure everybody is. It's fantastic having everybody along. The amount of goodwill that I get from everybody, and people that come up to me, I'm ever so sorry. I'm a Palace fan. I'm really sorry to bother you. You're a Palace fan. You can talk to me. Don't care where you are. You know, you're one of us. It's lovely to be out and about, and for people to come and say those things. You know, it spurs you one, because you just want to do well for everybody. So, to everybody that's set up a Christmas to me or wish me a new year, thank you, and enjoy yours. I have a very, very peaceful, happy Christmas, and I look forward to seeing everybody again in the new year. Fantastic. Well, thank you very much for coming on the Christmas pod, and Merry Christmas to you as well. Have a good one. Thank you as well for all your work. I listened to them avidly. All the fans, things that people do. You know, the obsession with it is just fantastic. I love it. And, you know, I've sent a few out to our new American friends just to sell it and get a sense of what it means to everybody. So, all opinions, whether it's about lawty points, you know, we agree, we don't agree. It doesn't matter. It's all people that care about the club, and it's fantastic the stuff that you do, and Kevin as well, you know, he comes on, and you know, it's always funny and interesting. I look forward to listening to everybody. So, it's brilliant. Keep going. Thanks very much. Good stuff. Okay, well, that's that from Steve. Okay, we've got one, one, one part of the podcast, where we look forward to the next couple of games. So, join us in a bit. Hello, welcome back to the five-year plan Christmas podcast. Hey! To the stick! God bless us, everyone. Trifles! Men's pies! Christful! It's caffeine, it's kicking me. Yeah. Yeah! Come on, hurry up! Okay, we are sponsored by vector printing for all your printing embroidery needs. Yeah, all of them. And let's face the weather. Okay! Coffee! Coffee! Oh God, it was an eggnog in that. And also, Merry Christmas to a vector, everyone. And Merry Christmas to JCIS, our other sponsor, the global brand and research consultancy from South London. Visit JC-IS.com. So Merry Christmas to our sponsors. Merry Christmas to John. Merry Christmas to John. Um, and... And Vic. And Vic. And Merry Christmas to our listeners. But before we say goodbye and wish you Merry Christmas, we've got to talk about Palace's next two games. There'll be two games before the next pod. Um, Bournemouth away and Swansea at home. Um, six points? Yes. Hopefully. Yeah, I think the... I know a lot of people say, you know, Bournemouth reform, but we're... There's still enough of a residual championship, so I didn't plan this to not go down the Bournemouth. We won't be swaggering down. There'll be infancy down as other teams have done recently. And we'll play at the same sort of pace as they do. And I think their style of play, especially at home, is perfect for us. It suits us really so. And I think the important thing is, as Enders said, we reached a stage where we'd been disappointed in this. We didn't. Yeah. And Swansea are very good footballing side, but they're really struggling to get shots and goals and take chances. So... I think, yeah, I'll sod it. I'm going to predict six points. Wow. That's very... I'll be... I'll be happy with four, but I want to... Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I'd also go to the Bournemouth game, and give us a chance to see the Ghost of Christmas past. Glen Murray again, doesn't it? I'm sure he'll get a great welcome. I actually had an actual dream, and it's always fascinating to listen to people talk about it. Oh. Oh, really? I dreamt. I dreamt. I dreamt on Sky Sports. He went to Chris Kamara, and he said, "Palli's fans are cheering, but they're cheering for a Bournemouth goal, because we were fawning up at Glen Murray School right at the end." That's going to be 4-1. Oh, it's going to be 4-1. Yeah, and the palli's fans went... I think they're... That'd be the perfect scenario. Well, Glen Murray will get a massive reception from Palli's... if he plays at all, because he's got a bit of a knock. He played the other night. He came on. He's been coming off the bench, I think, missed a couple of times against United, but it's good to see him playing. Yeah. I mean, we're in such a positive mood that... Very positive. I don't think we've ever really predicted it. I'm not really sure we're going to have in goal, though. No, no, no. It's a tricky one who's going to be in goal. But it's... I don't know, it just depends. I don't know whether anything's been playing well enough. It's not. Well, just go ahead. Compare it to the last two boxing days in the situation. We don't need points. That's true. It'd be annoying if we don't win, but we're not looking down below us. No, that's true. Only think about how far we... Last boxing day, we were so low. Yeah. And look how far we've come in in, in literally one year. Literally one year. Literally one year. Literally. It's huge. It's huge progress. That's 12 months' progress. Yeah. But this Christmas is also a time, I think, for Palace fans, just to appreciate how far we've come, and it's enjoyed the fact that we've... About 12 months. Yeah. We've come about 52 weeks, I reckon, in the last year. Just give or take. Give or take. Give or take. Give or take. The month it's been about 12. And where it's last boxing day was the start of a new era with Momo leaving. And... I'm so drunk in this decafing. He's in it. But I... Hats off to persistent JD, though. He's like a little teary. I have. You have to just... You have to... Be like, "I would eat." You would let it lie, would you, Kel? Back on JD, for God's snoot. It was the start of a new era last time. We've probably borrowed about the house. I know, yeah. We've worn it going and then party venture coming in. And it's the start of a new era this time with the investment, which actually we haven't actually mentioned all pod, which was confirmed this week. Oh, yes. Josh Harrison, David Blitzer, have secured their investment in the club 18% each. So, again, this time this year, a start of a new era, hopefully about a very successful era for Palace. Yes, I think we all agreed on that, though. It's a positive upbeat, though. We are on the up and up. We're the new stadium. At least the new main stand on the horizon. Yes, lovely. We need now us to get back to a Clara Blue kit, and I'll be perfect. Yeah. Good. All good, yeah. Well, folks, that's kind of it. It leaves me to say Merry Christmas to the three of you guys. Merry Christmas everybody. Merry Christmas everybody. To the one of you. Oh, Merry Christmas to you, Jake. Thanks, man. And we hope all our listeners have a fantastic Christmas, whether you're listening to this before Christmas or on Christmas day. Please, please listen to this on Christmas day. Stop listening to it now. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Right now, because it's the end anyway. Christmas TV is pretty bad. It's a fair point. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Although, it's starting to seem like that. Look, you know, she always makes me laugh. Well, Merry Christmas to your cat. Merry Christmas, of course. That's it. Merry Christmas is us. We'll be back just before... 2016. We won't. One more. One more before the end of the year. Yeah, just before... Stop with one more. Is that 2015 or 2016? Because I've heard that they can be either 2015 or 2016 depending on the year it's in. I don't know. I don't know. Let me just take a picture. Right. Merry Christmas listeners. Merry Christmas everyone. Merry Christmas. Happy holidays. I wish it could be Christmas pod every day. No, I really don't. I really don't. Merry Christmas and goodbye. Bye. (Music) This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. (crowd cheering) [BLANK_AUDIO]
Ho Ho Ho! It's Christmas and the boys are in a celebratory mood after the win over Stoke. The team look back to a successful 2015 and Andy and JD also meet special guest Steve Parish to discuss the new investment deal, loyalty points, a new Selhurst Park and much, much more. Join us for this bumper length pod and Merry Christmas to FYP listeners everywhere.
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