January 21 2008

Neil Warnock

An enthralling and bruising encounter saw CPFC maintain relentless progress up the league. Jamesey reports.

I now wish I'd elected to travel away to Wolverhampton (0-3, whoopee) rather than Watford (2-0, ugh) but there you go. Somebody's got to do it.

Our biggest crowd of the season (19,000+), admittedly boosted by a large and noisy contingent of Robins supporters, were treated to a cracking game of football on Jan 19.

Thud and blunder it may have been at times but entertainment and excitement are both available in quantity at Selhurst Park at present.

And not only that, we took three points with a couple of goals at each end of the match and sit very creditably at 5th in the table as I write.

Well, there's a long way to go yet, but is anyone else getting a sense of deja vu as the scenario unfolds?

Palace poodling around in relegation territory. New manager arrives and starts to turn things around in a very big way, and Palace end up in that holiest of holy grails, the Loadsamoneyship.

Well, that hasn't happened yet this time, but you would have to be the ultimate pessimist not to hope that we can at least end the season in the play-offs, if not one of the top two automatic berths.

So, in two of the last five seasons we have had the stomach-churning spectre of relegation and the delightful prospect of one season at least up with the Big Boys.

You certainly run the full gamut of emotions in a very short space of time as an Eagles fan.

It's never boring is it? Oh, sorry, I forgot all about the Peter Taylor season...

From my veteran standpoint, I am particularly interested in another spell in the

Wadsocash-ship.

I may not have that many more opportunities to visit places like St James Park, Goodison Park and Fratton Park as an away supporter, or to be able to see the Rooneys, Ronaldos and Gerrards running out onto the Selhurst turf.

Time is ticking by, and our pension nest egg is rapidly diminishing as inflation and the odd extravagance eat it away.

So come on, Warnock's babes and battlers, do it for me. Please...

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