Crisis club Crystal Palace sack Hart
By Nicholas Meredith
However, mere weeks into his tenure chairman Simon Jordan has sacked Hart and an hour afterwards held a press conference. "I thank Paul from the bottom of my heart for what he has done for this club, but I need to act in Crystal Palace's best interests. I believe that, despite a ten-point deduction, we can be competitive in this year's championship. However, the results we got under Paul during the pre-season left a lot to be desired. As such, Paul and I have come to a mutual agreement for a fee regarding the termination of his contract."
The dismissal of Hart meant that the Palace hotseat was once again up for grabs, and the club have appointed little-known Christian Alexander, 30, as manager. "I am delighted to welcome Christian to the club" said Simon Jordan "and I am extremely hopeful that he can take the club to new heights." Alexander himself declined to comment publically, but is said to be extremely happy with his appointment to his favourite club.
Happy though both manager and chairman may be, local boy Alexander will face the daunting prospect of having to steer cash-strapped Palace away from the relegation zone. Due to go into administration, Palace have duly been docked ten points, valid from when the season begins. Fans of the club are said to also be unsure about the appointment of a relative newbie in the managerial world.
On the pitch, however, Palace have less to fear. A young, talented squad with a backbone of grizzled veterans, before administration struck there were whispers of playoff places in the air. Whilst that may now be an impossibility, the pace of wonderkid forward Sean Scannell, midfield wizardry of winger Darren Ambrose, solid defence of Patrick McCarthy and Clint Hill and up-and-coming fullbacks Nathaniel Clyne and Lee Hills ensure that Palace should be able to put up a worthy fight against the threat of relegation.
Darren Ambrose (MRLC, 25)
New boy Darren Ambrose signed for Crystal Palace on a free from Charlton in the 2009 close season. Skilled both in open play and in dead-ball situations, his flamboyant long-range shots and freekicks have often resulted in spectacular goals for Palace.
Sean Scannell (ST/AMR, 18)
A product of Crystal Palace's superb youth system, pacy forward Scannell has often played on the wing as well as through the centre. Combining blistering speed and acceleration with an eye for goal, Scannell is one of the most exciting forwards that Crystal Palace possess.
So yeah, this is my first post
. Hi everyone, I'm GodCubed and I support Villa, although I do harbour a rather large soft spot for Crystal Palace, my local team. I hope you enjoy this story, and I'm looking forward to the challenge of trying to keep the eagles up!
By Nicholas Meredith
- Paul Hart sacked after only a few weeks in job
- Relative unknown Christian Alexander appointed manager
- "I was appointed to lead this club to safety, and I will do my utmost to succeed" - Alexander
However, mere weeks into his tenure chairman Simon Jordan has sacked Hart and an hour afterwards held a press conference. "I thank Paul from the bottom of my heart for what he has done for this club, but I need to act in Crystal Palace's best interests. I believe that, despite a ten-point deduction, we can be competitive in this year's championship. However, the results we got under Paul during the pre-season left a lot to be desired. As such, Paul and I have come to a mutual agreement for a fee regarding the termination of his contract."
The dismissal of Hart meant that the Palace hotseat was once again up for grabs, and the club have appointed little-known Christian Alexander, 30, as manager. "I am delighted to welcome Christian to the club" said Simon Jordan "and I am extremely hopeful that he can take the club to new heights." Alexander himself declined to comment publically, but is said to be extremely happy with his appointment to his favourite club.
Happy though both manager and chairman may be, local boy Alexander will face the daunting prospect of having to steer cash-strapped Palace away from the relegation zone. Due to go into administration, Palace have duly been docked ten points, valid from when the season begins. Fans of the club are said to also be unsure about the appointment of a relative newbie in the managerial world.
On the pitch, however, Palace have less to fear. A young, talented squad with a backbone of grizzled veterans, before administration struck there were whispers of playoff places in the air. Whilst that may now be an impossibility, the pace of wonderkid forward Sean Scannell, midfield wizardry of winger Darren Ambrose, solid defence of Patrick McCarthy and Clint Hill and up-and-coming fullbacks Nathaniel Clyne and Lee Hills ensure that Palace should be able to put up a worthy fight against the threat of relegation.
Club Name : Crystal Palace F.C
Nickname: "The Eagles"
Founded : 1905
Stadium : Selhurst Park (26,309)
Owner : Simon Jordan
League : Coca-Cola Championship
Irishman McCarthy works at the heart of the Palace defence, where his determined style helps keep the disciplined defence ticking over.Nickname: "The Eagles"
Founded : 1905
Stadium : Selhurst Park (26,309)
Owner : Simon Jordan
League : Coca-Cola Championship
Key Players:
Julian Speroni (GK, 30)
An experienced operator, the 30 year old Argentinian is one of the finest goalkeepers in the championship. He has been at Palace for 6 years after signing from Dundee in 2004 for a fee of 500k. It was at Dundee that Speroni established a reputation as an eccentric 'keeper, often attempting to beat opposition players using his feet.
Paddy McCarthy (CB, 26)
Julian Speroni (GK, 30)
An experienced operator, the 30 year old Argentinian is one of the finest goalkeepers in the championship. He has been at Palace for 6 years after signing from Dundee in 2004 for a fee of 500k. It was at Dundee that Speroni established a reputation as an eccentric 'keeper, often attempting to beat opposition players using his feet.
Paddy McCarthy (CB, 26)
Darren Ambrose (MRLC, 25)
New boy Darren Ambrose signed for Crystal Palace on a free from Charlton in the 2009 close season. Skilled both in open play and in dead-ball situations, his flamboyant long-range shots and freekicks have often resulted in spectacular goals for Palace.
Sean Scannell (ST/AMR, 18)
A product of Crystal Palace's superb youth system, pacy forward Scannell has often played on the wing as well as through the centre. Combining blistering speed and acceleration with an eye for goal, Scannell is one of the most exciting forwards that Crystal Palace possess.
So yeah, this is my first post
. Hi everyone, I'm GodCubed and I support Villa, although I do harbour a rather large soft spot for Crystal Palace, my local team. I hope you enjoy this story, and I'm looking forward to the challenge of trying to keep the eagles up!
