Big plans for future of Palace

THERE were yet more announcements at Palace this week when the club revealed plans to move to a shiny new stadium in Crystal Palace park.

The details are still fuzzy but an intention to move the club in a new, self sustainable direction has been laid down.

This follows the news that club stalwart Dougie Freedman has been moved up from assistant manager to full-time gaffer at the club in what has been an eventful first few weeks of 2011.

From listening to co-chairman Steve Parish speak about the stadium plans it’s clear the board have covered as many issues as possible to get the ball rolling on this new move, but there is one area that will need special attention: names.

Obviously the new stadium will need a name which will probably end up being something corporately soulless like the “GAC Stadium” [named after the club’s sponsors], but there is a chance to win the fans back with some inspirational monikers for the stands.

Currently at poor old Selhurst Park we have a stand named after entrepreneurial chairman [Arthur Wait], two named after the roads they find themselves in [White Horse Lane and the Holmesdale] and the hugely imaginative Main Stand.

Here are my suggestions for the naming of the new stands at the proposed stadium:

1. The Steve Coppell Stand

Rarely a day goes by without the great man’s name being mentioned in some capacity with the Eagles and after leading them to promotion twice and the FA Cup final “Sir Steve” deserves a bit of recognition (not that he is the sort of man to court it but he’ll just have to damn well deal with that].

2. The Simon Jordan’s Red Blazer Stand

He may well have left the club with his tail between his legs last year, but the perma-tanned former chairman provided us with plenty of entertainment [more through his foibles than anything clever] and that first day when he was unveiled as Palace chief [saving the club I might add] in his horrid red jacket will live long in the memory.

3. The Sideo Stand

One of Palace’s longest servants is the jolly programme seller Clive [otherwise known as Sideo on account of his impressive chops]; the man is almost as much as an Eagles legend as Attilio Lombardo and not a game passes without his spot on shouts of “PROGRAMMES” from the top of the Holmesdale.

4. The James Daly Stand

Hey! If I help the club with some ideas I deserve some recognition too, right?