Crystal Palace fans have enjoyed a promising start to life under new head coach Patrick Vieira in the Premier League this season.
The south London club’s supporters spoke of their enjoyment watching a different style of football months after replacing their ex-manager Roy Hodgson.
“It feels fantastic to finally feel excited again about watching my team every week. Hodgson was great at establishing our status in the Premier League, but I and many other fans felt the team had stagnated a little over the past few years,” Dan, a lifelong Palace fan, told East London Lines.
He continued: “The football had become stale and we really needed this change, just so we can feel a new experience and push forward a little more instead of just avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
“The early signs so far have been very encouraging; I now find myself constantly counting down the days to the next Palace game.”
Following impressive wins this season against the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Premier League champions Manchester City, the Crystal Palace supporters have good reason to believe they can now see their club move forward in domestic football.
Abbie Summers, a Crystal Palace season ticket holder, told East London Lines: “To be honest, I do miss Roy (Hodgson), and while I appreciate everything he has done for our club, I’m having fun witnessing a new Palace team under a new manager.
“It used to be difficult bringing down my parents for a game, but now that we’re in a new moment for the club, it makes my job much easier. I go to the football mostly to socialise and bond with others, and some of our performances this season have given us so much more to talk about.”
The feeling of excitement is running throughout the entire club, from those who work at the club to those who support from the stands.
Valerie, who has worked in the Crystal Palace ticket office for five years, told East London Lines: “It’s definitely been a grand change (hiring a new head coach). The teams upturn in form and new style of playing football has impacted our ticket sales hugely. We’re even getting younger fans queuing up outside the ticket office on the day tickets are released.
“To think this is only three months into the season, everyone is really hopeful the team will continue to make bigger strides forward in good time.”
Crystal Palace currently sit four points off the fifth spot in the table which would allow them to play in a European competition next season for the first time in their history, with their next game coming against in-form Wolverhampton this Saturday at their Croydon home, Selhurst Park.
