CRYSTAL PALACE’S GREATEST EVER PLAYER: Peter Simpson’s goal-scoring record still stands after 89 years, while Wilfried Zaha was the undisputed modern-day jewel… but who do YOU think is their all-time star?

By James On Jul 28, 2024

Mail Sport is working with our readers to find the greatest player of all time at each of the 20 Premier League clubs.

Today it’s time to look at the legends of Crystal Palace, from top scorer Peter Simpson to the Team of the Eighties and Wilfried Zaha

And once you’ve decided who the best ever is, it’s time to vote…

Crystal Palace have never won a major trophy but have consistently produced individual stars, often from the talented streets of south London.

Their first came from further afield. Scotsman Peter Simpson joined Palace in 1929 and scored 165 goals for the club in six productive years – a record that still stands.

Crystal Palace’s current team is led by star midfielder Eberechi Eze (right), who went to the European Championship with England

Wilfried Zaha is now at Galatasaray and has been one of Crystal Palace’s biggest stars in recent years, with 90 goals and 76 assists in 458 games.

Peter Simpson joined Palace in 1929 and scored 165 goals for the club in six productive years – a record that still stands 89 years after his departure.

No one nicknamed The Eagles reached a higher level at Palace than Johnny “Budgie” Byrne – nicknamed for his incessant chatter – who rose through the youth ranks to win his first full cap for England in 1961, when his club were still in the Third Division.

Byrne was eventually lured to West Ham, where he played alongside World Cup winners Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, but the “English Di Stefano” returned to Selhurst Park for a second spell, during which he took his goalscoring tally for the club to three figures.

At the other end of the pitch, goalkeeper John Jackson played 222 consecutive games in the 1960s and was an invaluable member of the promotion team that reached the top division for the first time in history in 1968.

His unflappability earned him the nickname “Stonewall” and he was still in goal during what was perhaps Palace’s most famous victory, the 5-0 win over Manchester United at the end of 1972.

Although Jackson made almost 400 appearances for Palace, that figure was well short of that of centre-back and captain Jim Cannon, whose 660 appearances between 1973 and 1988 have never been surpassed.

Cannon was at the club when Terry Venables assembled a promising new team, which became known as The Team of the Eighties after they achieved promotion in 1979 in front of a record crowd of 51,000 at Selhurst Park.

Skilled winger Vince Hilaire made his debut at the age of 17 in 1977, becoming one of the first black players to do so, overcoming widespread racism in the process.

‘Three quarters of the crowd sang monkey songs at away games,’ he recalls. Palace fans loved him, though, and made him Player of the Year in their famous promotion campaign.

Johnny “Budgie” Byrne – nicknamed for his incessant chatter – came through the youth ranks to win his first full England cap in 1961

John Jackson played 222 consecutive games in the 1960s and led the team to their first ever promotion to the top flight in 1968.

Vince Hilaire made his debut at age 17 in 1977 and became one of the first black players to make it big, overcoming widespread racism along the way

Hilaire was a skilled winger and a fan favourite, voting him Player of the Year during their famous promotion campaign.

Next to him was left-back Kenny Sansom, who would later become one of England’s greatest ever defenders at Arsenal and England.

Striker Dave Swindlehurst scored the second and decisive goal against Burnley, putting Palace ahead. ‘The explosion of sound was something that still gives me the shivers,’ he says.

Palace have had a great run since then, reaching the FA Cup final in 1990 and finishing third in the top division the following year.

The attacking duo of Ian Wright and Mark Bright were nationally recognised before Wright joined Arsenal.

His story of his time as a black boy from South London who was signed to Palace from Greenwich Borough is an inspiration for future generations.

His stunning run of goals – including two at Wembley as Palace held Manchester United 3-3 before losing the replay – generated the kind of excitement among fans that befitted the idea of creating a Premier League that can captivate the world.

His mate Bright still works at the club as a respected ambassador and is always seen alongside chairman Steve Parrish.

Future international managers Gareth Southgate and Chris Coleman built a strong bond at Selhurst Park in the 1990s, where Palace challenged bigger clubs for Premier League status and reached the cup semi-finals.

Ian Wright (left) and Mark Bright (centre) formed a highly praised attacking duo for the Eagles

In 2002, striker Andy Johnson signed a contract and after it took 10 games for his contract to become available, he scored an impressive 85 goals in 160 games.

His fan favourite status was cemented by a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over arch-rivals Brighton and in 2004-05 he scored over 20 goals for a relegated team, his performances earning England recognition under Sven Goran Eriksson.

Palace’s current 11-year unbroken run in the Premier League has been dominated by Wilfried Zaha, a local talent who left Palace temporarily after the club secured promotion in 2013 but returned after an unhappy spell at Manchester United.

“Wilf” was the undisputed jewel in Palace’s crown until he signed for Galatasaray in 2023 with a record 90 goals and 76 assists in 458 games – in a team that often plays in defensive mode to survive.

Zaha’s natural talent and ability to dribble past opponents made him a crowd favourite and he played a huge part in Palace reaching the FA Cup final in 2016, where they again lost to United.

Andy Johnson scored 85 goals in 160 games for Crystal Palace and received recognition from England manager Sven Goran Eriksson

Zaha’s natural skill and ability to dribble past opponents made him a natural favourite with the crowd

Zaha was the undisputed jewel in a team that consistently operated in a defensive structure to frustrate their opponents

To select your best Crystal Palace player, click the vote button or email greatest@dailymail.co.uk if you want to choose someone not on the shortlist.

We’ll reveal the results of the greatest player of all time from all 20 Premier League clubs before the start of the 2024-25 season.

CRYSTAL PALACE’S GREATEST EVER PLAYER: Peter Simpson’s goal-scoring record still stands after 89 years, while Wilfried Zaha was the undisputed modern-day jewel… but who do YOU think is their all-time star?

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