Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace Football Club is an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where it has been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship. Crystal Palace was formed in 1905 by workers at The Crystal Palace. The club reached the top division of English Football in 1969–70, and its first major final was in 1990. It was relegated from the top division in 1973 and once again in the following season. That left the club playing in the third tier of English football for the 1974–75 season, before being promoted back to the top level by 1979–80.

Crystal Palace's most recent successful period began in 1988–89, when the club finished third in the Second Division and was promoted to the First Division. It reached the 1990 FA Cup Final only to lose the replay against Manchester United, and finished 3rd in the First Division in 1990–91. Palace was a founding member of the FA Premier League (1992–93) but was relegated that season. Since then Palace has been relegated from and promoted to the FA Premier League on 4 separate occasions. Its most recent relegation from the top flight was in the 2004–05 season.

Crystal Palace's main rival is Brighton & Hove Albion, though it also has rivalries with fellow South London teams Millwall and Charlton Athletic. The club has twice gone into administration, first in 1998, which ended in 2000 with its purchase by Simon Jordan. His tenure also ended with administration in 2010, leading to a takeover by the CPFC 2010 consortium consisting of Steve Parish, owner of marketing agency Tag: Worldwide, Martin Long, founder of Churchill Insurance, Farr Vintners chairman Stephen Browett and investment fund manager Jeremy Hosking.