Crystal Palace
Sansom started out playing in the youth team at Crystal Palace, whom he joined while still at school, and made his first team debut at the age of just 16. In 1977 he captained the Palace juniors team to FA Youth Cup success while also skippering the England team at the same level, collecting Palace's "Player of the Year" award in his first season.
Quick, calm, strong in the tackle and an excellent crosser of the ball, Sansom missed just one league game in 156, starting back in 1976, when Palace were in the old Third Division and were about to be labelled as the "Team Of The '80s". Palace progressed through the divisions with this young side and briefly topped the old First Division at the end of 1979. However Palace were unable to sustain this form and did not win any trophies in this period.
On 23 May 1979, Sansom made his debut for the full England team, in a goalless draw against Wales.
Read more about this topic: Kenny Sansom
Famous quotes containing the words crystal and/or palace:
“I waited alone, in the company of orchids, roses and violets who—like people waiting beside you, but to whom you are unknown—maintained a silence which their individuality of living things rendered more imposing and in their chilly manner received the heat from an incandescent coal fire, preciously placed behind a crystal glass, in a white marble tub where it dropped, from time to time, its dangerous rubies.”
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)
“You weep, you weep for the sun an Image.
...
the wind calls hideously,
woe for the children’s fate,
woe for a palace rent,
woe, woe for these who spent
life-blood
in hate.”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)