The ‘Palace on Tour’ game at Stoke on 21st March should incite a carnival atmosphere in the away end at the Britannia. With an anticipated lightning-swift sell-out of all 2,900 tickets, the club have even laid on free coach travel for all travelling season ticket holders and members. Such a show of goodwill has been most appreciated and rightly applauded by the Eagles faithful.
However, the irony of this gesture cannot be ignored when one considers our opponents for this special initiative game. For Stoke City have gone not, one, not two; but 18 better by extending the offer of free coach travel for all 19 away League games – and not exclusively to season ticket holders or members.
Of course, the old proverb, “the grass is always greener on the other side” may well be invoked here, but even the merest glance from Palace fans should leave them green with envy.
Stoke have stolen a march on the rest of the Premier League and portrayed themselves as quite the community club: a trait previously always associated with Palace.
Given the unforgivable pricing for the upcoming QPR home game, the extortionate prices quoted to us for trips to the likes of Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge- and even the £40+ demanded by West Ham United last weekend – I would like to think that Co-Chairman Steve Parish and Chief Executive Phil Alexander are considering a scheme similar to the Potters’ for next season.
Of course, football clubs are businesses; not charities. Nevertheless, given the enormity of the new TV deal and the eye-watering numbers being quoted, is it too much to ask for all Premier League clubs – not just our own – to ensure some of the money trickles down to the fans on the terraces: the lifeblood of any club? Football is supposed to be the working man’s game, so let’s keep it thus.
