- Former Liverpool and Brighton star makes shocking admission
- Not the first ex-Brighton player to agree
- Palace fans are ‘best in the country’
Former Liverpool, Brighton and Aston Villa striker Dean Saunders has heaped praise on Palace’s support after their Europa Conference League semifinal win. Oliver Glasner’s side beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 on Thursday night, winning 5-2 on aggregate in front of a sold out and bouncing Selhurst Park.
The stadium which is nestled in South London has always been known for its noise, and Palace’s support has quite literally helped the side over the line in recent seasons. The displays ahead of the FA Cup Final were unlike anything English football fans have done before.
On TalkSPORT’s Breakfast show on Friday morning, the Palace support was lauded by Saunders, who was a British record signing when he moved from Derby to Liverpool in 1991.
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‘The best fans!’
During the breakfast show, Dean Saunders and co-host Shebhan Aherne were discussing the Palace support after Selhurst Park witnessed a historic night, reaching a European final for the first time in the club’s history.
“They probably are the best fans in the World,” Saunders claimed.
“The noisiest fans, when you go away from home, they take over the stadium.”
Aherne, who supports Celtic continued to disagree with Saunders as he spoke – “No they’re not Dean”, she disagreed.
Saunders was correct in the assumption that his co-host was suggesting her very own Celtic were the best, to which Saunders had the perfect comeback.
“Considering pro-rata, how many of them are there, there’s miles more of them [Celtic fans].”
“But Palace, they don’t give you an easy ride, at Selhurst Park.”
“They sing all the way through the game!”
Saunders’ comments are spot on, and the atmosphere at Selhurst on Thursday was second to none, with consistent noise throughout the entire game.
Rival fan admits fan superiority
Saunders played as a striker for many clubs in England, including Palace’s rivals Brighton and Hove Albion.
He joked that despite his allegiances to the South Coast club, there was only one correct answer.
“You know I played for Brighton, I shouldn’t have said that about the Palace fans being good – I shoulda held back,” Saunders joked later in the show.
Glenn Murray, another former Brighton striker who also played for Palace, has also praised the Palace support in the past.
Rivalries aside, you’d be hard pressed to disagree with either player’s views.
Palace’s fanbase is built on consistent, long-standing and loyal connections, whilst their rivals often struggle to fill the AMEX and have a high number of tourists.
Palace’s support has always been a cut above, and the praise is rightfully deserved.
