Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has offered his view on why the Eagles are often overlooked when Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth receive praise for their approach to running football clubs.
The three clubs have been labelled the “Bermuda Triangle” because of the way they have competed with teams boasting greater resources while maintaining a sustainable approach.
Crystal Palace supporters have questioned why their club doesn’t receive the same recognition, especially after winning three trophies and making major changes to their recruitment strategy in recent years.
Steve Parish, though, isn’t interested in chasing outside praise. Instead, he believes Palace belong in the same conversation as the three clubs already receiving the attention.
“Those clubs are really well run,” Parish says while talking to The Athletic.
“They’re really nice people and they do a good job. Everybody’s got their own slight idiosyncrasies. If you win and do well, you should get the praise. We’re in our 14th year in the Premier League and we’ve won three trophies. All we can worry about is ourselves.”
Parish believes Crystal Palace are part of the same group
For Parish, the bigger picture is about how clubs outside the Premier League’s biggest spenders are finding ways to compete.
He believes recruitment has changed dramatically, with data and the ability to search globally giving clubs access to talent from practically anywhere.
“It is getting harder for everybody: because of the data, because clubs can recruit from all over the world. Post-Brexit, this league’s just exploded in talent.”
The Palace chairman also highlighted the international make-up of the squad as an example of how much the club’s recruitment has changed.
“(To see) the players in these clubs from all over the world is just incredible. There are eight billion people in the world, so if you can recruit from the whole world (rather than a limited area) it’s much harder to be that far ahead for those (bigger) clubs.”
Palace’s ability to recruit internationally is something Parish clearly sees as part of the changing landscape of the Premier League.
He also pointed towards the huge financial advantage enjoyed by clubs such as Manchester City, while arguing that teams such as Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford and Palace have shown another way to compete.
Palace chairman warns against early-season hype
While Parish believes those clubs have provided a blueprint for competing with larger sides, he isn’t getting carried away by what happens at the beginning of a campaign.
“I still think people get a bit carried away at the beginning of the season. Let’s see when the injuries start to bite and the depth of the squad (becomes clear) where we all are.”
It is a reminder that Palace’s progress cannot be judged purely by early results or comparisons with other clubs.
For Parish, the focus remains firmly on what happens at Selhurst Park.
He may not understand why Palace don’t receive the same level of praise as the other members of the “Bermuda Triangle”, but his response is straightforward. The club has been in the Premier League for 14 years, has won three trophies and believes it has shown that there is more than one way to compete.
Rather than worrying about whether others recognise that work, Parish would rather see Palace continue on their own path.
