Selhurst Park isn’t just a Premier League football ground, but the heart of a vibrant and diverse community, stretching back a century since Palace’s arrival in 1924. Find out more about the incredible history of Selhurst Park.

100 Years of Selhurst Park

## South London and Proud

> Born in Greenwich, south London, Eberechi Eze joined Palace in summer 2020 as a landmark signing and has since established himself as a leading attacking talent in the Premier League.

Eberechi Eze signed a five-year contract with Crystal Palace F.C. in August 2020, becoming the club’s second arrival of the summer transfer window.

The south London-born playmaker rose through the ranks at Queens Park Rangers after joining them in 2016. An FA Cup debut followed in January 2017 and later that year, Eze made 22 appearances in a half-season loan to Wycombe Wanderers.

Then still a teenager, the attack-minded youngster played a key role in the Chairboys’ promotion to League One that season, scoring five goals - including a brace against Cambridge United.

On his return to QPR, Eze established himself as a regular first-team player, being awarded the No.10 shirt and a three-year contract in 2018. He left the Hoops with 20 goals from 112 senior games, collecting Supporters’ Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season and Junior Hoops Player of the Season for 19/20 as well as being shortlisted for PFA Player of the Year.

Internationally, Eze has represented England at both Under-20 and Under-21 level, and was named in the U21 squad the same week he signed for Palace.

He made his Palace debut as an 81st-minute substitute against Southampton in September 2020, and scored his first goal for the Eagles shortly after, netting a Goal of the Month free-kick versus Leeds United.

Another sensational strike – this time against Sheffield United – earned Eze the club's Goal of the Season award for 2020/21. He finished the 20/21 campaign with six goals and four assists in 35 games.

The midfielder received a call from the England first-team, after his performances in 20/21, but was desperately unfortunate to suffer an Achillies injury two matches before the end of the season, keeping him sidelined for over six months.

Injury meant that the majority of 2021/22 was spent in recovery for Eze, but he returned in the latter part of campaign and scored his only goal of 21/22 in a 2-1 win away at Southampton – a well-taken finish.

The following season was Eze's finest in a Palace shirt to date, the playmaker establishing himself as a leading offensive talent in the Premier League.

The No. 10 featured in all 38 of the Eagles' Premier League games in 2022/23, coming into his own after the World Cup break, finishing the season with 10 goals – Palace's top scorer – and four assists to his name. He was at his mesmeric best during April 2023, scoring four times in Palace’s six games and earning a Premier League Player of the Month nomination.

In June, Eze became the 18th Crystal Palace player to represent England, coming on after 70 minutes of a 4-0 win over Malta – and even having an effort cleared off the line.

He made his 100th Premier League appearance for the club against Fulham in September 2023 and signed a new three-and-a-half year deal in November, extending his stay in SE25 until 2027.

His 2023/24 season was intermittently broken up due to injury, however he still managed to produce his best ever season in terms of attacking returns with 11 goals and four assists in 27 Premier League games. Eze also won the Goal of the Season award, as voted for by the fans, with his winner at Anfield in April 2024.

Eze's fine form towards the end of 23/24 saw him called up to the England squad ahead of the 2024 UEFA European Championship. He was also rewarded with his first start for the Three Lions in a 3-0 friendly win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in early June.

He made an impact off the bench on three occasions for England, helping the side to the final they finished runners-up in the 2024 UEFA European Championship.

QPR 2019/20

Supporters' Player of the Season

2019/20 Championship 

PFA Team of the Season 

Players’ Player of the Season

Junior Hoops Player of the Season

November 2020, January 2021, October 2022, April 2023, March 2024

Crystal Palace Player of the Month

October 2022, April 2023, October 2023, December 2023

Crystal Palace Goal of the Month

Crystal Palace, 2020/21 (v Sheffield United) | Crystal Palace, 2023/24 (v Liverpool)

Goal of the Season

Twitter

Instagram

Appearances

Goals

Christmas Surprise for Our Down Syndrome Eagles!

Goal of the Month contenders: October 2024

The Full 90: Aston Villa v Crystal Palace | EFL Cup | Palace TV+

JP & Ebs | Friendship Test

Extended Highlights: Aston Villa 1-2 Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Match Action: Aston Villa 1-2 Crystal Palace | EFL Cup

All Angles | JP's Fine First-Half Strike

CCTV | Preparing for Spurs 

Eze Wins September's Goal of the Month

Goal of the Month contenders: September 2024

The Full 90: Queens Park Rangers v Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Extended Highlights: QPR 1-2 Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Match Action: QPR 1-2 Crystal Palace

Eze talks cup win at QPR

Access All Over: Chelsea (A)

Goals Inside Box

Goals Outside Box

Right Foot

Left Foot

Shots

Shots on target

Hit woodwork

Penalties taken

Penalties scored

Touches

Touches in opposition box

Aerial duels

Aerial duels won

Interceptions

Blocks

Recoveries

Tackles won

Duels won

Clearances

Minutes

Attempted passes

Successful passes

Chances created

Crosses

Yellow cards

Red cards

Fouls won

Fouls Conceded

Season

Games

A routine day at the Crystal Palace Academy turned into a Christmas cracker for Palace for Life's Down’s Syndrome football team, the DS Eagles, when Guéhi and Eze made unexpected appearances at the club’s Christmas retail shoot.

Hugh, Louis, James, Thomas, and Ruari thought they were simply there to model some of the latest Crystal Palace gear for the cameras. 

Little did they know, Palace captain Marc Guéhi was behind the curtain, waiting for the perfect moment to jump out and give them a festive surprise they will never forget...

**Watch what happened in the Palace TV video below.**

Not to be outdone, the DS Eagles decided to turn the tables on Palace star Eberechi Eze, next. When he arrived on set, it was the team’s turn to return favour!

It’s moments like these that remind us why we do what we do. 

Over the past year, Palace for Life have supported more than 730 participants through Disability Sport initiatives, which include sessions for Down’s Syndrome, powerchair football, vision impairment, and mental health.

The SEND programme is now active in 12 schools, and Palace's Powerchair team’s determination saw them win two key matches to avoid relegation in their debut season.

**Support Palace for Life's *A South London Christmas* appeal, and help  bring even more opportunities to young South Londoners living with disabilities. [Donate here.](https://www.palaceforlife.org/news/fundraising/a-south-london-christmas/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cpfc&utm_campaign=a_south_london_christmas&utm_content=&utm_term=)**

Donate now

Palace stars Marc Guéhi and Eberechi Eze surprised unsuspecting players from Palace for Life Foundation's Down’s Syndrome football team at the club’s Christmas shoot.

Guéhi & Eze surprise DS Eagles at Palace's Christmas shoot 

Arsenal

Premier League

Crystal Palace

Last Match

Bournemouth

Next Match

24/25 Training & Travel

After receiving a rare Boxing Day off last year, Palace face a post-Christmas away trip down to the south coast, making the 115-mile journey to face the Cherries.

The Eagles will be searching for our first win on December 26 in five years, back when we secured a dramatic late victory over West Ham back in 2019 to delight a festive Selhurst Park.

To get yourself warmed up for annual fixture, here's our challenge to you: can you name every Palace player to have scored on Boxing Day in the top flight during the Premier League era? 

There's eight different answers to get in total, so we're not giving you long, but it will put your Boxing Day memory to the test. If you get maximum marks, why not treat yourself to a mince pie?

**You have just five minutes... test your red and blue knowledge now, below!**

*If you experience issues loading this quiz, please try refreshing this page or* [playing directly on Sporcle.](https://www.sporcle.com/games/CPFC/match-the-palace-boxing-day-goalscorer-to-the-opponent)

Crystal Palace travel to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Boxing Day (26nd December, 15:00 GMT) - as a busy festive programme continues with a trip to the Vitality Stadium.

Matchday Warm-up: Match the Palace Boxing Day goalscorer to the opponent

Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (2024-12-26)

The Christmas Palace scored 8 goals in 3 days v Brighton and Millwall

A year to the day before their [first-ever official Football League clash, which you can read about here](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/features/tough-tackling-penalty-protests-and-packed-stands-crystal-palace-first-league-meeting-with-brighton-christmas/), the turkey dinners were left behind for an afternoon at the Goldstone Ground, Brighton & Hove Albion’s former home of 95 years.

While today’s footballing schedule may seem hectic, matches on Christmas Day are a relic of the past for Palace, who haven’t played on 25th December since 1957. But at one point it was commonplace – and games against the same opponent on Boxing Day typically followed. Even by the standards of the early 20th Century, though, the fledgeling south Londoners put modern footballers to shame with their efforts in 1919.

Playing five days after holding Swindon Town to a 2-2 draw, Palace travelled south for a clash with Brighton on Christmas, a relatively mild Thursday that year. It was the first full season after World War Two’s conclusion and the club had played on the 25th for the last eight campaigns.

The quirk in 1919, however, was that Palace wouldn’t just play on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but on the 27th as well. Furthermore, their adversaries for the three matches would be Brighton and Millwall, today historic rivals for the south Londoners.

The trio of matches sandwiched together got off to a fine start when Edmund Goodman’s men overcame Brighton 2-3 via an Edwin ‘Ted’ Smith brace and John Whibley effort.

The next day, 15,000 spectators filled The Nest – Palace’s former ground in Selhurst - to watch the fixture enacted for the second time in as many days.

Despite the weariness of legs, Palace did the double and defeated Brighton again, this time 4-0. Edwin Smith again bagged a goal and was joined by John ‘Jack’ Conner and Tom Barber, who scored twice.

Of course, while Albion didn’t become a notable adversary of Palace’s until the mid-1970s, the south Londoners could suggest some kind of foe in Millwall, who were transitioning to the Old Den at the time, just eight miles away from the Nest.

And so, due to a bizarre congestion in the fixture list, Goodman’s charges would find themselves pitted against their south London opponents three games in to a game-per-day run.

But, as with Brighton, Millwall would prove no threat to the workhorse Palace squad, who defeated their guests 1-0. This time Dick Cracknell fired Palace to victory.

After three triumphant matches in three gruelling days, Goodman and his players had enjoyed no time to themselves across Christmas in 1919. Their reward? A six-day break before facing Northampton Town on 3rd January, 1920. The Northampton game saw Palace win their fourth of five consecutive victories and preceded a two-week spell of inactivity, where they wouldn’t play a single game.

It begs the question of why playing on the 27th was necessary at all…

On Christmas Day 1919, Crystal Palace fans braved the south coast’s December elements and watched their club enact the first of three matches across three days against teams who would become fierce rivals in years to come.

The Christmas when Palace scored 8 goals in 3 days v Brighton and Millwall

latest_videos

Latest 

Latest Video

Foundation

Foundation

Guéhi & Eze surprise DS Eagles at Palace's Christmas shoot

Matchday Warm-up: Match the Palace Boxing Day goalscorer to the opponent

The Christmas when Palace scored 8 goals in 3 days v Brighton and Millwall

24/25 Training & Travel

Latest Videos

Christmas Surprise for Our Down Syndrome Eagles!

The Full 90: Crystal Palace v Arsenal | PalaceTV+

Extened Highlights: Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal | PalaceTV+

Match Action: Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal

Post match press conference Arsenal (H)

Glasner on tough defeat to Arsenal

10Eberechi
Eze

Foundation

Foundation

Guéhi & Eze surprise DS Eagles at Palace's Christmas shoot

Matchday Warm-up: Match the Palace Boxing Day goalscorer to the opponent

The Christmas when Palace scored 8 goals in 3 days v Brighton and Millwall

24/25 Training & Travel

Latest Videos

Christmas Surprise for Our Down Syndrome Eagles!

The Full 90: Crystal Palace v Arsenal | PalaceTV+

Extened Highlights: Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal | PalaceTV+

Match Action: Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal

Post match press conference Arsenal (H)

Glasner on tough defeat to Arsenal

10EberechiEze

10Eberechi
Eze