As the Crystal Palace players walked out against Luton Town on Saturday, something was missing.
Glad All Over still played over the PA and the crowd still sang and clapped along as usual — but in the Holmesdale Stand, the sea of flags that ordinarily greets the team was conspicuous by its absence. Outdoor Full Color LED Display
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The Holmesdale Fanatics (HF), Palace’s ultras group, had withdrawn the flags after a dispute with the club over aspects of its displays escalated. So, what is behind the row and how could it be resolved?
Primarily, the issue is that the HF banner that bears the group’s name has been replaced by electronic wraparound LED advertising boards.
The banner has long been draped over the upper tier of the Holmesdale Road stand obscuring static advertising boards, directly above the group’s position in Block E of the lower tier.
But this is another example of tension between the HF and the club that has existed for some time.
In November, the group were absent for the first half of Palace’s 3-2 defeat by Everton due to issues around their storeroom in the Holmesdale Road stand being locked, the banning of particular materials from being used for displays and the removal of a platform constructed from scaffolding poles. That was due to safety reasons, with the HF saying Croydon Council was responsible as well as the club.
In 2019, the HF withdrew their vocal support after their proposed move from Block B of the Holmesdale to Block E encountered resistance. A deal was eventually agreed to compensate around 400 supporters who were displaced as a result of the move, and the HF returned.
The nature of the HF’s ultras-style support inevitably brushes up against the club’s strict rules and regulations. Known for their vibrant tifo displays, the HF say these, too, are not allowed to be hung from the upper tier, leading to a 75 per cent reduction in the number of displays they can put on.
The HF have argued that other Premier League clubs do allow these types of displays and that Palace are at risk of losing their distinctive supporter culture. They have also criticised the introduction of pre-match light shows and fireworks, and called the club’s position “anti-fan”.
An HF spokesperson told The Athletic: “It’s a hugely detrimental move from the club — and shocking that Palace, once known for its unique fan-led culture, would remove supporter banners and ban tifo displays, despite all other Premier League clubs allowing them. They’ve chosen gambling sites and cryptocurrency firms over their supporters.
“The club needs to listen to the Palace support, which has been at the heart of our modern success and identity: get the banner back up, restore our tifo displays and ditch the tacky ‘entertainment’, then let’s crack on with a positive and unified era on and off the pitch with the style of support Palace is globally known for.”
Palace are emphatic that no flags or displays have been banned, insisting they have to implement minimum safety standards, which are listed on their website.
A club spokesperson said: “The club supports fan-led displays, they bring vibrancy to Selhurst Park and we will always assist any group who wants to create them. The club has not banned tifo displays.
“We do have guidelines that need to be followed to ensure that any displays are installed and secured safely and do not present a risk to either the supporters assisting in creating the display, the club’s staff or supporters in the ground.
“Regarding the issue raised about the banner, we have installed a wraparound LED system that helps greatly with the spectacle and also drives revenue for the club. We are working on various alternative positions for the banner to avoid blocking an LED screen, but those we have suggested, such as placing it below the roof of the Holmesdale, have not been deemed acceptable.
“We will continue to work to find a solution as we believe both elements can be in place. We believe fan-led displays and club light shows have a place and create the great atmosphere that makes Selhurst Park unique.”
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The HF say that the communication has been “confused, contradictory and last-minute” and are critical of what they perceive to be a lack of knowledge about football culture.
The justification for the issues around banners being hung from the upper tier is primarily safety-related but also shows the value placed by the club on unimpeded advertising to increase revenue. This is seen as being at the expense of the fans and the atmosphere.
The Palace statement said: “In relation to the issues raised, these guidelines are:
As always, the picture is mixed. There is plenty of sympathy for the HF and their efforts in trying to improve the atmosphere at Selhurst Park, but there remains frustration at the frequent disagreements with the club and how their disputes play out.
Significant support, though, has been expressed for the continuation of the tifo displays. Panionios, the Greek club with whose fans the HF have a strong relationship, have offered their backing.
“The removal of the banner doesn’t impact the atmosphere that much,” Harris Armstrong, a season-ticket holder in the lower Holmesdale, tells The Athletic. “I see where the HF are coming from and if they were going to do their tifos — which look good — more regularly and the club are stopping them, then it would be an issue.
“But they kick up a lot of fuss about a lot of things and it frustrates people. There’s a shared responsibility: the club needs to engage, find a solution and strive to keep the HF on board.”
Crystal Palace, the Holmesdale Fanatics and Croydon Council: What's the beef?
Bryan Garcia, who runs the New York Eagles supporters group, believes a lot of the issues “stem from miscommunication or a lack of communication”.
“It’s amazing how much time, money and resources they dedicate,” he says. “Seeing the work and effort put in for something that is so fleeting hits me more than actually seeing the tifo itself.
“As we continue to stay under the spotlight of the Premier League, it gets harder to hold onto those community roots when the money parties want a sparkling product for a worldwide audience. I don’t necessarily blame the club but it’s a tough battle between the two things.”
An HF fundraiser to permanently provide flags that cover the entire Holmesdale Stand has reached £3,580 ($4,600) of its £4,000 target after being launched last week.
Palace do not have another home game until April 6, when Manchester City visit, but for now, there remains a standoff.
The HF will not conduct walkouts or boycotts, but say they won’t have flags or displays until the banner is restored. Otherwise, they insist they will continue to be present and support the team as usual.
(Top photo: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
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Led Backlit Sign Matt Woosnam is the Crystal Palace writer for The Athletic UK. Matt previously spent several years covering Palace matches for the South London Press and contributing to other publications as a freelance writer. He was also the online editor of Palace fanzine Five Year Plan and has written columns for local papers in South London. Follow Matt on Twitter @MattWoosie