Crystal Palace F.C. were an amateur football club, founded circa 1861, formed from the groundkeepers of
the Great ExhibitionThe Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, England, from 1 May to 15...
. Later notable players joined such as
Cuthbert OttawayCuthbert John Ottaway , one of the most talented and versatile sportsmen of the 1870s, was the first captain of the England football team and led his side in the first official international football match....
. Their original colours were claret and blue.
The "Groundkeepers" were one of the 12 founder members of
the Football AssociationThe Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
. The club was moderately successful in the pre-Football League era and competed in the first
FA CupThe 1871–72 Football Association Challenge Cup was the first organised association football competition in the world. Fifteen clubs entered that first competition, although three withdrew without playing a game...
reaching the
semi-finalsThe FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world...
where they were eliminated by the
Royal EngineersThe Royal Engineers AFC is a football team founded in 1863, under the leadership of Major Marindin of the Corps of Royal Engineers, the Sappers. They enjoyed a great deal of success in the 1870s, winning the FA Cup in 1875.-History:...
3-0, in a replay after the first game ended goalless.
Crystal Palace F.C. were an amateur football club, founded circa 1861, formed from the groundkeepers of
the Great ExhibitionThe Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, England, from 1 May to 15...
. Later notable players joined such as
Cuthbert OttawayCuthbert John Ottaway , one of the most talented and versatile sportsmen of the 1870s, was the first captain of the England football team and led his side in the first official international football match....
. Their original colours were claret and blue.
The "Groundkeepers" were one of the 12 founder members of
the Football AssociationThe Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
. The club was moderately successful in the pre-Football League era and competed in the first
FA CupThe 1871–72 Football Association Challenge Cup was the first organised association football competition in the world. Fifteen clubs entered that first competition, although three withdrew without playing a game...
reaching the
semi-finalsThe FA Cup Semi-finals are played to determine which teams will contest the FA Cup Final. They are the penultimate phase of the FA Cup, the oldest football tournament in the world...
where they were eliminated by the
Royal EngineersThe Royal Engineers AFC is a football team founded in 1863, under the leadership of Major Marindin of the Corps of Royal Engineers, the Sappers. They enjoyed a great deal of success in the 1870s, winning the FA Cup in 1875.-History:...
3-0, in a replay after the first game ended goalless. The team also played in the
FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...
in the next 4 seasons, without any significant impact.
There is no direct link between this club and the modern day
Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where it has been based since 1924. The club is competing in the second tier of English Football, The Championship for the 2009-2010...
which was founded in
1905The following are the football events of the year 1905 throughout the world.- Events :*Leeds City F.C. admitted to the English Football League....
, although the "new" club "inherited" the
Crystal Palace stadiumThe National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics track. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was one...
and for many years until the mid 1970s wore a predominantly claret and blue strip, and thus could be considered spiritual successors to the former club.
Famous players
Four players from the club appeared for
EnglandThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
:
- Charles Chenery
Charles John Chenery was an English footballer who played for England in the first international match against Scotland. He also played cricket for Surrey and Northants.-Football career:...
(Forward) (3 appearances)
- Alexander Morten
Alexander Morten was an English footballer who captained the England team in its second official international, played against Scotland on 8 March 1873.-Date of birth:...
(Goalkeeper)
- Arthur Savage
Arthur Savage may refer to:* Arthur Henry Patrick Savage, 19th century footballer* Arthur William Savage, late 19th century gun designer, and inventor of radial tires...
(Goalkeeper)
- Charles Eastlake Smith (Forward)
External links