Palace v Millwall - 1985 & 1986 games

[LukaLukaLuka]

Excitement about this weekends fixture has taken my mind wandering back to the 1985 and1986 games at Selhurst.

As a young teenager these were 'character building' days out, diving into the chippy for cover while 100s of fans ran past chasing their rivals, chasing police - or possibly the other way round ! .

On the pitch it was electric, in the1985 game Palace were 0-1 down and down to 10 (Mickey Droy sent off). Phil Barber and Andy Gray to the rescue late on to give us the win... and start a riot.

In October 1986 , freshly signed from Millwall, Anton Otulakowski hit a great free kick in another 2-1 win. 8000 was considered a really big crowd, there must have been lots of gaps but it felt packed

Can anyone else remember back this far ?, as a youngster these were special days , if not a tiny bit frightening

 

[NMPalace]

Excitement about this weekends fixture has taken my mind wandering back to the 1985 and1986 games at Selhurst.

As a young teenager these were 'character building' days out, diving into the chippy for cover while 100s of fans ran past chasing their rivals, chasing police - or possibly the other way round ! .

On the pitch it was electric, in the1985 game Palace were 0-1 down and down to 10 (Mickey Droy sent off). Phil Barber and Andy Gray to the rescue late on to give us the win... and start a riot.

In October 1986 , freshly signed from Millwall, Anton Otulakowski hit a great free kick in another 2-1 win. 8000 was considered a really big crowd, there must have been lots of gaps but it felt packed

Can anyone else remember back this far ?, as a youngster these were special days , if not a tiny bit frightening

Remember both games well.

Barber curled in the winner with his right foot, a collectors item.

Was it the Otulakowski goal (his only one for the club) that sparked a fight in the Arthur with Millwall fans in the Palace end? Most of our fans climbed onto the pitch to get away

 

[LukaLukaLuka]

I think you're right. 100s on the pitch and the game had to be stopped.

Found this old paper cutting.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Excitement about this weekends fixture has taken my mind wandering back to the 1985 and1986 games at Selhurst.

As a young teenager these were 'character building' days out , diving into the chippy for cover while 100s of fans ran past chasing their rivals, chasing police - or possibly the other way round ! .

On the pitch it was electric, in the1985 game Palace were 0-1 down and down to 10 (Mickey Droy sent off). Phil Barber and Andy Gray to the rescue late on to give us the win... and start a riot.

In October 1986 , freshly signed from Millwall, Anton Otulakowski hit a great free kick in another 2-1 win. 8000 was considered a really big crowd, there must have been lots of gaps but it felt packed

Can anyone else remember back this far ?, as a youngster these were special days , if not a tiny bit frightening

My first league away trip was Millwall away first day of the season in 1977, we won 0-3 and I would say it was much more character building back in the 70’s. There was more Millwall in the away end than palace. After surviving that as a 12 year old the average game after that all seemed a bit tame

I remember though coming out of selhurst after a 0-0 in 78/79 and my mates grandad walking along clapping his hands and shouting out really loud ‘hahaha up the palace’ several times, not realising we’d strayed into and was surrounded by Millwall coming out of the Whitehorse, he kept on and on and all I kept saying to myself was. ‘Pleeeeease shut up ffs’ 🤣

Jim Cannon equalising in the last minute at their place in the mid 80’s made it quite ‘interesting’ getting out alive after the game

 

[Zimeagle]

Let me take you back to 1965 at the old Den. Peter Burridge dived to nod a last minute winner and mayhem ensued.
There was no fan segregation at that time but most Palace fans were at the end closest to New Cross Gate station, Cold Blow Lane end I think.
Teddy Eagle mentioned on one of the other threads that bottles containing recycled beer were weapons of choice for some; well, they were that day, along with bricks. I was standing behind the goal about half way up the terrace but managed to get out unscathed. It was very intimidating though and remains the scariest match I've been to.
This match does have real history. My dad told me about the rivalry at Palace v Millwall games at the Nest just after World War 1. In fact, the Nest was closed for a while following crowd violence although I'm not sure if that was following a Millwall game.
For me, probably due to my age, this is the real rivalry as a Palace fan.

 

[Living In Hope]

You have stirred my memory - I was at the first of these when we were 0-1 down at half-time, Micky Droy was sent off, and we won 2-1. Remember Phil Barber scored (under-appreciated Palace hero in my view), but didn't recall that Andy Gray got the other. But a come-back win, especially when you've given up hope as you're down to 10 men, does stick in the memory. There wasn't a lot else to remember fondly from 1981 to about 1987.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

I remember beating them 2-1 at the den in 1990 and Andy Gray scoring, it was around March time and they were looking as good as relegated and our end was singing ‘going down going down’ as they streamed passed us on the other side of the fence to get out and round to us outside.
I really did think I was going to die that day 🤣 but our mate had his pick up truck outside and we all piled into that and made our escape thankfully avoiding any traffic

 

[Statto64]

My first league away trip was Millwall away first day of the season in 1977, we won 0-3 and I would say it was much more character building back in the 70’s. There was more Millwall in the away end than palace. After surviving that as a 12 year old the average game after that all seemed a bit tame

I remember though coming out of selhurst after a 0-0 in 78/79 and my mates grandad walking along clapping his hands and shouting out really loud ‘hahaha up the palace’ several times, not realising we’d strayed into and was surrounded by Millwall coming out of the Whitehorse, he kept on and on and all I kept saying to myself was. ‘Pleeeeease shut up ffs’ 🤣

Jim Cannon equalising in the last minute at their place in the mid 80’s made it quite ‘interesting’ getting out alive after the gam

How many Palace used to go over The Den in the 70's?
And what sort of numbers did they bring to Selhurst Park?

 

[Bubbs]

This episode covers the 1985 match at Selhurst

And this one the 1986 one with police CCTV of the pitch invasion

 

[BromleyMonkey]

How many Palace used to go over The Den in the 70's?
And what sort of numbers did they bring to Selhurst Park?

From my experience and the distant memory that it is, they brought a lot more to Selhurst than we took to the den. But back then the den really was savage. The police used to just stand there laughing when it kicked off and there was more Millwall in the away end than palace, but the police didn’t care, so obviously a lot of palace didn’t bother. The 0-3 win I went too, you hardly knew we’d scored it was that quiet if I remember right

 

[Willo]

I recall a game at Selhurst Park when Millwall hoodlums were bellowing out "Warren where are you, Warren where are you ?" with reference to legendary Palace supporter Denny Warren, now sadly deceased.
RIP.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

I recall a game at Selhurst Park when Millwall hoodlums were bellowing out "Warren where are you, Warren where are you ?" with reference to legendary Palace supporter Denny Warren, now sadly deceased.
RIP.

I remember him at QPR in the cup game in 82 being one of the first on the pitch at the end giving several police and stewards the runaround, they just couldn’t catch him, he was quite nimble back then 😎

 

[Buckspalace]

I remember him at QPR in the cup game in 82 being one of the first on the pitch at the end giving several police and stewards the runaround, they just couldn’t catch him, he was quite nimble back then 😎

The QPR game was where my ongoing dislike for QPR and Clive Allen started and continues to now.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

The QPR game was where my ongoing dislike for QPR and Clive Allen started and continues to now.

Same with me, I’ve spent 43 years hating Clive Allen for that, even though he seems like a decent bloke 🤣

 

[ASCPFC]

From my experience and the distant memory that it is, they brought a lot more to Selhurst than we took to the den. But back then the den really was savage. The police used to just stand there laughing when it kicked off and there was more Millwall in the away end than palace, but the police didn’t care, so obviously a lot of palace didn’t bother. The 0-3 win I went too, you hardly knew we’d scored it was that quiet if I remember right

Not actually true Bromley, Palace used to nearly all go in the home stands and stay quiet enough. The obvious thing being the much higher attendances, yet the away end only having a few hundred hard core Palace (nut cases).

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Not actually true Bromley, Palace used to nearly all go in the home stands and stay quiet enough. The obvious thing being the much higher attendances, yet the away end only having a few hundred hard core Palace (nut cases).

At 12 years old I must’ve been a nutcase then 🤣 I didn’t have much choice, me and my mate just went where his grandad took us. I do remember every time we scored having to move because a fight started.
I actually did what you said for a game in the 80’s and went with a Millwall mate on the half way line because none of my mates were going, worst decision I ever made, it was so much more stressful than being in the away end even though full of Millwall. My mate didn’t give me away but it was so hard not celebrating when we scored