The great escapes: how Crystal Palace fought off relegation and liquidation 10 years ago

01-Jun-2020 13:46:51 | The Guardian

Palace nearly folded a decade ago, but they were saved by two great interventions – one on the pitch and one off it

By Richard Foster for the Guardian Sport Network

Ten years ago today Crystal Palace fans celebrated the last-minute survival of their football club – less than a month after they had celebrated their last-day survival in the Championship. The 2009-10 season started well for Palace, who threatened to break into the play-off positions before Christmas. But the club entered administration in January 2010, suffered a 10-point deduction, lost their best player in Victor Moses and then watched as manager Neil Warnock left for QPR in March. By May, the team was facing relegation and the club was facing liquidation.

The relegation battle went to the last day of the season in a do-or-die match against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. The tension-ridden 2-2 draw meant Wednesday went down to League One and Palace stayed in the Championship – but the club faced another, more significant off-the-field battle in the following weeks. Administrators had set a deadline of 1 June and, if no buyer would rescue the club from its financial predicament, Palace would fold and become the first Football League club to be liquidated since Maidstone United in 1992.

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The great escapes: how Crystal Palace fought off relegation and liquidation 10 years ago