History of Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 1905 at the famous Crystal Palace Exhibition building and during their early years they played at the FA Cup Final venue which was situated inside the Palace grounds. This article documents the history of the club from its formation all the way through to the present day.

As far back as 1854, the famous glass exhibition building known as The Crystal Palace had been relocated from Hyde Park, London and rebuilt in enlarged form in an area of South London next to Sydenham Hill. This area was renamed Crystal Palace including the park surrounding the site where various sports facilities were built. An amateur Crystal Palace football team played here as early as 1861. Then in 1895, the Football Association adopted a new permanent home for the FA Cup Final which was to be played at the sports stadium situated inside the historic grounds of the Palace. With the owners of the attraction reliant on tourist activity for their income, they sought fresh attractions for the venue, attracting the London County Cricket Club of W. G. Grace before turning their attention to football.

The idea of a new club playing at the Crystal Palace stadium was proposed in 1904 by the Crystal Palace Company. The proposal was rejected by the Football Association, who disliked the idea of the owners of the Cup Final venue also possessing a football club. However a separate company was formed the following year to establish the club under the chairmanship of Sydney Bourne, chosen due to his propensity in buying tickets to the Cup Final.

Crystal Palace Football Club was formed on 10 September 1905 playing in the Aston Villa colours of claret and blue. The choice of colours was a result of the important role in the club's formation played by Edmund Goodman, an Aston Villa employee who was recommended to the fledgling club by the Villa chairman, William McGregor. Goodman organised the business side of the club and managed the team from 1907 to 1925. A former amateur player with Villa, Goodman had lost his right leg after an injury led to amputation. Goodman hired John Robson from Middlesbrough to be the team's manager. Robson had transformed his previous club from an amateur side to an established Football League First Division side.

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