Mail Sport with the help of our readers is on a mission to find the greatest player of all-time at each of the 20 Premier League clubs.
Today it’s time to look at the legends of Crystal Palace from record scorer Peter Simpson to the Team of the Eighties and Wilfried Zaha
And once you’ve made up your mind who is all the best-ever, it’s time to vote…
Crystal Palace have never won a major trophy but have always produced individual stars, often from the talent-rich streets of south London.
Their first came from further afield. Scot Peter Simpson joined Palace in 1929 and in six prolific years scored 165 goals for the club – a record that still stands today.
Crystal Palace’s current side are headed up by star midfielder Eberechi Eze (right) who went to the Euros with England
Now at Galatasaray, Wilfried Zaha is one of Crystal Palace’s biggest stars in recent years after 90 goals and 76 assists from 458 appearances
Peter Simpson joined Palace in 1929 and in six prolific years scored 165 goals for the club – a record that still stands 89 years after his departure
Nicknamed The Eagles, nobody soared higher at Palace than Johnny “Budgie” Byrne – nicknamed for his non-stop chatter – who emerged through the youth ranks to win his first full England cap in 1961, whilst his club were still in the Third Division.
Byrne was eventually lured to West Ham where he played alongside World Cup winners Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters but the “English Di Stefano” returned to Selhurst Park for a second spell in which he took his goal tally to the club into three figures.
At the other end of the pitch, goalkeeper John Jackson played 222 consecutive games in the 1960s and was a valuable member of the promotion team that reached the top flight for the first time in their history, in 1968.
His unflappability saw him earn the nickname “Stonewall” and he was still in goal for arguably Palace’s most famous victory, 5-0 against Manchester United at the end of 1972.
Though Jackson made nearly 400 appearances for Palace, the figure was dwarfed by centre-half and captain Jim Cannon whose 660 games between 1973 and 1988 has never been bettered.
Cannon was at the club when Terry Venables produced a new exciting side dubbed The Team of the Eighties after winning promotion in 1979 in front of a record 51,000 crowd at Selhurst Park.
Skilful winger Vince Hilaire made his debut aged 17 in 1977 and became one of the first black players to make it big, overcoming widespread racism along the way.
‘Three-quarters of the crowd would do monkey chants at away games,’ he recalls. Palace fans loved him though and made him Player of the Year in their famous promotion season.
Johnny “Budgie” Byrne – nicknamed for his non-stop chatter – came through the youth ranks to win his first full England cap in 1961
John Jackson played 222 consecutive games in the 1960s and guided the team to their first ever promotion to the top-flight in 1968
Vince Hilaire debuted at 17 in 1977 and became one of the first black players to make it big, overcoming widespread racism along the way
Hilaire was a skilful winger and a fan favourite with supporters voting him Player of the Year in their famous promotion season.
Alongside him was left-back Kenny Sansom, who would go onto become one of England’s greatest ever defenders with Arsenal and England.
Striker Dave Swindlehurst scored the second and decisive goal against Burnley to send Palace up. ‘The explosion of noise was something that still brings shivers,’ he says.
Palace have had some great times since then. They reached the FA Cup Final in 1990 and finished third in the top division the following year.
The strike partnership of Ian Wright and Mark Bright became nationally acclaimed before Wright joined Arsenal.
His story as a black kid from south London who was signed by Palace from Greenwich Borough has proved inspirational for future generations.
His glittering array of goals – including two at Wembley as Palace held Manchester United 3-3 before losing the replay – brought the kind of excitement to fans that fitted in with the idea of forming a Premier League capable of captivating the world.
His sidekick Bright still works at the club as a respected ambassador, always seen seated next to chairman Steve Parrish.
Future international managers Gareth Southgate and Chris Coleman formed a strong bond at Selhurst Park in the 1990s as Palace fought against bigger clubs for their Premier League status, and reaching cup semi-finals.
Ian Wright (left) and Mark Bright (centre) formed an acclaimed strike partnership for the Eagles
In 2002, striker Andy Johnson signed and after taking 10 games to open his account, went on to score a hugely-impressive 85 goals in 160 games.
His status as a fans’ favourite was cemented by a hat-trick in a 5-0 victory over bitter rivals Brighton and in 2004-05 topped 20 goals in a relegation side – his performances earning England recognition under Sven Goran Eriksson.
Palace’s current unbroken run of 11 years in the Premier League have been dominated by Wilfried Zaha a local talent who temporarily left Palace after winning them promotion in 2013 but then rejoining from an unhappy spell with Manchester United.
“Wilf” was the undisputed jewel in Palace’s crown until he signed for Galatasaray in 2023 with a record of 90 goals and 76 assists from 458 appearances – in a team often set out in defensive mode in order to survive.
Zaha’s natural skill and ability to dribble past opponents made him a natural crowd favourite and he was a huge factor in Palace reaching the 2016 FA Cup final, where they lost out again to United.
Andy Johnson would score 85 goals in 160 appearances for Crystal Palace and earned recognition from England boss Sven Goran Eriksson
Zaha’s natural skill and ability to dribble past opponents made him a natural crowd favourite
Zaha was the undisputed jewel in a side that invariably set out in a defensive structure to frustrate their opponents
Poll
Who is Crystal Palace’s greatest ever player?
- Ian Wright 0 votes
- Mark Bright 0 votes
- Gareth Southgate 0 votes
- Chris Coleman 0 votes
- Andy Johnson 0 votes
- Wilfried Zaha 5 votes
- Other 1 votes
Poll
Who is Crystal Palace’s greatest ever player?
- Peter Simpson 0 votes
- Johnny Byrne 0 votes
- John Jackson 0 votes
- Jim Cannon 1 votes
- Vince Hilaire 1 votes
- Kenny Sansom 1 votes
- Dave Swindlehurst 0 votes
To select your greatest Crystal Palace player, click on the voting button or email greatest@dailymail.co.uk if you want to choose someone not on the shortlist.
We will reveal the results of the greatest all-time player for all 20 Premier League clubs before the start of the 2024-25 season.
