- Crystal Palace bid farewell to Oliver Glasner
- Season ticket holders Gary and Lloyd Parsons on Eagles’ rise
- Conference League final awaits the South Londoners
There was an air of excitement at Selhurst Park following the appointment of Oliver Glasner back in February 2024. A proven European manager with an impressive record of success at any club he’d managed.
Crystal Palace fans dreamed of flying up the table, but nobody foresaw Glasner taking the Eagles to the brink of European glory. His side are on their way to Leipzig for a first-ever European final against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday (May 27th).
Glasner will bid farewell after that game, and it’d be a fairytale ending for the 51-year-old to do so with the UEFA Conference League trophy in his hands. His message to supporters ahead of that game is that he is now ‘a South Londoner.’
The journey has been full of ups and downs, and its conclusion comes this week. Here’s the verdict of passionate season ticket holders, Gary and Lloyd Parsons, ahead of what Glasner calls ‘the best day in the club’s history.’
“Eminent accomplishments” – Thanking Glasner
Gary and Lloyd Parsons have been on the journey with Palace to the Conference League final. That includes trips to Strasbourg, Florence and of course taking their seats in the Holmesdale Road End.
Read Crystal Palace asked Lloyd what winning the Conference League would mean for Palace and how it compares to last season’s FA Cup triumph:
“Winning a trophy on an international stage, showing the world what we can do as a club and a fan base, amplifies the importance far beyond that of a domestic cup. That said, in some ways, progressing to the final of the FA Cup felt more challenging, given how hungry and competitive some English teams can be.”
It’s important to point out the star players whom Glasner has lost along the way. At the very start of his reign, Michael Olise headed to Bayern Munich while Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze have since moved on.
Lloyd cherishes two players from Glasner’s tenure:
“Ismaila Sarr has definitely been one of the most impactful players we’ve seen in a Palace shirt, but there was a slight bedding-in period (not too long), but nobody compares to Michael Olise. His record of scoring or assisting a goal and becoming the youngest player in Premier League history to record three assists in a single match from open play.”
Palace will be parting ways with the greatest manager in the club’s history. It’s clear special a bond he holds with supporters:
“To Glasner, I’d first want to thank him for what he’s done for the club and credit him for his eminent accomplishments, getting us to a point where we are fighting to win our third trophy in 2 years.”
Lloyd, much like many fans, asks:
“What we need to do or change as a club and organisation to get to the next level and stop losing the players and staff that are contributing most to our success.”
“Emotional rollercoaster”
Palace’s debut European campaign has been full of many magical nights. None more so than thrashing Fiorentina at home in the quarter-finals.
That game holds a special place in Gary’s heart:
“The best atmosphere and match of the season was the quarter final v Fiorentina, where we unexpectedly won 3-0, the atmosphere was amazing, coupled with an element of surprise and excitement and what played ahead. I have never seen so many people at Selhurst Park with glowing smiles.”
After Palace beat Shakhtar Donetsk across both legs of their semi-finals, Gary admitted he was relieved:
“One of relief, crazy celebrations and regret and I hadn’t bought flights and a hotel to Leipzig.”
Palace were just hours away from liquidation in June 2010 after entering administration earlier that year. Steve Parish and the CPFC 2010 consortium saved the club from extinction.
Gary recalls that day and the incredible rise of the Eagles in the years that have followed:
“I remember that day well, my phone was red hot as we were getting close to the time where we were about to wound up, most people were empathetic to our situation with the odd gloat from Millwall fans who were looking forward to us disappearing from the league.”
He added:
“Having been the bridesmaids on a number of occasions, all of which ended last season, having secured the FA Cup. Then we won the Community Shield at the start of the season, and now we are in a European Final, more of the emotional rollercoaster to come hopefully with elation and celebration at the end of that special day!”
While the South Londoners are in dreamland there is still a way to go until the club can view themselves as one of the biggest in England. That’s according to Gary who explained what winning the Conference League brings:
“I think it would be amazing for the club, and an opportunity to step up to the Europa League, but we are a long way off from being a big club. I just hope we can keep moving in the right direction and don’t end up like Leicester City.”
Palace’s ‘Team of the Eighties’ boasted a young and exciting squad managed by Terry Venables. Gary experienced this era and compared it to Glasner’s reign:
“I loved the team of the eighties, but sadly, they never won anything other than promotion from the second tier. This team, with Oliver Glasner at the helm have taken us to a different level and given us fans some of the best days we have ever experienced.”
Next stop for the Parsons is Leipzig and the Red Bull Arena:
“We managed to get our tickets for Leipzig through the club as the song goes ‘we are on our way to Leipzig, how we get there I don’t know’.”
Palace’s Conference League final has so many subplots, including Glasner’s departure. The Austrian has made fans dream and hopefully his last hurrah is to lift the European trophy with his team on Wednesday night.
