Victory parade: Palace players revelling in the fans’ support at the 2025 FA Cup victory parade in South Norwood. They don’t seem to want to drive through central Croydon
Jason Perry, Croydon’s failed and increasingly desperate Mayor, has been snubbed for a second time in 12 months, as Crystal Palace Football Club announced today that there would be no immediate trophy parade following their triumph in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig last night.
Reflected glory: Town Hall failure Perry has tried to piggy-back Palace’s football success
Perry had made the fact that he is a season ticket-holder at Selhurst Park a part of his election campaign, which earlier this month saw him elected for a second four-year term by a narrow 1,113-vote margin.
And last night, within minutes of the final whistle in Leipzig, he was pleading with the Palace board to stage a victory parade, offering to host some kind of civic reception. It was almost as if Perry wanted to hijack the event for his own political ends, and personal aggrandisement.
After all, Perry was only offering to pay towards the event out of public money, from a local authority which under his leadership is now is £1.7billion in debt.
“I’ve written to Steve Parish to offer Croydon Council’s support in helping the club deliver a victory parade and civic celebration here in Croydon, the home of Selhurst Park,” Perry gushed across social media last night.
Perry wasn’t in Leipzig for the final.
The Mayor had failed to foresee the possibility of a fixture clash, and had not managed to rearrange the council’s annual meeting at the Town Hall which took place yesterday evening. Perry was reduced to watching his beloved Eagles in their first European final on a big screen, after a quick snifter in the Mayor’s Parlour at the Town Hall (with drinks and nibbles paid for by Croydon Council Tax-payers, of course).
It is difficult to understand where Perry proposed to get the money to pay for any civic parade for Palace’s players and staff, since there is no record of the spending being approved by council, and all “non-essential spending” has to be approved by the government-appointed Commissioners, who were appointed a year ago because Perry had fucked the finances, rather than fixed them.
In 2025, Palace eschewed Perry’s previous offer of an open-top bus parade to Croydon Town Hall after their FA Cup final triumph, preferring instead a drive through South Norwood to their Selhurst Park ground.
In his letter to Steve Parish, the Crystal Palace chairman, which Perry published online before checking if his offer might be accepted, the Croydon Mayor pleaded: “As a proud Palace supporter, season ticket-holder and Executive Mayor of Croydon…”, did someone mention that Perry is a season ticket-holder?, “… I know just how much this moment means to both the team and the fans.”
Desperate: the Mayor of Croydon pleasded with Palace last night to let him hold a victory parade…
Perry described Palace winning a European final as “an extraordinary achievement”. He said: “It belongs to the players, the manager, the coaching staff, everyone working behind the scenes at the club and, of course, the supporters who have stood by Palace through every high and low.” Which is quite correct. But raises the question of why Perry assumed he might hijack the victory parade for his own purposes.
Describing Selhurst Park as “one of the great homes of English football”, Perry said that “Croydon is immensely proud to be its home”.
And he continued: “That is why Croydon Council would be honoured to work with the club to help deliver a victory parade and civic celebration here in Croydon.”
Perry was getting all a bit over-excited.
“This would be a chance for supporters of all ages to come together and celebrate an extraordinary achievement… yadda yadda … to show their pride in the team… blah, blah, blah… this historic moment.”
And on, and on… “For Palace fans, this would be more than a parade. It would be a moment in history… A chance for long-standing supporters to celebrate a journey many could only have dreamed of.” Sic.
And then we came to the real reason: his own little political opportunism. “… A chance for Croydon to come together around something joyful, positive and deeply rooted in our community.” After four years of failure, Perry hasn’t much to show for being the borough’s Mayor, and so he needs to piggyback the massive success built by Parish, Oliver Glasner and the Palace squad.
Today, however, the football club pissed on Perry’s little proposal.
Inside Croydon understands that the club may be looking again at some kind of mass event, potentially ticketed, and staged in Crystal Palace Park. Which is in Bromley.
“Unfortunately, because of World Cup commitments, some of the players are going straight to international camps,” the club was reported to say today.
“The club is hoping to do something later in the summer instead.”
Oh dear. Poor Perry. Palace have really pissed on his parade. Again.
Read more: Wharton, ‘the Wilpshire Pirlo’, makes World Cup case to Tuchel
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I thought it was unlikely to happen anyway due to players needing to travel for World Cup training camps etc?
Steve Parish is probably too ashamed of showing Woody Johnson what a shithole the Town Centre and London Rd is. Also known as the flytip capital, drug dealing and stabbing capital of the UK
Every time Palace used to win or lose a relatively high stakes match it used to be kristallnacht in Croydon – a number of the shop fronts in my local high street – South Croydon – smashed in no matter the result. That doesn’t happen so much now, perhaps thanks to the pub closures. Although I did notice one smashed in this morning.
There’s a lot of ASB around, Annabel (ask the people working in cafes or chip shops on Selsdon Road), and none of it anything to do with football results.
I’m just back from a magical 48 hours in Leipzig. Oh my days. Little old Crystal Palace are champions of Europe and deserve recognition and celebration of their sporting achievements and their huge support to local communities to improve lives of South Londoners. The Palace for Life Foundation works with over 18,000 young people every year and the club proudly carried their logo on their shirts in Europe.
Facilitating another trophy parade through South Norwood, Thornton Heath and Crystal Palace would be the least the club deserves and would allow us to celebrate some rare civic pride. Sadly we don’t get much to be proud of in Croydon, politicians will soon be forgotten, but what was built in glass is now forever etched in silver.
Small point, Brian. And Crystal Palace FC. And Mayor Perry.
Sorry to be a killjoy, but Palace are not “Champions of Europe”. That title will be awarded on Saturday, after the Champions League final, what is still regarded as the European Cup.
Champions of Europe isn’t for everyone.
It is for PSG, the runners-up in the Club World Cup
Part-time Perry gets the John Terry Award for again trying to barge into the celebration of victories he had no part in.
However, I hope his plea to Parish doesn’t fall on deaf ears. It would be great to see our Jason turn up at a Palace parade, not in his one and only suit, but in a complete replica of the team’s strip. He’s a terrible Mayor but he’d make a great Full Kit Wanker
Terry was at least in the squad. More of a Donald Trump Award perhaps?
More comedy from the hard left inside croydon team. You lost . Again. Democracy won. Move on.
Michael democracy means that the losers still get to say their piece about the winners.
And note that IC posted your negative comment about them.
That’s how adult political debate works.
I look forward to you commenting on future articles about all the wonderful things the Mayor is doing.
Though, to be honest, I don’t expect your posts to be very frequent.
The accusation that the mayor was pitching for political advantage might have been plausible a month ago, but the votes have been counted and by the time the next election comes round in four years’ time this will be long forgotten.
There is a long tradition of local councils organising and hosting receptions for the local team following notable trophy achievements. While the Conference League is arguably harder for an English team not to win given the calibre of opposition, it nonetheless represents Palace’s first European trophy and you can tell how much that means to the community. Rightly or wrongly, Palace are known as a Croydon-basedclub and it would have been great if their Chairman had recognised that a great many of their fans would appreciate a chance to celebrate in the heart of the borough.
Have you seen “the heart of the borough” lately?
Parish wants a parade through North End and past the Nestle building as much as a dose of the clap.
Perry’s begging letter was a pathetic example of political opportunism, from someone who has failed to deliver and is desperate to piggyback anything resembling “good news”, since he has nothing to offer himself.
Road closures and crowd control doesn’t come cheap, either. If Palace do go ahead with their planned celebration day in Crystal Palace Park, it will be at considerably less cost to residents – something else that self-centred Perry never considered.
Politicians are always looking for an advantage.
The next election isn’t 2030 Council & Mayoral elections.
It’s the 2028 Mayor for London and GLA elections.
Then the 2029 General Election.
Plus any by-elections that come up.
At all these elections Tory candidates will be wanting to associate themselves with all the wonderful things Mayor PPP has accomplished.
And that would include photos of him waiving from a platform as the CP bus drives past / photos with the team etc,
Im very proud of the very strong up and coming youth talent that Croydons Junior elite club produces for Palace and Fulham and Im delighted to of supported them in my own quiet way for many years despite the lost opportunity costs.
Attending the best section of the open top bus tour where fans could get really close and touch the bus I do hope we can have some common sense experience on health and safety and patience on the part of the bus driver. We dont need barriers for a formula 1 racing route we want the bus standstill, stoppages, long long delays, a snaking route that allows fans all get across and see the bus twice or three times, going past the schools of players, slowly moving through a sea of happy mildly cooperative happy people. Allow us our happiness, learn from Liverpool and Manchesters drivers routing publicity many hours long parade.
Crystal Palace is a broad family club that anyone attacking would come off worse in pr vs the fear mongering wibber gibbers and spiteful envy mongers.
As long as residents know there will be a day of standstill chaos , they can choose to retreat to bemoan their missed chances. A series of robust game scenario with real experienced call handlers/ security/ what ifs.
From a practical point of view life is to be lived and a joint partnership with the club can have my idea of bus stops being renamed and permanent lampost player banners like Chelsea for match days and celebrations. It was in my manifesto 5 years ago and its about time we lauded and professionalised the area around the stadium. Also how about the cover stickers of players put onto the parking payment machines to add colour and protected?
When are you going to remove your face and words from that poster site on the Purley Way? After 4 years, it’s getting a bit much for the poor sods who live opposite