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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