Old tenants threaten Palace's lease of life

Sitting in Selhurst Park when it is empty, it is hard to see how the hotchpotch stadium could evoke such strong emotions. But the memory of a trying six-year groundshare will stir passions at The Valley on Sunday when the former tenants Charlton aim to have an impact on Crystal Palace's Premiership future.

The club who call Selhurst Park home will be playing across south London, and the former landlords are desperately in need of a win.

They also need other results involving fellow strugglers Norwich, Southampton and West Brom to go their way to have a chance of avoiding relegation.

On paper, mid-table Charlton - who are looking for a league double over Palace after a 1-0 win in December - have little to play for and their form of six defeats in eight games should make them attractive opponents - but statistics do not tell the whole story.

For manager Alan Curbishley and his club's older fans, the rivalry with Palace has an extra edge from their groundsharing days at Selhurst Park between 1985 and 1991.

That arrangement, when Charlton'sfinances and their home at The Valley were falling apart, left a bitter taste which still lingers.

For some fans, sending Palace down on Sunday would make their season without question.

"It was supposed to be a pioneering, ground-sharing scheme initially but Palace were the landlords and we were the tenants," said Lennie Lawrence, who was in charge at the time.

"A lot of the fans would not accept it and that stirred up the rivalry. There has never been any love lost between the clubs, but you could say there is an added edge to the derby now.

"It certainly means something to Curbs. He was a player when we moved and it always felt like we were playing our football on somebody else's ground.

"We had a couple of night games in one of the smaller cups and the floodlights went out half-an-hour before the end because the timer had not been altered and you wondered if that would have happened if Palace had been playing."

Supporters who were bitter at leaving The Valley and the state of their club resented the often difficult journey to Selhurst Park and the humiliation of having to borrow from their rivals.

It may only have lasted six years but the episode appears to have passed to the new generation of fans through Charlton folklore.

For Palace's part, the strength of feeling is not reciprocated. Their fans were largely indifferent to the groundsharing situation and their fiercest rivalry has been with Brighton since the 1970s.

But when the two sides played at The Valley in the Carling Cup last October, Palace emerged as 2-1 victors and things got nasty.

Police, in large numbers, had to keep rival fans apart when skirmishes broke out as Palace fans tried to leave the ground.

Charlton's stadium announcer Brian Cole, who mispronounced visiting players' names and referred to "Pal-arse" and "that lot", was kept off the pitch at half-time and later sacked.

Considering what is at stake on Sunday, emotions are set to run high again and the police are taking no chances.

The game has been put in their highest-risk category and officers will mount one of their biggest operations for a game at The Valley.

Football intelligence officer Mark Ireland said: "It has taken large policing operations to prevent serious disorder this season.

"This is Charlton's most high profile game of the season. It is a local derby with Palace needing to win and there will be a lot of tension but we are confident it is going to pass off peacefully."

Whatever happens, there should be a big-game atmosphere at The Valley and while Curbishley may try to use it to motivate his players, Palace manager Iain Dowie hopes it will not get to his team.

He said: "I think it will be a passionate occasion but we just have to worry about what we do. We must be calm under pressure.

"Staying up would be a big high point in my management career and I have a good feeling about it. I am looking forward to the game."

Palace will be without defender Gonzalo Sorondo, who is suspended, but have no new injury problems.

Charlton will welcome back Chris Perry after a ban and could have Shaun Bartlett (knee) and Jerome Thomas available (virus).

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