Once again Palace were among the favourites for promotion, and this time it looked a certainty for most of the season, after five straight wins had given them their best start ever.

Tony Burns

The foundation of their success was an excellent defence, comprised of the rejuvenated Peter Wall, now playing at right back, Jim Cannon at left back, Ian Evans with Derek Jeffries in the centre and goalkeeper Paul Hammond back in the team after losing his place temporarily to Tony Burns. Peter Taylor, Nicky Chatterton, Martin Hinshelwood and Phil Holder made up the midfield, while up front Dave Swindlehurst had a new partner in David Kemp. Kemp had been signed from non-league Slough Town, leaving the transfer-listed Alan Whittle scrapping unhappily in the reserves, and he made a good start for Palace, scoring seven goals in the first eight games, but it was Ian Evans who earned the headlines with a wonderful hat-trick against Colchester. This was quite a feat for any Palace player, let alone a defender, and it was the first since Barry Dyson's in 1966. Indeed, since Evans, the trick has only been repeated by out and out centre forwards - Swindlehurst, Allen, Flanagan, Wright and Bright - and this illustrates the value of his contribution to attack as well as to a sound defence. Like most footballers, Evans obeyed a catalogue of superstitions, a particularly revolting one being the habit of always chewing the same bit of gum throughout the game, which involved sticking it on the bench at half-time and popping it back in his mouth for the second half. One of the less obscure footballer's superstitions is the habit of not having a hair cut during a cup run, a tradition which died out during the spikey-topped 1980s, but which was widespread in the shaggy '70s. This meant some pretty dishevelled hairstyles in the Palace team this season, because this was the year of the great cup run, the abiding symbol of which was 'Mal' s Fedora'.  

By the time of the first round of the F.A.Cup, Palace were already clear at the top of the Third Division, having only lost once in 18 games, and must have fancied their chances at home to Isthmian League side Walton & Hersham. Victory was achieved only narrowly, with David Kemp scoring from close range against several of his former Slough team mates, and on that evidence few people would have imagined that Palace would progress to the semi-finals. That they did so well owed something to the fact that they were drawn away from home in every round from then on, since Palace's away form in the league that season was spectacular, and they actually ended the season with more points earned on their travels than at home. With Palace now a feared team, sides would come to Selhurst Park determined to go away with a point, but on their own grounds they found they could not match Palace when it came to an open game of football. Having beaten Millwall after a replay in the second round, the third round of the cup saw the 2-1 defeat of another non-league side, Scarborough, but not too many people would have shared Malcolm Allison's optimism when the draw for the fourth round paired his team with First Division Leeds United, at Elland Road. David Swindlehurst's headed goal from Taylor's free kick completed a genuine piece of giant-killing, and this victory gave the team fresh confidence after a surprising loss of form in the league during December, although Palace had built up such an impressive lead that despite four consecutive defeats they still entered the new year on top of Division Three.  

Allison's hunger for publicity was never more evident, and he was constantly pictured in a variety of poses, from brandishing his big cigar and daft hat to sharing a bath with Fiona Richmond, then notorious as a purveyor of soft porn. The fans had been used to media exposure since Allison's arrival but now, with the players having made a record, and cheap replicas of the fedora on sale, all sorts of people were professing themselves lifelong supporters, and a whole generation of Croydon schoolboys were suddenly proudly sporting red and blue scarves. Victory in the fifth round was somehow inevitable, and it came against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Nicky Chatterton

Palace took a 2-0 lead through Taylor and Chatterton before Chelsea drew level, only for Taylor to score an unforgettable winner direct from a free kick. By now, Alan Whittle had fought his way back into the side, and it was his last ever goal for Palace that won the sixth round tie against the leading Second Division side Sunderland, and put them into the semi-final for the first time in their history. The players had got there by quite simply playing a quality of football that their more illustrious opponents - Leeds, Chelsea and Sunderland - couldn't hope to match, and allied to excellent tactical organisation was the total belief in themselves that made Palace special, which is why Malcolm Allison will always command affection from the fans who were around then.  

Despite these famous victories Palace had now slipped down the league table to third place after too many mediocre home performances, and they also suffered the loss of Martin Hinshelwood for the rest of the season, hospitalised for a cartilage operation. Hinshelwood was never truly fit ever again, and although he played a handful of games over the next two seasons, he was eventually forced to retire from the game at the age of 24. It is quite difficult to assess his influence on the team, because although he was by no means spectacular, he was a dedicated disciple of Allison and Venables, and was arguably the most intelligent member of Palace's midfield.   

As Palace prepared for their semi-final, against Southampton at Stamford Bridge, Malcolm Allison made another of his confident predictions; "Palace and Derby. That's my forecast for the Cup Final on May 1st.'', and he went on to tempt fate by looking forward to appearing in next season's European Cup-Winners Cup. Although Southampton were pressing for promotion from the Second Division, many people made Palace favourites to reach the final, comparing their cup run with that of the Saints, who had taken the easier route of overcoming Aston Villa, Blackpool, West Brom and Bradford. Far from being over confident, on the day the Palace players were paralysed by nerves, and they performed nowhere near their best. After Peter Taylor had gone off injured early on, there was no source of inspiration, and Southampton won rather comfortably, by two goals to nil, surprised at the absence of any threat to their own goalmouth.  

Martin Hinshelwood

The feeling of anti-climax was certainly felt very strongly by the fans at the game, who had come to believe in Allison's prophecies, and the same sense of disappointment spread throughout the players, who completely lost any sense of purpose in the remaining league games. They won only one out of seven, and amazingly missed out on promotion once again, having looked the biggest certainties ever earlier in the season. Needing to win the final two games to go up, Palace could only draw 0-0 at home to a mediocre Chesterfield, and it was hard for the fans to swallow the fact that the season had so quickly turned so sour. If Palace had reached the Cup Final, then Malcolm Allison's extravagant boasts would have been acceptable, but I suspect that a quieter approach, of the kind favoured by Steve Coppell in 1990, might have seen them at least concentrate harder on their league position, and gain something from an extraordinary season. As it was, Allison's three years ended with him leaving 'by mutual consent' and being succeeded naturally by his deputy, Terry Venables. Although known as a showman himself, Venables had until now appeared thoughtful and dignified in comparison to Big Mal, and he was now ready for his next step towards his ultimate goal, the job of England manager.