OTHER PALACE NEWS
*****************

FA PREMIERSHIP YOUTH LEAGUE
****************************

Saturday 17th January.
Arsenal Youth  2  Palace Youth  1
Palace scorer : Sharpling.

SURREY SENIOR CUP
*****************

Whyteleafe XI v Palace XI

Last week's postponed Surrey Senior Cup match will be played this
coming Thursday (22nd) at Whyteleafe - KO 7.30pm GMT.

TRAINING NEWS FROM MITCHAM
**************************

Michele Padovano and Valerien Ismael both trained with Palace today
but Atillio Lombardo, Neil Shipperley and Neil Emblen were all
receiving treatment for injury.

RON NOADES DISMISSES RUMOURS
****************************

Ron Noades, speaking on CLUBCALL today, once again, dismissed the
rumours that Gerry Francis has been approached regarding an
appointment with Palace.

Mr Noades told CLUBCALL that he did meet Gerry Francis at a charity
function but he did not discuss Palace's managerial position with
him.

The Palace chairman went on to say that he had telephoned Steve
Coppell to reassure him that he had not discussed the managerial
position with Gerry Francis or anyone else.

It was his belief that Palace's recent poor results were due to the
injury crisis that had hit the club and that the results would have
been the same no matter who had been running the club.

Palace's managerial position was the last thing on his mind.

OTHER WEB NEWS
**************

Carlingnet report :

Crystal Palace 19 Jan 1998

BROLIN MAKES UNHAPPY RETURN TO YORKSHIRE
****************************************

Tomas Brolin was unable to mark his return to Yorkshire with a win
for his new side Crystal Palace against FA Carling Premiership
strugglers Barnsley.

Brolin, the former Leeds midfielder, lost possession to Darren
Sheridan for Barnsley's only goal and also saw an `equaliser'
disallowed for handball after earlier heading against the crossbar
from seven yards.

But manager Steve Coppell knows he has "quality" in Brolin.

Coppell said:

    "He cost us a goal but you cannot escape the fact that he is a
    good player.

    "His physical condition isn't good at the moment and for the
    next few weeks he will find it hard to get back into the routine
    of full time training again.

    "But he is a quality player. Two years ago he cost £4million or
    £5million and we got him for nought. So I'm not complaining."

Brolin himself confessed that he was delighted to be back in action
after his traumatic time at Elland Road.

Brolin said:

    "It is very important to be involved again. If I wasn't perhaps
    I would have thought about quitting football.

    "I really feel at home now at Crystal Palace and I hope we can
    stay in the Premier league."

Palace have not won in the Premiership since the November victory at
Tottenham and Coppell is acutely aware that he could be in the firing
line.

He admitted:

    "We haven't won for a while and the buck stops with the manager.
    It's my fault and I accept that.

    "For me a few people have got rich off us. We spent a lot of
    money on injuries and creeping injuries. We're got 11 first
    teamers out.

    "That's not me making excuses but it's a fact. I won't avoid the
    facts but I won't use them to say `we got beat because we're all
    injured'. We got beat because we couldn't score.

    "I still feel if we can get our injured players like Lombardo,
    Padovano and Shipperley back we'll be alright."
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TEAMTALK report :

KEY PLAYERS BACK
****************

Palace are hoping to have a number of key players available for
Saturday's FA Cup game with Leicester.

Steve Coppell has nearly a full team out of action and the squad is
almost down to the bare bones. But he thinks that one or two might be
available for the visit of Martin O'Neill's side to Selhurst Park.

Club record signing Valerien Ismael will be available to make his
debut after his transfer from Strasbourg was confirmed. Michele
Padovano will face a late fitness test on the hamstring injury which
has caused him not to play this year. But Attilio Lombardo looks
doubtful after breaking down in a training match at the end of last
week.

Neil Emblen is likely to be available after the knee injury which
caused him to miss the trip to Barnsley, while Simon Rodger is
having treatment for a hamstring problem.

BROLIN NOT FULLY FIT
********************

Tomas Brolin admits that he is still some way away from being fully
fit despite again playing for the first team. Because of a number of
injury problems at the club, Brolin has been forced to go straight
into the first team. But he points out that he is on the right path
to getting back to something near full fitness.

    "I need another three or four weeks to regain peak fitness,"
    said Brolin. "I have regained my appetite for the game."

KILLER TOUCH REQUIRED
*********************

Steve Coppell has called upon his side to start showing the killer
touch in front of goal. Coppell saw his side take most of the
possession at Barnsley but they still lost 1-0.

Coppell refused to blame the massive injury problems at the club for
his side's latest defeat, although he admitted it was a contributing
factor.

    "We had the chances and just needed a little bit more quality
    and a bit more in the final third," he said.

**RB** It had to happen I suppose. Now the media have put two and
two together and made five.....****

VENABLES PALACE RETURN ?
************************

Terry Venables, who terminated his links with Portsmouth only last
week, is set for a possible return to English football with Palace.

Apparently Mark Goldberg is interested in bringing Venables in some
as yet unknown capacity to Palace. Goldberg, of course, is currently
embroiled in a power struggle with current chairman Ron Noades and
could use Venables as an ally in his bid to secure control at
Selhurst Park.

Goldberg has already purchased 10% of the club but needs to find 30
million to take control. He then plans to make money available for
Steve Coppell to spend in the transfer market.

Venables managed Palace in the eighties, building an exciting side
but his reputation, especially with regard to financial matters, has
hardly been enhanced by his departure in acrimonious circumstances
from Portsmouth.

Whether Venables arrives or not lets hope the situation is rectified
soon. It's understood that Steve Coppell is suitably brassed off with
all the boardroom problems, certainly problems upstairs never aid the
spirit at at the club.

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And finally, Blakey has all the latest relegation odds from the
bookies.........

Racing Post 19/1/98

Latest odds on Palace, and fellow 'strugglers' to be relegated are as
follows:-

Odds on Palace

William Hill    2/5
Ladbrokes       4/9
Sunderlands     8/13
Surrey          8/15
Tote            4/6   * Best Odds*

Best odds on other teams and the firm(s) from which they are on
offer:-

Barnsley        1/6     Hills, Sund, Surrey
Bolton          4/6     Sund, Surrey, Tote
Coventry        9/4     Tote
Southampton     11/4    Ladbrokes
Tottenham       4/1     Hills, Surrey
Everton         9/2     Surrey
Wimbledon       5/1     Hills, Surrey
Sheff Wed       8/1     Ladbrokes, Surrey
Leicester       12/1    Ladbrokes
Aston Villa     16/1    Hills, Sund, Surrey (No odds quoted by
Ladbrokes)

David Blake.

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