Tottenham’s League Record Against Crystal Palace At Selhurst Park

Tottenham and Crystal Palace have only met in the Football League since 1969. In all but one season the matches were in the 1st Division or the Premier League. Spurs’ last visit to Selhurst Park in 2005 was their first away defeat to Palace in the Premier League. Andre Villas-Boas will be wanting to avoid a repeat of that result.

Tottenham’s League Record against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park (inc.PL)

P  14  W  8  D  4  L  2  For  25  Ag  16

Record in Premier League at Palace:

P  4  W  2  D  1  L  1  For  7  Ag  6

Tottenham and Palace first met in the League in 1969-70 season after Palace gained promotion to the 1st Division for the first time in their history. The first game was in August, 1969 at Selhurst Park and Spurs won 2 – 0. The goals that day were scored by Jimmy Pearce and Martin Chivers. Over the next four seasons Tottenham were undefeated against their London rivals with 6 wins and two draws, both at Selhurst Park.

The two clubs met in Tottenham’s season in the 2nd Division and a 2 – 1 win at Palace in November, 1977 was achieved through goals from Ian Moores and John Duncan. Palace were promoted a year after Spurs and spent two years in the 1st Division but were still looking for their first win over Tottenham. In 1980-81 there were two high scoring games. As Alan remembers in his blog, Spurs won 4 – 3 at Selhurst Park in August with a 4 – 2 win at home the following November. Palace were relegated that season and it was eight years before they were to return to the top flight.

In 1989-90 Spurs defeated Palace 3 – 1 at Selhurst Park with goals from David Howells, Gary Lineker (pen) and Vinny Samways. The following March Palace won at the Lane, a single goal securing the points. Thirteen months on Palace recorded their first home win over Spurs, again by a single goal. Palace spent six out of nine seasons in the 1st Division/Premier League before being relegated in May, 1998.

Tottenham’s last win over Palace at Selhurst Park was that March when a 3 – 1 success improved Spurs fight against relegation under Christian Gross. The crucial win took Spurs up one place to 16th while Palace were 20th, 8 points behind. Spurs goals were scored by Nicola Berti, Chris Armstrong and Jurgen Klinsmann.

Last League Meeting

Palace have had one further season in the Premier League since then – in 2004-05. The teams drew 1 – 1 at White Hart Lane in the last game of 2004 when Jermain Defoe scored. Four weeks later Palace had a convincing 3 – 0 win over Spurs in the return fixture. The win lifted Palace out of the relegation zone but caused Spurs, in 7th, to drop further behind the clubs above them. At the end of the season Palace went down, finishing 18th, a point from safety.

Tottenham have a better record at Palace in the Premier League than they have at White Hart Lane. With two wins and only one defeat they will be hoping to get the season off to a winning start but it’s never easy against a promoted side in a London derby on the first day of the season.

While this is the first occasion on which Spurs and Palace have met in the first match of the season, it’s not the first time Tottenham have started the season at Selhurst Park. In August, 1998 Christian Gross saw his Tottenham side lose 3 – 1 to Wimbledon who were sharing Selhurst Park with Palace. Ruel Fox scored Spurs’ goal that afternoon but Gross’ excuse for the defeat was that the grass was too long. Two weeks later he was looking for a new job.