1989–90 Crystal Palace F.C. season

Crystal Palace F.C.

1989–90 season
Chairman	Ron Noades
Manager	Steve Coppell[1]
Ground	Selhurst Park
First Division	15th
FA Cup	Runners-up (eliminated by Manchester United)
League Cup	Third round (eliminated by Nottingham Forest)
Full Members' Cup	Southern final (eliminated by Chelsea)
Top goalscorer	League: Mark Bright (12) All: Mark Bright (17)
Highest home attendance	29,870 vs Liverpool First Division, 20 January 1990
Lowest home attendance	3,747 vs Luton Town, Full Members' Cup, 27 November 1989
Average home league attendance	17,369
Biggest win	4–0 vs Huddersfield Town (home), FA Cup, 27 January 1990
Biggest defeat	9–0 vs Liverpool (away), First Division, 12 September 1989
Home colours Away colours Third colours
← 1988–89 1990–91 →

The 1989–90 season was the 74th season of competitive association football and 63rd season in the Football League played by Crystal Palace Football Club, a professional football club based in Selhurst, South London, England. Their promotion via the Second Division play-offs in 1988–89 meant they played in the First Division, after an eight-year absence from the top division of the English football league system. The season ran from 1 July 1989 to 30 June 1990.

It was Steve Coppell's sixth start to a season as manager. Palace occupied a position in the bottom half of the table for most of the season, and finished the 1989–90 Football League First Division in 15th place. The club suffered its record league defeat this season when Liverpool beat them 9–0 at Anfield. Palace reached the 1990 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, they drew 3–3 with Manchester United and so the tie had to be replayed five days later, United won 1–0 to give Alex Ferguson his first major trophy as their manager. Palace were eliminated from the 1989–90 Football League Cup in the third round, and from the 1989–90 Full Members' Cup in the Southern section final.

23 players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were 12 different goalscorers. Midfielders Andy Gray, Alan Pardew and Geoff Thomas played in 51 of the 54 competitive matches played over the season; Gray started all 51 while Pardew and Thomas made 2 and 4 substitute appearances respectively. Mark Bright finished as leading scorer with 17 goals, of which 12 came in league competition, two came in the FA Cup, one came in the League Cup and two came in the Full Members' Cup. Bright was voted as the Crystal Palace F.C. Player of the Year.

The 1988–89 season was Palace's eight successive season in the Football League Second Division. They finished the season in third place missing out on the second automatic promotion place by one point, instead they qualified for the play-offs. They beat Swindon Town in the semi-final 2–1 on aggregate. In the 1989 Football League Second Division play-off final they faced Blackburn Rovers, the first leg was won by Rovers 3–1 at Ewood Park. In the second leg at Selhurst Park, Palace were 2–0 up after 90 minutes so the match went into extra time. Another goal from Palace saw them win the tie and take the remaining place in the First Division.

Pre-season match details

Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Score F–A
23 July 1989	IF Norvalla	A	W	3–1
25 July 1989	Billesholms GIF	A	W	7–2
27 July 1989	Verderslov Danninglanda	A	W	5–1
29 July 1989	Virserums SGF	A	W	7–1
31 July 1989	Skera IF	A	W	7–1
1 August 1989	Sodra Vings IF	A	W	2–0
5 August 1989	Farnborough Town	A	W	2–1
8 August 1989	Aldershot	A	W	2–0
11 August 1989	Swansea City	A	W	4–1
13 August 1989	West Ham United	A	L	1–3
30 August 1989	Derry City	A	W	4–2

^[2]

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
13	Manchester United	38	13	9	16	46	47	−1	48	Qualification for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round[a]
14	Manchester City	38	12	12	14	43	52	−9	48
15	Crystal Palace	38	13	9	16	42	66	−24	48
16	Derby County	38	13	7	18	43	40	+3	46
17	Luton Town	38	10	13	15	43	57	−14	43

^[3]

^[4] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ENG Nigel Martyn — GK  ENG Perry Suckling — GK  ENG Brian Parkin — GK  ENG Andy Woodman — DF  WAL Jeff Hopkins — DF  ENG John Pemberton — DF  ENG Rudi Hedman — DF  ENG Adam Locke — DF  ENG Gareth Southgate — DF  ENG Gary O'Reilly — DF  ENG Richard Shaw — DF  ENG Andy Thorn — DF  ENG Mark Dennis — DF  ENG Chris Powell — DF  ENG Ricky Newman

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  ENG Alex Dyer — DF  ENG David Burke — MF  ENG Phil Barber — MF  ENG Andy Gray — MF  ENG David Madden — MF  IRL Eddie McGoldrick — MF  ENG Alan Pardew — MF  ENG John Salako — MF  ENG Geoff Thomas — MF  ENG Mark Hone — MF  ENG Simon Osborn — FW  ENG Mark Bright — FW  ENG Ian Wright — FW  ENG Garry Thompson — FW  ENG David Whyte

General

• King, Ian (2011). Crystal Palace: The Complete Record. Derby: Derby Books Publishing Company. pp. 398–399. ISBN 978-1-85983-809-9.

Specific