Crystal Palace Crystal Palace FC has one of the most unusual histories in English football because its roots reach back much further than the foundation date of the modern club. Historical research has uncovered links to a team dating from 1861, while the present Crystal Palace FC was formally established in 1905 โ in 2022 the club updated its crest to honour that earlier origin. The name itself comes from the famous glass-and-iron Crystal Palace exhibition building that once stood in South London.
For much of its early history the club carried the nickname "The Glaziers", a nod to that glass structure. It was not until 1973, under manager Malcolm Allison, that the team adopted its current nickname, The Eagles, along with the distinctive red-and-blue vertical stripes it still wears today. Since 1924 the club has played its home matches at Selhurst Park, and its South London character has always set it apart from the capital's more commercial giants.
For decades, Palace were not among England's traditional giants โ their highest-ever league finish, third place, came in the 1990โ91 season under manager Steve Coppell, and they reached the FA Cup final twice, in 1990 and 2016, losing both times to Manchester United.
That picture changed dramatically between 2025 and 2026, however. On 17 May 2025, managed by Austrian coach Oliver Glasner, the Eagles beat Manchester City 1โ0 in the FA Cup final thanks to a goal from Eberechi Eze, claiming the first major trophy in their 120-year history. That August, the club added the Community Shield, beating Liverpool on penalties. The remarkable run was capped on 27 May 2026 in Leipzig, where Crystal Palace won their first-ever European trophy, defeating Rayo Vallecano 1โ0 in the UEFA Conference League final thanks to a goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Despite this historic success, the club's greatest strength remains its connection with the local community โ a story built as much on identity, loyalty and resilience as, for the first time in its history, on a genuine collection of major trophies.
