Known as the oldest professional soccer club in the world, Crystal Palace Football Club has an extensive history of playing the beautiful game. The Crystal Palace FC technically began with the workers of Crystal Palace, which was an enormous exhibition hall constructed in glass. After this club was dissolved in the 1870s, a second club took its place and was founded in 1905, in conjunction with the football arena Crystal Palace that was built in 1894.
In 1905, when the club was officially established, it became professionally owned by a separate limited company with the Crystal Palace Company as majority shareholders. During this time, the club entered into the Southern League Division Two and played their first professional match against Southampton Reserves at the Crystal Palace. Although Crystal Palace FC struggled in the Southern League First Division and finished second from bottom, they would have magnificent highs and lows during their Southern Leagues days up until 1920.
During the 1920-21 season, the Football League was expanded with a third tier and Crystal Palace was one of the selected clubs. This lead to instant success as they went on to win the Third Division before Southampton and Queens Park Rangers. They also became the only team promoted to the Second Division.
By 1969, for the very first time Crystal Palace FC reached Division One. It was in 1991 when they would achieve the best position in third place. They were able to play in the FA Cup final two times but never took home a win. Throughout the 2000s the club underwent a lot of economical struggles and several owner shifts have occurred.
After recovering from financial difficulties, the club made its comeback in 2010 and successfully negotiated the purchase of the club. Although this good news was at first overshadowed with a poor start to the season, Ian Holloway became manager in 2012 and lead the Palace back to the Premier League. In 2016, they reached another FA Cup final and came out as runners-up to Manchester United.
The Crystal Palace isn’t without its highs and lows, but most recently they finished in eleventh place in the Premier League in Hodgson’s first season and then twelfth in the 2018–19 season.
Today the Crystal Palace FC is lead by Wifred Zaha who is now 28 and interested to move on to a club that will compete in European soccer. The Crystal Palace is also now looking to the academies to drive the youth forward and the U23 players the likes of Scott Banks along with the new fresh young faces at Selhurst Park of Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson. Scott who came over from Dundee United (Scotland) and the Eagles have opted not to develop him out on loan to top-flight rival Manchester City, but rather keep him in their own U23 system.