{"id":58674,"title":"Proud Forest Away Volume 3 - Crystal Palace Sunday 11th October (K.O 2pm)","description":"The Proud Forest Away Guide looks to continue its unbeaten start with what should be a fascinating trip to Selhurst Park. Crystal Palace have failed to beat Forest since December 2011, a stat that probably won\u2019t cause any comfort for long suffering Reds.","content":"

Words by: Ben Oakden<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Reporting<\/span><\/strong> - Text +44 7507477669 or speak to a steward. You can also visit <\/span>https:\/\/report.kickitout.org\/<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>

Local LGBTQ+ Group<\/span><\/strong> - <\/span>Proud and Palace<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>

Club Information<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

The Proud Forest Away Guide looks to continue its unbeaten start with what should be a fascinating trip to Selhurst Park. Crystal Palace have failed to beat Forest since December 2011, a stat that probably won\u2019t cause any comfort for long suffering Reds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Crystal Palace were formed in 1905, first playing at the grounds of the eponymous Crystal Palace in South London. The club claim to have been formed in 1861, which would make them the oldest team in the Premier League, but this was based on an unrelated amateur club of the same name and has been rejected by historians.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

They moved to their current home of Selhurst Park in 1915, with their original home being claimed by the Admiralty during the First World War. They were promoted to the First Division for the first time in 1969, although they struggled with inconsistency and financial troubles that kept them from truly stabilising until their current spell in the Premier League began in 2013.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

For most of that time, Crystal Palace became synonymous with Premier League stability, rarely threatened with relegation nor challenging for silverware. That changed under Oliver Glasner, who won the Eagles the first major honours in their history- the FA Cup, Community Shield and UEFA Conference League. Due to that success, Glasner is often regarded as the greatest Palace manager ever, although it remains to be seen if the manner of his departure has soured that somewhat.<\/span><\/p>

\"2f50kd74wylu5o5z0mpvsa3m3uv5npppt6g88rsw5zysivuk.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"(image - BBC Sport)<\/p>

There was a certain respect between the two clubs when Forest first returned to the Premier League, with a party atmosphere as Forest celebrated survival on the last day of the 2022\/23 season. Since that 1-1 draw though, off-the pitch circumstances have turned the fixture into something of an unlikely rivalry. Due to UEFA rules around multi-club ownership, Crystal Palace\u2019s Europa League place was swapped with Forest\u2019s Conference League spot. Many Palace fans found it unfair that Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis also owns multiple UEFA clubs, with some accusing Marinakis of pushing to have Palace removed from the competition. Forest fans counter that the rules around multi-club ownership were made clear, and that Forest and Marinakis shouldn\u2019t be demonised for Crystal Palace\u2019s own mistake.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

An anti-Marinakis banner was displayed ahead of our match at Selhurst Park last season, which led to him taking legal action and may have even contributed to Crystal Palace\u2019s Ultras Group, the Holmesdale Fanatics, being disbanded at the beginning of this season. The final twist, of course, is that Glasner now manages Forest, and both teams will be itching to take the bragging rights on Sunday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\"pwbke0iic1ayqhbg8bgjmani9tbx35t69lbxy1nqwpvgmzrm.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"(Image - Nottinghamshire Live)<\/p>

The Day Out<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Crystal Palace is infamous amongst Premier League grounds for being difficult to get to. Given London\u2019s world class transport options, I\u2019m not sure that\u2019s entirely true. For away days in the South of London, Forest fans tend to gather around London Bridge, and from there it\u2019s an easy 30 minute train to either Selhurst or Norwood Junction stations. London Bridge Station is only a few minutes from Borough Market, giving you a ridiculous amount of food options from across the globe. The George is the main Forest away pub in that area, with a fantastic atmosphere on matchdays.<\/span><\/p>

\"ly5ils3mswfsmyrulckggafqfg7sgj4teat5nyejvdh8ba93.jpg.jpg?w=1140&project=proud-forest-362525&v=2\"(Image - Forza Garibaldi, taken at the George)<\/p>

I would also recommend the Gladstone Arms a few minutes up Borough High Street, especially if you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere or more variety of beer. It\u2019s LGBTQ friendly, serves food, and often features local musicians. If you do get lost heading there, or to one of the other great places in the area, then just look up! London Bridge Station, needed for the ground, is right by the Shard.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Closer to the ground, the similarly named Prince George also welcomes away fans. I haven\u2019t visited myself, but it comes recommended as another good option. If you want some lively debate with local fans, or a place to wait for the queues to settle before your train back, this looks to be the place.<\/span><\/p>

I would normally write about the city\u2019s gay scene in this section too, but for London it would likely take up a couple of pages. For this trip in particular, the area around Elephant and Castle station comes recommended for queer specific venues south of the Thames, as well as the Cock Inn near Kennington. No points for subtlety on that one!<\/span><\/p>

Local Pride Figure:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Marc Thompson is the lead commissioner of the London HIV prevention campaign. . Born in Brixton in the late 60s, Marc has talked extensively about the intersection of queer and black communities in the mid 1980s, both in the social and the political spheres.<\/span><\/p>

\"ci3zipgooeihcij89to2uimn8pfhvohxouk3ef8o6okdpa7u.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"(Image - FastTrack Cities)<\/p>

After being diagnosed with HIV in 1986, Marc has since used his experience of treatment and support to work at various organisations helping people who have been diagnosed. He recalls gay spaces as being predominantly white, and cited that as driving him to ensure people from other communities and backgrounds are able to access support. Even today, people of colour remain disproportionately affected by HIV.<\/span><\/p>

Thompson is the co-founder of Prepster, a group that successfully campaigned to get the HIV prevention drug PREP available through the NHS. He has lead community workshops and anti-stigma campaigns, and also co-founded the charity The Love Tank, which provides outreach and support on more broad health matters for people in underserved communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Along with historian Jason Okundaye, Jason also created the \u201cBlack & Gay, Back in the Day\u201d digital archive and podcast, ensuring intersectional stories are preserved for generations to come.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","urlTitle":"proud-forest-away-volume-3-crystal-palace","url":"\/blog\/proud-forest-away-volume-3-crystal-palace\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/proud-forest-away-volume-3-crystal-palace\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/proudforest.co.uk\/blog\/proud-forest-away-volume-3-crystal-palace\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1791623113,"updatedAt":1791624730,"publishedAt":1791624729,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":354502,"name":"Proud Forest"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/2kdqrzumalzfn6euyeuro2bta2hg4aeoiynu0poboenv5hoh.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/2kdqrzumalzfn6euyeuro2bta2hg4aeoiynu0poboenv5hoh.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/2kdqrzumalzfn6euyeuro2bta2hg4aeoiynu0poboenv5hoh.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":58236,"title":"Proud Forest Away Volume 2 - Aston Villa Saturday 12th September (K.O. 3pm)","url":"\/blog\/proud-forest-away-volume-2-aston-villa-saturday-12-th-september-k-o-3-pm\/","urlTitle":"proud-forest-away-volume-2-aston-villa-saturday-12-th-september-k-o-3-pm","division":354502,"description":"Volume 2 of Proud Forest Away ahead of our trip to Villa Park.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/s6vm4x7tgmhlrzlytwiwq0b4rp1lnm9ftdcyyoi8um6odyok.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/s6vm4x7tgmhlrzlytwiwq0b4rp1lnm9ftdcyyoi8um6odyok.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":57972,"title":"Proud Forest Away Volume 1 - Liverpool FC Saturday 29th August (K.O 12.30pm)","url":"\/blog\/proud-forest-away-volume-1-liverpool-fc-saturday-29th-august-k-o-12-30-pm\/","urlTitle":"proud-forest-away-volume-1-liverpool-fc-saturday-29th-august-k-o-12-30-pm","division":354502,"description":"Welcome to the first volume of Proud Forest away! This regular feature will give you an insight into every away match of the season, with a particular focus on LQBTQ perspectives. Whether you\u2019re one of the fortunate ones that claim the gold dust of away tickets, or if you just want to learn more and get excited for the matches, I hope you enjoy it!","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/bzpbvzk9gjltp2c7lfuojjxnpdjwmdle4tgg7hcvoguz2ola.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/bzpbvzk9gjltp2c7lfuojjxnpdjwmdle4tgg7hcvoguz2ola.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}