# 1991–92 Crystal Palace F.C. season

During the 1991–92 English football season, Crystal Palace competed in the Football League First Division.

## Season summary

The 1991–92 season for Crystal Palace was somewhat anticlimactic football-wise, but controversial in another way. A statement by Ron Noades, which he claimed was reported out of context, stunned Palace's many black players. Noades had apparently claimed that black players didn't play hard enough in winter, but that they made up for it at the end of the season. Although he later stated that he was describing a general attitude amongst managers in earlier decades, and that this was not his own opinion, many of Palace's black players began planning to leave, the most notable departure being that of Ian Wright to Arsenal for £2.5 million (a record for both clubs) in September.
Palace finished 10th in the First Division, having never looked in danger of relegation, but they never challenged the leading pack and would be among the 22 founder members of the new FA Premier League for the 1992–93 season. However, they would be without the services of another key player - Mark Bright - who was sold to Sheffield Wednesday. The Yorkshire club had just finished third in the league and qualified for the UEFA Cup, and were looking more likely to be chasing honours than a Palace side who were now looking like a thin shadow of what they had been a year or two earlier.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 8 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 60 | 58 | +2 | 59 |
| 9 | Sheffield United | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 65 | 63 | +2 | 57 |
| 10 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 53 | 61 | −8 | 57 |
| 11 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 48 | 47 | +1 | 54 |
| 12 | Everton | 42 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 52 | 51 | +1 | 53 |

## Results

Crystal Palace's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 24 August 1991 | Manchester City | A | 2–3 | 28,028 | Thomas, Bright |
| 27 August 1991 | Wimbledon | H | 3–2 | 16,736 | Bright, Gray (pen), Wright |
| 31 August 1991 | Sheffield United | H | 2–1 | 15,507 | Thomas, Wright |
| 4 September 1991 | Aston Villa | A | 1–0 | 20,740 | Wright |
| 7 September 1991 | Everton | A | 2–2 | 21,065 | Gray (pen), Bright |
| 14 September 1991 | Arsenal | H | 1–4 | 24,228 | Bright |
| 17 September 1991 | West Ham United | H | 2–3 | 21,363 | Salako, Wright |
| 21 September 1991 | Oldham Athletic | A | 3–2 | 13,391 | Salako, Wright, Bright |
| 28 September 1991 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–2 | 15,372 | Bright, Collymore |
| 1 October 1991 | Leeds United | H | 1–0 | 18,298 | Bright |
| 5 October 1991 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 1–4 | 26,230 | Bright |
| 19 October 1991 | Coventry City | A | 2–1 | 10,591 | Bright, Gabbiadini |
| 26 October 1991 | Chelsea | H | 0–0 | 21,841 | |
| 2 November 1991 | Liverpool | A | 2–1 | 34,231 | Gabbiadini, Thomas |
| 16 November 1991 | Southampton | H | 1–0 | 15,861 | Thomas |
| 23 November 1991 | Nottingham Forest | A | 1–5 | 22,387 | Thomas |
| 30 November 1991 | Manchester United | H | 1–3 | 29,017 | Mortimer |
| 7 December 1991 | Norwich City | A | 3–3 | 12,667 | Newman (own goal), McGoldrick, Osborn |
| 22 December 1991 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 1–2 | 22,491 | |
| 26 December 1991 | Wimbledon | A | 1–1 | 15,009 | Gabbiadini |
| 28 December 1991 | Sheffield United | A | 1–1 | 17,969 | Gabbiadini |
| 1 January 1992 | Notts County | H | 1–0 | 14,202 | Gabbiadini |
| 11 January 1992 | Manchester City | H | 1–1 | 14,766 | Bright |
| 18 January 1992 | Leeds United | A | 1–1 | 27,717 | Thomas |
| 1 February 1992 | Coventry City | H | 0–1 | 13,818 | |
| 8 February 1992 | Chelsea | A | 1–1 | 17,810 | Whyte |
| 16 February 1992 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 1–0 | 19,834 | McGoldrick |
| 22 February 1992 | Manchester United | A | 0–2 | 46,347 | |
| 25 February 1992 | Luton Town | H | 1–1 | 12,109 | Bright |
| 29 February 1992 | Norwich City | H | 3–4 | 14,201 | Bright (2), Osborn |
| 3 March 1992 | Nottingham Forest | H | 0–0 | 12,608 | |
| 7 March 1992 | Luton Town | A | 1–1 | 8,591 | McGoldrick |
| 11 March 1992 | Southampton | A | 0–1 | 12,926 | |
| 14 March 1992 | Liverpool | H | 1–0 | 23,680 | Young |
| 21 March 1992 | Aston Villa | H | 0–0 | 15,368 | |
| 28 March 1992 | Notts County | A | 3–2 | 7,674 | Coleman, Bright, Mortimer |
| 4 April 1992 | Everton | H | 2–0 | 14,338 | Coleman, Bright (pen) |
| 11 April 1992 | Arsenal | A | 1–4 | 36,016 | Coleman |
| 18 April 1992 | Oldham Athletic | H | 0–0 | 12,267 | |
| 20 April 1992 | West Ham United | A | 2–0 | 17,710 | Bright, Coleman |
| 25 April 1992 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–1 | 21,573 | Bright |
| 2 May 1992 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–1 | 14,903 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 4 January 1992 | Leicester City | A | 0–1 | 19,613 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 1st leg | 25 September 1991 | Hartlepool United | A | 1–1 | 6,697 | Bright |
| R2 2nd leg | 8 October 1991 | Hartlepool United | H | 6–1 (won 7–2 on agg) | 9,153 | |
| R3 | 29 October 1991 | Birmingham City | A | 1–1 | 17,270 | Gray |
| R3R | 19 November 1991 | Birmingham City | H | 1–1 | 10,698 | |
| R3R2 | 3 December 1991 | Birmingham City | H | 2–1 | 11,384 | Gray (pen), Thorn |
| R4 | 17 December 1991 | Swindon Town | A | 1–0 | 10,044 | Gray |
| QF | 8 January 1992 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–1 | 14,941 | |
| QFR | 5 February 1992 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2–4 | 18,918 | |

### Full Members Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance |
| R2 | 22 October 1991 | Southend United | H | 4–2 (a.e.t.) | 7,185 |
| R3 | 26 November 1991 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 3–2 | 4,492 |
| S Area SF | 10 December 1991 | Chelsea | H | 0–1 | 8,416 |

## Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | GK | ENG | Jimmy Glass |
| — | GK | ENG | Nigel Martyn |
| — | GK | ENG | Perry Suckling |
| — | GK | ENG | Neil Sullivan (on loan from Wimbledon) |
| — | GK | ENG | Andy Woodman |
| — | DF | WAL | Paul Bodin |
| — | DF | WAL | Chris Coleman |
| — | DF | ENG | Dean Gordon |
| — | DF | ENG | Rudi Hedman |
| — | DF | WAL | Jeff Hopkins |
| — | DF | ENG | John Humphrey |
| — | DF | ENG | Richard Shaw |
| — | DF | ENG | Lee Sinnott |
| — | DF | ENG | Gareth Southgate (captain) |
| — | DF | ENG | Andy Thorn |
| — | DF | WAL | Eric Young |
| — | MF | SKN | Bobby Bowry |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Andy Gray |
| — | MF | ENG | Eddie McGoldrick |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Mortimer |
| — | MF | ENG | Ricky Newman |
| — | MF | ENG | Simon Osborn |
| — | MF | ENG | Alan Pardew |
| — | MF | ENG | Simon Rodger |
| — | MF | ENG | John Salako |
| — | MF | ENG | Geoff Thomas |
| — | FW | ENG | Andy Barnes |
| — | FW | ENG | Mark Bright |
| — | FW | ENG | Stan Collymore |
| — | FW | ENG | Marco Gabbiadini |
| — | FW | ENG | Jamie Moralee |
| — | FW | ENG | David Whyte |
| — | FW | ENG | Ian Wright |

## Transfers
### In

| Date | Pos | Name | From | Fee |
| 19 July 1991 | DF | Chris Coleman | Swansea City | £275,000 |
| 8 August 1991 | DF | Lee Sinnott | Bradford City | £300,000 |
| 1 October 1991 | FW | Marco Gabbiadini | Sunderland | £1,800,000 |
| 18 October 1991 | MF | Paul Mortimer | Aston Villa | £500,000 |
| 18 October 1991 | MF | Bobby Bowry | Queens Park Rangers | Free transfer |

### Out

| Date | Pos | Name | To | Fee |
| 25 July 1991 | MF | Phil Barber | Millwall | £100,000 |
| 19 August 1991 | FW | Garry Thompson | Queens Park Rangers | £125,000 |
| 19 August 1991 | DF | Tony Witter | Queens Park Rangers | £125,000 |
| 24 September 1991 | FW | Ian Wright | Arsenal | £2,500,000 |
| 21 November 1991 | MF | Alan Pardew | Charlton Athletic | Free transfer |
| 10 January 1992 | DF | Paul Bodin | Swindon Town | £225,000 |
| 31 January 1992 | FW | Marco Gabbiadini | Derby County | £1,000,000 |
| 5 March 1992 | DF | Jeff Hopkins | Bristol Rovers | Free transfer |
| 27 May 1992 | MF | Andy Gray | Tottenham Hotspur | £700,000 |
    Transfers in: £2,875,000
    Transfers out: £4,775,000
    Total spending: £1,900,000