The first post...

Hello everyone and thank you for taking the time to have a look at my new blog snappily titled "Hopkin Looking To Curl One..." in reference to the famous last minute winner scored by Mr. Hopkin for us all those years ago in the play-off final against Sheffield United.

I will be attempting to update this on a reasonably regular basis with my observations on all things happening at CPFC. Some of which you may agree with, a lot of it you may well not, but regardless I will just be glad to know that someone has taken the time to read what I happen to be thinking.

As for the current state of the team, I have to say that yesterdays point away at Watford was extremely satisfying. Going into the game I was far from convinced that we were going to get anything out of it other than a severe pasting, a view that was only enforced by going a goal down after 10 minutes.

It appeared for all the world that we were going to be staring into the abyss of the bottom three for at least a few more days, but then, as mad as it sounds, we managed to get ourselves level, a goal coming from a brilliant ball through from young Wilf into the path of James Vaughan who showed everyone just why Dougie was so desperate to get him back to Selhurst by holding off the challenge of the defender and smashing that ball into the roof of the net with a look of a striker brimming with confidence.

The 2nd half was a strange affair, the fog rolled in and refused to leave, making it genuinely impossible to see what was going on at the other end of the pitch for us Palace fans, prompting what has to be one of my favorite songs in recent memory, "Der Der Der, Where the fuck's Speroni?" from the travelling supporters.

There was also a huge 6 minutes of added time played, but, unlike so many other away games this season the boys managed to dig in and hold on to grab a well earned and much needed point that actually resulted in lifting us out of the bottom three at Sheffield United's expense, after they lost 1 - 0 at home to Svens' Leicester City.

For me though, the most important mention has to go the travelling 1,600 who were truly inspirational in support of the team throughout. When the opening goal went in the noise in the away end only increased and the scenes when Vaughany got us back to 1 - 1 were ones of total pandemonium.

The support clearly affected the players as well, with Neil Danns, Jermaine Easter and the goal scorer James Vaughan all stating on Twitter that the support they and the team received was fantastic.

We now face Middlesbrough at home on Saturday in what can only be seen as a massive game for Dougie and the boys, win it and we distance ourselves further from the bottom three, lose and we will most probably be back exactly where we were before last night’s great result.

The stakes are high, but we wouldn't have it any other way...

Until next time, I will leave you with this superb little clip of what I feel sums up Palace fans humour and support of the team rather neatly.