CRYSTAL PALACE 1 CITY 0
League Division 1
6th April 1970
attendance 27,704
Scorer Hoy(21)
Ref E Wallace
City Corrigan, Book, Pardoe, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Carrodus, Young, Glennon, Towers, Donachie – sub Summerbee(60)
Palace J Jackson, Sewell, Hoadley, Payne, McCormick, Blyth, Taylor, Kember, Hoy, Queen, C Jackson
TAKEN FROM AN ARTICLE IN THE CRYSTAL PALACE PROGRAMME 4TH MARCH 2000
[This was a] rearranged fixture that was brought forward and may have helped Palace in their survival stakes. Originally scheduled for four days after the cup final on 15th April, the clubs agreed to play on the evening of Monday 6th April, probably to accommodate City’s quest in winning the European Cup Winners Cup which they did successfully. Palace desperately needed to win this game, which was our last of the season, in order to put a gap between ourselves and the clubs also hoping to stay in Division One, Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday.
… It was a single goal that secured victory for Palace and it arrived in the 21st minute. Gerry Queen was fouled and Steve Kember took the resultant free-kick from which Queen and Cliff Jackson ushered the ball on for Roger Hoy to fire home from six yards. In the muddy conditions, Palace were keen to hold on to their lead, while City failed to come to terms with the playing surface and Palace’s desperation. At the final whistle thousands of Palace fans poured onto the pitch to acclaim the team knowing that there was still sixteen days to go before our fate would be known.
… Without doubt, on reflection, our survival was partly due to the benevolence of Manchester City. As well as allowing us to claim all four points from them, and our only ‘double’ of the season, they then had a major hand to play against our relegation rivals.