The first in a four part article about the Australians that have graced Selhurst Park over the years which has been sent in to us from our friends at Licence to Roam. Go and check out their website for more articles and they can also be contacted on Twitter.
Australians have had a long running tradition of playing for Crystal Palace, a trend that has been particularly evident in the last 20 years. It would seem like an unlikely partnership, but no fewer than 11 Aussies have plied their trade at Selhurst Park. From former captain courageous Tony Popovic to current Eagles leader, the inspirational Mile Jedinak, the connection has certainly provided the fans with some heroes and some unfortunate villains.
Carl Veart
The first Aussie to feature for Crystal Palace was unheralded midfield/forward Carl Veart. The “guvnor” or “goal machine” as he was affectionately known signed from South Melbourne back in 1996 and made his debut for the club in March that year against Tranmere, a game which ended in a 2-1 Palace victory. Despite only being employed by the club just shy of 2 years, he did manage to have a degree of success. He was part of a successful 1996-97 season that led to Palace’s promotion to the Premier League.
Veart was often criticized for his lack of scoring, but managed to remain well liked by the fans. During his time with the Eagles he only scored 6 goals in 57 appearances, which is notably contradictory to his nickname. His most important goal was in the 1995/1996 Championship play-off semifinal first leg against Charlton at The Valley, where he headed home from close range to give Palace a 2-1 win.
The “guvnor” also featured 6 times for Palace in the Premier League, before being sold to Millwall. Carl Veart later returned to Australia, where he scored the first ever goal in the Hyundai A-League for hometown side Adelaide United. During his time with United he also had the pleasure of playing with Brazilian superstar Romario, who enjoyed a short spell with the club. The South Australian also played 23 times for the Socceroos and is now currently employed as a coach with Adelaide United.
Kevin Muscat
Kevin Muscat also arrived at the club in 1996 and was a key part of the squad that achieved promotion. The defensive hardman was principally known for his aggression and brutal tackling style; this made him a highly feared and intimidating opponent. He was never too far away from the headlines, and due to his aggressive playing style, Muscat was once labelled “the most hated man in football”. Furthermore, in a Palace v Norwich match, Muscat managed to spark a wild 21 man melee in which punches were thrown, following his body check on Norwich’s Darren Eadie.
Muscat went onto play 53 games for Palace, including 9 Premier League fixtures, before moving to Wolves for £200,000. This was where he enjoyed his most prosperous spell in the UK. He also lined up for Millwall and Scottish giants Rangers before returning home to play with the Melbourne Victory. Interestingly, Muscat never lined up in an old firm derby against Celtic, as his manager Alex McCleish didn’t think Muscat had the temperament for such a massively intense match.
During his time with the A-League side, which was also often shrouded in controversy, he enjoyed a very successful spell, playing 122 matches, scoring 6 goals and also winning 2 titles. “Super Kev”, as he was known to the diehard Victory supporters, also featured on 51 occasions for the national team. Muscat now currently holds down an assisting coaching position with the Victory.
The next instalment, part 2, will feature the Aussies that came to the club under Terry Venebles in 1998, a year which was definitely an interesting one for the club.
