Pre-season is one of the most tedious times of the year for football fans, perhaps only surpassed by the month of June when no club football takes place at all.
A period of struggling to be patient in anticipation for when the season commences is often spent caring more than you probably should about the development side’s fixture with a local seventh tier club, or travelling several miles to watch a second string first team narrowly beat a side in the lower regions of the Football League. The only true excitement is the transfer window but even the vast amount of rumours, speculation and sometimes disappointment can become boring after a while.
So what are the benefits of pre-season?
While the players prepare both physically and mentally, the commercial and financial side of clubs can also gain from a good pre-season. Palace’s recent tour of North America is a good example of this because the commercial advantages of a trip across the Atlantic are now huge with the growing reputation of ‘soccer’ in the United States.
Swansea City and Southampton have also experienced the benefits from an America tour this summer, which not only offers the opportunity for the American population to see Premier League players locally and in the flesh, but then ultimately increases shirt sales for the club due to the inevitable increase in interest.
Palace’s links with America have improved over the last ten years which helps financially and raises awareness throughout the country of a club whose mascot, an Eagle, is well renowned. Alan Pardew’s side have now embarked on two tours Stateside in the last three years and it is certainly something that we may become familiar with for the foreseeable future, especially after American billionaires Josh Harris and David Blitzer investing in the club back in December.
There is nothing necessarily wrong with touring America. Palace have a fan base there of decent size and this will continue to grow, which is a major positive for the club. However, the tour seemed so distant for the Palace fan living in England and almost felt as if it was not actually happening. Each of the three games kicked off past midnight in the United Kingdom and none were particularly exciting, with my own and many others’ interest decreasing by each match. The coverage on Palace’s social media channels were up to their usual excellent standard, but the whole experience just did not quite feel the same as it does when we play domestically.
Pardew and his players would have been pleased to be travelling back to England undefeated in the three games – albeit drawing twice – although injuries to Wilfried Zaha and new addition James Tomkins were a major worry. It does not take a qualified physiotherapist to suggest that these knocks were caused by the sheer amount of travelling that the squad had to do whilst in North America. The Eagles would have travelled over ten thousand miles by the time they returned to England and, even for the fittest of athletes, this would have had its detriments to their fitness, especially so soon into pre-season.
Upon their return from America, Palace had five more games on English turf lined up before the Premier League season finally begins. Of all five friendlies, Valencia’s visit to Selhurst Park will give us the best idea of how far we have come since May. Three friendlies against Football League opposition, followed by a visit to National League side Bromley, allow fringe players to either force their way into Pardew’s plans or impress watching scouts and earn a move away from SE25.
The opening game of the Premier League campaign against West Bromwich Albion really could not come much sooner. The exciting arrivals of Andros Townsend, Steve Mandanda and Tomkins further increase the anticipation for the season to begin so that we can see the new men playing competitively in a Palace shirt.
Pardew has a little under two weeks to decide his first starting eleven of the season and a victory over the Baggies would finally put the boring nature of pre-season behind us and kick start a successful season.
