8th April 1990. FA Cup Semi Final against Liverpool at Villa Park.
The one hundred and ninth minute. Cue Alan Pardew …..
That is one of the top moments in Palace history and the man who finished off the Liverpool side that afternoon is returning to Selhurst Park. This time as manager.
Following the sacking of Neil Warnock the day after the Boxing Day defeat to Southampton, the owners acted quickly to replace him. For the first time in a long while, Palace have gone after a manager that was already in employment. And got him.
The deal is a three and half year contract with a compensation package rumored to be £3.5 million going to Newcastle United. Pardew takes control of the team for the game against Dover Athletic in the FA Cup Third Round.
The Pardew football story began long before he joined Palace in 1987 for a paltry £7,500. He played non league football for some time at the likes of Whyteleafe, Epsom and Dulwich before joining Yeovil Town.
He left Palace in 1991 to join rivals Charlton Athletic before finishing his career at Barnet. There were loan spells at Tottenham Hotspur and Reading but Pardew failed to make an appearance for either.
His management portfolio began at Reading in 1999 before he moved back to London with West Ham United in 2003. He joined Charlton Athletic in 2006 and then Southampton in 2009. He was appointed Newcastle United boss in December 2010 and only recently passed four years in charge at the club.
His career in management has not been plain sailing but he returns to a club where he made his name as a footballer. It remains to be seen if the choice to appoint Pardew will work out for Palace but it certainly promises to be interesting.
I am sure that you will join us in welcoming Super Alan Pardew back to Selhurst Park. We wish him the very best of luck in charge of the Eagles.
We are with you every step of the way.
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