OPPOSITION VIEW: Crystal Palace were unlucky at the Etihad, but Man City will shade it again at Selhurst Park

April 26, 2014, 9:00 pm

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WE SPOKE to Stuart Brennan, the City reporter for the Manchester Evening News, ahead of Sunday's clash at Selhurst Park to get the lowdown on Manuel Pellegrini's side...

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What do you make of Man City's season since they played Palace in December? The football has been exhilarating at times, although it wasn't so great when Palace were at the Etihad. Injuries to key players at unfortunate times have taken their toll, even if people claim that with the money spent on their squad City should be able to cover. I reckon City fans will look back on this season with great affection, regardless of what happens in the last four games.Looking back at the game on December 28, Palace were very unlucky not to take something from the Etihad Stadium, do you agree? Yes, they made things very hard for City, and having seen them that day it has been no great surprise that they have steadily pulled themselves out of trouble. But, unlike most teams who go to the Etihad, Tony Pulis' team had plenty of attacking ambition and were unlucky to go away with nothing to show for itWhich player(s) should Palace look out for on Sunday? Sergio Aguero showed signs of being back to his sharpest against West Brom on Monday night, and that spells trouble for any team. David Silva is perhaps City's most influential player, but his potential absence is balanced by the expected return of Yaya Toure.How much of a miss will Toure be if he is still ruled out with injury? Yaya is a strange one, because there are games he dominates through a combination of his football ability and his sheer physical power, but he also fades out of games at times. But he is the man for big occasions, and with nothing less than a win good enough for City, this match qualifies.If you don't win the title, will Manuel Pellegrini be given another season at least? I reckon so. He has won a trophy in his first season, he has improved the brand of football after it became a little pedestrian and predictable under Roberto Mancini, and there are signs of his blueprint for the whole club starting to take effect.What are your memories of facing Palace down the years? I have only been the City reporter for four years, so there haven't been many! I remember Carlos Tevez scoring his first City goal at Selhurst Park in 2009 in a League Cup game.And finally, a score prediction? A tough game for City but they desperately need the win, so I will go 2-1 to City.

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Pensioner taken to hospital after being overcome by smoke

April 27, 2014, 1:16 am

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A 91-year-old woman was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation this morning (Sunday) after a pan of water on her cooker boiled dry. Two fire engines from Croydon attended the incident in sheltered accommodation in Fairfield Path, Croydon at around 8.20am. A firefighter said: "When we arrived the flat was filled with smoke and we called the London Ambulance Service to check over the woman. "She had been overcome by smoke and the ambulance took her to hospital as a precautionary measure. He added: "It appears she was using a type of egg timer which you immerse in water and which changes colour to show when the egg is cooked. "She seems to have forgotten about the pan, which boiled dry and the plastic timer melted creating the smoke. "We would advise anyone who has this sort of problem when cooking a small amount of food to leave their home and call us."

Crystal Palace TEAM NEWS: Kagisho Dikgacoi drops to the bench

April 27, 2014, 7:10 am

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CRYSTAL Palace have named their starting XI to face Manchester City this afternoon. Central midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi drops to the bench, with Joe Ledley slotting in to partner skipper Mile Jedinak. Boss Tony Pulis has opted to play Marouane Chamakh in behind Cameron Jerome in attack. At the back, Julian Speroni starts in goal, with a back four of Adrian Mariappa, Scott Dann, Damien Delaney and Joel Ward. Yannick Bolasie and Jason Puncheon starts out wide. On the bench alongside Dikgacoi is Wayne Hennessey, Danny Gabbidon, Jonathan Parr, Tom Ince, Dwight Gayle and Glenn Murray.

Crystal Palace 0–2 Manchester City: Eagles downed by Yaya Toure goal and assist

April 27, 2014, 10:07 am

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By Mark Ritson at Selhurst Park CRYSTAL Palace were on the end of 2-0 defeat to Premier League title-chasers Manchester City this afternoon. The Eagles were on the backfoot early on thanks to Edin Dzeko's opener, and the big spenders continued to dominate before Yaya Toure doubled their lead on his return from injury. Tony Pulis had already guided the south Londoners to safety so the defeat would not have hurt the natives too much, but their heart and desire was there to see against a top side. Inside a carnival atmosphere in SE25, Yannick Bolasie got the better of Vincent Kompany early on but overcooked his delivery on the left. Sergio Aguero was nearly on the end of a long ball from Kompany a minute later but couldn't make a connection. However, Manuel Pellegrini's men were soon ahead thanks to Edin Dzeko. The striker rose superbly to plant a header past Julian Speroni from Yaya Toure's pinpoint delivery to give the visitors a dream start. It was very nearly number two when Aguero looked to round Speroni on the left side of the box but the custodian did well to stop the pull-back. City certainly looked up for it but Palace stood up and Bolasie did brilliantly to beat Pablo Zabaleta and fire in a dangerous cross, only for Kompany to hack clear. The Eagles upped the ante with a couple decent combinations down the right, before Cameron Jerome went down under a challenge from Kompany outside the box but referee Howard Webb waved away the striker's appeal. Jason Puncheon dragged a shot from outside the box which Joe Hart got down to easily, while at the other end City had a couple of a great chances to double their lead. Toure lifted the ball over the Palace defence to the onrushing Zabaleta, who headed across goal for a team-mate only for Scott Dann to clear for a corner. And from the set-play, Kompany rose to head just wide at the near post. City appealed for a penalty when Toure's goal-bound shot was blocked superbly by Damien Delaney, and from watching the television replays, the ball did strike the defender's elbow but only in protecting his chest. City continued to dominate possession heading into the break, but Palace's defence stayed strong. But that defensive unit was broken again on 43 minutes when Toure doubled City's lead. The midfielder ran onto a ball forward, and despite the valiant attempts of Delaney getting back, Toure composed himself before curling into the top corner past a stranded Speroni. Into the second half and Puncheon conjured up the first opportunity with a testing low shot for Hart, who did well to palm it away for a corner. Puncheon did well to spot Jerome in a good position after Martin Demichelis lost possession on the left, but the striker was then flagged offside. Demichelis nearly made up for his error when he glanced Samir Nasri's header over the bar from a corner. Maroaune Chamakh livened up the home faithful on the hour when he picked the ball up inside his own half before running through the middle of the park past three City defenders. He picked out Jerome on the left, who won a corner, and from the set-piece, the ball was fed short to Bolasie but his delivery was too deep and it went out for a goal kick. Tony Pulis brought on for Dwight Gayle and Glenn Murray for Chamakh and Jerome, then minutes later Tom Ince came on for Bolasie. And Ince went looking for a penalty following a quickly-taken free-kick but Webb waved away appeals firmly. City looked to wrap the three points up when Kolarov's excellent cross evaded Aguro inside the box, before the striker was substituted for Stevan Jovetic. The game began to peter out in the last ten minutes as Palace began running out of ideas against a comfortable City side gunning for the Premier League title. Three minutes were added on at the end of the 90 minutes, but the 2-0 scoreline was the way it stayed - and for City, they are back in the title race indeed following Liverpool's defeat to Chelsea. Next up for Palace is Liverpool at home next Monday. Palace: Speroni, Mariappa, Dann, Delaney, Ward, Jedinak, Ledley, Bolasie (Ince 73), Puncheon, Chamakh (Gayle ), Jerome (Murray 69). Subs Not Used: Hennessey, Gabbidon, Parr, Dikgacoi. Referee: Howard Webb

Crystal Palace 0 Man City 2: Tony Pulis full of praise for Yaya Toure

April 27, 2014, 1:27 pm

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CRYSTAL Palace manager Tony Pulis refused to be downhearted following his side's 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester City which threw the title race wide open once again. Pulis addressed his players after the match and felt that they were not at their best. He said: "I just said now downstairs that for us to win a game today every player had to be at their best and you're hoping to catch Man City not at their best." The Palace boss hinted at the difference in financial budgets the two clubs had to work with and praised the superb performance of City midfielder Yaya Touré who was returning from injury. "You have to realise that playing against some teams there's not a level playing field," he said. "Touré being fit was a real disappointment for me because I think he's a wonderful player and can do things that cause havoc."

Crystal Palace 0 Man City 2: Eagles boss Tony Pulis not worried by defeat

April 27, 2014, 2:00 pm

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TONY Pulis preferred to concentrate on the bigger picture after Crystal Palace's winning run was brought to an end by Man City. Pulis is happy his team are sitting in 11th place, free from the pressures of a relegation battle - and said there was little his players could do to stop City's expensively assembled title-chasers. He said: "[The players] have been absolutely fantastic. What the club have achieved this year - what the players have done for this club... has been absolutely wonderful. "We got beat by the most expensive club side in sport in the world. The players shouldn't worry about that too much. "We have another game against a fantastic football club in a week's time. It's a night game so it will be a fantastic atmosphere and I just hope players are on it and we give a really good show." Dwight Gayle and Tom Ince – both marginal players in recent weeks – made impressive short cameos towards the end of the game, but the Eagles' boss suggested that he would not make many changes for next week's match with Liverpool, and jokingly claimed that he would talk to Chelsea boss José Mourinho about it. "My responsibility is to pick the strongest team -the team that's done the best. If I make too many changes for Liverpool game that might cause some problems," he said. "Having said that I see José [Mourinho] made a lot of changes today against Liverpool so maybe I'll ring him up and ask him."

Unite calls off strike at Croydon leisure centres but says future action 'very, very likely'

April 27, 2014, 11:00 pm

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WEDNESDAY'S strike by staff at five leisure centres in Croydon has been called off following the threat of legal action by the company which runs them. Fusion Lifestyle claims union Unite did not follow proper procedure when it balloted 58 of its members for industrial action a fortnight ago. Despite insisting the legal challenge had "no merit", Unite has decided to postpone the strike and re-ballot in the next few weeks. It means Thornton Heath, South Norwood, Purley, New Addington and Waddon leisure centres will open as normal on Wednesday. However, Onay Kasab, Unite's regional officer, warned Fusion, contracted to run the centres for Croydon Council, that strike action was inevitable unless the pay dispute is resolved. Explaining the decision to call off the walkout, Mr Kasab said: "Fusion tried to mount a legal challenge to the ballot. "There are various laws - which we would call anti-trade union - that mean we have to jump through various hoops in order to make the ballot legal. They [Fusion] are claiming we haven't jumped through some of those hoops. "It comes down to knowing exactly where people are working and getting the right lists over. They claim we haven't followed the legislation properly. We don't believe the legal challenge has any merit. "However, we have decided that, rather than become embroiled in a legal argument, we will re-ballot our members taking fully into account the issues raised." The walkout, by lifeguards, fitness instructors and receptionists, surrounds a dispute over pay. A claim that Fusion has failed to pass on increased council funding to staff, some of whom have not had a pay rise in five years, is among the grievances. The postponement of this week's strike comes just a few days after Unite threatened "sustained" industrial action if the walkout failed to prompt an improved pay offer. Mr Kasab said the setback did not mean the dispute with Fusion had been resolved. He said: "It is a pity that, rather than resolve the matter, the employer has chosen to delay the inevitable by making legal threats. "We remain determined to win a fair deal for our members. "That means ensuring that workers at Fusion are paid a decent rate and are no on wildly different terms and conditions. "We will re-ballot in the next weeks. This dispute remains very much live and strike action looks very, very likely." A Fusion Lifestyle spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that the planned strike action at our Croydon centres will no longer be going ahead, and are pleased to reassure customers that there will be no risk of disruption to services."

Kenley residents stump up £1,000 to help snare fly-tippers

April 27, 2014, 11:00 pm

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The residents of Kenley are so sick of fly-tippers spoiling the countryside that they plan to put £1,000 towards cameras to catch the criminals.

At a Kenley and District Residents' Association (KENDRA) meeting on Tuesday evening, a motion was passed to take the matter into their own hands, as members felt the council and the police are not doing enough.

The move is partly inspired by the conviction of Ben O'Dame, who was caught on camera dumping piles of tyres along Old Lodge Lane in 2011. After constant complaints from residents council enforcement officers placed a spy camera up a tree where the tyres were often dumped.

The CCTV footage, as well as a photo resident Nick Denvil took on his phone of the number plate of a van, meant police had enough evidence to charge O'Dame.

Chris Stanley, KENDRA's chairman, told the meeting: "Fly-tipping is a constant problem in our area and, often, the only thing that leads to conviction is CCTV footage. However, many cameras belong to private individuals and there has been little financial input from the council to put its own up in hotspot areas.

"With cameras we have a way of tackling crime and we feel that if the technological equipment can be provided then it would be a good way of stopping fly-tipping."

The meeting was attended by more than 70 residents, who almost unanimously agreed.

The £1,000 will go towards the cameras as well as rewards for individuals who provide enough information to the police to lead to a conviction of a fly-tipper in court.

"There are hardly any prosecutions for fly-tipping but that is the courts and we can't do much about that," said Mr Stanley.

"What we can do is catch people who do this in the first place and hand over the details."

Mike Van Der Vord, KENDRA's environment member, said he would be responsible for operating the cameras.

"The cameras are minute and can even be hidden in coke cans," he said. "They won't be in one place all the time. If we hear about a spot where people are fly-tipping a lot, we will put one up a tree for a bit until someone is caught."

Residents at the meeting were critical of O'Dame's eventual sentence which amounted to a £500 fine and 180 hours' unpaid community work.

David Hooper, who lives in Old Lodge Lane, said: "He made far more money with that tyres racket than he was fined. Even when fly-tipping gets to court, the sentences are often not very severe."

Last year, land agent Nowsad Gani was convicted for fly-tipping when he failed to ensure the block of flats he managed in Old Lodge Lane had its rubbish cleared.

It was the first time Croydon Council had brought a case to the courts where an agent or manager was found culpable.

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Blue Orchid reunion hailed a success - and there could be more to come

April 27, 2014, 11:45 pm

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NOSTALGIC clubbers partied the night away at the Blue Orchid Reunion last weekend – and it may not be the last.

More than 300 people turned up to the Easter Sunday event at The Granaries nightclub, in Overtons Yard, Croydon.

Organiser Lewis Rooney said ticket holders "lapped up" all their old favourite songs – spun by former DJs from the popular nightspot.

Mr Rooney said there were now plans to hold further events later this year after the online reaction to the Advertiser's stories.

He said: "It was really nice but it wasn't a major turnout so that's why we're probably going to do another one in a few months.

"The atmosphere was great and I don't think we needed any more on the night but there were a lot of people who couldn't make it because it was a bank holiday.

"We're going to have it in a different venue on a Saturday next time and, who knows, it could become a regular thing."

Mr Rooney, 33, first visited the Blue Orchid, in Park Lane, in the early 1990s aged just 13 and led a campaign to reopen the much-missed nightspot, which closed in 2004.

He decided to organise the night at a different venue when it became apparent the Blue Orchid site landlords, Minerva, would not change their minds due to health and safety concerns.

And Mr Rooney said although it was not quite the same, the night was still a big success.

"It was a bit like we were back in 1999," he added.

"The DJs were fantastic and everyone was having a good time even though there weren't as many people as we had initially hoped for.

"Obviously some time had passed and we all looked a bit different. I don't think some people recognised me at all!"

"We had a photographer getting some snaps of everyone and we were selling merchandise so people could have something to remember the night by."

Severe rush-hour delays on the trams after signal failure

April 28, 2014, 1:13 am

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MONDAY morning commuters are suffering severe disruption after an overhead signal failure brought trams in Croydon to a standstill. Transport for London (TfL) operated a reduced tram service on lines 1 and 2 from Croydon Town Centre to Addiscombe after the problem early this morning. TfL confirmed on Twitter at 8.45am that services were running to all destinations, but with delays on lines 1, 2 and 4.

Liverpool boss compares Crystal Palace to Chelsea on style of play

April 28, 2014, 2:17 am

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LIVERPOOL boss Brendan Rodgers has compared Crystal Palace to Chelsea with a damning verdict of the way the Blues play football. Following Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Jose Mourinho's side, the Anfield manager criticised Chelsea's defensive style of play and believes it could be how the Eagles will setup on Monday next week. Liverpool not only have to win at Selhurst Park but also by a relatively huge margin depending on how Manchester City get on against Everton 48 hours beforehand on Saturday. That is because should City and Liverpool win their remaining games, Manuel Pellegrini's men will win the Premier League title on goal difference as it stands. Rodgers says Liverpool's experience against Chelsea will prepare them for how he believes Tony Pulis' side will play. "It's not difficult to coach to just get ten players right on your 18-yard box and it is difficult to break through," said Rodgers. "You could see from the first whistle that the plan was to frustrate but teams work in a different way. "We are a team that tries to win in a sporting manner, try to work and initiate the game with the ball. "I understand if it's late in the game and players are taking their time. It can be frustrating from the first whistle but that is how teams will set up and the nature of some coaches and managers you have to deal with it. "I like to take the initiative in games and let players express themselves. Our game is based on being offensively being creative as opposed to stopping. "This will probably prepare us for that because of the nature of how Crystal Palace play."

Stand-up comedy festival set for Croydon town centre

April 28, 2014, 4:21 am

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LAUGHTER could be filling Croydon's streets next year as a series of stand-up comedy events hit the town centre. Croydon BID, which is responsible for the management of the town centre, is planning to launch Stand-Up LIVE! – an outdoor comedy event. Chief executive Matt Sims, chief executive of Croydon BID, said the idea has been drawn up to keep shoppers in Croydon and give their stomach muscles a good workout. He said: "It doesn't matter who you are, everyone loves a giggle. There is such a large talent base in Croydon that it would be stupid not to exploit it. I definitely think people from Croydon are funny. "This is a long-term plan that is going to run in the future. We want to attract people to the town centre and give them a reason to come back to Croydon." The festival of laughter follows previous BID-organised town-centre events including Street LIVE!, where circus acts perform, and Christmas Lights LIVE!, which was hosted by TV and Fairfield Halls panto star Steve McFadden (Eastenders' Phil Mitchell) in 2013. Mr Sims said the plan was to host the events at venues in the town centre and in North End. He added: "It could be local acts or from outside the area but we want people who visit the town to get involved and be able to have a good time while they enjoy their shopping." The BID has previously said a key priority in the coming years is to make sure the town centre doesn't deteriorate while Croydon's regeneration happens. And Croydon has a decent reputation for comedy – with the likes of Kevin Day and Mark Steel hailing from the borough.

Crystal Palace star up for Liverpool test after Manchester City defeat

April 28, 2014, 4:33 am

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CRYSTAL Palace midfielder Joe Ledley says it was always going to be hard to come back against a team like Manchester City after the Eagles conceded early during Sunday's game. Edin Dzeko powered home Yaya Toure's cross after just five minutes and their class was clearly evident as they kept up their pursuit of the Premier League title. The defeat also ended Palace's five-match unbeaten run but Ledley believes it won't take much for him and his team-mates to lift themselves again for the visit of Liverpool next Monday. "We didn't really play well in the first half and the shape wasn't as tight as normal," Ledley told the Advertiser. "But after that I thought we recovered well and played really well in the second half and played some good football. "We tried to produce but it just didn't happen. We were playing against a world class team, and when you go 1-0 down it's always difficult to come back. "You never want to lose any game and we've tried to produce. No one likes losing in this squad and we always want to be winning. "It's difficult when a run comes to an end. It happened against City but we've been fantastic in the last few weeks and now hopefully we can get ourselves up and go again. "It's never hard to lift yourself. We're professional footballers, we always enjoy going out there and playing. "It will be exactly the same in any week, it doesn't matter if we're safe or anything, we'll always give 100 per cent. "Liverpool have to come here next Monday and it will obviously be very difficult for them but also for ourselves as well. "We may need to defend a little bit better as a unit and hopefully we can get a result. That would be be fantastic for us and we look forward to it. "The title is in Manchester City's hands at the moment but anything can happen on the day. "Hopefully it will all be done sooner rather than later."Follow us on Twitter @AdvertiserSport and our sports reporter @MR_LWMedia.

Eddie Izzard to headline Crystal Palace's annual comedy bash at Croydon's Fairfield Halls

April 28, 2014, 4:59 am

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CROSS-DRESSING comedian Eddie Izzard will headline Crystal Palace's annual comedy night at the Fairfield Halls in July. Eagles fan Izzard will be joined by fellow supporter Mark Steel as well as Mock the Week's Holly Walsh at Stand Up For The Palace on Thursday, July 17. The event will be hosted by Match of the Day 2 comedian Kevin Day and actor Jim Piddock with all proceeds going to the CPFC academy. Izzard became an associate director at Palace in 2012 and has spoken of his childhood obsession with the club. He said at the time: 'All I really want is for Crystal Palace to win every game from now until the end of time. That's all. I know that's a tough thing to ask but that really is what I want." Izzard was in Croydon a fortnight ago dressed in make-up to lend his support to Croydon Labour's election bid. Tickets, which are on sale now, are priced at £35 and £30 and are available from the Fairfield Halls box office on 020 8688 9291 or at www.fairfield.co.uk

Crystal Palace midfielder: We didn't expect five-match unbeaten run

April 28, 2014, 5:19 am

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JOE Ledley says he and his Crystal Palace team-mates didn't expect to go on a five-game unbeaten run, especially with some of the sides they have come up against recently. Had Palace won against Manchester City on Sunday, they would have broken their club record in the Premier League of consecutive wins, which was previously set by the Eagles December 1992. However, Ledley is delighted to have helped Palace secure their top flight status for next season and is also happy off the pitch too. "My aim was to come here, play well and help the team (avoid relegation)," he said. "We have done it, but with the teams we've played, I don't think we expected to be on a five-game unbeaten run. "We beat some fantastic teams like Chelsea and Everton. It's come to an end now but hopefully we can finish strongly. "I have settled down here and my family are really enjoying it. "It's nicer to be a bit closer to home and everything is going well on the pitch as well. "I'm happy, I don't really mind where I play. It was good to be in the centre (against City) and I thought I did OK and can hopefully build on it."

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Crystal Palace hero Kevin Phillips announces retirement

April 28, 2014, 7:13 am

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FORMER Crystal Palace striker Kevin Phillips has announced his retirement from football. The 40-year-old topped off a wonderful career by winning the Championship title with Leicester City last week, just 12 months after winning promotion to the Premier League with the Eagles. Phillips was only at Selhurst Park for a short period last season on loan from Blackpool before going on to score the penalty which sent Palace to the top flight at Wembley in the play-off final against Watford. After signing a one-year deal with Palace last summer, he played just four games in the Premier League before agreeing to cancel his contract to join the Foxes in Janaury. He went on to score twice in 11 appearances. For Palace, he played 23 times in all competitions, scoring seven times. In total, he scored more than 280 goals for nine different clubs, including the Eagles. He was also capped eight times by England.

Police hunt two men who stabbed teenager on night bus

April 28, 2014, 9:07 am

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Police are hunting two men who stabbed a teenager on a night bus in Thornton Heath shortly after midnight on Sunday. The 17-year-old male victim had got on a N109 bus in London Road at 12.20am. The bus was heading towards Croydon. Police said that shortly after he boarded the bus two men confronted the teenager on the top deck of the bus. They tried to steal his mobile phone, stabbing him in his leg and shoulder as he ran past them. The injuries are not considered life threatening. No arrests have been made and police inquiries are continuing. Police are asking anyone who was on the bus at the time and has any information to contact Croydon CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

FAN COLUMN: I hope Crystal Palace don't fall into mid-table mediocrity

April 28, 2014, 10:15 am

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Palace fan and online columnist for the Advertiser, Alisdair Kemp, submits his latest piece on mid-table mediocrity in the Premier League... SUNDAY'S afternoon's vapid display against Manchester City provided a disquieting insight into the realities of mid-table mediocrity. With safety sown up emphatically following a fabulous five-game winning streak, Palace fans could look forward to seeing out the final three matches uninhibited by pressure. Given the potential to decide the destination of the Premier League trophy in mouth-watering contests against Liverpool and City, optimism and jubilation were in the air in south London. However, any sort of carnival atmosphere celebrating our inspired turn-around under Tony Pulis was all but extinguished by an early goal from Edin Dzeko. From then on, the character and guile required to equalise against such a well-drilled yet free-flowing side were unlikely to be demonstrated by a team cruising towards the summer – regardless of what Pulis may assert in his press conferences. For all the talk pre-match of not easing off and maintaining the intensity in our performances, it would be fanciful to insist that focus and drive would not suffer when the carrot of mathematical safety has been voraciously devoured. And so we are faced with two more games that are of little consequence to ourselves, aside from the prospect of several hundred thousand pounds more into the club's coffers if we can climb into the top half of the table. Though not dead rubber as they can have quite a bearing at both ends of the league, matches such as these that hold little significance to Palace are of minimal interest to me. I counselled caution in a previous column about wanting to seal survival too early and subsequently enjoying the lifeless limp toward the 38th game normally reserved for those of a Stoke City persuasion. Southampton, Newcastle and Stoke have been safe from relegation for weeks, while also showing no inclination to challenge for European football. As a result, their seasons finished back in March – or even before. The effects of repeated uncompetitive end-of-season football make for worrying reading. With nothing to cheer for and achieve on Tyneside, fans' emotions have turned decidedly sour – and have homed in on manager Alan Pardew. The former Palace man could face losing his job for having the temerity to secure Premier League football for another season with such consummate ease and efficiency. Meanwhile in the Potteries, the once heralded Britannia Stadium atmosphere appears to have been somewhat muted quite simply through a lack of any real target outside the mundane realm of finance. Do we, as Palace fans, really want this? While it is unlikely we may even finish as high as 11th next season, the only room for improvement is to simply extend this meaningless procession of games after the clocks go forward. One cannot help but envy fans of the likes of Fulham, Sunderland and Norwich when watching a group of players that appeared mentally to be reclined on a scorching beach. Those fans' rollercoaster seasons continue to hurtle towards an undoubtedly thrilling climax while ours is lamentably back in the boarding area for next term.

Crystal Palace stars help New Addington girl Scarlett's wish to walk

April 28, 2014, 2:17 pm

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A LITTLE girl's wish to walk unaided has been given a big boost by Crystal Palace FC. Eight-year-old Scarlett Hewitt, who struggles to walk due to her cerebral palsy, was carried across the pitch at Selhurst Park by Palace winger Yannick Bolasie, to take her place as one of the team's mascots before the match against Man City. The youngster was invited to join her favourite team to boost her family's efforts to raise £65,000 so she can have an operation in America that will help her walk unaided. The New Addington-based family also carried out a collection at the match and, with the help of 20-odd bucket shakers, collected about £2,700 from generous football fans. Scarlett's mum, Lisa Hewitt, said: "It was brilliant. Scarlett loved it, she really enjoyed it. It was really quite emotional. "Seeing her walk out I thought, 'There's my little girl,' and then when he picked her up, I started to bawl a little bit." Her daughter chose to walk out with Bolasie because his number seven is also the number of her Palace shirt, her mum said. But his carrying her was impromptu. "He has put the picture on his Facebook page and said he hoped she enjoyed the day," Mrs Hewitt added. Crystal Palace has also invited the family to the training ground to be presented with a cheque following a whip-round among players. The amount raised is thought to be around £5,000. The money the family are trying to raise will pay for Scarlett's selective dhorsal rhizotomy operation at the St Louis Children's Hospital in Missouri. It will also take care of flights and rehabilitation therapy. Their efforts have provoked a huge response from the local and wider community since they started trying to raise the cash in March, when Scarlett was accepted for the operation. As of Monday they had raised £19,545.60 - with most of that coming from friends, family and strangers organising everything from coffee mornings and fun days to sponsored skydives and a Palace memorabilia auction. Mrs Hewitt added: "It has been amazing, really, quite overwhelming. There are people out there, complete strangers to us, doing things to help." It is hoped the operation will take place in October.

CROYDON TWEETS OF THE WEEK: Blue Orchid yes, pink polo shirts no

April 28, 2014, 2:30 pm

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A SELECTION of musings from Croydon's Twitterati over the past seven days...

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@xdemijonas: Whitgift centre is shut. Centrale is shut. Car parks are shut. Retail stores are shut. Food shops are shut. Croydon is shut. OFFICE IS OPEN.@Okasia_B: I will never understand why classical music is played at West Croydon bus garage@FunkMeBaby: Lol Croydon Village Outlet goes into administration ... Well that lasted long@TomCMerritt: Never seen so many creatures, than what you see on a Croydon Tram@MzRaineSantana: Still not getting why there's a West Indian food shop in Croydon called "Brixton" – what idiot came up with that idea?@thereal_JLT: Wow! The world has descended on Ikea, half of them can't drive and most of them can't park!!@Jessica_r768: Interesting debate on the train, 2 blokes arguing over which station they were at, ignoring the big green signs saying East Croydon...@Souledoutshow: Amazing night at The Blue Orchid Reunion. Thanks to everyone who turned up. Thanks to Andy Nobsta Clarke....great@garethpretty: Tonight I shall be going to a nightclub. Not done that in ages. Anyone else going from back in the day? #blueorchidreunion@AnnaliseEvans1: Despise baby pink polo shirts on boys! They seem to be the current fashion trend in CroydonFollow us on Twitter @croydonad