HE MAY have won his first Premier League manager of the year award this week, but Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis already has two pop songs written in his honour.

The Eagles' gaffer was honoured by Goldie Lookin' Chain, from his Welsh home town Newport, in 2011 with The Tony Pulis Rap.

And Irish siblings Corrigan Brothers have now released their homage to Palace's baseball-capped maestro – Tony Pulis Is Manager Of The Year.

The trio, made up of brothers Brian, Donnacha and Gerard, said Tony Pulis had made an impression on them from over the Irish Sea.

Guitarist Brian said: "We are all mad into soccer; or football as you call it over there. This season's been very good for talking points and we were having a bit of a debate about who was the manager of the year.

"We all thought it should be Tony Pulis. If you look they were absolutely dead certs for relegation and a team that had a very limited budget. When he took over, you see how he pulled the team together, it was a brilliant achievement."

But it was another famous band associated with the club, plus the energy of Palace's faithful support that really inspired the trio, from Nenagh in County Tipperary, to pen the ditty.

"At that time I was doing some research and listening to a lot of Dave Clark Five," Brian added.

"We came across a video of all the fans singing Glad All Over and could see there was a lot of passion in the fan-base.

"There was such a synergy to everything that we had to write the song. It's been getting a great reaction."

The band are famous in their homeland for their witty tunes, including a song celebrating Barack Obama's Irish links, which they played to the president in Washington after his inauguration ceremony.

While Brian and Gerard support Arsenal and Wolves respectively because of those two clubs' past Irish links, Donnacha has always been an Eagle because he was attracted to Palace's red and blue-striped kits as a child.

And the lads, who are planning a British tour later this year, would like to play live for Pulis and the Selhurst crowd while they are over here.

Brian said: "We would love to meet Tony because he seems a tremendous guy. If the club were to let us play before a match that would be fantastic."

LEADERS of the two dominant political parties in Croydon traded blows over council tax, at an election debate organised by the Advertiser.

The Conservatives have made attacking Labour's history of council tax increases the focus of their campaign ahead of the local elections on Thursday.

The row had been simmering for several weeks, but boiled over during our debate at Fairfield Halls on Tuesday night, when Labour leader Tony Newman attacked an "outrageous" front page advert, taken out in another local paper, accusing his party of planning a 27 per cent tax hike.

Cllr Newman, who is trying to avoid a third straight election defeat, reiterated Labour's manifesto pledge to freeze council tax in 2016 before making a further promise.

"If a Labour is elected there would be no council tax increase above inflation – ever," he said, adding that – contrary to the Tory attack adverts – any rise above 1.99 per cent would force the council to hold a referendum.

Conservative council leader Mike Fisher said he "judged people on what they do, not what they say".

"I remember Tony's predecessor making the same promises before the 2002 election, a year later council tax went up 27 per cent. They more than doubled it in the 12 years they were in power.

"If you're looking for council tax to be kept under control, there's only one way to vote."

The clash was, however, largely an anomaly during what was a surprisingly amicable debate between the two main parties in Croydon and their three leading opponents – the Green Party, Ukip and the Liberal Democrats.

Peter Staveley, Ukip branch chairman for Croydon Central and South, said his party has a "good chance" of a winning a seat because the council poll coincides with the European Parliament elections.

Mr Staveley told the audience of Advertiser readers, who had submitted the questions put to the panel, that a Ukip council would "return control of Croydon town hall to local people".

He said politics in Croydon had become "theatre" where councillors "shout at each other" and vote on party lines. In contrast Ukip councillors would "listen to residents and businesses and will vote accordingly".

Answering a question about the lack of progress in London Road since the riots in August 2011, Tracey Hague, representing the Green Party, called for action.

She said: "When will buildings demolished during riots be rebuilt? They are a scar on the face of the town reminding everyone [what happened] and meaning those who suffered can't move on."

Cllr Fisher, who was confronted by a resident who questioned his support for those who struggled to secure compensation following the disorder, said work to regenerate London Road would finally begin in August.

Mrs Hague, who is one of 70 Green candidates standing in Croydon, said the party had a six-point plan to tackle fly-tipping, perhaps the biggest issue of the election campaign.

Like Labour, the Greens want to introduce a 24-hour hotline, but also increase opening hours at recycling centres and provide free collection of bulky waste for up to seven items a year, Mrs Hague said.

The panellists – other than Cllr Fisher – described fly-tipping as an "epidemic" and attacked the Conservative council's record on both clearing the rubbish and prosecuting those responsible.

Liberal Democrat John Jefkins, who repeatedly clashed with his Tory rival, blamed the problem on the council's adoption of fortnightly black bin collection.

"There are parts of the borough where it's not sensible because people haven't got the room outside their properties," he said.

Both he and Mr Staveley said their parties would return to weekly collections. Cllr Newman stopped short of making an explicit promise, while Mrs Hague said the Greens would make the system "clearer" but would not reverse the cuts.

Cllr Fisher defended his record, citing a recently-created app which allows residents to report fly-tipping and a £200,000 investment in CCTV cameras.

He told the audience that, contrary to Labour's claims, the council had only been offered one-third of the sum quoted by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to return to a weekly system.

Cllr Newman followed up his attack by questioning his opposite number over the council's approach to affordable housing, describing as "risible" the 15 per cent target set for the up to 600 homes to be created by the £1billion Westfield/Hammerson development.

Cllr Fisher replied: "Tony knows, only too well, that if we had imposed a 30 per cent threshold on developments in Croydon, none of them would have taken place. We would have had no affordable housing in the last four years."

Cllr Fisher then announced that a Conservative administration would introduce a policy which meant people will have to have had a "link" to Croydon for five years before being eligible for a council house.

As the debate drew to a close, Advertiser editor Glenn Ebrey, who chaired the event, asked each candidate to sum up why voters should opt for them.

Mr Staveley said Ukip would "allow local democracy to flourish" by adopting a policy that would mean residents' petitions would trigger a referendum if they passed a certain threshold.

The Lib Dems, Mr Jefkins said, would bring greater scrutiny to the Town Hall, adding: "We need more eyes watching these guys."

Mrs Hague chose to end her pitch by addressing the extraction of shale gas, dubbed "fracking". "It will bring house prices, not energy prices, down," she said.

Cllr Newman said a Labour council would be "transparent, would publish everything and end the culture of secrecy when it comes to council meetings".

"Our day one priority," he added. "would be to absolutely clean up the borough."

Cllr Fisher said: "If you are looking for efficiency and for council tax to be kept under control, there's only one way to vote in this election."

CRYSTAL Palace co-chairman Steve Parish has revealed he was "concerned" about appointing Tony Pulis as his new manager following Ian Holloway's departure last October.

Pulis' name was put forward almost immediately as the Eagles set about their task of finding someone to lift them away from the bottom of the Premier League following just one win in eight league games.

The former Stoke City boss had earned a reputation for playing a certain style of football while at the Britannia Stadium in his six years, which was something Parish was not too keen on replicating at Selhurst Park.

However, on the back of winning the Premier League manager of the year from the League Managers' Association on Tuesday, Pulis has won people over tremendously while buying into what Parish wanted in south London.

"Ian Holloway said to me after the Fulham game 'I don't think this is working' – he mentioned Tony's name, and I didn't really know Tony," Parish said.

"I wouldn't say he was the standout candidate, because I was concerned about the style of play and maybe some things I'd seen with how Stoke City had played.

"There was that myth with the noise surrounding Tony. I was concerned on two counts. One was 'I don't particularly like that style of football. I can see it's effective and it's second-ball football, but it's not us, I don't think'.

"And the other thing was I didn't think we had the people to play it.

"Not only does it require a big, big presence up front, but there's far more intelligence to it than people realise, because people have got to make runs off you and you have to get people in and around that person.

"I just didn't think we had the personnel to play like that. I don't think I've seen one long throw since Tony came in.

"It was a bit of a risk to balance the type of football you want the club to play, so it has an identity all the way through from the youth team to the first team, and then compromising the identity everybody might want for survival.

"After more and more discussions with Tony, and really just basically realising he wouldn't be able to play like Stoke, he'd have to find another way."

Pundits and fans all around the country have applauded the way Pulis has organised the Eagles, turning their confidence around and making them hard to beat.

The defence has been dogged and brave, while the likes of Yannick Bolasie, Jason Puncheon and Maroaune Chamakh have allowed Palace to break in numbers on the counter-attack.

And Parish has even compared the current side to how previous ones had played under a certain former manager he used to watch in the stands during four different spells.

"I think it's really important that the identity of Crystal Palace has been reflected this season in the latter part, of the way we've been playing," he said.

"Tony has embraced our identity, put his own mark on it and really it's a Coppell-esque kind of side.

"We're strong, we're organised, we're resilient, we frustrate teams and we've got devastating pace on the break.

"You want a three if you can who can score goals and we've done that to good effect.

"From my point of view, for the long-term benefit of the club, which is what I'm all about, I think that, as much as anything, is what has excited Palace fans."

A CHAMPION karate fighter is offering a £500 reward for the return of his stolen St Christopher pendant and chain, a gift from his parents.

Darren Chan's necklace is thought to have been stolen in a burglary of his home in Godstone Road, Purley, last Wednesday morning, alongside other items.

The 36-year-old said the pendant featuring the patron saint of travelling was engraved with the words 'To Darren, Love Mum and Dad, 1998'.

Mr Chan, who represented Great Britain at last year's International Federation of Karate world tournament, added: "I travel around the world competing and my mother gave me the St Christopher to keep me safe while travelling.

"It is Victorian so it is very old. But it is not about the money, rather the sentimental value.

"I don't get to see my parents that much because of my competitions, so this is really precious."

The father of five said: "A lot of thought and effort went into it. I really want to get it back."

Mr Chan said he returned home last Wednesday morning to find the front door open and items including a designer watch missing from his bedroom.

He recalled: "I am a personal trainer and a client had cancelled so I came home and found the front door wide open. Someone had gone up to the bedroom where my watches and jewellery and stuff was.

"They had looked at the camera – taken it out of its bag, but did not take it. They took the gifts for the children's christening last year."

The burglary must have taken place between 9.30am and 11.30am, added Mr Chan, who also runs the Fight Factory gym in Purley.

He continued: "My wife had bought me a nice watch at Christmas but I said to her that can be replaced, I had not yet grown sentimentally attached to it, whereas the St Christopher I had for 16 years."

Mr Chan added he had reported the theft to police but that he was not very hopeful they would be able to find the culprits, given the lack of CCTV evidence. He is offering the £500 reward for the safe return of the necklace.

To return the St Christopher, contact Mr Chan on 07719 028638.

A Met spokesman said: "Detectives are investigating a burglary during the morning of Wednesday, 7 May in which a quantity of jewellery was stolen, including the St Christopher which is recorded as being of huge sentimental value to the suspect.

A man who dropped out of school in Croydon, went backpacking for a decade, joined the Home Office and then got kicked out of Iran in a diplomatic dispute before receiving an MBE, has written a novel inspired by his unorthodox life.

Paul Bellamy, now 54, is back working for the Home Office in Croydon, after years in Nigeria, Iran, India and Pakistan as an immigration officer.

"I left school after my O levels and just went travelling for about ten years," he explained.

"I went all over the place. My favourite anecdote was from when I was 23 in 1983, hitch-hiking across the Sahara desert.

"We were in a truck which broke down, and it turned out not to have any water at all.

"We all thought we were in a lot of danger and then this Land Rover came past and turned out to be a classmate of one of the friends I was travelling with.

"He got out of the car and said 'My God, it's Caroline Brown!' He then rescued us by going to get some help – extraordinary things like that happen when travelling."

Mr Bellamy returned to the UK in 1990 and signed on at the Thornton Heath job centre, where he was given a job within a week.

"I've had guns stuck in my face in Nigeria and the Central African Republic, been accused of being a mercenary in Cameroon, been held up at militia checkpoints in the Philippines and Libya, and almost sunk in the middle of the Atlantic, but I was most scared for my life working in the Thornton Heath job centre when dealing with a dissatisfied job-seeker," he said.

"It was a pretty horrible job and could be quite violent."

Then, about 12 years ago, the Home Office hired handfuls of employees from Croydon's job centres which kick-started Mr Bellamy's career as a visa officer.

"After two years I was sent to Abuja, in Nigeria, for six months and then was posted in Tehran, in Iran, for four-and-a-half years, until they kicked me out.

"It's by far my favourite country in the world. I love the people, every city is completely different and it's beautiful."

However, the seasoned traveller then found himself at the centre of front-page news when Iran expelled him and another officer following a fall-out during the 2009 Iranian elections, something he was later awarded an MBE for.

"The elections were pretty crooked and there were huge protests at the time.

"Iran was just looking for someone to blame for all the violence."

In a tit-for-tat response to Mr Bellamy being unceremoniously thrown out of the country, Gordon Brown – the UK's prime minister at the time – ordered the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats from London.

After being posted in India and Pakistan for a couple more years, Mr Bellamy returned to his home town in December last year and has published his book, Backpackers – Fear on a Shoestring.

"It's a novel, so it is not based on my life, but many of the things I have experienced have inspired what happens in it and I have met a couple of the characters."

The book, about a backpacking couple caught up with a smuggler, is from www.amazon.co.uk and www.hive.co.uk

EXTREMELY strong winds caused havoc among stallholders at Crystal Palace food market on Saturday.

But despite forcing three traders to pack up and go home, the bad weather failed to mar the market's first birthday celebrations.

The remainder of the regular 16 stallholders at the market in Haynes Lane, Upper Norwood carried on in the teeth of the gale and they were joined by members of the Crystal Palace Transition Team to mark the day.

The Transition Team, which looks to promote the district centre's unique quality, played an important part in helping the market's seven women founders get the idea of the ground.

As part of the celebrations, the team presented the founders with Wonderwoman mugs, in recognition of their achievements.

There was also a celebration carrot birthday cake produced by the market's first stallholders, bakers Brett and Bailey.

Throughout the day, shoppers were also treated to musical entertainment from members of the Ma Polaines band.

The market was launched with ten stalls but has grown steadily over its first year, establishing itself as the place to go for organic produce.

It now boasts a range of stalls selling locally produced fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, grains and bread.

The Transition Town also runs its own Patchwork Farm stall which allows residents to sell off any glut of their own fruit and vegetables.

Karen Jones, one of the market's founders, said: "The weather on Saturday was very, very windy and at times it was almost impossible for some of the stallholders to keep going. It was still a very good day and the celebrations went off very well."

Ms Jones said with a year under their belts, she was confident the market would now continue to grow.

In the last week, she said, the market had been noted by Time Out magazine as one of the top nine markets in London for its organic produce, and its sustainability has been recognised by The Guardian newspaper.

Ms Jones said: "We have achieved in our first year what we set out to do, which was to create a community market.

"We didn't advertise much because we wanted it to be used by people from the area."

She said the market's increasing reputation and the recent publicity meant it was now attracting many more people from a much wider area.

Ms Jones believed the news that sales of organic food had risen nationally for the first time in four or five years would also increase the interest in the high quality produce available at the market.

She said: "We have certainly hit on something here and we are expanding."

NEW ADDINGTON could be on course to get its first mosque, with local leaders of a minority Muslim sect considering the area for a new base.

The Shirley branch of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is looking to open a new base and considers New Addington a good proposition thanks to a growing Ahmadi community there.

Founded in northern India in the late 19th century, the international Ahmaddiya movement has a large mosque in Morden as well as one in West Croydon.

Its Shirley branch chairman, Ahmad Sharif, said the group would be keen to get a site in New Addington, but is also looking further afield such as in Addington, Shirley and South Croydon.

He said: "We have quite a few members living in New Addington so we are looking around the area.

"We are looking for something for the local community and somewhere to get to know each other. Somewhere we can do community work, do some community meetings and do some worship as well in there.

"Somewhere safe where we can go and everyone in the [wider] community is welcome."

The estate has several thriving churches serving many denominations but as yet nothing serving other main faiths.

Mr Sharif said his group had recently nearly bought a building in Addington Park, Addington, but the plan fell through at the last minute due to difficulties over planning permission.

The dad-of-four added it had also once looked at a building near King Henry's Drive, but that was also stymied by planning rules saying the building be used to create jobs. The group is volunteer-run.

He also thought the former library building in Central Parade might be a good temporary space until the planned redevelopment of the area gets under way, he added.

Mr Sharif said the Ahmadi community in the estate had been growing over the past two or three years, and now made up a significant proportion of the Shirley branch's more than 350 members.

He said: "The housing up there [in New Addington] is very reasonable and people are moving in from all over."

The Ahmadiyya movement has its headquarters in the UK due to facing persecution in Pakistan; it is considered heretical by many orthodox Muslims.

The Croydon branches do lots of volunteer and charity work in the borough, including an annual New Year's Day clean-up of the town centre.

Mr Sharif said any base would be used mainly at weekends and for Friday prayers, adding: "We don't make music or anything; people come in quietly and go out quietly."