James Miller, aka the Bard of Selhurst Park, is back for the new season. Here is his poem welcoming the Eagles back for the forthcoming campaign...

New season, new sponsor, new players, new strip,

North London bound for the first away trip.

Solid pre season, as Eagles prepare,

Transfer rumours in the air.

Last seasons team, simply sublime,

as Frazier Campbell's first to sign.

Hangeland next on the dotted line,

who else will we sign in time?

Wilf come home, again fly high,

while other names we're set to buy.

Kelly, Nzonzi so they say,

but who will play this Saturday?

Fingers crossed its Gayle's time,

to shine up front, to lead the line.

Chamakh, Puncheon, Yannick and Glenn,

prove the doubters wrong again.

The Palace faithful, sing once more,

as Eagles spread their wings and soar.

First game a test, show heart, strong will,

be the best, quick start, show skill.

Fortress Selhurst, new seats, new screen,

new pitch, same fans to cheer the team.

Brick wall defence, quick to attack.

Crystal Palace FC, WELCOME BACK.

CRYSTAL Palace chairman Steve Parish has been challenged by an Eagles fan to appoint a new manager in the next 24 hours. 

Parish was sent the challenge on Twitter by fan Danny Perry, who said: "I nominate @CEO4TAG to sign a new manager in the #CpfcManagerChallenge. You have 24 hours. #CPFC#Manager#Challenge"

The tweet was sent at 8.11am this morning and Parish retweeted the tweet this afternoon, fuelling thoughts he might be up for the challenge. 

Speculation on the vacant managers job in SE25 this morning linked former Celtic manager Neil Lennon to the post. 

A FATHER and son planning to complete a "harebrained" idea to cycle 600 miles from Scotland to Croydon for charity have already raised £3,800.

Steve Fagan, from Selsdon, came up with the idea for the ride after striking a deal with his daughter.

"It was just one of those sort of harebrained things that comes up round a dinner table after a glass or two of wine," he said.

"My daughter Leanne said 'I'll do a marathon if you do a cycle ride to Scotland'.

"She did the marathon in Brighton last year, so I was left to do the bike ride.

"I think she got the better deal to be honest."

Steve, 56, will be joined by his 30-year-old son Russell and the pair plan to set off on the epic ride from Montrose on September 11.

"We hope to do about 50 to 70 miles a day. If you spoke to Sir Bradley Wiggins, he'd do that in his sleep but 60 miles a day is plenty for me.

"I'm not a keen cyclist in any way, shape or form. About four years ago we rode from London to Brighton, but that's it, apart from my younger days when I was considerably fitter.

Steve decided to raise funds for the Stroke Association in memory of his golfing buddy Dennis Marzetti who died a few years ago.

"Sadly he had a heart attack, survived that and managed quite nicely for a few years, but he had a stroke just a few days after we played golf together," he said.

"It just went downhill from there and he had numerous ones in quite a short space of time. He had locked-in syndrome and was in a nursing home in Caterham before he passed away."

Steve, a self-employed heating engineer, said his work will have to go on the back-burner for a fortnight.

"Providing we've done our sums right it's going to take us about ten days. But of course we're bound to get lost on the way," he joked.

"We plan on finishing at the Crown And Sceptre in South Croydon. It's a very appropriate place to finish really.

"We're going to need a pint or two after cycling all that way."

You can make a donation to support Steve and Russell's ride and the Stroke Association at www.justgiving.com/Stevefagan/

A FOOTBALL tournament in memory of a trainee teacher from New Addington who died of cancer aged just 22 has raised almost £5,000 for St Christopher's Hospice.

Craig Muir, of Castle Hill Avenue, died in 2012 just six days after being told his cancer had returned following his initial diagnosis of malignant melanoma in February 2010.

The tournament and fun day at Greenacres, in Limpsfield Road, Warlingham, was running for the third year and attracted more than 250 people, including Craig's friends from Charles Darwin School and the University of Kent.

Julie Muir, Craig's mum, said: "It went great, the weather was dry and bright.

"There was a great turn-out and we had a minute's applause for Craig which is always quite emotional.

"The event is going to keep on going and we've already had a lot of interest. I think Craig would have loved it. A bit of candy floss and a kickaround, that was a bit of him."

The winning team was made up of Craig's friends from Charles Darwin, whose name was a fitting tribute to their friend – Muir! Muir! Muir! How Do We Like It?

The event took around £4,800 on the day but Mrs Muir expects the total to beat £5,000 after all donations are collected.

FEWER than 50 people turned up to the BNP's "anti-mosque" meeting on Sunday, sending a clear message to the far-right group: "We don't want you in New Addington."

The meeting was scheduled in response to news the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community – which is based in Shirley – was considering the estate for a new base.

But fewer than 50 people showed up at the meeting, which was moved from inside the Addington Community Association (ACA) after Croydon Council intervention.

BNP members Clifford Le May and John Clarke had claimed to have collected 2,000 signatures stating they did not want a mosque in the area.

Oliver Lewis, Labour councillor for New Addington, said the message from residents was clear. "For the second time in recent months, residents have rejected the divisional politics of the right. They are trying to divide and break up what is traditionally a tolerant community. They are driving a hate-filled agenda."

The council confirmed it had warned the ACA against holding the meeting because of its "political" nature, which the ACA said had led it to cancel the meeting.

A council spokesman said: "The licence does not permit them to rent the building for political meetings.

"We explained if the meeting went ahead it may be necessary to review the agreement."

Mr Clarke said the campaign would continue but admitted there were not as many people at the meeting as he had hoped.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has said it would only want a base in the east of the borough and does not understand the level of vitriol.

Mr Clarke reiterated why the BNP is against "any" base for the Al-Ahmadiyya Association in the estate, despite one in 20 people in New Addington and Fieldway being Muslim, according to the council.

He said: "There aren't the amount of Muslims in New Addington they are saying there is. We have looked up the Census figures and it's nowhere near.

"An Asian man told us he'd been beaten up outside the mosque and that they were bad news. I think he was Hindu."

RESIDENTS in Purley and Kenley fear for their homes this winter – if more isn't done to avoid a repeat of February's flooding.

This was the message of frustration given on Monday afternoon, at a meeting to discuss the Purley Community Flood Plan (PCFP).

PCFP co-ordinator Tarsem Flora said the group have not been consulted by the council on forming a strategy to cope with the floods, and that they want to see a more permanent solution.

He said: "We want action. We want to see much more commitment from the council.

"We want to be in the decision-making process so we are there to make sure they come up with a good, effective, practical solution that will stop this happening in the future.

"They should be consulting us and involving us in the strategy they're producing, or why do we exist?"

Six months ago, residents were forced by floodwater to leave their homes, and areas including the Purley underpass and the fields at the Harris Primary Academy Kenley were deliberately flooded to try and cope with the volume of water.

Mr Flora submitted his own plan to tackle future floods to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) through Croydon Council last year, but it failed to win funding.

His solution is to pump water from outside Tesco to the top of the hill between the town and Croydon Airport, and create lakes on the existing marshland. These lakes could also be used for recreation.

Mr Flora hopes the council will now give him their backing to use the land for this scheme, and he will apply to DEFRA again himself.

Nicholass Court, in Dale Road, Purley, was evacuated during the flooding, and residents of the ground floor flats have still not been able to return to their homes.

One resident, who did not want to be named, had to stay in a hotel for five weeks. He said it will be several months before he is back home.

He added: "I'm dreading it happening again."

But the PCFP did praise the council for their initial emergency response to the floods when they hit.

Mr Flora said: "How everybody acted in an emergency was very good and for the local area we couldn't have expected any more."

The council gave flooded businesses £1,000 immediately after the floods, followed by further help.

They have also launched a flood resilience grant scheme, which gives residents affected by flooding this year up to £5,000 to flood-proof their homes. So far about 30 people have put in a claim.

The council is currently carrying out an investigation into the floods under Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act. The report is set to made available to the public in December.

Council officer Rowland Gordon said at this week's meeting that the authority has not been able to get any one to take responsibility for the flooding, as more than one party is responsible for the Catherham bourne.

But he added the council has still had to take action. It is bolting down manhole covers in Purley to stop water bursting through when levels rise, as well as cleaning the bourne between Tesco and Purley Baptist Church, where silt built up.

Temporary pipes put in during the worst of the flooding, to pump water away from the Kenley Waterworks into the open section of the bourne at Kenley Cricket Club, have now been removed.

Instead, a permanent pump to take water downstream to the open section of the bourne in Purley has been put in. The council is also getting the balancing pond at Purley Oaks Depot ready to be dredged of silt that built up there, so that it can hold more water.

Mr Flora said: "We are not happy. The council have done nothing serious.

"They have done a little bit here and there to convince the local community that they are doing something to make the situation better."

But Kenley councillor Steve O'Connell said the community had been brought together by the flooding.

He said: "There is a great community spirit that has come out of it. People came together and were supporting each other and people are the better for that."

Representatives from Croydon Council, the Environment Agency, the Greater London Authority, Croydon Flood Resilience Group and Kenley and District Residents Association attended the meeting.

A 79-YEAR-OLD man has died after a collision involving a car in Selsdon.

The incident occurred in Selsdon Park Road near the junction with Farnborough Avenue at 9am on Saturday (August 23).

Police officers on a routine patrol came across the collision involving the man and a Peugeot 307.

The pedestrian was taken by London Ambulance Service (LAS) to St George's Hospital, in Tooting, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

He is the second older person to die on Croydon's roads this month. A 77-year-old woman died in hospital two days after being struck by a car while crossing Brighton Road, Purley, on August 8. 

His next of kin have been informed but he has to be formally identified.

The driver of the car was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving. He remains in custody.

Officers from the Road Death Investigation Unit, based at Catford, are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to call 020 8285 1574. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

IF YOU talk to residents and business owners in South Norwood, they will nearly all tell you regeneration in the area is long overdue.

Of the two main thoroughfares that comprise the district centre, South Norwood High Street has clearly seen better days and Portland Road is an area struggling to attract businesses.

Now, the new Labour administration has promised to invest in the area and £1.5 million is earmarked to spruce up the streets in 2015.

Wayne Lawlor, councillor for South Norwood and deputy cabinet member for economic development, said there would be a public meeting in November to discuss future plans with residents.

He says he feels South Norwood has the potential to undergo a transformation like Crystal Palace.

Cllr Lawlor said: "Ten to 15 years ago you wouldn't dream of going to the Crystal Palace triangle and now it's got lots of chic independent shops and great restaurants. I think that can happen in South Norwood, just look at the transport links."

He said a focus should be put on improving retail in the area, something that community group People for Portland Road has echoed in the past.

Hannah Pemberton, 32, who works in advertising and is a food blogger, moved from Manchester last year. She looked all over London for an affordable house until she chose South Norwood.

She has joined People for Portland Road and wants to help change South Norwood.

Ms Pemberton said: "South Norwood, architecturally, is all right. But it could be a lot nicer and the streets do look shabby.

"It only takes just over ten minutes into central London from Norwood Junction – you don't get that in many other places."

Richard Hough, who has owned his Autoclutch car repair garage in South Norwood for almost 25 years, however, is not so sure and says he hopes this is not another false dawn.

He said: "We've heard it all before and people have made promises in the past. It will be interesting to see what happens."

But Ms Pemberton is keen for the residents to have their say in the coming months and People for Portland Road will hold its own public meeting on regeneration September 9.

She said: "We want a variety of shops – where are the butchers? Where are the fishmongers? Where's the pub that serves good food? I wouldn't shop on the high street at the moment.

"I'm not talking about gentrification, we just want to make this a pleasurable and practical place to live."

Former West Brom boss Steve Clarke has thrown his hat into the ring for the vacant manager's job at Crystal Palace.

Speaking on SkySports this morning, the 50-year-old admitted that it would be "great" if Palace were to express an interest in his services.

The former Chelsea assistant did a fine job at West Brom, before he was surprisingly sacked last season.

He is currently second favourite with most bookmakers for the job at Selhurst Park, with ex-Celtic boss Neil Lennon favourite.

I'VE been a part of the youth council for nearly two years now and have thoroughly enjoyed my time. The Croydon youth council represents the views of young people aged 11-19 in Croydon to the borough's decision-makers.

When I first became a member of the council I thought it would be formal and hard work; instead it was fun – meeting new people, working on projects and learning something new from each meeting.

In the first year I was a part of the 'Staying Safe' group and we campaigned on raising awareness about neglect and abuse. We ran a successful workshop, gave out wristbands to promote campaign, and I had an article published by Fixers.org.uk – a charity that helps young people to make a difference.

In the feedback from the workshop the vast majority of the young people who took part said they would now know how to recognise a home in trouble, that they understand the services that are out there, the different forms that abuse takes, and where to go for help.

Now I'm in my second year of being a member of youth council and along with the others who have stayed on I have been promoted to being a mentor to the new recruits.

Our priorities are chosen by young people filling out questionnaires. This year anti-bullying and crime and safety came out top. I am a member of the anti-bullying group and we will be running workshops in schools to explore and discuss how bullying affects young people. A leaflet will also be produced and distributed around schools.

This is an important issue because thousands of people every year have their lives seriously damaged by the actions of bullies. By getting young people to challenge those who cause these problems we hope to make a difference.

Next year's election campaign for the Croydon Youth Parliament and recruitment for the new Youth Council starts in September, when young people can begin to submit their application forms. The deadline is January 9, 2015 and voting takes place in February.

I'd recommend to anyone who wants to be part of a great team which can change people's lives for the better to think about putting their name forward. It's a decision you won't regret.

This month marks the third anniversary of the riots that hit Croydon so hard in 2011.

In the days after it happened the Prime Minister and Mayor of London came to see the damage for themselves and promised to help Croydon recover.

The council set up an independent riots panel that heard from hundreds of local people and made a series of recommendations to prevent any future recurrence.

I recently brought together a group of local business people, community leaders and victims of the riots to assess how much of the promised support came through.

What we found was disappointing in the extreme. Despite promises to make Croydon safer, today there are 50 fewer police officers than when the riots happened.

The police shop front promised for the London Road has never opened, and there is only one remaining 24/7 police station in the entire borough.

Croydon was allocated £22.8 million riots recovery funding. But instead of spending it on much needed improvements to the hardest-hit areas the previous council left most of the money sitting in the bank. The Greater London Authority threatened to take the money back because it hadn't been used.

Of the 24 recommendations made by the riots panel, not a single one has been met in full.

Many promises were made to Croydon in the days following the riots, but three years later it seems those were hollow words.

No wonder so many of those who were affected feel badly let down.

Our new council has started investing in the worst hit areas this month, but what a shame we've wasted three years and so much community goodwill in the meantime.