OUR columnist ROBERT SUTHERLAND is disappointed by Glenn Murray's exit from Selhurst Park, but says the club were right to let a Palace legend go elsewhere to seek first team football...

I'M a bit of a child when it comes to Crystal Palace matters. I can't imagine great players leaving. I have to be prepared for the possibility, or I turn into a disappointed wreck, inconsolable at the thought that someone who did so much for our club could just up and leave.

And so, with the transfer window gradually nearing it's closing and the possibility of Glenn Murray's departure looming, that sickly feeling in my stomach became apparent. How? Why? What made him want to leave?

Murray made the most telling contribution throughout our promotion season. Suffering the cruellest of injuries in the play-off semi-final with Brighton, his chances of taking the Premier League by storm were hindered - Palace had to find alternative options and Murray's stock gradually began to drop. Not with Palace fans, I hasten to add, but with managers.

While to us supporters the warmth of sentimentality rules over cold, hard necessity, managers and players don't have that luxury. They have to make decisions which not only put the club first, but put their futures on the line.

The former Brighton man is a class act. A highly effective striker who has climbed through the divisions, his prowess in front of goal can't be questioned. But his inclusion in this Palace team would have required significant changes to the side - tactical adjustments which would have changed the balance of the line-up.

He could have played the Chamakh role, but that's not his game - he's an out-and-out forward, a player who wants to get on the end of crosses and put the ball in the net, not a deep lying attacker willing to link play up - and at the age of 31, he needs to be playing.

Palace couldn't offer him a starting place. A combination of bad luck and timeliness saw to that. But there's no doubt he'll be a success at Reading. There's no question that we'll always hold him in the highest of regards. His goals shaped our promotion season and we will always be grateful. Always. 

THE news 30-year-old Kevin Doyle is to replace Glenn Murray in the Crystal Palace squad hasn't been well received by some sections of the Eagles support.

Doyle scored just six times in 43 games last season, despite plying his trade in League One with Wolves and in the Championship during a loan spell at QPR.

And some Palace fans aren't convinced he's the best man to replace Murray - a club legend who scored 30 goals during the 2012/13 promotion season - making their feelings clear on social media.

Ryan Wallis wrote on Twitter: "Kevin Doyle. What a waste of a loan. We have managed to be the laughing stock of the league again. Pathetic. #livid#cpfc"

@Matt_CPFC wrote: "Kevin Doyle would be a good signing... If it was 2006. #cpfc"

And @GilesyL14, with tongue (possibly) in cheek, said: This is my personal preference in strikers... Murray > Hooper > Wood > McGoldrick > Me > Stephen Hawking > Kevin Doyle."

But not everyone was down about the arrival of the former Reading frontman, who has been capped 57 times by the Republic of Ireland, scoring 13 goals.

@markmywords80 wrote on Twitter: "KevinDoyle. Getting a lot of bad press on Twitter. Jury is out on him. Might just be a good loan. Either way, Palace fans need to back him

SNAZZY new gates have been installed at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park stadium today (Tuesday).

Palace chairman Steve Parish had promised fans a raft of improvements at Selhurst Park over the summer and has smartened up many of the ground's lounges installed a new big screen and now installed the plush new gates.

The gates are embossed with the club's year-old badge and will first open to a coach containing Sean Dyche's Burnley team next Saturday (September 13).

THE former leader of Croydon Council has denied claims he is set to stand down as leader of the now-opposition Tory group.

Councillor Mike Fisher refuted speculation he is prepared to step aside - little more than three months after saying he'd carry on heading the Conservatives following their May election defeat.

Mr Fisher this afternoon told the Advertiser: "There is no truth in the suggestion, I am not going anywhere. 

"I was re-elected leader at the Conservative group meeting on May 24 and I am more than happy to carry on."

An article on political blog Inside Croydon this lunchtime (Tuesday) suggested Mr Fisher would step down having recently suffered a bout of ill health, to be most likely replaced by Croham councillor Maria Gatland.

But Mr Fisher, who led the council for eight years until the Tories were deposed by Labour in May, told us he "ignored" an approach from the author of the article, which was published "three hours later."

CROYDON'S police chief has been told to undergo "equality training" after he refused to accept that one of his officers had been discriminated against.  

An employment tribunal found firearms officer PC Carol Howard had suffered racial and sexual discrimination while working for the Metropolitan Police.

PC Howard, 35, was today awarded damages of more than £37,000 after she was bullied, harassed and victimised while serving with the elite Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG).

The panel had previously found that PC Howard, from Purley, had been singled out by a superior officer under the command of Chief Superintendent Andy Tarrant, who was head of the unit before becoming Croydon borough commander in July.

Judge Harjit Gewal criticised Met commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe for failing to apologise or express regret for the way in which PC Howard had been treated.

But she also singled out Chief Supt Tarrant for causing PC Howard "particular distress" by refusing to acknowledge Acting Inspector Dave Kelly had done anything wrong despite the "damning" evidence against him.

It recommended that Chief Supt Tarrant should be provided with equality training, including education about "unconscious bias", within six months and that an internal investigation should consider whether he had committed misconduct.

Ms Howard brought a claim of discrimination against the Met at the Central London Employment Tribunal earlier this year.

The panel found that she had been "directly discriminated" against "on the grounds of sex and race" between January 31 and 29 October 2012.

Acting Insp Kelly, who was PC Howard's superior at the DPG, which protects foreign embassies in London, believed she was "dishonest and not up to the standard required" after several short periods of sickness.

He openly challenged her commitment in front of colleagues, asked them "wholly inappropriate" questions about her personal relationships and blocked her requests to move to another unit.

PC Howard approached Chief Supt Tarrant and expressed concerns about Acting Insp Kelly's behaviour, indicating that she was thinking of leaving the Met.

He tried to dissuade her and indicated that he was prepared to allow her to move to another role with the armed response team CO19. Normally officers are expected to work in a particular unit for at least two years before being considered for transfer.

Ten days later, Chief Supt Tarrant changed his mind about helping PC Howard. He approached Acting Insp Kelly, who was blocking the move, and gave him a "more watertight" reason for the application to be turned down.

Judge Gewal said that PC Howard saw CO19 as a "way out"  and the decision to block the move had led her to take a two-week absence from work because of "stress due to bullying and unfairness at work".

An internal inquiry into PC Howard's treatment found that Acting Insp Kelly's behaviour had been "inappropriate" and "inexplicable", but the officer who undertook the investigation was asked to delete any reference to sex or racial discrimination.

When the tribunal heard evidence from Chief Supt Tarrant earlier this year, he steadfastly refused to accept Acting Insp Kelly, who has since been transferred out of DPG, had done anything wrong.

"Throughout the hearing the claimant had difficulty sleeping and keeping food down," read this week's ruling. "The claimant was particularly distressed by Chief Supt Tarrant's failure to acknowledge that there had been any shortcomings in Acting Insp Kelly's treatment of her."

He refused to acknowledge Acting Insp Kelly's misconduct despite "damning evidence" from two police officers who described him as a "bully", "overbearing", "intrusive" and "unreasonable".

The tribunal found that Chief Supt Tarrant's attitude during the proceedings was an aggravating factor causing "additional distress" to PC Howard.

Croydon's new borough commander denied that he had said he would help PC Howard move to CO19. 

"It appeared to us from subsequent communication that he did do so," the tribunal said.

The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) will now begin an investigation into Acting Insp Kelly's conduct.

Darren Bird, assistant director at DPS, has instructed the unit to ensure the disciplinary investigation is broad enough to pick up any misconduct issues relating to Chief Supt Tarrant and three other officers, the ruling said. 

The tribunal recommended that the Met review how it dealt with complaints about discrimination since 2009 and whether or not, in other cases, references about sex and racial discrimination had been removed.

It called for a wide-ranging assessment of how allegations of discrimination are dealt with, including who they are investigated by and what steps are taken to ensure the process is open and transparent.

Recommendations made by employment tribunals are non-binding. If they are not acted upon, however, increased damages could be awarded. The power that allows tribunals to make recommendations which refer to the wider workforce could be scrapped under government plans.

This week's ruling also revealed that Scotland Yard tried to "deflect" negative publicity about PC Howard's tribunal by releasing information about her when she was arrest over allegations which were later dropped.

Ms Howard said: "I have been put through a two-year ordeal which I have been bullied, harassed and victimised simply because of my gender and race.

"I am glad the tribunal recognised that this leak of information was a dirty trick by the Metropolitan Police aimed solely at deflecting criticism from itself while simultaneously seriously damaging my reputation.

"The arrests were, I believe, motivated by revenge simply because I made a stand against police bullying."

The tribunal's judgement said the Met's failure to express regret or apologise for how PC Howard had been treated left her feeling "bewildered" and "added insult to injury".

Kiran Daurka, her solicitor, said: "The fact that the Met did not issue a public apology following the tribunal's decision only exacerbated the hurt and distress felt by our client. This was reflected in the award for aggravated damages and a top award for injury to feelings."  

A statement released by Scotland Yard said Deputy Assistant Patricia Gallan had written to PC Howard to apologise for what had happened. 

"The case is in the process of being reviewed," a spokesperson said. "We have noted the comments regarding the press lines, there was no intent to deflect attention, but instead to ensure the organisation was open and transparent as possible while working within our guidelines. But we are deeply regretful of any additional distress this caused PC Howard." 

A CARE home looking to expand has refuted claims that the consultation process was concealed from residents.

Last week, the Advertiser reported that more than 170 residents have objected to plans to expand Highfield House at 92-94 Higher Drive

The home currently has 27 bedrooms. The plans add a two-storey building with an extra 18 bedrooms along with more parking spaces.

A spokesman from Highfield House said that independent consultants co-ordinated a programme of community consultation launched in February. He said that this included distributing 300 leaflets to neighbours, a website which was regularly updated, and two open days which were held at Highfield House in March.

The spokesman added that Highfield House has tried to balance planning requirements with those of the community, and that during pre-application meetings the local authority has worked with the home to overcome planning concerns.

He said: "We are primarily about the delivery of high quality care for those that need it most, not engaging in battles with the local community.

"We received feedback from a smaller number of local residents than we might have liked, yet views were nevertheless obtained from local residents, the care community, from staff, patients and their families."

He added: "At the last appeal, for a larger extension, resident groups were concerned by traffic matters.

"Now that we are proposing a smaller home, it appears it is the size that is the main concern. Establishing a clear view from the local community is, in itself, a challenge."

NEARLY 11,000 primary schoolchildren in Croydon will start to get free school meals from this week.

All youngsters aged four to seven are now eligible for free meals under the nationwide Government initiative.

And the Government is saying that, in Croydon alone, parents will be saving a total of £4.4 million on school lunches.

Free meals for children from Year 3 onwards will continue to be means tested.

The Government has said studies show receiving a healthy nutritious lunch helps improve pupils' concentration and learning in the classroom.

It also claims the policy will help towards reducing childhood obesity.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who is spearheading the initiative, said: "Free school meals for infants will not only save families hundreds of pounds, a year but will also have an impact on how a child performs in the classroom so that, regardless of their background, every child can have the best possible start in life."

The initiative has been welcomed by Councillor Alisa Flemming, Croydon Council's cabinet member for children, families and learning.

She said: "We have a huge number of children who will benefit. The school dinner will often be their only hot meal of the day, and we have seen from results that children who receive free meals have done really well."

She said the long-term aim of the council was to see free school meals offered to all the borough's primary pupils.

In addition, it is about the launch a pilot project in a small number of primary schools offering free breakfasts to pupils.

Cllr Flemming said the pilot was the first stage in meeting a Labour manifesto pledge made before May's elections.

Cllr Flemming added: "We have not yet decided in which schools the pilot will take place but our aim is to have it in place by the end of this year.

"The scheme will enable pupils, who often don't eat breakfast, to come into school and have something. I think we will see the long term effects on their performance."

SHE was born with a rare liver condition and underwent a life-saving transplant less than two years ago.

But now aged 4, Isha Khan is a bubbly girl who likes to sing ad dance and who, next week, will enjoy her first day at school.

Isha will wear her uniform with pride when she arrives at Park Hill Infants School on September 15.

She was born with biliary atresia – a congenital condition where the bile duct between the liver and the small intestine is blocked or absent.

A transplant in December 2012, when she was aged two, changed her life at a time where her parents saw no end to her medical troubles.

Although she will be on medication for the rest of her life, her mother Iram, 39, and father Shiraz, are thrilled to see her start her education on time.

Iram said: "This is the start of a hopefully normal life for Isha which is something we didn't envisage a few years ago. We never thought we'd be in this position

"There are still worries, particularly at times of year when there are illnesses about. Isha will be thrown into a class which could be full of germs.

"In her position, if she catches an infection; a normal child would be given some medicine but she would be taken straight to hospital to have bloods taken and x-rays and she will be put on drips for 48 hours."

But Iram said Isha's life post-transplant is a far-cry to the first few years of her life, when she was in and out of hospital and the family had a bag packed at all times in case of emergency.

She added: "It's quite complicated to explain; the transplant doesn't fix everything but it replaces one set of medical problems with another set which are much more manageable."

The teachers at Park Hill are well aware of Isha's unique medical needs and have been to meet her at home.

Isha, who also has an older brother Mikail, 8, will be eased into school life but her mum says she is raring to go.

She said: "She is so excited by it all. I think she'll probably love drama the most because there's always a drama with Isha!

"She loves singing and she loves dancing; that's what she's doing right now." 

THE opening of a new HMV store in the town centre has been delayed a week.

Just 14 months after its last shop in the town closed, the entertainment chain is opening in a prominent spot on the corner of the entrance to the Whitgift Centre in North End.

It was set to open tomorrow (Thursday) but will now open next Thursday (September 11) instead at premises previously occupied by discount store 4 Less and JJB Sports.

An HMV spokesman said there would be no fanfare or ceremony for the opening.  

OCTOPUSES, sharks and bees are taking part in the fifth Thornton Heath Festival on Sunday.

The party, in High Street, Thornton Heath, kicks off at noon and features a carnival parade led by the Boys' Brigade Pipe Band with two six-foot sharks, two large octopuses and six Friends of the Earth bees.

A Russian accordion band as well as Robin Hood and his Merry Men will also be part of the carnival atmosphere.

There will be a six-hour stage show with singers, dancers and musicians plus numerous stalls and seven fairground rides.

The event runs from noon to 6pm and there will be a programme draw for only 50p, with the chance to win a bathroom suite, a 42-inch television set and other prizes. The draw will take place at 5pm.

Contact tony@rowlandbrothers.com if you wish participate in the parade, the show or the stalls.

DEMANDS that council opposition leader Mike Fisher thinks about resigning have come today as it emerged he had taken a £10,000 increase in pay in his last year as council leader.

Councillor Tony Newman, the leader of the council, said Councillor Fisher's action in taking the 20 per cent increase was "an act of hypocrisy and betrayal" at a time when the then Conservative council had been making millions of pounds of cuts to services, and living standards for most residents in Croydon were falling.

And Cllr Newman has warned Cllr Fisher to be wary about claiming any more extra "back pay."

He said: "We are prepared to go to court on behalf of the taxpayers to fight tooth and nail to stop any extra money being handed over.

"There is no moral or ethical justification for what is happening. It is unbelievable."

There was, however, nothing the council could do about the increase Cllr Fisher had taken already, he said.

But Cllr Fisher made it plain that as far as he was concerned, he had done nothing wrong and was not considering standing down as leader of the council's Tory group.

Cllr Newman said the increase is revealed in the list of "wage" payments made to councillors in 2013/14 which is being published later today, conveniently, he claims for Cllr Fisher, after May's elections.

Cllr Newman, who defeated Cllr Fisher and the Conservatives in May's local elections, added: "To have covered his increase up in the run-up to the elections is such a serious action that Cllr Fisher should seriously consider his position."

Any legal argument is likely to centre around exactly what these terms salary payments made to cabinet members in Croydon are.

The present salary being taken by Cllr Newman as leader is £53,000 with cabinet members receiving around £43,000.

But it was back in 2010/11 that the Independent Review Body which looks at councillors' allowances nationally recommended the leader of Croydon Council should receive £65,000 a year and cabinet members should also receive an increase.

Cllr Fisher said today (Wednesday) that the council agreed to those recommendations but the cabinet accepted members "were minded not to take the increase at the current time."

That, he said, did not rule out cabinet members taking the increased allowance any time since.

Cllr Fisher said he had not taken any rise in 2011/12 and 2012/13, adding he had not yet decided whether he would now look again at that situation.

He said circumstances had changed since the 2010 review, adding: "The fact is, I hadn't had a pay rise for eight years and I decided I was going to need to take some of the money, which is what I did."

Cllr Fisher said he had taken an extra £10,000, not the full £12,000 to which he would have been entitled under review recommendations.

Accusing his Labour rival, he added: "I think Tony Newman is once again just stirring things up."

Crystal Palace have surprisingly swooped to bring club legend Andrew Johnson back to Selhurst Park.

The 33-year-old striker was a free agent after being released by Queens Park Rangers at the end of last season, and has put pen to paper on a short-term Palace contract until January to help bolster Neil Warnock's options up front.

Johnson will also help coach some of the club's academy players.

He told the club's official website said: "I am delighted to be coming back to a club that I love and have a real soft spot for. I would like to thank the gaffer and the chairman for giving me this opportunity and I am looking forward to helping this football club have continued success in the Premier League.

"I have also been given an opportunity to help the youngsters in a coaching capacity, something I am really looking forward to getting involved in."

Johnson's first spell at Selhurst Park came between 2002 and 2006 where he achieved huge popularity with the Eagles faithful, banging in 85 goals in 160 games to help the club win promotion to the Premier League in 2003/04.

Police still don't know who a man found dead in the grounds of an empty building three months ago was.

They are reissuing an e-fit of the man in the hope that someone who knew him will recognise him ahead of an inquest into his death next week.

The body was found at 6 Morland Road, Addiscombe at around 3pm on May 8. The death is being treated as non-suspicious.

The man was black, of medium build and around 6ft tall. He had short black and grey hair and a full black and grey beard.

He was wearing a black sweater, brown shirt, blue jeans with a brown belt and black boots. He also had a green t-shirt with him.

His clothes were clean and police don't think he had been sleeping rough. A small black bag was found nearby.

Croydon CID Detective Chief Inspector Sian Thomas urged anyone with information to come forward to help police trace the man's family or next of kin. They hope someone from Addiscombe or surrounding areas might recognise him.

She said that he had no identification with him but Croydon CID have reason to believe he was renting accommodation and had recently lost his job, probably in Croydon or South London.

She said: "An inquest into his death is due to take place next week and it would be terribly sad if we were unable to establish who this man was."

Police are particularly interested in any landlords who had a tenant matching the description who may have gone missing around that time or who had not paid the rent.

Anyone with information should call Croydon Missing Persons Unit on 020 8649 0016 or 101. All calls with be treated in confidence.

GAVIN Barwell has branded the £10,000 pay rise taken by former Conservative council leader Mike Fisher "doubly wrong".

The Croydon Central MP said his colleague and friend should not have sought an 18 per cent pay rise when council officers, "many on quite low salaries", were getting just one per cent.

He said Cllr Fisher - who faces calls from Labour to resign as leader of the Conservative group - had then compounded his error by keeping the decision private until after May's local elections.

Cllr Fisher asked council officers for his allowances to be increased from £53,000 to £62,352.

In a statement published on his website today (Wednesday), Mr Barwell said: "If Mike felt he deserved a higher salary, he should have told people what he was doing.

"He didn't tell anyone, not even his fellow Conservative councillors I understand let alone the people of Croydon whose Council Tax payments fund his allowances."

The Advertiser revealed this morning that Cllr Fisher, the former council leader, had taken a £10,000 pay rise which had been recommended by an independent body in 2010/11 but the cabinet had said at the time it was "minded not to accept".

Mr Fisher has admitted the request for a pay rise was submitted to council officers before polling day in May.

Senior Tories are understood to be "livid" that he asked their advice as to whether he should take the pay rise - which he was told would be "crazy" - AFTER he had accepted it.

Mr Barwell has not publicly called into question Cllr Fisher's position as leader of the Conservative group or a councillor.

But, in his statement, he added: "The hardest thing in politics is when someone who isn't just a party colleague but a friend does something wrong. I have known Mike for nearly 20 years. He has been a great support to me as a Parliamentary candidate and then an MP. Some in my party will be angry with me for issuing this statement.

"But residents rightly expect politicians to put what is right before party loyalty. If we don't make it clear that what Mike has done is wrong, the actions of one individual will tarnish the reputation of the whole party."

Steve Reed, Labour's Croydon North MP, urged Cllr Fisher to do "the honourable thing and resign".

He said: "It is outrageous that he helped himself to £10,000 of public money without telling the voters and after cutting public services.

"He and his Tory friends used a form of words that gave the impression they would not take pay rises, but let them trouser the money later on. This looks like a deliberate attempt by the Conservative Party to deceive the voters over councillors' allowances.

"The council must immediately set up an investigation to establish whether there has been any malpractice and which Tory councillors were involved

"Public money cannot simply be syphoned off into Tory councillors' bank accounts on the quiet. Cllr Fisher's position as Leader of the Conservatives on the council is no longer tenable and I call on him to do the honourable thing and resign."  

Cllr Fisher earlier told the Advertiser that he had declined the pay rise in 2011/12 and in 2012/13. Labour council leader Tony Newman, who defeated him in May's election, warned him against trying to claim the back pay.

He added that, earlier this year, circumstances had changed: "The fact is I hadn't had a pay rise for eight years and I decided I was going to need to take some of the money, which is what I did."

He accused Cllr Newman - who has called on him to resign - of "stirring things up". 

HUNDREDS of pupils have not returned to school this week as building work delays the start of the new term.

Four schools in Croydon have been unable to open as planned because new buildings are not ready.

A fifth was facing a race against time to open next week after its temporary classrooms were delivered late.

Expansion work took place at 17 schools across the borough this summer as part of efforts to meet unprecedented demand for places.

As many as 1,500 pupils were unable to go to school this week as a result of the delays.

The council said its expansion plans had mostly gone to plan with the affected schools only closed for "one or two days".

Those unable to open will have to make up the time over the coming school year.

The schools in question are Quest Academy, in Farnborough Road, South Croydon; Norbury Manor Primary, in Abingdon Road, Norbury, and Parish Church junior and infant schools in Warrington Road, Croydon.

The new free school in London Road run by the Harris Federation, a building project overseen by the government, did not open on time either.

Quest Academy, which has around 520 pupils on roll, will return five days late because their new £16 million school building is not ready.

The new term was due to start on today (September 4) but has now been pushed back a week to September 11.

Principal Andy Crofts said the delayed opening was the result of heavy rainfall in January, which set back building work, undertaken by contractor Wates, by four weeks.

"Remarkably Wates were able to recoup three of these weeks resulting in just the one week delay," he explained.

"It was not possibly to open in our old building because it has been stripped ready for demolition, however staff are in this week in just four rooms preparing for the new term.

"Rather than in anyway a chaotic start to the term we made a decision to open a week later."

Thirty hours of school time have been lost because of the delay, which will be recovered by students staying back for an hour longer for 30 of the 39 school weeks this year.

Mr Crofts said: "The time lost will be made up in the course of the year so obviously the children do not suffer any detriment.

"Everyone is looking forward to enjoying fantastic new facilities next week."

Last week, the Advertiser revealed the opening of Harris Invictus Academy, a free school on the former site of Croydon General Hospital in London Road, had been delayed by a week because of problems with the temporary buildings it will be based in.

The secondary school, linked to the Harris Federation, will be housed in temporary classrooms until its permanent buildings are finished in 2016.

It was due to open today (Thursday) but that was pushed back until September 9 because of a delay in bringing the temporary buildings to Croydon from the Midlands where they are being made.

Those buildings have now arrived and the site was being prepared this week.

The council, which is not responsible for free schools, said it is in contact with the Education Funding Agency (EFA), the government department in charge of the building work, to ensure the site is safe and cleared before its first 164-pupil intake arrive.

The EFA has not responded to requests for a comment about the delays. 

Neither Norbury Manor, which has been expanded to three forms of entry, or Parish Church schools had commented as the Advertiser went to press on Thursday.

The council said the schools had asked for "an extra day or so" to make preparations before they opened.

"The summer holidays is an extremely busy period within the schools expansion project, as the schools are not in session," a spokesman said.

"However, having the new space completely ready for the children is important so where a small number of schools have asked for an extra day or so to make these preparations, the council has been supportive - provided parents are also supportive and there are plans in place to deliver the full number of required curriculum hours for the children."

Maria Gatland, shadow cabinet member for education, said delays were the inevitable result of trying to meet the huge demand for places, especially at primary school level.

"I think opening a couple of days late is fine as long as it doesn't impact on the curriculum. That's clearly the most important thing," she said.

The majority of schools involved in the expansion programme have not experienced delays, including the new annex in Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath, run by the Pegasus Academy Trust. Pupils are also due to start at Harris Primary Academy Haling Park, in South Croydon, next week.

CRYSTAL Palace fan Zoe Messenbird urges her fellow supporters to leave their Glenn Murray worship to one side and get behind new boy Kevin Doyle...

So the transfer window has closed, or 'slammed shut' as Sky Sports like to stress with irritating assertiveness. A young English left back with a point to prove in Zeki Fryers has arrived from Tottenham, and KG has finally been replaced with the impressive capture of James McArthur from Wigan. 

Both of these deals represent good business, and along with the signings of Wilf Zaha, Brede Hangeland, Martin Kelly and Chris Kettings, you'd be entitled to consider the window a success; we even managed to sort out new deals for club legend Julian Speroni and Yannick Bolasie. Unfortunately, the talking point among Palace fans late into the night on deadline day was Glenn Murray's departure to Reading and Kevin Doyle's arrival from Wolves.

The problem is that most fans are viewing Doyle and Murray's transfers as a combined entity – Glenn Murray, the man that notched 31 times in our promotion season is farmed out to Reading while Kevin Doyle, a man who failed to force his way into Wolves' League One team is his replacement? That's madness isn't it? Well in my opinion, maybe not…

Firstly, I am not delighted by the signing of Kevin Doyle. It didn't have me lavishing praise on the owners, nor did it set out much of a statement of intent to other watching clubs. However any potential negativity I may have had towards this signing is offset by the fact that there is no guarantee that Murray would cut it at this level. I don't see it as black and white as a Premier League goal scorer out, and a failed striker in, because in my eyes, that's not an accurate comparison. 

Yes, I would rather have given Murray the chance as fourth choice striker than Doyle, but this has happened, and I am willing to support Doyle when he is called upon. Incidentally, Murray asked to leave, and Doyle has international experience and proven, all-be-it sometime ago, that he can perform at this level. My only real criticism is that despite having secured survival in April, essential business was still being done at the very last minute, with our options up front arguably weaker this season than they were last year.

Despite the apprehension shown by many towards Doyle, once he pulls on a Palace shirt and puts his first shift in, those fans that were apoplectic on social media will be saying 'As fourth choice he looks OK, he looks a good option from the bench and he has good experience…' I've seen it all before…