COLUMNIST Dan Gibbs thinks the reason for Alan Pardew's move from Newcastle to Crystal Palace is clear - he did it for love...
AFTER what seems like a lifetime of waiting, Palace have finally announced that Alan Pardew Is to be our new man in charge.
Super Al Is returning home and unlike Neil Warnock's appointment four months ago; the vast majority of Palace supporters are happy with the move.
Being born myself in 1994, Pardew's time as a player is one I can't recall but the older generation will remember his playing days at Palace very fondly; particularly that winning goal at Villa Park.
So while it is mostly always a good idea for a past player to return one day as manager to their old club, I have had to base my opinions of Pardew on his managerial career in my lifetime.
A few things spring to mind; that ludicrous head-butt against David Meyler in March, that slow motion video of him telling Manuel Pellegrini exactly what he thought of him and a bizarre video of him on the touchline giving that 'happy face' gesture. He is certainly a character.
I think Pardew is the right man to succeed Warnock. He offers a lot of passion in his coaching style and gets his team believing in themselves and, with the characters in our dressing room, I think they'll be a perfect match.
Going to a club of Newcastle's stature was a daunting prospect for Pardew when he first signed and in the five years he spent there, despite not winning anything, he has done a great job in keeping Newcastle away from any relegation battles on a relatively small budget.
He also made some great signings, bringing in players like Papiss Cisse, Moussa Sissoko, Yohan Cobaye, Hatem Ben Arfa and Demba Ba. If Palace could attract those kind of names, that's a big step forward for our club.
Of course the aim this season is to stay up, but long term Pardew could be the man to establish this club as a regular in the Premier League.
Many people pondered the question: Why would Pardew leave a club like Newcastle to go to Palace? I think the answer is relatively straightforward. He's suffered abuse from the Newcastle supporters for years and to be given the opportunity to escape and go to a former club where he is loved by the fans ultimately proved too hard to turn down.
Pardew will have missed the fans chanting his name, that bit of warmth from the stands and at Palace he will get that. This could be the start of something special.
In Pardew we trust.
