Crystal Palace v Arsenal. A lesson in how a club should NOT treat its core fans.

That is six defeats, one draw and three wins.

Now if you are a regular reader of my little doodles, you might have noticed the importance I’ve placed on separating home and away form for clubs, and then using the relevant home or away programme as a guide for making a prediction.   We have been doing this for a couple of years now, and I’m convinced it is the best prediction method there is.  Far from perfect of course, but better than any other approach I’ve seen.

If we look at Palace’s three wins in the last ten, all three of them have come away from home – against Huddersfield, WBA and Swansea.  In their most recent games at home they have lost to Liverpool! lost to Southampton, drawn with Newcastle and lost to Wolverhampton.  For Newcastle that was one of only two points they have picked up in nine games this season.

Palace’s total home record this season is played four, drawn one, lost three.  Goals scored: 0, goals conceded five.  Last season it was seven wins, five draws and seven defeats.

And this is at least partly due to a dispute between the club and one group of fans, the Holmesdale Fanatics.  I’ve commented on the very positive away support that Palace can generate in the past, and anyone who has been to Selhurst Park in the past will know what these supporters do for Palace.  Indeed at the Arsenal Stadium much as I hate to admit it, there have been times when they out-noised us through the game.

Anyway, last season the noisy gang asked Palace if they could move from their position at one corner to behind the goal, to create more impact on the game – which I suspect most certainly would have happened had the club agreed.   The club made the foolish error of appearing to be positive about the scheme only to turn it down; not what anyone in PR would ever advise.  If there is going to be a PR problem, face it straight on.  Be clear, be firm from day one – but this is football club management we are talking about here – completely removed from the reality of the fanbase in many clubs.

So chairman Steve Parish gave the impression of being interested, but later said any move of fans was unworkable, thank you for you support, goodbye.

The supporters group – the Holmesdale Fanatics said that an agreement on the issue had been reached twice with the club to create a ‘consistent, world-class, supportive, positive atmosphere’ at Selhurst Park.  But then apparently the club changed its mind – an incredibly stupid thing to do.  Worse they made matters public, to which the Fanatics spokesman replied,

“The group was intending to stay quiet about the issues for the good of the football club and are therefore disappointed that the board have decided to conduct what should have been a private internal issue with public statements essentially painting their own fans in a bad light.”

The Fanatics also point out that there had been no official consultation on their plan, but they still wanted, “a resolution to safeguard the massive strengths of Palace’s unique supporting culture before they are lost forever.”

As the dispute rumbled on, Roy Hodson then made matters far far far worse by saying, back in August, “If there’s a small band of people who for some reason are in some sort of dispute with the club, I hope that will get sorted out in the best possible way. But it won’t affect me, it won’t affect the team and it certainly won’t affect the atmosphere because, as I say, we’ve got 24 and a half thousand people who make the atmosphere and not just a particular group…”

If there is a PR person at Palace I suspect he or she resigned at that point for that statement was the dumbest thing imaginable.  Do not ever call a group of people you are in disupute with “a small band” – especially when they make as much noise as this group can.   Don’t call a problem “some sort of a dispute” because it shows ignorance and disrespect.  Disputes are very important to the people involved and lingo like that simply puts down those who feel they have a problem.  All such language does is make matters far, far worse.

And don’t belittle the group by talking about the rest – the 24 and a half thousand.  For the people in dispute, the dispute is all important.

And don’t make stupid predictions like saying, “I expect the atmosphere to be every bit as good as it was last year.”

Now there has been nothing in the media of late on this topic, and maybe matters have been resolved, although the results suggest otherwise.   For this season it is the home results that have dragged the club down.  Away from home Palace are the 10th most successful team.  In a league table made up just of home games they are 18th.

This dispute is interesting because in one snapshot this shows the power that fans can have, and the complete and utter ignorance that clubs have of the power of group behaviour.   Of course a lot of people (and certainly most journalists I have come across) would snort with derision if a story ever came out saying that a club had employed a social psychologist to help come up with ways of improving the atmosphere in the ground.  That too would be a PR disaster.

But had Palace taken advice they would have been told in no uncertain terms of the dangers Palace were running into, in not listening to their fans and letting the manager belittle their hard core support.

It really does make me wonder about club managers – how they can live in such isolated bubbles away from the people – the fans – who really make their club.  It makes me understand why clubs love foreign managers whose English is poor.  They at least stick to the simplicities of life on the pitch.

• Massive rule changes, Ozil is a pest, fake Amazon footie ads, strange tables, AMN is not death.
• Farewell balanced playing field. Matchweek 10: all the games, all the officials.
• Sporting v Arsenal. I got the blues, cos even when we win it ain’t real.