60 free Crystal Palace trivia questions with answers — sports quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
Crystal Palace were created by the company that owned the Great Exhibition building, to fill the FA Cup final stadium in its grounds, and traced their roots to a club that entered the very first FA Cup. This quiz covers the whole story: Edmund Goodman and the claret-and-blue inheritance from Aston Villa, the suffragette plot to blow up the 1913 final, the wartime eviction by the Admiralty, Selhurst Park's opening defeat, Real Madrid's first match in London, Malcolm Allison's red-and-blue Barcelona stripes and the Eagles nickname, Terry Venables's Team of the Eighties, Steve Coppell, Ian Wright and the 1990 final, third place in 1991 and the European place that never came, the 49-point relegation, Cantona's kick, two administrations, CPFC 2010 and the fight for the freehold, Holloway's play-off win, Pulis, Pardew, de Boer's 77 days, Hodgson, Glasner, Eze's winner in the 2025 FA Cup final, the UEFA demotion, Macclesfield and the Conference League triumph in Leipzig. Early questions suit anyone who has sung 'Glad All Over'; later ones are for Eagles who know their Holmesdale from their Whitehorse Lane: which club Palace beat in the 1909 Cup as the first non-league side to knock out the holders, who was the club's first chairman and how he was found, and which bald eagle flew the ground before kick-off. Good for a supporters' club night or a south London pub quiz. Every answer was checked against Wikipedia's article on the club, its grounds and its history, and each question shows its source.
30 of 60 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01The amateur 1860s Crystal Palace club, ancestor of today's club, was set up by members of what?
The local cricketers
They were founder members of the FA in 1863 and reached the semi-finals of the first FA Cup in 1871-72.
Q 02Why did the Crystal Palace Company form a professional football club in 1905?
To fill the FA Cup final stadium in its grounds and draw crowds
The company relied on tourist income; the FA had used the ground for the Cup final since 1895.
Q 03Palace's founding secretary Edmund Goodman came from which club, whose colours Palace adopted?
Aston Villa
That is why Palace wore claret and blue until Malcolm Allison changed the kit in 1973.
Q 04How did Edmund Goodman find Palace's first chairman, Sydney Bourne?
By checking records of FA Cup final ticket buyers
Bourne had bought a batch of tickets every year; he stayed chairman until his death in 1930.
Q 05Who did Palace beat in 1909 as the first non-league side to knock out the FA Cup holders?
Wolves
Two years earlier they had stunned Newcastle 1-0 in the first round.
Q 06Which group plotted to blow up the stands at the 1913 FA Cup final at the Crystal Palace?
The suffragettes
The Women's Social and Political Union's bombing and arson campaign targeted the ground as part of its fight for the vote.
Q 07Palace were forced out of the Crystal Palace ground in 1915 when it was requisitioned by whom?
The Admiralty
They moved to the Herne Hill Velodrome, then to the Nest after Croydon Common folded in 1917.
Q 08Winning the Third Division in 1920-21 made Crystal Palace one of five clubs at that time to have done what?
Won a title in their debut season as a League club
Preston, Small Heath, Liverpool and Bury were the others at the time.
Q 09The first match at Selhurst Park in 1924 was a 1-0 defeat to which club, in front of 25,000?
The Wednesday
Archibald Leitch drew up the plans; Palace finished 21st and went down that season.
Q 10In April 1962 Palace hosted a friendly that was which Spanish club's first ever match in London?
Real Madrid
A full-strength Madrid won 4-3 a fortnight before the European Cup final; Palace copied their all-white kit in 1964.
Q 11In which year did Palace's first top-flight spell end, despite a 5-0 home win over Manchester United that season?
1973
Malcolm Allison arrived too late to save them, and took them down again the next season.
Q 12Malcolm Allison changed Palace's nickname from 'The Glaziers' to 'The Eagles', inspired by which Portuguese club?
Benfica
He also swapped claret and blue for red-and-blue stripes modelled on Barcelona.
Q 13Palace's red and blue vertical stripes, adopted under Allison in 1973, were inspired by which club?
Barcelona
The centenary season of 2005 saw a return to a 1971-72 claret, blue and white design.
Q 21Palace lost the 1996 play-off final 2-1 to a last-minute extra-time goal by which Leicester player?
Steve Claridge
A year later they went up by beating Sheffield United 1-0 in the final.
Q 22Which recruitment tycoon bought Palace in June 1998 and took them into administration within a year?
Mark Goldberg
Ron Noades kept ownership of Selhurst Park and leased it back to the club.
Q 23Whose 87th-minute winner at Stockport on the last day of 2000-01 saved Palace from relegation?
Dougie Freedman
Freedman later managed the club from 2011 to 2012 before leaving for Bolton.
Q 14The Palace-Brighton rivalry was cemented in a 1976-77 FA Cup tie when referee Ron Challis ordered what?
A successful penalty to be retaken
The retake was saved, Palace won 1-0, and the two clubs have loathed each other since.
Q 15The Palace side that won the Second Division under Terry Venables in 1979 was dubbed what by the media?
The Team of the Eighties
Built on two FA Youth Cup wins, they briefly topped the whole League in 1979-80 before money troubles broke them up.
Q 16Palace drew the 1990 FA Cup final 3-3 with Manchester United. What was the replay score?
0-1
Steve Coppell's side went one better in the league the next year, finishing third.
Q 17Palace finished third in 1990-91, their best ever, but missed Europe. Why?
England had only one UEFA Cup place after the Heysel ban
England was unranked in the coefficients that season, and the single place went to runners-up Liverpool.
Q 18Palace won the 1991 Full Members Cup 4-1 after extra time at Wembley against which club?
Everton
Ian Wright left for Arsenal the following season.
Q 19Palace went down in 1992-93 with a record points total for a relegated Premier League club. How many?
49
Oldham stayed up on goal difference, minus 11 to Palace's minus 13.
Q 20What was Eric Cantona's original sentence for his 1995 flying kick at a Palace fan at Selhurst Park?
Two weeks in jail
It was reduced on appeal to 120 hours of community service; Simmons was banned and convicted of threatening him.
Q 24Which manager tried to leave Palace for Birmingham City after four months in 2001 and was put on gardening leave?
Steve Bruce
He was eventually allowed to go, and was replaced by his Birmingham predecessor Trevor Francis.
Q 25Iain Dowie's Palace won the 2004 play-off final 1-0 against which club?
West Ham United
They went down on the last day of the next season after drawing at Charlton.
Q 26How many points were Palace docked when placed in administration in January 2010?
Ten
Survival came with a 2-2 draw at Sheffield Wednesday on the final day, relegating Wednesday instead.
Q 27What did the CPFC 2010 consortium also secure from Lloyds Bank after a fan campaign?
The freehold of Selhurst Park
Each partner held 25%; Parish remains chairman with about 10%.
Q 28Which club did Palace beat 1-0 in the 2013 play-off final to return to the Premier League?
Watford
The season was documented in the Amazon series When Eagles Dare; Palace have not been relegated since.
Q 29Which manager kept Palace up in 2013-14, then resigned two days before the next season?
Tony Pulis
Warnock returned briefly before Pardew took the club to tenth and the 2016 FA Cup final.
Q 30Frank de Boer, Palace's first permanent foreign manager, was sacked in 2017 after how many days?
77
Palace had lost their first four league games without scoring; Roy Hodgson replaced him the next day.