Crystal Palace Trivia
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58 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 58 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01The amateur Victorian-era Crystal Palace football club was set up by members of what?
The local cricketers
The local cricketers of the Crystal Palace Cricket Club founded the amateur football side; it was a founder member of the Football Association and reached the first FA Cup semi-finals 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 club was founded 'To fill the FA Cup final stadium in its grounds and draw crowds': the company relied on visitor income, and the FA had staged the Cup final there since 1895.
Q 03Palace's founding secretary Edmund Goodman came from which club, whose colours Palace adopted?
Aston Villa
Aston Villa had employed Goodman as assistant secretary, so Palace adopted Villa's claret and blue and wore it until Malcolm Allison rebranded the club.
Q 04How did Edmund Goodman find Palace's first chairman, Sydney Bourne?
By checking records of FA Cup final ticket buyers
Goodman found him 'By checking records of FA Cup final ticket buyers': Sydney Bourne had bought a batch every year, and he stayed chairman until his death in 1930.
Q 05Which FA Cup holders did Southern League Palace beat 4-2 in January 1909?
Wolves
Wolves, the 1908 Cup winners, lost 4-2 to Palace in the first round in January 1909; two years earlier Palace had stunned Newcastle 1-0 at St James' Park.
Q 06Which group plotted to blow up the stands at the 1913 FA Cup final at the Crystal Palace?
The suffragettes
The suffragettes of the Women's Social and Political Union ran a bombing and arson campaign in 1913 that struck sporting venues, including racecourse grandstands.
Q 07Palace were forced out of the Crystal Palace ground in 1915 when it was requisitioned by whom?
The Admiralty
The Admiralty turned the Crystal Palace into a Royal Naval Division depot known as HMS Victory VI; Palace moved to Herne Hill, then to the Nest after Croydon Common folded in 1917.
Q 08What did Crystal Palace achieve by winning the Third Division in 1920-21?
Won a title in their debut season as a League club
Palace 'Won a title in their debut season as a League club': the Third Division was created for 1920-21 largely from the Southern League, and Palace finished top to win promotion.
Q 09The first match at Selhurst Park in 1924 was a 1-0 defeat to which club, in front of 25,000?
The Wednesday
The Wednesday, as Sheffield Wednesday were then styled, won the opening game on 30 August 1924; Archibald Leitch designed the ground and Palace 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
Real Madrid won the April 1962 friendly 4-3 at Selhurst Park; the visit prompted Palace to adopt an all-white kit modelled on Madrid's.
Q 11In which year did Palace's first top-flight spell end, despite a 5-0 home win over Manchester United that season?
1973
Palace went down in 1973 despite beating Manchester United 5-0 at Selhurst Park that December; Malcolm Allison arrived in March, too late to save them, and took them down again in 1974.
Q 12Malcolm Allison changed Palace's nickname from 'The Glaziers' to 'The Eagles', inspired by which Portuguese club?
Benfica
Benfica, the Lisbon club whose crest carries an eagle, inspired Allison's choice of 'The Eagles' to replace the old 'Glaziers' nickname.
Q 13Palace's red and blue vertical stripes, adopted under Malcolm Allison, were inspired by which club?
Barcelona
Q 21Palace lost the 1996 play-off final 2-1 to a last-minute extra-time goal by which Leicester player?
Steve Claridge
Steve Claridge's shinned volley in the last minute of extra time won it for Leicester at Wembley; a year later Palace went up by beating Sheffield United 1-0.
Q 22Which recruitment tycoon bought Palace in June 1998 and took them into administration within a year?
Mark Goldberg
Mark Goldberg, who had made his money in IT recruitment, paid about 23 million pounds for the club but not the ground; Palace went into administration in March 1999.
Q 23Whose 87th-minute winner at Stockport on the last day of 2000-01 saved Palace from relegation?
Dougie Freedman
Barcelona's blaugrana stripes were Allison's model; the centenary season of 2005-06 briefly revived a claret, blue and white design before the stripes returned.
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
Challis ordered 'A successful penalty to be retaken' for encroachment; Brian Horton's retake was saved, Palace won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, 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
'The Team of the Eighties' tag followed two FA Youth Cup wins in 1977 and 1978; they briefly topped the First Division in autumn 1979 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
Everton lost 4-1 after extra time at Wembley in April 1991, Palace's first trophy at the national stadium; Ian Wright joined Arsenal that autumn.
Q 19How many points did Palace have when relegated from the Premier League in 1992-93?
49
Palace's 49 points, level with Oldham, were not enough: Oldham stayed up on goal difference, minus 11 to Palace's minus 13, in the 22-team first Premier League season.
Q 20What was Eric Cantona's original sentence for his 1995 flying kick at a Palace fan at Selhurst Park?
Two weeks in jail
Magistrates gave Cantona 'Two weeks in jail' in March 1995 for common assault; on appeal it became 120 hours of community service, and fan Matthew Simmons was convicted of threatening behaviour.
Dougie Freedman's late goal at Edgeley Park sent Huddersfield down instead; he later managed Palace from 2011 to 2012 before leaving for Bolton.
Q 24Which manager tried to leave Palace for Birmingham City after four months in 2001 and was put on gardening leave?
Steve Bruce
Steve Bruce, appointed in summer 2001, was placed on gardening leave when he tried to join Birmingham in November; once released, he 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
West Ham United lost to Neil Shipperley's goal at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff; Palace 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
Ten points were deducted, the Football League's standard penalty for entering administration; survival came with a 2-2 draw at Hillsborough on the final day, which sent the hosts down instead.
Q 27What did the CPFC 2010 consortium also secure from Lloyds Bank after a fan campaign?
The freehold of Selhurst Park
'The freehold of Selhurst Park' was bought from Lloyds Bank by the four-man consortium led by Steve Parish in 2010, reuniting the ground with the club after years of separate ownership.
Q 28Which club did Palace beat 1-0 in the 2013 play-off final to return to the Premier League?
Watford
Watford lost to Kevin Phillips' extra-time penalty at Wembley on 27 May 2013, sending Palace back to the Premier League after an eight-year absence.
Q 29Which manager kept Palace up in 2013-14, then resigned two days before the next season?
Tony Pulis
Tony Pulis won the Premier League manager of the season award for the 2013-14 escape, then walked out two days before the opener; Warnock returned briefly before Pardew took over.
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.