@PASport
reporter covering
#THFC
, cricket, tennis, rugby… almost every sport! Ex-
#CPFC
+
#LOFC
correspondent. Views my own. Husband to Amy ❤️ Daddy to River 💙
How it started: How it’s going:
Meet River John Sessions, weighing 9.7lbs and entering this world at 02:06, October 14 after a heroic effort by my absolute stunner of a wife. You are incredible
@AmyyLaLax
. And River, my baby boy. I will love and protect you forever.
Graeme Lee: "What Crystal Palace have done, not only for putting the buses on but for what they have done for me and my wife is immense. I will follow Palace now and hope they have success for what they have done."
Gary O'Neil: "When they bring on Lucas Moura, Perisic, Bryan Gil, Bentancur and keep bringing world-class players off the bench, you know it is tricky. We have lost against Tottenham, that is never a disgrace.
Fitting that Patrick Vieira claims a first win as Crystal Palace manager four years to the day the club sacked Frank de Boer after just four league games. Any comparisons between the two were always lazy. Vieira is overseeing an evolution at Selhurst Park, not a revolution
#cpfc
Michail Antonio: "To be fair, this season Crystal Palace have turned up. They have played some unbelievable football. The way their gaffer has got them playing, it is just quality. All game they were after us but when opportunities were created, we took them."
#cpfc
#whufc
So impressed with the Forest fans’ backing of Steve Cooper. I have no inside knowledge but imagine he would have gone had
#CooperIn
and various other support not been there. Connection between a manager and fanbase should never be underestimated. Hope he secures safety 🙏🏻
#NFFC
Will Hughes was one of the best players in the Championship last season and is running the show vs Norwich. I think that late window business by
#CPFC
will prove to be fantastic when they look back in a few years time. Such a wonderfully technical player, who loves a tackle too.
Patrick Vieira said after Tuesday Scott Banks would remain with the Crystal Palace first-team this season and that free kick will only add to his growing confidence. Dougie may have found a gem
#cpfc
Some great new Ange Postecoglou quotes: "From what I know of the incident, and I haven’t asked too much about it, it was Sonny being Sonny. Being a leader and when you’re a leader, sometimes you get in the firing line.
#thfc
#KFA
Feel for Patrick Vieira. I can safely say one of the good guys in football from the short time I have worked with him. Extremely calm and composed too so that fan clearly got to him. Of course PV shouldn't retaliate but I hope book is not thrown at him. Context is everything.
Moment of stupidity from Luka Milivojevic. He is a real problem for Patrick Vieira. Continues to perform poorly compared to the rest of the midfielders but is of course captain and a senior figure at the club. It would make sense for all parties to move him on this month
#cpfc
Still waiting for more news on Justin Edinburgh. I know it has been said, but I really can’t state enough how much of a top bloke he is. Win, lose or draw he always acts with total class. It’s been hard to think of much else since Monday. Got everything crossed for him 🙏🏻
#gent
Justin Edinburgh was an absolute gentleman and so humble too. I'm devastated and can only say thank you for the memories. You will forever be a champion Justin
#RIPJustin
#CPFC
announce Pape Souare, who survived a horrific car crash in September of 2016, will train with their Under-23s this summer to assist his efforts of finding a new club. Left Selhurst Park two years ago and has spent time with Troyes of Ligue 2 since. A nice touch by Palace.
Postecoglou on Sonny: “I think the more he plays in there, the better he will get in terms of really being a goal threat in every game. For us it’s a massive asset to have.
#thfc
Conor Gallagher to
@SkySportsPL
: "I love it (at
#CPFC
). Hearing them sing my name is a great feeling for me and gives me confidence which is amazing for a player. Hopefully I can continue to impress them. I always give my all and I try to affect the game as much as I can."
Crystal Palace and Roy Hodgson both positive Nathaniel Clyne will sign a new deal. His current terms expire at the end of January. Roy: “Nathaniel Clyne is a player we are very happy to have and I am hoping and expecting the club to extend his contract beyond January.
#cpfc
Crystal Palace had a slow start but the work they have done this summer has been excellent. Joachim Andersen is another superb piece of business. Impressive at Fulham last season, already accustom to Premier League and a great age to improve. Just what Patrick Vieira needed
#cpfc
The fixture list at the start of the season was not kind to Crystal Palace. To see them now into the top half of the table shows what a great job Patrick Vieira continues to do there
#cpfc
Spurs will be forced into a rebuild in the months ahead and it would seem incredibly harsh to deny the man who has been asking for it for two years the chance to oversee it. He surely knows what the club need better than a new man having to work it out.
Klinsmann: "Sonny is a very special player in Korea. I now have the opportunity to coach him over the next couple of years through to the World Cup which is a real pleasure. We want to win the Asian Cup next year and I'm happy to see a lot of Korean fans in the stadium."
#thfc
Roy on Zaha: "I have been told and Wilf has had it made clear that we are not interested in late bids. If it was going to happen, it would need to happen in a time frame to see what we could do. I hope it will not happen now and I want to continue working with him."
#CPFC
Sporting boss Ruben Amorim: "Ronaldo is a Manchester United player. Everybody in Sporting dreams of the return for Cristiano but we don't have the money to pay his wages.
#mufc
Last season Leyton Orient used Liverpool's training facilities ahead of facing Barrow and the O's have returned the favour this time. Well documented the owners at each club have a good relationship
#lofc
#lfc
Roy Hodgson enthused about
#CPFC
prospect Jesurun Rak-Sakyi today, who could be “19th man” vs Chelsea. “Everyone has taken to him and is appreciative of him and what he can do,” Roy said. “We believe at Crystal Palace that he has a big future and he will get better and better.”
Baby Sessions will be entering the world in October 😊 We cannot wait to meet you. You have the most caring person in
@AmyyLaLax
looking after you right now. Mummy and Daddy already love you so much xxx
Patrick Vieira said with a smile on Joachim Andersen and that surprise free kick attempt: "He practices a lot in training, he (does) not have so much success but he is practising."
#cpfc
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is some talent. Still a teenager and scored 18 goals in his first season at
#PL2
. After he made his
#cpfc
debut in August, he could have lost motivation at the lack of first-team opportunities but has reacted brilliantly. He will get
#PL
minutes this month.
Two years ago Simon O’Connor took this pic of Leyton Orient players after relegation had been confirmed. These kids weren’t to blame. One man was. Fortunately he is now so far away from this great club. At 5pm a big step on the comeback trail could be completed
#COYOs
#believe
Live on Twitch,
@YannickBolasie
on a
#CPFC
return: "Everyone knows that's home. Man's not going to say no if I need to go home, you know what I mean? God willing, we'll see."
#WhenEaglesDare
Nadal on
#Federer
: "Wow, difficult. First couple of serves were super difficult. I started with a double-fault, I was shaking a bit. A difficult day to handle everything and at the end. For me it was such an honour to be involved in this super historic moment for our sport."
Harry Winks’ loan with Sampdoria officially ends today, which will allow Leicester to confirm his £10million transfer this weekend. Curiously he made 203 apps for
#THFC
- the same number Maddison made for
#LCFC
. A key figure under Poch, move suits everyone
Ange Postecoglou: “Everyone in the dressing room and at the club knows how much this game means to you - our loyal supporters - and we will be doing all we can to achieve a performance and result which lives long in the memory.”
#thfc
Six years ago I watched a Leyton Orient team largely made up of kids lose 3-0 at Crewe and have relegation out of the EFL confirmed. None of them or the staff had been paid and
#LOFC
, thanks to FB, was a mess. Today O’s clinched the L2 title. What a story, what a club 🤩 GET IN!
Told FA will be taking no action against Patrick Vieira following incident with a fan on the Goodison Park pitch. Investigation into pitch invasion is still ongoing but Crystal Palace boss will face no punishment
#cpfc
With no new contracts announced, Hennessey, Henderson, Ward, Clyne, Cahill, Sakho, Dann, Van Aanholt, McCarthy, Townsend and Wickham are officially free agents. Clearly not for a want of trying but whatever way you look at it, this summer has been disastrous for Crystal Palace.
It sounds like Darrell Clarke has been to hell and back over the last few months. He dedicated today’s victory to his daughter Ellie, who died in February at the age of 18. Not many would begrudge him this result. Well done to Darrell,
#PVFC
and everyone who has supported him.
At Crystal Palace's training ground where Roy Hodgson will preview tomorrow's game with Southampton at 1pm. Interestingly
#cpfc
have the same number of points (30) after 23 Premier League games as Hodgson's Fulham did in 2008-09 when
#ffc
qualified for the Europa League 👀
#THFC
have been drawn away to Nottingham Forest in the
#CarabaoCup
third round. The tie will be played on November 8 or 9 and slot in between home fixtures with Liverpool and Leeds
#NFFC
A sad day for Romford. Ignore all the noise of the takeover, for Magic to leave in these circumstances is nothing short of a disgrace. He should have been carried out of the club on a throne for all he has done for Boro. Same for his loyal staff too. Dark day for Romford FC 🥺
#CPFC
Patrick Vieira: "If we look at the points we have, we are not pleased so a lot to improve but the way the team has been working and progressing game after game is quite positive.
Ryan Mason: “In football, the collective is always the most important thing… I know what it is like to play in front of you. I will never take for granted the very special connection I have with you all and I know first-hand how important your support is to the players.”
#thfc
Patrick Vieira said on Friday that Ebere Eze would only be in contention once he had completed 90 minutes. He has just achieved that for the U23s in their 2-1 win at Chelsea. If he has come through unscathed, I suspect he will be pushing to make the trip to Burnley (Nov 20)
#cpfc
Tottenham will face AC Milan in the last-16 of the Champions League. A return to Italy and the San Siro for Antonio Conte but not to face Inter, instead the current Serie A champions. An exciting tie
#UCL
#thfc
Told Patrick Vieira was able to take training on Saturday and has also travelled to Manchester. Expectation he will now be in the dugout for Crystal Palace's match at Old Trafford
#cpfc
#mufc
#WAFC
Paul Cook: "There will be no criticism whatsoever. As much as I am hurting, there won't because we were set a really different task about two weeks ago and these lads have responded magnificently as has the town and the club and everyone associated with Wigan Athletic.
Shame for Tyrick Mitchell to miss out on the latest England squad but a decent rest period after a fine season is a positive. Marc Guehi and Conor Gallagher make it. MG despite an ankle injury
#cpfc
Ange Postecoglou on Sonny: "He's been outstanding as a leader and as a player. We have put him in that nine position now and he just works so hard. He is so team-first orientated, it is incredible. He puts himself in those positions and then has the quality to finish."
#thfc
Signing off from Brisbane Road one last time for
@Archant
. Many thanks to
@DulcetDave
and
@LeytonOrientFC
for the cards and leaving presents, really kind. It will be strange not spending most of my Saturdays here now, but I’ll keep an eye on O’s from afar
#OnceAnOAlwaysAnO
#lofc
Surely no one actually thinks Constantine Hatzidakis wanted to elbow Andy Robertson?! He clearly caught him but looked like he was just trying to shrug Robertson’s hand off him, rather than connect with Robertson. He will presumably get a suspension but career ending? Leave off.
Antonio Conte confirms Richarlison should be fit for the World Cup. AC: “He has an injury but it is not a serious injury. I hope he can play games for us before the World Cup.
#thfc
Antonio Conte’s programme notes: “I should like to apologise to you - our loyal supporters - as you saw us knocked out of the
#FACup
and
#UCL
in the space of a week. We want to win and compete for trophies as much as you do, and these defeats hurt us all too.”
#thfc
Final word tonight and on Ross Embleton. I’ve always held him in high regard, but the way he has conducted himself this summer has been nothing short of remarkable. He along with Webb and McAnuff have led by example and been demanding, but understanding. A very good start
#lofc
!
Cowley on Scarlett (2/2): “Nothing seems to touch him, he’s still a young boy and he’s got his first senior goal. It’s great that he was able to score that goal in a really hard-earned win, it means that much more. It’ll be the first of many for him.”
#thfc
#Pompey
Crystal Palace without several players for Southampton's visit. Tomkins, Cahill, Sakho (all hamstring), Van Aanholt (shoulder), Ferguson (knee), Benteke (foot) and Wickham (unspecified) all absent
#CPFC
Some personal news…
My time covering Crystal Palace has come to an end and I will be on a different beat for
@PASport
this season.
It was amazing to experience the incredible Selhurst atmosphere on a regular basis and
@Rae_Steinberg
now gets that privilege.
Til next time 🦅
It’s been an amazing season to cover Spurs. Witnessed wins over Dortmund, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal and now an away victory at Chelsea. Fingers crossed there is an FA Cup final win to follow as well 🤞🏻
#thfc
#COYS
Crystal Palace dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s ahead of the new season. Osian Roberts officially joins as assistant and Nathaniel Clyne signs a new one-year deal. Both expected but important business for Patrick Vieira. Roberts move exciting. He has a great reputation
#cpfc
No surprise but Micky van de Ven limps through the mixed zone on crutches. The loss of VDV for the foreseeable future coupled with Romero’s incoming three-match ban a lasting blow from tonight
#thfc
Not on Crystal Palace duty today but great to see Luka Milivojevic return to training this week. It has been a hard time for the captain but he is exactly the type of character Patrick Vieira needs after a tricky three games. Yet like others, he needs time to build fitness
#cpfc
Five goals in seven games for Wilfried Zaha, who took his tally for the season to 11 tonight. 10 of those in the Premier League making it the third time he has hit double figures in the top flight. You can tell he loves being a part of Patrick Vieira's team. Top display
#cpfc
I honestly think people sometimes forget how good Harry Kane is and how lucky we are as a club to have him. Tough last season, but all this by 26 after a slow start to his career is astonishing
#thfc
#HappyBirthday
to Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Harry Kane:
• Appearances: 357 🏟
• Goals: 202 ⚽️
• Assists: 34 🅰️
• Hat-Tricks: 12 🤪
Despite all those incredible statistics, this dispels that myth that all Kane does is score goals.
#THFC
#COYS
That’s a wrap at
@Archant
and more specifically
@ELAdvertiser
and
@HamandHigh
. It’s been an incredible 5 years, I’ve learnt so much and met so many great people. From Dagenham to O’s through to Spurs I’ve loved it, but now for something new at
@PASport
. I can’t wait! Ty Archant x
Patrick Vieira eager for players to play with passion and desire against Brighton but "we must not forget we need to play football." Says Schlupp in contention and Edouard is fit enough to start
#cpfc
Alfie Devine is in Plymouth to finalise a loan move to the Championship club.
#THFC
recalled midfielder from successful spell at Port Vale this week and he will follow Ash Phillips to Home Park. Devine will work with his old England youth boss Ian Foster at
#PAFC
. A great move.
Clearly biggest
#CPFC
story of the day is the club making its first ever appearance in the
#EFLTrophy
tonight. Paddy McCarthy's youngster make the short trip to Sutton. Probably a decent chance to watch Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Scott Banks and co in action.
Worth pointing out, the club probably only issued this because they felt the need to after some disgusting rumours yesterday. This is not player signing speculation or managerial appointment talk, it's someone's life. Just listen to updates from Leyton Orient going forward
#lofc
Strongly assured nothing in the Paul Smyth to Birmingham rumours. Leyton Orient not willingly to let top goalscorer leave. Interview with Smyth from earlier this month on his desire to fire club to promotion. Keep calm and carry on O’s fans 😉
#bcfc
#lofc
Sat down (virtually) with Tyrick Mitchell this week alongside a couple of others. He is even more humble and grateful than you expect. A charming young man who has seen a lot but is so driven to succeed. Story on PA wire now and should be online shortly
#cpfc
Get in there Orient!!! If a club and fanbase deserved a trip to Wembley, it is the O’s. I am so pleased for everyone associated with this fantastic football club. Bring on May 19th. It will be a wonderful day.
Telling quote from Aston Villa left-back Matt Targett: "The analysts and us spoke about set pieces in the build-up to the game. We know they are not great at defending them."
#cpfc
#avfc
Asked Conte yesterday about the importance of Tottenham’s key players stepping up during this period. Hugo with a massive first-half save, Kane in vintage form and finally a goal for Sonny. They delivered. A pretty perfect night. I think Sarr is gaining Conte’s trust too
#thfc
Leyton Orient absolutely cleaned up at
#NGAs
. The O's were Team of the Year, Justin Edinburgh won Manager of the Year and Josh Coulson was Player of the Year. I may be bias, but all completed deserved.
Leyton Orient have revealed they have sold more than £20k of items via the club shop since it was revealed the tie with Spurs would not go ahead. Fantastic generosity from
#THFC
supporters.