On this day 40 years ago: Terry Byfield joins Crystal Palace

Hailing from a South London-based family of some-Millwall, but mostly-Palace (he assures us), supporters, Terry Byfield first truly began backing the Eagles in the 1970s.

Among the Palace side of the family was his Dad, who duly brought Terry the schoolboy to Football Combination – “what we now know as Under-21s” – and Under-18s matches. Terry fondly recalls watching, in the late 70s, the Youth Cup-winning teams of Vince Hilaire and Peter Nicholas as one of 200 or 300 fans present.

He and his friends eventually became Season Ticket Holders in the Holmesdale Stand, recalling: “I used to turn up at the ground and all the TV trucks – not as many as now – used to be in the Sainsbury’s car park, so I used to go there first.

“If there were two or three trucks, that would mean that it was the highlights game on The Big Match on ITV on Sunday afternoon!

“They used to show three games, and we would be one of the main games if those trucks were there. It’s obviously a world away from what it is now, but it was quite a big thing in those days when Palace v Grimsby was on the highlights!”

Terry left college with three O-Levels unsure of his next steps, but had “sort of having an inkling I wanted to do some kind of journalism.”

Prospective applications to local publications went nowhere, so Terry did the next most logical thing: in 1984, he wrote directly to Crystal Palace Chairman, Ron Noades, asking for work.

“I don’t think I even said in what department!” Terry laughs. “I just said ‘are there any roles available?’

“I got a reply back a few days later: Ron said there weren’t any definite roles, but to please ring our secretary to book an appointment. I rang his secretary, Paula, I came in, saw Ron, had a chat with him in his office for about an hour or so, and left.

“Not long after, I got a letter to say they were going to take me on in the administration side of the club, on £26.25 a week on the YTS [Youth Training Scheme].”