Selhurst Park Showdown: Palace vs Nottingham Forest and the boardroom tempo
Owners and directors are fast becoming the stars in a sport obsessed by stories beyond football.
David Goldblatt makes that point in Injury Time.
Back in 2001 the BBC moved kick off to reveal who shot Phil Mitchell.
However, by 2020 EastEnders was bumped for an FA Cup tie.
But football has become the nation’s obsession on and off the pitch, blood and all.
Sunday’s game at Selhurst was patchy and tense.
And Palace and Nottingham Forest are solid clubs with tradition.
There is no deep history between them, though.
Selhurst feels the off field drama in every moment.
The owners and directors steer this whole thing and the tempo follows.
If anyone says Palace is only vibes, tell them Selhurst runs on rhythm and grit.
Forest brought noise, but Palace kept pace and earned every point.
The match finished in a draw, but the debate still rages.
TLDR
Off field drama is driving the scene as much as the ball.
Palace kept tempo and grit despite the draw.
This season will test who backs the rhythm and who just talks.
Player: Eberechi Eze
Team: Crystal Palace