Terry Venables and Malcolm Allison, two coaching peas in a pod you might think, but in football, there’s no room for the old pals act when league points are at stake. With newly promoted Palace enjoying life in the upper reaches of the First Division, the visit of Manchester City is just what you want to keep the pressure on at the top, especially if Venables had watched City’s complete surrender to Liverpool on ‘Match of the Day’ the previous week.
Again though, the real glory comes in the post-match interview, held in a Selhurst Park dressing room that looks worse than any school changing room you might have had to endure in your youth.
El Tel and Big Mal audition for the roles of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in a reboot of the Rat Pack, Allison possibly not endearing himself to City supporters with the seemingly casual way he is taking the complete collapse of his team: “Joe Corrigan, he’s got beautiful hands. But the ball went straight through them.” LaughalongaMal here.
Somewhere, Romark is lighting up another stogie and helping himself to a large brandy…
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