Wembley shook and it was beautiful. Now, Crystal Palace are raring for a European tour.
The details of Tuesday’s Premier League visit of Wolves were insignificant to those home fans inside Selhurst Park. For them, it was party time, a homecoming for their FA Cup heroes. And it's a celebration that will last long into next season, when Palace hit the continent for the first time in their history.
After achieving what many assumed was out of reach, Eagles fans may now be forced to alter their psyche - now with reason to dream big. "This isn't supposed to happen to Palace," Chris Byfield, a Selhurst Park regular since the age of six, told The Independent pre-match. “We are not supposed to have glory. We're supposed to have bitter disappointment and that's just kind of our identity. I feel amazing and I don't really know how to feel about that, feeling amazing. It's not an emotion I'm used to."
They'll look to the likes of West Ham for proof that the lesser-resourced can succeed in Europe. Perhaps they'll even seek encouragement from tonight's Europa League final in Bilbao, contested between two English teams that are objectively levels below this current Crystal Palace side.
But how Oliver Glasner's men build on Saturday's seismic triumph is not currently the concern of the fans. The club had gone their 164-year history without a major trophy – they've earned the right to bask in their glory.
As supporters began to congregate around Selhurst Park, a feeling of delight mixed with disbelief was immediately palpable. Matchgoers, whether friends or strangers, were embracing each other as FA Cup champions. “I still can’t believe it” was a common phrase among Eagles. "My throat is still gone" was another.
Inside a packed-out fan zone, supporters were sinking pints in the late spring sunshine - likely an extended hair of the dog for some. Over the speakers blared Shakira's “Waka Waka”, which has been adopted by Palace in light of their Wembley heroics. "Twelfth again, who gives a f***. We've won the FA Cup." It would not be the last time the 2010 World Cup anthem would be heard that evening.
There was no focus on the Wolves challenge that lay ahead. All those in red and blue were rightfully still in reflection mode as they tried to accept that the seemingly impossible dream had become a reality.
"I was still anxious that Kevin De Bruyne was going to equalise like 20 minutes after the final had ended," Byfield added. "I still had the feeling that it was all going go tragically wrong. But as the hangovers subsided and with every day that has passed, I have realised that it's real, it's actually happening. And it's absurd." Mick Lenz, 50, simply said: "It's just unbelievable."
For others, ending their Wembley hoodoo was so unthinkable, so beyond the imagination, that it became a cause for concern. "I've always wanted Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup before I die," one fan joked. "Now I'm expecting the grim reaper to come and collect my soul, so I've got mixed feelings about it."
The supporters made sure to flood into the stadium with time to spare as they prepared to give their players the hero's welcome they deserved. First out of the tunnel came the substitutes, among them Jean-Philippe Mateta, who made a WWE-style solo entrance to the sound of his “Boom, Boom” Vengaboys anthem.
The chaotic Frenchman might not have been starting, but a certain club icon was. Joel Ward, Mr Crystal Palace, led his team of champions out on his final home appearance, welcomed by a raucous ovation. A tearful ceremony for his 13 years of service would come later in the evening.
A deafening rendition of “Glad All Over” ensued. And then it was game time.
Selhurst Park maintained its voice from the first whistle to the last; it was clear that no result could put a dampener on the celebrations. Wolves did try and play the role of party-pooper, first through Emmanuel Agbadou on 24 minutes and later Jorgen Strand Larsen after 62. But on both occasions, the cheers of visiting fans were drowned out in a split second by the Holmesdale end, who like clockwork broke into “Waka Waka”.
Eddie Nketiah's five-minute first half double acted to buoy the home fans even more, but their joy was hardly reliant on the Englishman's flurry. Goals from Ben Chilwell and sole final scorer Eberechi Eze were the icing on the cake as Glasner's men broke their Premier League points tally record, three days on from that other piece of history.
However, such a heady occasion was not without a moment of sadness. Ward's 364th Palace appearance came to an end in the 71st minute, and tears quickly followed – from the fans, from him, and from co-owner Steve Parish. He returned to the pitch after full-time, holding their precious FA Cup, as Selhurst Park honoured his legendary tenure.
While the Wolves end had emptied out, not a single home fan had left their seats as "there's only one Joel Ward" echoed around the ground. “I couldn't have written a better story and a better ending,” he said.
An emotional farewell closed out an otherwise jubilant evening in SE25. Palace have major silverware for the first time ever and will sign off from 2024/25 with a boosted sense of ambition. "This is the consequence of what we're talking about and to always keep our standards high and not be satisfied and take the next step. That's what this group is trying," Glasner reiterated post-match.
Holding on to this gem-laden squad for next season may prove difficult, with the likes of Eze, Marc Guehi and Ismaila Sarr among those touted for moves away. Glasner’s summer objective is optimistic but simple: “My wish is to keep this squad and add maybe one or two players, but maybe that’s a wish to Santa Claus.”
With the promise of continental football lying in wait, Glasner will hope his ranks avoid a gutting. Fans, meanwhile, will pray their super tactician isn’t enticed away, because if this Crystal Palace team - statistically their best ever - stays together, a golden era could be on the horizon in Croydon.
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