‘it’s Not Fair’: Crystal Palace Fans March In Protest At Demotion From Europa League

Furious Crystal Palace supporters person demanded that Uefa reverse its determination to demote nan FA Cup winners from nan Europa League to nan Conference League adjacent play arsenic they staged a protestation march extracurricular Selhurst Park connected Tuesday evening.

It was confirmed past week that Uefa’s nine financial power assemblage had concluded Palace breached its multi-club ownership criteria, pinch nan southbound London nine expected to entreaty to nan tribunal of arbitration for athletics (Cas) against a determination that their chair, Steve Parish, described arsenic “probably 1 of nan top injustices that has ever happened successful European football”.

Parish besides revealed that nan New York Jets proprietor Woody Johnson has passed nan Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ trial that should alteration him to complete his acquisition of John Textor’s 43% liking successful nan coming days. However, pinch Uefa deeming that move came excessively precocious to prevention them, having ruled that Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings Ltd had controlling stakes complete some French nine Lyon and Palace, a protestation organised by supporters’ group nan Holmesdale Fanatics was attended by hundreds of fans who marched from Norwood High Street to Palace’s stadium.

“Uefa: morally bankrupt. Revoke nan ruling now,” publication a ample banner astatine nan beforehand of nan march, pinch different reading: “Football: created by nan poor, stolen by nan rich.” “It’s not adjacent that we’ve won nan oldest Cup title successful nan world and past been demoted from nan Europa League,” said Palace instrumentality Josh Harness.

“We earned nan correct to beryllium location and each we tin do is show our support for nan club. The hold complete nan determination besides intends we can’t commencement readying for adjacent play yet because we didn’t cognize what title we were going to beryllium in.”

The group down nan tifos that were connected show astatine nan Wembley FA Cup semi-final and last against Aston Villa and Manchester City respectively, nan Fanatics had said it was “time to act” and called connected supporters “of each teams to subordinate us”.

“Those who are disillusioned pinch nan authorities of modern football, those who are tired of nan authorities favouring a mini cartel of larger clubs each successful nan sanction of profit and those who want to bring shot backmost to nan fans, wherever it belongs,” said a connection announcing nan protest.

“We must travel together for our sound to beryllium heard astir Europe. This will not beryllium an isolated action, but nan opening of nan run against those responsible for nan civilized and financial corruption that has plagued nan modern game. Let america punctual Uefa and nan Cas that this ruling can, and should, change.”

A petition that calls connected Uefa to reconstruct Palace to nan Europa League has besides been signed by almost 3,000 group since being posted connected Friday. Uefa rejected an effort by Textor and chap American co-owner David Blitzer – nan mostly shareholder of Danish nine Brondby, who person besides qualified for nan Conference League – to spot their shares successful a unsighted trust because they had missed nan March deadline.

Use of a unsighted spot has enabled different clubs pinch nan aforesaid owners to play together successful a Uefa competition. Sources astatine nan European governing assemblage confirmed that it had cleared some clubs to play successful nan aforesaid title having deemed that Blitzer does not person a decisive power astatine Palace.

However, penning connected X complete nan weekend, Parish questioned nan logic down nan existent system. “Let’s put this ‘THEY missed nan deadline’ delirium to bed. Let’s opportunity Me, Josh, David and everyone different than Eagle shot had placed our shares successful a ‘blind trust’ earlier March 1st. Three random group would person had power of nan nine since past but by Uefa’s mentation of nan rules we would still beryllium retired of nan Europa League.”