Crystal Palace’s Most Controversial Matches

Crystal Palace’s history is littered with flashpoints, refereeing rows and bizarre off‑pitch incidents that have turned certain fixtures into legend as much for controversy as for football. These are some of the most notorious.

The Birth of the Brighton Rivalry: Mullery’s Meltdown (1977)

In the 1976–77 FA Cup, Palace beat Brighton 1-0 in a second replay at Stamford Bridge after Brian Horton’s equaliser from the spot was controversially ruled out and retaken, with Palace keeper Paul Hammond saving the second attempt.

At full-time, furious Brighton boss Alan Mullery allegedly threw coins toward Palace fans and shouted that this was “all Crystal Palace are worth”, an incident now seen as the spark that ignited the modern M23 Derby.

“Poo‑gate” at the Amex (2013 Play-Off Semi-Final)

Before the decisive 2013 Championship play-off semi-final second leg at Brighton, Palace players arrived to find excrement smeared across their dressing-room floor and toilets. Convinced it was a mind‑games stunt from someone in the Brighton camp, the squad used the outrage as motivation and won 2-0 thanks to two Wilfried Zaha goals, progressing to Wembley amid national headlines about the “Poo‑gate” scandal.

Years later it emerged via former striker Aaron Wilbraham that the culprit was actually Palace’s coach driver, who had suffered a bathroom mishap and tried – unsuccessfully – to clean it up.

Ghost Goals and Refereeing Chaos

In the VAR era, Palace have featured in multiple widely discussed calls. A 2022 goalless draw at Newcastle saw a Tyrick Mitchell own goal ruled out after a lengthy review for a foul on Vicente Guaita, a decision later listed among the season’s most controversial by analysts.

In 2025, Eberechi Eze’s stunning free-kick at Stamford Bridge was disallowed after VAR spotted captain Marc Guéhi moving too close to the Chelsea wall, enforcing a rarely seen “1m from the wall” law and prompting pundit Chris Sutton to describe the call as “extremely harsh”.

Off-Field Trouble in Strasbourg (2025)

Palace’s first European campaign brought ugly scenes away to Strasbourg in the Europa Conference League. Video footage showed chairs and objects being thrown in a city square before the match, leading French riot police to escort a group of Palace supporters to the Stade de la Meinau under tight control. The reasons for the clashes remained unclear, but the images of police convoys and riot shields became a major talking point back home.

Controversial Banners and UEFA Sanctions

Selhurst Park’s ultras culture has occasionally crossed UEFA lines. During a 2025 Conference League play-off at home, Palace were fined after the Holmesdale End displayed a politically charged banner that European football authorities deemed offensive.

The club were punished with a financial penalty and a partial stand closure for a subsequent European fixture, sparking debate over fan expression and governing body discipline.