Administration looms!

For those palace fans old enough to remember 1999, the word administration prompts a sickly feeling deep in their stomachs.

It was a helpless feeling knowing that the fate of the club we hold so dear to our hearts was perilously close to existing no more.

Alas ten years on and we find ourselves in the same situation as the club announces that yet again it cannot afford to pay its staff and looks doomed to financial ruin, administration and now more worryingly, a swift drop down the leagues.

Simon Jordan however cannot be blamed for this as much as many may wish to. He has done his best in a worsening financial climate until this point where he is close to the presaphis on the verge of bankruptcy having lost his entire fortune supporting Palace. He has personally guaranteed a large proportion of the debts rumoured to be as high as £30 million that has accrued over the years but he no longer has the liquid funds to support those payments.

As fans,although we are not yet in administration, we need to call on the spirit of 1999 and do as much as possible to help in our own little way. Whether it's renewing that season ticket that you weren't sure you were going to renew or simply buying a replica shirt like me, we need to stick together and stand up to be counted.

The manager has led the rallying call and has shown that he and the players will do their bit after the 3-0 victory against Watford: "But it's not like that - Simon's doing his best. Obviously the cash flow is a problem. But we've got another home game next Saturday, and you've got to accept in the modern day that these things happen.

"Rather than let it affect you, we've got to be positive. We're doing ever so well at the moment. We've got a small squad, we've got a lot of players out on loan to help with the financial aspect as well, and the fans have been brilliant.

"I would expect the chairman to support me if I were in a situation like that, and likewise I said to the players 'he's been great with us, so let's help him'."

"We haven't got prima donnas. They're all hard working lads and the team ethic is fabulous.

"I am in a positive mood because I want to help the chairman - he's been brilliant over the years and I know he's been disappointed that he's not been able to give me some of the millions he's give other managers, but it hasn't stopped me from working as hard as I can for the club and for him."

"He's a very astute businessman and a very good friend. I'm aware of the problems he's had with the [economic] climate. But he's still put many millions into Crystal Palace to keep it going, and I think we owe him a lot.

"The least we owe him is to roll up our sleeves and try to get the results that will help him over this period."

Those of us present at the Watford game can see how much fight the lads had so let's show how much we love this club and fill the ground on saturday because if we can't in this hour of need then we don't deserve to have a club.

I think i'd speak for many that we'd rather go out fighting, with 20,000 kicking and screaming than with 12,000 whinging fans bemoaning SJ's stewardship and whispering the club to sleep. We can't save the club alone; only a new investor could do that but we can show that we are a club worth saving.