Selhurst Park isn’t just a Premier League football ground, but the heart of a vibrant and diverse community, stretching back a century since Palace’s arrival in 1924. Find out more about the incredible history of Selhurst Park.

100 Years of Selhurst Park

## World Cup winner

> Having made more than 100 appearances for Crystal Palace and now a regular captain of the side, Marc Guéhi has matured well beyond his years since moving to south London.

He joined Palace in summer 2021, signing a five-year contract with the club, and committing his services until summer 2026.

Guéhi was born in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire and moved to England aged one. He spent much of his early years in Lewisham and began his youth career with Bromley-based Cray Wanderers.

It didn’t take long for Guéhi to attract attention and, aged just seven, he was scouted by Chelsea.

Progressing over the following decade with the Blues, Guéhi did enough to stay at the club year on year and reaped the rewards with an immensely successful peer group.

Winning the treble with the Blues’ Under-18s in 2016/17, Guéhi signed his first professional contract in September 2017 and went on to help Chelsea scoop the quadruple – including the FA Youth Cup and league – that same season.

Guéhi’s Academy team helped to reinforce Chelsea’s image as one of the fiercest youth sides in England, as the centre-back played alongside the likes of Reece James, Tariq Lamptey, Billy Gilmour, Conor Gallagher and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

But it wasn’t just at club level where Guéhi enjoyed success with a noteworthy youth team, as the teenager won the Under-17 World Cup with England in 2017. Indeed, Guéhi captained the Young Lions to the U17 European Championship final that same year and scored in the World Cup final just months later.

These performances ensured Guéhi was rewarded with a taste of first-team football, and he began to be named in Chelsea squads in spring 2019 – being a senior substitute on four occasions in 18/19.

His breakthrough came in the League Cup against Grimsby Town as the Blues stormed to a 7-1 victory with Guéhi in the backline. He again earned professional minutes for Chelsea in a fourth-round defeat against Manchester United, and secured a loan move to Swansea City shortly after.

Guéhi fought to secure his place over a half-season with the Swans that was disrupted by the league’s suspension in March. Having returned from the pause, Guéhi played in Swansea’s final five matches and helped to clinch a sixth-place finish.

Play-off heartbreak came for the first of two times as Swansea lost on aggregate to Brentford in the semi-finals, but Guéhi went on to enjoy personal progression the following season regardless.

2020/21 was something of a landmark for the defender, who returned to Swansea on loan for a full campaign and played 45 games. He became recognised as one of the league’s brightest talents and helped Swansea climb further up the table with a fourth-place finish.

Swansea and Guéhi continued to go one better than 19/20 by reaching the play-off final, but football showed its unforgiving side once again as Brentford overcame them for a second time. Guéhi played in every minute of the three play-off matches.

Guéhi describes himself as “strong, comfortable on the ball and hopefully growing to be a leader one day.”

These traits are evident in his play, with the 21-year-old having captained England Under-21s and made himself a mainstay for Swansea despite being one of the squad’s youngest players.

His attitude became clear when a post-match interview with him went viral across social media. Having earned a spot at Wembley and consecutive Man of the Match awards from Sky Sports, Guéhi humbly rebuked the accolades by saying: “The first time I was really surprised. Now I think it’s getting a bit ridiculous! Everyone was fantastic today, to a man. I could name everyone. For me to get this again, I don’t know.”

On the pitch, Guéhi is assertive and vocal, often heard organising his teammates with confidence. This confidence is reflected in his willingness to drive out from the back and distribute possession from relatively high up the pitch.

His first season in south London saw him feature in all but two of the games in 2021/22, making 42 appearances in total. His first goal for the club came in a chaotic 3-3 draw against Burnley at Turf Moor. Guéhi captained the side for the first time against Watford in February 2022, becoming the youngest player to captain the side since Nathaniel Clyne in 2012.

A month later, he earned his first ever call-up to the full England squad and made his debut in a 2-1 win against Switzerland.

Guéhi continued to be a rock at the heart of the Palace defence in 2022/23, forming a formidable partnership with Joachim Andersen. He was nearly ever-present in 22/23, playing in 40 out of a possible 41 games.

The 2023/24 campaign saw Guéhi again continue as a stalwart at the back, though in the latter half of the season he did suffer a knee injury which kept him out for two months. He concluded 23/24 with 29 appearances in all competitions.

He was called up to the England men's senior squad ahead of the 2024 UEFA European Championship and earned his 10th cap for the Three Lions with a solid defensive display and clean sheet against Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2024.

Guéhi played a huge role at the heart of the England defence in the 2024 UEFA European Championship, playing every single minute he was eligible for as England finished runners-up in the tournament. He managed to to keep two clean sheets and register an assist for Jude Bellingham's sensational last-minute overhead kick against Slovakia in the round of 16.

UEFA European Under-17 Championship, 2017

Team of the Tournament

March 2022, March 2023

Crystal Palace Player of the Month

Crystal Palace, 2021/22

Players' Player of the Season

January 2025

Crystal Palace Goal of the Month

Guéhi

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Appearances

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More Than A Game: Marc Guehi - PL Productions

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Marc Guehi Wins January's Goal of the Month

Goal of the month contenders | January 2025

Access All Over: Leicester AND West Ham (A)

Extended highlights: Leicester City 0-2 Crystal Palace | PalaceTV+

Match Action: Leicester City 0-2 Crystal Palace

Marc reflects on stalemate

Christmas Surprise for Our Down Syndrome Eagles!

Marc on a tough defeat 

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Extended Highlights: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-2 Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

The Full 90: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-2 Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Match Action: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-2 Crystal Palace

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The Eagles’ first competitive match in three weeks will see them take on their West London rivals at Craven Cottage – with the prize of a semi-final berth at Wembley on the line.

The FA Cup remains the only medal missing from serial trophy winner Chilwell’s collection, with the England international having previously reached the final with Chelsea in 2020/21 and semi-finals in 2023/24.

But Chilwell says that – when kick-off comes around on Saturday lunchtime (12:15 GMT) – Palace will be ready to compete.

“I've been to Wembley a few times!” Chilwell smiled. “We're all just so motivated and so ready.

“It’s been a few weeks since we've had a game, so we've been making sure – if you saw training this morning – we've been making sure that every day has been sharp.

“The manager \[Oliver Glasner\] is making sure that we're on it every day because, like you said, these opportunities, as I know, don't come around very often.

“The manager has spoke about it a lot, that he's never been to Wembley. He told us this morning that he went to the \[England\] game \[on Monday\] just to go and soak in Wembley and it added a bit more motivation for him. I'm sure there’re probably a few boys in the changing room that also haven't been to Wembley.

“The motivation is 100 per cent there. If we can hopefully get the win on Saturday, which we're going to be very motivated for, then the next step is Wembley. There's not much more motivation needed than that.”

Palace could be bolstered by the return to action of Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was taken off injured early in the quarter-final win over Millwall.

“Before I came to Palace, I watched him on TV,” Chilwell said. “We know how good of a footballer he is, and how prolific he is in front of goal. 

“But I think the other side of it, which I've been impressed by, is how he is around the building. He's the glue of the place, really. He's the loudest one in the changing room, the loudest one around here. You need a few of those.

“It’s a long season, so you need those characters around the place who are always cracking jokes, making people laugh. In the small side games in training, they're the loudest ones when their team loses or their team wins!

“They're the most important figures in the changing room. You definitely notice when he's not in the building, put it that way, because he's just such a bubbly character. 

“Then again, like I said, on the pitch, he's having a brilliant season and he's had a brilliant few seasons. Hopefully, having him back this weekend will be a massive boost, and hopefully he can help us out.”


As for his own aspirations, Chilwell has made five Palace appearances in all competitions since signing on loan from Chelsea at the end of the January transfer window.

And having witnessed Chelsea teammate Reece James play and score for England for the first time in two-and-a-half years on Monday evening, Chilwell hopes that success with Palace could help power his own resurgence.

“Short-term, long-term, I want to get back playing football regularly,” Chilwell explained. “\[I want to\] stay injury-free – fortunately, I feel very good in my body at the moment. I want to just get back playing football regularly, enjoying my football, which I am here.

“Again, not too much pressure on it, but hopefully \[I can\] go and win more trophies, and then go and represent my country at the World Cup.

“It's a much longer-term goal, but the \[2026\] World Cup, of course \[is my target\]. I missed the last World Cup with an injury. I missed the Euros with an injury. I think this World Cup is definitely in my mind.

“It's a while away. Hopefully, I can continue playing here and next season, wherever it may be, have a good season and then see where we end up.”

### Match Details

**Fulham v Crystal Palace**

- **Saturday, 29th March**
- **12:15 GMT**
- **FA Cup quarter-finals**
- **Craven Cottage**
- [**Live audio commentary on Palace TV+**](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)**.**

Ben Chilwell says Crystal Palace must seize the moment when Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final at Fulham comes around – and reiterated that he and his teammates have remained sharp in anticipation of the occasion.

Chilwell reveals additional motivation for Cup quarter-final

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The Eagles got their first home league win of the season last time at Sutton, [with a dramatic 3-1 victory over Aston Villa](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/match-reports/crystal-palace-women-aston-villa-wsl-win-sutton/), and Leif Smerud's team will be looking to put in a similar performance against title-chasing Arsenal.

**Tickets for the match – which kicks off at 14:00 –** are on [general sale now.](https://www.eticketing.co.uk/cpfc/EDP/Event/Index/567?utm_source=website&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=CPFCW-Arsenal-Tickets-Article-18.02.25)

Buy tickets

### Got your ticket?

**If it’s your first time visiting the VBS Community Stadium, we recommend reading our [Supporters Guide to Sutton.](https://media-cdn.incrowdsports.com/6a685b39-20b0-49ca-9614-90078cab7dfa.pdf)**

**Before starting your journey**, please ensure to have your match ticket downloaded on your mobile device and arrive early to avoid large queues at turnstiles when entering the ground.

*Please note that large cameras/camera lens attachments are not permitted at the VBS Community Stadium. Supporters are also reminded that smoking and the use of e-cigarettes is prohibited inside the VBS Community Stadium.*

### Travel Disruption

**Train services are currently scheduled to run through Sutton station and West Sutton station on matchday, but those travelling to the game should check their route before setting out, and aim to arrive as early as possible.**

Please allow plenty of time to arrive ahead of kick-off.

### What can I expect from matchday?

Arrive early and enjoy our **Fanzone**, **opening from 12:00 (2 hours before kick-off)** and packed with entertainment for all ages.

Situated just beyond the Collingwood Road Stand, the Fanzone is the ideal place for pre-match fun, games, entertainment and refreshments.

### Matchday Schedule

- **12:00 BST**: Turnstiles and Fanzone Open

- **13:00**: Line-ups announced

- **14:00**: Kick-off!

### Seating Arrangements

Although all supporters at Selhurst Park matches will be seated, matches **in Sutton** will see supporters have the option of purchasing either a **Seating Ticket** – allowing them to reserve a specific seat within the VBS Community Stadium’s stands – or a **Standing Ticket**.

Standing Tickets are not restricted to specific areas. Supporters will be able to move around all terracing stands at the VBS Community Stadium, depending on availability.

If you are a supporter with any **accessibility requirements**, please contact our dedicated Disability Liaison Officer, Rhianna Odartey, either by email [dlo@cpfc.co.uk](mailto:dlo@cpfc.co.uk) or call 0208 768 6000. Limited parking is available for supporters with a blue badge.

**Away supporters** should be aware that there is a dedicated away section at each match in the WSL, with clubs responsible for selling seats to their own travelling supporters.

We recommend purchasing all tickets online, in advance of each match, to ensure you don’t miss out.

### Ticket information

**All tickets will be digital** and will be emailed to the account holder before each game.

**Tickets for the Arsenal game** will be sent out as PDF files, which can either be scanned on your phone at the gates, or printed off at home.

### Prices

**Seating** 

- Adults: £18
- Under-16s: £7.50

**Standing**

- Adults: £15
- Under-16s: £6.50

### Match Details

**Crystal Palace v Arsenal**

- Sunday, 30th March
- VBS Community Stadium
- 14:00 BST

Crystal Palace Women are back at the VBS Community Stadium this Sunday (30th March, 14:00 BST), hosting Arsenal in a huge Barclays Women's Super League clash; here's how to get tickets, and be part of the action on matchday!

Matchday information: Palace Women v Arsenal

Crystal Palace Women v Arsenal Women (2025-03-30)

It was a bitterly cold north-eastern night and Zaha, just 17-years-old, was on the cusp of a game that would shape his career forever.

The teamsheet for that evening didn’t even spell his name right – the second ‘i’ in Wilfried stumping its author – but the teenage No.9 was beginning 90 minutes of football that would turn him from an overlooked hopeful to a world-renowned icon, and a Crystal Palace legend.

The month before, he’d struggled to secure a place on the wings of a competitive Under-18 team. The month after, he’d make the first of 458 competitive appearances for the team whose stadium he grew up just outside of.

And although his eventual departure to Galatasaray – where he scored 10 times and assisted five goals in 45 games, including against Manchester United in the Champions League – ended that tally, his profound influence on Crystal Palace is celebrated to this day with his spectacular mural outside Selhurst Park, just off Holmesdale Road.

**On the 15th anniversary of his first-team debut – 27th March, 2010 – this is the story of how Wilfried Zaha did it.**

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wilfried Zaha.<br><br>On this day in 2010. The professional debut. 🥹<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CPFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CPFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/0HT6gIiVa1">pic.twitter.com/0HT6gIiVa1</a></p>&mdash; Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CPFC/status/1905193430462132331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Growing up, Zaha was an unassuming, quiet boy who kept himself to himself until he took to a football field. He’d been part of Crystal Palace’s Academy from the age of eight, when a club scout scooped him from the hashed Sunday League pitches of Whitehorse Wanderers and set him on the path to global stardom.

“He was very introverted,” recalls Academy Director Gary Issott, who has known Zaha for almost 20 years. “He would come in, do his work and be no problem.”

As an adult, Zaha can trigger the rippled drumming of 25,000 seats clattering against their supports as Selhurst Park collectively rises with the winger on the ball. The effect was – and still is – staggering: a humming Mexican wave of plastic striking metal, a unified intake of breath, silence, and then – with Zaha’s boots conducting the orchestra - bedlam.

But for eight years as he grew from a child to a teenager, the youngster didn’t leap out as a star in the making.

“He was a good player and a top player,” Issott continues, “one of the top five in the group. But he wasn’t someone who, as a 16-year-old, played up in the Under-18s, which lots of players have done and continue to do as early developers. His was a slow process.”

Zaha’s reserved nature and reluctance to draw attention meant that when he reached a crucial stage in youth football – 16 – he’d spent four years under the parapet, and, in his strides towards adulthood, only the odd individual had their attention caught by the dazzling prospect.

From Boy to Man: Dazet Wilfried Armel Zaha

Fellow Academy graduate Kieron Cadogan remembers his first encounter with a future teammate: “I was walking over to the Under-18s pitch and we passed the Under-16s game and I stopped and said: ‘Wow, who is that?’ His feet were an absolute joke; so quick. And he was just bursting with confidence.”

With the speed of a lightning bolt and the trickery of a conman, Zaha earned a place in the Palace Academy full-time – but, just eight months off his professional debut, the teenager had a long way to go yet.

Issott remembered it well: “For the first three or four months, he was getting used to full-time training and the professionalism of everything and he didn’t play as much as he’d like in the Under-18s.”

For Zaha himself, that period stood out. “When I reached Under-18s,” he later told Palace TV, “I went through a spell where I wasn’t playing at all. I’ve never been through that phase, you know, as a footballer, where you go through rough patches. That was the first time.

“I used to go home and actually cry at times because I was thinking: ‘What do I do?’ It’s a thing where you’ve got to be mentally strong. I was just like: ‘You know what? I just need to carry on’ and I pushed through that spell.”

Perhaps, with trademark resilience and determination being hallmarks of his game today, Zaha’s turbulent start forged the inner strength that went on to define the sportsman. It certainly paved the way for solidifying a place in the Under-18s and, having proved his worth, Zaha’s name steadily became the buzzword across youth football.

“Steve Bould made a comment to me about Wilf when he was taking Arsenal’s youth team,” Issott revealed. “So did Gary Brazil, who was a long experienced coach at Fulham. \[They said\] how many problems he caused them, what a handful he was on the day and how difficult he was to play against.

“There were more and more people outside of our club who we were playing against and he was making a mark. People would think that’s commonplace, it’s not. It’s only every now and again that people comment on special players in your team.”

Something was changing within the club, too, and the once unnoticed youngster was fast gaining attention; fast catching eyes and clanging seats, commanding his watchers to stand. Issott elaborates: “The first-team were off and Mick Jones came to a friendly game \[v Leyton Orient\] - he was Neil Warnock’s old assistant.

“He pointed Wilf out. He said: ‘Who’s that?’. ‘Oh, it’s Wilfried Zaha, he’s just got in the team, he’s doing really well.’ He said: ‘I really like him, he’s got something.’ I then remember Dougie \[Freedman, the assistant manager when Zaha earned his debut\] coming up one afternoon and watching him and saying: ‘Who’s that?’ ‘That’s Zaha; he’s decent.’”

And then it came: the turning point, the night Wilfried Zaha’s name would pass from the hushed lips of London’s youth coaches to the attention of Crystal Palace’s manager, board and fanbase.

St James’ Park, 25th February 2010. Wilfried Zaha has a point to prove as he steps into a bitterly cold north-eastern night on the cusp of a game that would shape his career forever. The month before, he’d struggled to secure a place on the wings of a competitive Under-18 team. The month after, he’d make the first of 458 Crystal Palace appearances – the club's third highest total of all-time.

Palace were playing Newcastle in the FA Youth Cup against an Under-18 side including Paul Dummett and Sammy Ameobi. The Eagles had Jonny Williams, Ibra Sekajja and Alex Wynter, but 'Wilfred' Zaha was the only name on the teamsheet that mattered.

“Newcastle away was when I thought: ‘He’s got a major chance of playing in the first-team here,’” Issott recalls.

“We lost on the night 4-2. Wilf had won two penalties and was outstanding. I remember texting \[former Palace CEO\] Phil Alexander on the way back: ‘We lost the tie, but I’ve seen a performance tonight that’s given me real hope of someone that can play in our first-team.’”

Issott’s intuition was right, and it was perfectly timed, too. Palace’s management had an eye out for new recruits to bolster its threadbare squad as, days after Zaha’s Newcastle masterpiece, Paul Hart, John Pemberton and Freedman took hold of a club hurtling towards relegation under the weight of administration.

Pemberton, the then-first-team coach, describes it vividly: “We needed to see what was in and around the youth-team because we could hardly stick subs together,” he says. “We had no players.

“I said to Paul: ‘I’ll go and take the youth-team and I’ll do a couple of sessions and just see what’s in there.’ And Wilf was one. We looked at Wilf and said: ‘He’s alright, Wilf, this kid’s alright. Let’s bring him up with us.’ 

“The first thing I noticed about him when he trained with the first-team was that some people can ruin a session – he never did that. He added a quality to our training sessions. The other thing I noticed about him was he obviously had really good feet, his technique was good, but he was quite tough. The first-team players would kick him all over the place and he’d just get on with it.”

Already established with the seniors, Cadogan elaborates on the youngster’s qualities and how he made his opportunity count: “Stepping up to the youth-team he was confident, and stepping up to the first-team he was the same. You are playing with men, with experience, but he didn’t give a damn. He was himself.

“I don’t think he needed any advice; he just came through and did what he does. I don’t remember him ever asking for much advice on how to play or adapt. And that’s why he has gone so far in the game; he just does what comes natural to him.”

“I used to be there and not say a word,” Zaha remembers. “I used to literally go out and just try to prove that I was good enough to be there, not go out there and muck about because you get hammered instantly if you’re not giving 100%.”

Zaha was at the zenith of his career so far, and yet he was right back where he’d started: unassuming and quiet, keeping himself to himself until he took to a football field. He retained an attitude fine-tuned by tunnel vision and a skillset unmatched even amongst his professional superiors.

Then, on 27th March 2010, it all paid off. After almost 10 years of quietly working in the Palace Academy, Zaha was finally preparing for his professional debut.

Palace were trailing Cardiff City 2-1 at a drizzly Selhurst Park. The No.36 was held up as Stern John trotted from the field. On the sidelines, a 17-year-old Wilfried Zaha waited eagerly, his loose long-sleeved shirt billowing over his shorts; his shorts, in turn, billowing around his knees.

Stepping on to the turf, a smile took over his face. ‘This is all I wanted,’ he thought, before making number one out of 458 Crystal Palace games. ‘This is everything I’ve gone through.

‘This is finally it.’

Wilfried Zaha unveils new mural

Wilfried Zaha had a point to prove when he stepped out at St James’ Park on 25th February 2010.

First-team

First-team

Chilwell reveals additional motivation for Cup quarter-final

Matchday information: Palace Women v Arsenal

OTD: Wilfried Zaha makes Crystal Palace debut (2010)

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Guéhi

First-team

First-team

Chilwell reveals additional motivation for Cup quarter-final

Matchday information: Palace Women v Arsenal

OTD: Wilfried Zaha makes Crystal Palace debut (2010)

24/25 KIT SALE

Latest Videos

Pre Match Press conference Arsenal (H)

George King speaks after signing pro deal

Palace Academy x Football For Future: Green Football's Great Save

Guess The Autograph | Nketiah, Kporha & Devenny

Leif reflects on WSL loss

Ward & Devenny | Teeing Off and Talking Palace

6MarcGuéhi

6Marc
Guéhi