The story of Palace's title-winning 1993/94 season

The summer of 1993 was one of transition at Selhurst Park. After nine years at the helm Steve Coppell, the most successful manager in the club’s history, called time on his first spell in South London.

This followed a heartbreaking final-day relegation, at Arsenal the previous season, demoting Palace from the newly-formed Premier League.

Naturally, key players then left over the summer as financial sacrifices had to be made. Geoff Thomas departed for Wolves, while Eddie McGoldrick moved across London to join Arsenal.

But this would also gave space for new stars to shine in an exciting new, youthful, team. Crucially, the likes of goalkeeper Nigel Martyn and winger John Salako stayed put, a major factor in the team’s promotion chances.

Meanwhile, Alan Smith was also installed as manager. Having previously served as Academy coach and assistant to Coppell, Smith knew the players as well as anyone and trusted those he had coached at youth level.

Smith promised supporters an open, flowing style of football from the Eagles and they would not disappoint. After a slow start in their two opening games – a 0-0 with Tranmere followed by defeat at Bristol City – Palace ignited their season against fellow promotion contenders Nottingham Forest, winning 2-0 with goals from Eric Young and Dean Gordon to seal the first three points of the campaign.

Portsmouth were then demolished 5-1 at Selhurst only four days later, Sir Gareth Southgate, Gordon and a hat-trick from Chris Armstrong doing the damage. It was a sign of things to come.

Armstrong had already proven his quality in the top-flight the previous season, finishing as Palace’s top scorer. So perhaps predictably, First Division defences were often left bamboozled by his quick feet and ability to find the target from any angle. At that level, he was simply too good.

By December, Palace were in the thick of the promotion race, just two points behind Charlton Athletic. But they did have challenges to overcome.

The loss of captain Andy Thorn, who required a knee operation that would rule him out until the end of the season, would prove a blow. A home defeat to Notts County followed not long after and for a while promotion looked to be in the balance.

When 1994 started with back-to-back league defeats at Millwall and Wolves, as well as an FA Cup exit at the latter, all without scoring, Smith sensed there was a missing piece of the puzzle.

The Eagles duly swooped to make a real coup in the transfer market. Smith persuaded Liverpool forward Paul Stewart to join up on a loan deal until the end of the season, after he had fallen down the pecking order in a stacked squad.

“I didn’t have to think twice,” Stewart later told CPFC.co.uk in 2020. "I was hoping it would go well and maybe Palace would make an offer for me. They were feeling me out and I was looking to hopefully impress them enough to get a contract."

Impress he did. Stewart added strength, power and a bit of street-smarts to a youthful, pacey Palace side. He also proved the perfect foil for Armstrong and suddenly the team flourished.

From his signing onwards, Palace would only lose another three league fixtures – one of which was after promotion was in the bag. A nine-game unbeaten run sent Smith’s side clear and away at the top of the table – with plenty of memorable moments during the sequence, including Gordon’s stunning equaliser at home to Derby County and another double for Armstrong in a 4-1 win over Bristol City.

The defence – thanks to Southgate, the outstanding Chris Coleman, Young and of course goalkeeper Martyn – was becoming meaner at the other end. Over seven games in March, they conceded just three goals.

A further six-game winning streak sealed the inevitable return to the Premier League. Promotion was all but confirmed, after Coleman scored the only goal away at Luton on April 16th.

That result meant only Millwall could mathematically still catch the Eagles, promotion finally confirmed when they drew at Nottingham Forest the following day.

The title was also wrapped up ahead of the final day of the season at home to Watford. The day was not only significant for the promotion celebrations, but also bore witness to a major piece of Selhurst Park history.

It would be the final match in front of the iconic Holmesdale Terrace, which was to be completely demolished and re-developed at the end of the season. It became affectionately known as, as the terrace’s ‘last stand.’

Southgate and his teammates lifted the Division One trophy before the game, as a festival atmosphere swept around Selhurst. The iconic image of countless balloons cascading down from the terraces and onto the pitch will live long in the memory with those lucky enough to be inside the ground that day.

For the record, when the football started Watford actually won the game, thanks to a couple of second-half goals but even that failed to spoil the party. Palace were back in the Premier League – after only one season away.

Armstrong ended up a league-topping 23 goals in one of the best seasons of his career. Attacking partner Stewart did not return to South London on a permanent basis, but is still held in huge admiration by the Palace faithful.

A league title, plenty of goals and crucially a promotion – all achieved in accumulate style thanks to an iconic kit. Not a bad season, was it?

Head here to order your own 1993 retro shirt, complete with the embroidered Champions logo and worn by the likes of Southgate, Salako and Armstrong.