Palace's FA Youth Cup History
Palace have a storied history in the competition, with their first FA Youth Cup triumph coming in 1977, under the guidance of former player John Cartwright. The young Eagles drew 0-0 with Everton at Goodison Park before winning the return leg 1-0 back at Selhurst Park.
Defender Terry Fenwick scored the winner against the Toffees and went on to score the winner once again a year later against Aston Villa in a single-legged affair (due to fixture congestion), as Palace managed to maintain their grasp on the country’s most prestigious youth trophy.
These two wins paved the way for what eventually became known as the 'Team of the Eighties', with foundational players from the Cup-winning side like Kenny Sansom, Vince Hilaire, Dave Swindlehurst and Billy Gilbert lining up alongside the likes of Jim Cannon and John Burridge.
Six of the side which won the 1978 Youth Cup final featured in the final game of the 1978/79 season, where Palace triumphed over Burnley to achieve promotion at Selhurst Park in front of over 50,000 onlooking fans.