Written by Ian King
In the summer of 1960 Gateshead Football Club failed to gain re-election to the Football League Division Four and Peterborough United took their place and joined Palace.
The new club and Palace were soon front runners, and when the clubs met for the first time at Selhurst Park on 7th September 1960 it drew a record attendance for the bottom Division of the Football League of 36,478 spectators - a figure only bettered to this day by Millwall's visit to Selhurst Park the following Easter.
Unfortunately The Posh returned home with both points in a 2-0 victory and they beat us to the Championship at the end of the season.
With both clubs in Division Three just over a year later, on 14th October 1961 Palace exactedtheir revenge with a 5-2 success, in which Johnny Byrne scored twice. But they then lost at home again 0-2 in April 1963 only to gain a narrow 1-0 victory through Cliff Holton in January 1964 as Palace marched on to Division Two.
It would be ten years later in November 1974, when Palace returned to Division Three, that the clubs met again and in the next three seasons matches between us ended all square at Selhurst Park - during this time the current Eagles' assistant manager Mick Jones was playing for Peterborough and remembers his battles with David Swindlehurst.
In the eighties the clubs were paired together twice in successive seasons in the League Cup, each tie being a two-legged affair.
Having won the Second Round First Leg at London Road 2-0, the return on 26th October 1982 ended in a 2-1 victory with goals from Kevin Mabbutt and Vince Hilaire.
The following season Palace had the First Round 1st Leg at Selhurst Park on 30th August 1983 and racked up a 3-0 advantage thanks to two goals from Hilaire and a Shaun Brooks penalty - surely sufficient for the Second Leg, but that ended in a penalty shoot out which Palace lost much to the ire of manager Alan Mullery
Peterborough's last visit to Selhurst Park was for a re-arranged Endsleigh Insurance League Division One fixture that took place on the evening of Tuesday 1st February 1994.
Palace were looking to extend their lead at the top of the table by disposing of bottom placed Peterborough but were rocked when the visitors took the lead in the seventh minute and the Eagles turned in a shambolic first half during which the Posh could have increased their lead.
A half-time talk seemed to have done the trick as after an hour's play John Salako, on his 200th first team appearance, equalised with a shot from the edge of the area, and ten minutes later came two goals within sixty seconds of each other.
First Simon Rodger turned a loose ball over the line before Paul Stewart provided a cross for Chris Armstrong to head home his 18th goal of the season. With 15 minutes left Ken Charlery got his and Peterborough's second goal of the game, and it took a save by Nigel Martyn in the final minute to ensure the Eagles a victory that gave the team a four point cushion over second placed Cardiff City.
Home League Record
P 8 W 3 D 3 L 2
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