Written by Ian King
Tonight's continuing Fourth Round tie is the fifth time that the clubs have been paired together in the F.A. Cup, the first occasion being just over a hundred years ago when Palace were in the Southern League Division One and Wolves were the Cup holders.
January 1909
Crystal Palace were already forging a reputation in the F.A. Cup and in this First (now Third) Round tie at Molineux on Saturday January 16th two goals from James Bauchop earned the Southern League club a replay back at The Crystal Palace.
This took place on the afternoon of Thursday 21st as Wolves began by scoring in the first minute, but the Glaziers would have none of it equalising through Bill Lawrence six minutes later.
It stayed that way until well into the second half before George Garratt put Palace into the lead. However, eight minutes from the end of normal time Wolves drew level to send the game into its extra period.
Both teams began to tire in the conditions but a goal from Bauchop in the 103rd minute gave us the advantage again, and then just before the final whistle Archie Needham ran the length of the field to put the icing on the cake with Palace's fourth goal.
February 1979
Seventy years later Second Division Palace faced Wolves on the evening of Monday 26th February at Selhurst Park in the Fifth Round.
Wolves scored early on in the second minute but the Eagles, despite having most of the play, could create few clear cut chances. Palace seemed to be carrying on the lacklustre performance from 48 hours earlier, a goalless draw at Selhurst Park, as the team appeared to have neither the guile or the penetration to break down the Wolves defence.
At the final whistle the crowd left in disillusioned silence as the vision of a possible semi-final appearance, the winners played Shrewsbury Town, disappeared into the night.
January 1994
Palace travelled to Molineux on Saturday 8th January one week before the scheduled Division One fixture and, following on a heavy defeat at Millwall seven days earlier, here Palace looked uncomfortable on a half-bare pitch.
After repelling Wolves' initial forays, the Eagles had opportunities on the counter attack and after the break it had become an even battle.
Palace thought the cause had been helped by the departure of Wolves' talismanic forward Steve Bull 15 minutes from time and that a possible replay beckoned, however Wolves were generously awarded a corner from which the ball rebounded off Bull's replacement, Cyrille Regis, to fall invitingly for David Kelly and that was that - Palace's fifth 0-1 defeat in the Third Round in seven seasons.
March 1995
In March 1995 Palace were fighting on three fronts, the League Cup, F.A. Cup and survival in the Premiership. On Wednesday March 1st the Eagles defeated Watford in a Fifth Round replay at Selhurst Park to set up this Sixth Round tie with Wolves at home on Saturday March 11th.
Manager Alan Smith surprised a few with his team selection and the team was more effective in the air and at set-pieces, and it was from one of these eight minutes into the second half that Iain Dowie eagerly swept the ball home to give Palace the lead.
Fifteen minutes later Wolves equalised in somewhat controversial circumstances as Cowans robbed Damien Matthew of the ball by appearing to foul him with a tackle from behind and then strove on to place his shot just wide of Nigel Martyn's reach.
The replay at Molineux eleven days later on Wednesday 22nd March turned out to be one of those occasions to stay in an Eagles' fan's memory.
The first goal came after about half-an-hour's play when a throw in on the right into the penalty area was back-headed by Iain Dowie for Chris Armstrong to twist away from his marker and deliver a right-footed bicycle kick into the net.
Palace joy was short-lived when almost immediately a deflected cross allowed David Kelly to head past Martyn and draw the clubs level.
However, Palace were back in the lead three minutes later when following another throw-in, the ball arrived at Dowie and the forward swivelled to hit the ball on the volley from seven yards into the Wolves goal.
Just before half time the ball was headed out from the Wolves defence only to fall at the feet of Darren Pitcher 25 yards from goal. The midfielder cushioned the ball on his chest and then slammed a left-footed volley high over the keeper and dipping into the right-side angle of post and cross bar.
Midway through the second half Chris Armstrong accelerated with the ball into the penalty area before delivering an awesome shot three yards from the bye-line and at an extreme angle between goalkeeper and post.
The ball ended up lodged in the top corner of the stanchion and netting where, after a number of seconds it gently dropped to the ground and Palace moved into the F.A. Cup semi-finals, for only the third time in our history, to face Manchester United at Villa Park.
To read a full preview of tonight's game click here.
