The former defender, who played 193 games for Palace, received the accolade from Steve Parish shortly after the release of When Eagles Dare, the documentary which details the club’s heroics between 2010-13.
Damien Delaney wins Chairman’s Award
Crystal Palace legend Damien Delaney has received the Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Contribution this year for his services to the club between 2012-2018.
Speaking as a key part of the documentary, Delaney said: “I had maybe four or five years of battling and the real passion and desire I had was beaten out of me. I was finished and was going to go to America and I didn’t want to play football in England anymore.
“As I was packing my stuff to go back home to Cork, I got a call from Dougie [Freedman]… ‘If you sign today, you’ll play tomorrow against Sheffield Wednesday.’
“[Playing for Palace] brought the love back, I suppose; maybe the love I’d lost for football.”
The Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Contribution is decided by Parish and is given to those figures who have given the most to the club in recent history. Previous recipients are Scott Guyett (2021), Mile Jedinak (2020) and Julian Speroni (2019).
Discussing Delaney, Parish said: “[There is] an incredible sense of pride for the role that he had, and he had a very special role as a leader of the group.”