2012/13 - Part Four: Holloway's arrival

Over these two weeks, you can follow the account of Club Historian Ian King on cpfc.co.uk, telling the story of a dramatic campaign – with a little help from the stars of When Eagles Dare, now available to watch on Palace TV+.

• Part One: A challenging start
• Part Two: Transfers, fortunes and breakthroughs
• Part Three: Comebacks, changes and derbies

Read Part Four below...

3rd November: Palace 2-0 Blackburn Rovers

With Palace having been searching for a replacement for Dougie Freedman, who had departed for Bolton Wanderers, their announcement coincided with their next game.

New manager Ian Holloway was unveiled to the fans at half-time having signed a four-and-a-half-year deal earlier in the day. Keith Millen came as his assistant.

The woeful start to the season was long gone as the Eagles continued their unbeaten run, moving into third place with this victory, a last game for caretaker Curtis Fleming.

Palace were dominant throughout with both Damien Delaney and Yannick Bolasie hitting the woodwork before Glenn Murray turned in Owen Garvan’s sumptuous cross just before half-time.

Midway through the second-half Murray was fouled in the penalty area and the striker netted the subsequent spot kick but was denied a hat-trick when ‘keeper Paul Robinson pulled off a double save from another Murray penalty kick. Holloway admitted to having goosebumps on the back of his neck during his introduction and this free-flowing display must have given him confidence.

Palace moved up a place to third behind Cardiff and Middlesbrough while inflicting Rovers’ first away defeat of the season.

6th November: Palace 5-0 Ipswich

Holloway saw no reason to tinker with the team in his first match, so the same starting XI took to the Selhurst pitch just three days after the Rovers win.

The eventual score looked unlikely in the first-half when the only difference was Bolasie’s first goal for the club after 24 minutes – a deft lob – but that changed with three penalties in 10 minutes early in the second-half.

Murray converted twice after Wilfried Zaha and Garvan were fouled in the box, and was on course for a hat-trick of successful penalties when Garvan was fouled again shortly after. Murray’s kick was saved by the ‘keeper, but the club’s leading scorer was not to be denied the match ball and three minutes later slid home a cross from Joel Ward.

The rout was concluded at the death as André Moritz enjoyed a simple tap in.

These three points and five goals took Palace to the top of the Championship table as both Cardiff and Middlesbrough failed to win.

10th November: Peterborough 1-2 Palace

Another unchanged team found themselves a goal down at London Road after just six minutes as a deflected shot allowed Grant McCann to wrong-foot Julián Speroni.

It looked like a frustrating afternoon as the Eagles dominated possession but Posh carved out the better chances.

After the break Palace became more dominant, with scoring opportunities for Murray, then as the game entered the last 15 minutes Holloway sent on Moritz and Aaron Wilbraham and the two combined for the former’s equaliser.

The turnaround was completed two minutes later when a counter attack from a Posh corner was led by birthday boy Zaha, who sped upfield, beat a defender with ease and then squared the ball to an unmarked Dikgacoi, who buried his shot into the corner and sent the 3,000 travelling fans celebrating for the second time.

Holloway tweaked the formation at half-time to pin back Peterborough’s wing-backs, allowing Ward and Parr to move forward and Palace to ensure victory.

Relive the full story of Palace's incredible 12/13 season through When Eagles Dare, now available to watch on Palace TV+.

The series was made in-house by Palace TV and first shown on Amazon Prime Video. You’ll hear the inside story of how Steve Parish and the 2010 consortium won tense negotiations with the fans’ support, how Dougie Freedman set the team up for success and the way Ian Holloway guided them forward.

There are exclusive interviews with all the key figures – including Parish, Freedman, Holloway, Wilfried Zaha, Damien Delaney, Yannick Bolasie, Jonny Williams, Mile Jedinak and many others – and previously unseen footage from behind the scenes.

Palace fanzine Five Year Plan wrote of the series: "This documentary is a love letter. Not just to the Palace team of 2012/2013, but to the people and the moments that make these stories so compelling. To the fans, the players and the club that sits at the heart of a South London community. Our community. Our Palace."