Played for Both: Palace and Bristol City connections

First-team

7 hours ago

With Crystal Palace set to welcome Bristol City to Selhurst Park this Saturday, we look back at five players who have worn both shirts.

The Eagles face the Championship side on Saturday (3rd October, 12:30 BST), with family activities planned around Selhurst, including face painting, arts and crafts, a photobooth and Football’s Fast Feet challenge.

Tickets are available for up to 10 per transaction, with kids going FREE and a family of four from as little as £15. Better still, all profits will go towards the Palace for Life Foundation!

So, ahead of the meeting, let's revisit five careers that have taken players from Ashton Gate to SE25 – and vice versa...

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Jamie Smith

[Palace 1997-2004, Bristol City 2004-06]

Jamie Smith’s career had an early twist of fate. After coming through the Wolves Academy and making his first-team debut in 1994, the Birmingham-born defender became a regular at Molineux – even scoring his first senior goal against Palace in the 1997 Play-Off Semi-Final.

A few months later, he was heading in the opposite direction.

Smith joined the Eagles in 1997 as part of the deal that saw Dougie Freedman and Kevin Muscat move to Wolves, beginning a seven-year stay in SE25 that brought 175 appearances. He featured 19 times as Palace returned to the Premier League in 2004, as well as enjoying a brief loan spell at Fulham.

That summer, Smith moved on to League One Bristol City on a free transfer following a successful trial spell. He went on to make 39 league appearances in his first season at Ashton Gate before a loan spell at Brentford.

He returned to Bristol before joining MK Dons in 2006, but persistent knee problems brought his professional career to an end the following year. Smith later returned to the game with Halesowen Town and Welsh side Airbus UK, moving into coaching after completing his playing career.

Yannick Bolasie

(Bristol City 2011-12, Palace 2012-16)

Yannick Bolasie spent just one season at Bristol City, but it proved the launchpad for a Palace career that would turn the winger into a firm fan favourite.

After spells with Hillingdon Borough, Floriana and Plymouth Argyle, Bolasie arrived at Ashton Gate in 2011 and quickly made an impression, being named the club’s Supporters Club and Trust Young Player of the Year.

But London was calling. Bolasie submitted a transfer request and, in summer 2012, Dougie Freedman brought him to SE25 to join his team of “misfits”. Watch the episode of When Eagles Dare on YouTube HERE!

What followed was special. Bolasie became an integral figure in Palace’s promotion campaign, making 47 appearances and forming a magical attacking trio with Wilfried Zaha and Glenn Murray – a combination some still regard as the best the Championship has seen.

He carried that form into the Premier League, playing a major role in Palace’s first two seasons back in the top flight and scoring a memorable hat-trick in a 4-1 win at Sunderland in 2015.

After helping the Eagles reach the 2016 FA Cup Final, Bolasie departed for Everton for a then club-record fee. Injuries disrupted his time at Goodison Park, but his career has since taken him to Aston Villa, Anderlecht, Sporting CP, Middlesbrough, Çaykur Rizespor and Swansea City, before a move to Brazil.

Aaron Wilbraham

(Palace 2012-14, Bristol City 2014-17)

Aaron Wilbraham arrived at Palace in 2012 with plenty of promotion experience behind him, having helped Stockport County, MK Dons and Norwich City climb the divisions.

The towering striker became an important member of the Eagles’ promotion-winning squad in 2012/13, featuring throughout the campaign and playing all 120 minutes of the dramatic Play-Off Final victory over Watford at Wembley.

After making his Premier League debut with Palace the following season, Wilbraham moved to Bristol City in 2014 – and wasted little time making his mark.

He scored on his competitive debut against Sheffield United and twice on his first appearance at Ashton Gate against Colchester United, finishing the season with an impressive 21 goals in all competitions – the highest goalscoring season of his career – as the Robins won the League One title.

Wilbraham remained at Bristol City until 2017 before spells with Bolton Wanderers and Rochdale.

He initially retired from playing, but remarkably came out of retirement for ad-hoc appearances with hometown club Knutsford in 2024/25, taking his total to more than 600 appearances across the English football pyramid.

Adrian Mariappa

(Palace 2013-16, Bristol City 2020-21)

Adrian Mariappa has built a career on longevity, experience and plenty of miles on the clock. He joined Watford’s Academy aged eight, made his first-team debut in 2005 and went on to rack up 248 appearances during his first spell at Vicarage Road.

After Reading’s relegation from the Premier League, Mariappa arrived at newly promoted Palace in September 2013, bringing plenty of top-flight know-how to Ian Holloway’s squad.

He spent three seasons in SE25, making 49 appearances and featuring in each of the Eagles’ first three campaigns back in the Premier League. His final Palace appearance came on one of the biggest stages of all: the 2016 FA Cup Final against Manchester United at Wembley.

Further Premier League spells with Watford and Bournemouth followed, along with a season in Australia with Macarthur, before Mariappa returned to England with Burton Albion.

Then, in November 2020, Bristol City came calling. With the Robins hit by a defensive injury crisis, the experienced Mariappa stepped in and made 17 Championship appearances during the 2020/21 campaign before departing when his short-term deal expired.

His playing journey has continued through Salford City, Wealdstone and St Albans City, while he has also returned to where it all began, joining Watford’s Under-21s coaching staff.

Kevin Mabbutt

(Bristol City 1977-81, Palace 1981-85)

Kevin Mabbutt came through Bristol City’s youth ranks and made his first-team debut in 1977, quickly establishing himself as one of the Robins’ leading attacking players. He was also the older brother of Tottenham Hotspur and England defender Gary Mabbutt.

He shot to wider attention in 1978, scoring a hat-trick in Bristol City’s famous 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

After more than 100 league appearances for his hometown club, Mabbutt swapped Ashton Gate for Selhurst Park in 1981 in a player exchange involving Terry Boyle.

He made an immediate impact, finishing his first season as Palace’s top scorer with eight goals and helping the Eagles avoid a second successive relegation. Despite persistent injuries, he went on to make 88 appearances and score 24 goals across four seasons in SE25.

Sadly, a knee injury forced Mabbutt to retire aged just 26, bringing a premature end to a 179-appearance career – one that had taken him from Bristol City hero to Palace top scorer.

Further connections:

While the list above (and indeed below) is by no means exhaustive, other players to have represented both clubs include:

Dele Adebola
Calvin Andrew
Wayne Andrews
Nick Carle
Neil Danns
Stephen Henderson
Stern John
Dekel Keinan
Chris Martin
Ryan McGivern
Terry Boyle
Steve Galliers
Les Carter
Idris Hopkins
Alf Matthews
Percy Cherrett
Rio Cardines

Match details

Crystal Palace v Bristol City

Saturday, 3rd October
12:30 BST
Selhurst Park
Friendly
Tickets available now – Under-18s go free!

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