CRYSTAL MESS
As much a staple at Selhurst Park on match days as Mark Bright sitting next to Steve Parish looking glum, the Crystals cheerleaders haven’t had much to wave their blue and red pompoms about this season. Tasked with geeing up the crowd ahead of kick-off before forming a guard of honour at the entrance to the south London ground’s narrow tunnel, these entertainers can at least, unlike the home team they welcome on to the field, be relied upon to put in a solid eight-out-of-10 performance whatever the weather. The sight of the Crystals strutting their stuff is likely to be the only thing tonight’s match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea has in common with last night’s Super Bowl, a spectacle that seemed to serve as no more than the preamble to a passionate post-match clinch between Taylor Swift and her victorious squeeze Travis Kelce. Love is unlikely to be in the air over Selhurst Park, given that both Mr Roy and Mauricio Pochettino have spoken in the buildup about the lack of affection they have inspired among their respective teams’ fans.
