Floodlight issue could force Crystal Palace into a legal battle with locals



Things have been on the up for Crystal Palace of late, both on and off the pitch.

The hire of Oliver Glasner has turned out to be a master stroke, with the only real issue being that the season ended too early for the Eagles last season. Glasner was just getting warmed up.

His teams were playing some sparkling stuff as they dismantled West Ham, Aston Villa, Man United and Newcastle United at Selhurst Park, and took all three points from Liverpool at Anfield.

Crystal Palace’s training ground neighbours are not happy

Recognition of just how well the team have been playing was provided when all of Adam Wharton, Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze and Dean Henderson were selected by former Palace captain and now England manager, Gareth Southgate, for his squad for Euro 2024.

No club has more players in the squad, which is an incredible vote of confidence for what Palace are doing down in South London.

Crystal Palace’s training ground neighbours are furious with club plans

However, not everyone is happy about the club’s relative success. At least not the neighbours to the club’s Academy ground in Copers Cope Road.

A densely populated residential area in Beckenham, there are apparently already enough traffic problems in the area when Palace’s youth teams are playing at weekends, or training of a summer evening.

Now, the News Shopper are reporting on Palace’s plans to have floodlights installed which would allow them to host midweek evening matches at the venue.



That’s clearly a step too far for the locals, and 48 of them have apparently raised objections.

They are citing the dangers of the road being extremely busy already at certain times of the day and evening, with parents and their children apparently not allowed into the training complex and who wait outside on the pavements.

It’s clearly an emotive subject and one that could have a really negative impact on the club.