History and description

The stadium was originally known as the South Coast Railway Stadium, but changed its name to Selhurst Park in 1924. Selhurst Park was built in the early 1920s and is currently named after Archibald Leitch, an architect who designed it. The stadium first went by the name of the South Coast Railway Stadium, but later changed to Selhurst Park in 1924. On 30 August 1924, Selhurst Park officially opened with a match between Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday. The stadium consisted of one covered main stand and large terraces on earth banking on the other sides, though the main stand was not completed in time for the opening.

No changes were made to the ground until in 1969 the Arthur Wait Stand got built opposite the main stand.

In 1979, Selhurst Park set a record for attendance when 51,801 people came to see Crystal Palace beat Burnley and win the Second Division.

In 1983, the football club sold the back portion of Whitehorse Lane terrace to retailer Sainsbury's in order to raise money to pay off their debts. A few years later, the remainder of the stand got fitted with executive boxes and a roof. Much of the stadium had then already been converted into an all-seater.

In the late 1980s, Selhurst Park, which had been used by Charlton Athletic after they went into administration and temporarily lost their home ground, the Valley, was taken over by Wimbledon. Later on, Wimbledon would also use Plough Lane, which had fallen into disrepair.

In 1994, the Homesdale terrace was demolished and replaced by a two-tiered all-seater stands. At the same time, Selhurst Park underwent final development when a new roof was installed on the Main Stand.

In 2017, Crystal Palace announced plans to build a new Main Stand which will be able to hold up to 34,000 spectators. The new stand is expected to cost £100 million and will start construction in 2018. The club hope to keep playing at Selhurst Park during its construction, which is expected to take up to three years.

How to get to Selhurst Park

Selhurst Park is located in the south of London at about 8 km from central London. The stadium is best reached by train. Both Selhurst and Thornton Heath stations are within a 5 to 10-minute walk of the ground. The stations are served by trains coming from Victoria and London Bridge stations in the center.

Norwood Junction station is located on the other side of Selhurst Park and has service from London Bridge station. It arrives quicker than the trains mentioned in the paragraph (in 10 to 15 minutes).

There are a few buses that connect with the stadium. Bus 468 can be caught from Elephant & Castle, and bus X68 can be taken from Russel Square in The City or Waterloo Station. Both buses pass the stadium on Whitehorse Lane.

Address: Whitehorse Lane, London SE25 6PU

Eat, drink, and sleep near Selhurst Park

Selhurst Park is located in a residential neighbourhood. There are a few pubs and typical fast food outlets in the vicinity of the stadium - mostly so on the High Street near Thornton Heath station -, but the options are rather limited. There are no hotels near Selhurst Park. Even if you're looking for rental apartments, the closest option is in the Croydon area, south of the stadium by train station or a half an hour walk away. If you expect to spend more time in London, it's better to stay closer to the city center and make your way to Selhurst Park by public transport.

Crystal Palace Tickets

Tickets for Crystal Palace games can be bought online or at the Ticket Office at Selhurst Park. The prices for home matches fall into two categories: B tickets, which are the cheapest, range in price from £27.00 for a lower-tier seat behind the goal to £38.00 for a seat at the main stand. A ticket price for an A match, the most expensive, ranges between £37.00 and £48.00.

Crystal Palace currently sell tickets only to club members. To purchase any match tickets, you first need to purchase a membership. The cheapest membership costs £25.00. If purchasing a ticket for a top match, Palace will require you to also purchase a ticket for a Cat. B match.

For more information call +44 (0) 8712 00 00 71 or email [email protected]

Relevant Internet links

The official website of Crystal Palace FC, Visit London, the official London city guide and journey planner, and Tfl.gov.uk are all excellent sources for information about London public transport. Nationalrail.co.uk also provides useful information about train times and fares. Greg wrote: The atmosphere here is terrific. This is an old-school stadium with fans close to the pitch. A friendly but passionate crowd makes for a great experience.

The atmosphere was terrific. This is an older stadium with fans close to the pitch. A friendly but passionate crowd.

Andy Pearson wrote: The atmosphere at this sports event is unlike anything I've ever experienced. The staff is very helpful.

The atmosphere at the sports event was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The staff was helpful and outstanding.