The backdrop of football has changed forever; gone are the days where players stay for ten years, make hundreds of appearances, win trophies and retire in glory. Football is now a game where contracts are about value rather than longevity, about the fee the club might receive should the player depart rather than about the time and effort they’ll invest during the span of their deal.

With that changing backdrop, the status of legend is one that is often over-used or misappropriated. Players such as Victor Moses, who barely spent a season in the first team with the club, has been touted as a Palace legend. Moses is a stellar talent who will only get better, but a Palace legend he is not. There are plenty of other players classed as legends when their impact at the club hasn’t been of great significance.

Given how football has changed, it is of little surprise that fans clamour for icons; it is rare to find a player who is both memorable and who has played a major role in the club’s history. It is rare to find a player like Darren Ambrose.

Ambrose arrived from Charlton Athletic with considerable doubts about his fitness and ability; his time at the Addicks was one remembered for the injuries he suffered, the transfer fee the club paid and the lack of goals he scored. When Ambrose left, Charlton fans rejoiced. When he signed for Palace, they laughed.

What Darren has done for Palace since his arrival however has been far from laughable. Ambrose has been a scorer of incredibly memorable goals and crucial performances.

Whether it's the amazing free-kick he scored against Aston Villa, the crucial second he scored at Hillsborough, the somewhat lucky bundled second he scored at the Amex against Brighton this season or the thumping thunderbolt he scored at Old Trafford, his goals have given Palace fans memories which they will always cherish.

The role these goals played in Palace’s history shouldn’t be underestimated, either. The goal against Sheffield Wednesday secured Palace’s Championship status and made the job of buying the club a much more attractive one for CPFC2010.

The goal against Aston Villa provided the club with crucial income at a depressing time of need for the club. In the throws of administration, Palace needed the income from a cup run the most. Ambrose's goal helped continue that run.

The goal against Brighton put the club into the lead against its biggest rivals and wrote the Eagles into their history books, with Palace being the first league team to win there. Ever and forever.

The goal at Old Trafford helped knock Manchester United out of a cup and put them into a frame of mind which resulted in them losing out in all other competitions. It was also, according to Gary Neville, the best goal he'd ever seen at the stadium.

He may not be the midfield engine that covers every blade of grass for 90 minutes. He isn’t the kind of player to put in a last-minute block or a crunching tackle. Some legends are the sum of all their parts -- others are legends for the parts you remember.

Ambrose is a player you will speak about in years to come. He is a hero - a man who scored 45-yard thumpers and helped us beat rivals, administration and relegation - he is a legend.

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Jonny Parr took home the Player of the Year award for 2011/12 for a marathon season that saw him rack up 73 consecutive games.

In a ceremony on the Selhurst Park pitch on Saturday Parr took home the acolade in front of hundreds of fans.

It was a busy evening, where members of the FYP team were last seeon dancing drunkenly amazingly on the dance floor, especially JD who was celebrating his choice winning Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, Julian Speroni was handed a special achievement award for topping 250 games for the Eagles and was presented it by former Palace goalkeeping greats John Jackson and Perry Suckling.

Meanwhile, Wilf Zaha took home Young Player of the Year and Jonny Williams was given the Vice President's young player of the year. Reise Allassani won the academy player of the year.

Also, Darren Ambrose won goal of the year, obviously, for his 400-yard strike at Old Trafford.

FYP managed to grab a few words with some of the players, here are the best bits, the rest will be on the End of Season podcast out next week.

Freedman: "The I Belong To Dougie t-shirts are brilliant, but I wouldn't wear one"

Wilf: "The My favourite moment of the season was getting a kiss off Freedman after scoring at Brighton." Also: "I'm sticking with the mohawk for next season."

Big Scanz: "I have the best hair at Palace, obviously, but Wilf's mohawk is decent."

Gardner: "I am actually a great gardener, you should see my shrubs. Water, sunlight and don't over soil, that's the secret."

Bored? Bored of the season? Bored of life? We are too! Which is why we are holding a boredom-smashing End of Season party at the Waterfront in Streatham on Saturday May 19th!

There's going to be all sorts of shenanigans going down, including:

• Celebrity appearances
• A Palace-themed quiz!
• Live music
• Some podcast bits and bobs

And for everyone who's got money on it, don't panic! The Champions League final will be shown live on the night.

The pub will also be selling Palace Ale! Yay!

So join us from 7pm on Saturday May 19th at the Waterfront in Streatham and join the fun!