Chief writer Robert Sutherland takes a look at the month of January, a busy month which saw us win one cup leg, lose another, see out the transfer window despite rampant rumour-making and secure a draw against our deepest rivals - - a typical Palace month then. So what did we learn in January 2012?

The tale of the transfer window and the issue of a bid going public...

A transfer offer being sold to the media doesn't make it more likely to be accepted; it just gives the fans of the buying club false hope that they might sign a talented youngster and forces the receiving club into wasting time clarifying a position they had previous made public - Wilfried Zaha is not, was not and will not be for sale; Crystal Palace weren't going to and are not going to sell the player. He isn't looking for a move and if he were, he would do well to wait for a club of higher regard to come in for him.

Owen Coyle's decision to go public with his interest in Zaha was a tactical move which backfired; the manager underestimated Crystal Palace and their ability to hold on to young players. Zaha has just recently agreed a 5-year contract and, while a move to the Premier League is certainly an attractive prospect, he should aim to attract a club of higher standing -- he's capable of reaching whatever level he's looking to reach.

On the subject of the transfer window, this year's has been a successful one for the club. Zaha's no-go aside, Palace were also given the gift of Nathaniel Clyne -- at least until the end of the season. The talented right-back was linked with a move to Manchester United during the window but the move hasn't yet materialised. Nonetheless, its a good thing for Palace who get to use his brilliance until at least the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Palace also received and rejected a bid for Sean Scannell and secured the signing of the most prolific striker in England -- from the Isthman Premier Division -- and another defender recently linked with a move to Manchester United. Margate hitman Kwesi Appiah, 21, has scored 35 goals in 34 appearances for the non-league side and joins Michael Chambers, who signed from Dulwich Hamlet, as new additions to the squad. The club also extended loan deals for Chris Martin and Paul McShane until the end of the season.

Not a bad window.

League Cups are overrated anyway...

Who am I kidding? Semi-final defeats are difficult to take, especially on penalties. Palace defended resolutely and, despite conceding an early goal and a late sending off, managed to hold out for penalties -- but winning those proved to be a step too far for the club. Despite the sheer disappointment of not quite making it, the fact that Palace did so in such resolute fashion, beating Premier League Wigan Athletic and Manchester United on the way, indicated to those who may have decided to stay away from Selhurst Park that there is still a vibrant, hungry and determined club waiting for them.

The positives in that regard should certainly outweigh the negatives.

Four points from Brighton, Four points from Millwall...

Ahhh - parity is restored. Palace secured a total of eight points from our rivals - a point of utter frustration for supporters of both clubs. After all the talk of tiki-taka football and flowing attacking football, Brighton's failure to impress against Palace in both of this season's fixtures speaks volumes about the work manager Dougie Freedman is doing with the Eagles. Meanwhile, our noisy neighbours from Bermondsey took defeat against Palace so terribly that just a week later they were thumped 6-0 -- a result no Palace fan would have taken pleasure in.

While there were a lot of positives to count on in Palace's rivarly successes, there were also negatives...

Football fans are not criminals...

Going to a game of football can, at times, be a treacherous occupation -- you can sometimes find yourself infront of a wall, with weapon-clad men pushing and punching you about , swearing at you and generally making you feel like a third-rate human being -- and that's just the police.

The title of this segment bears repeating - football fans are not criminals - they may find themselves enjoying the virtue of tribalistic endeavours. Doing so is not a crime. Thousands of football fans enjoy the passion of football on an almost-daily basis. Football fans are human beings and deserve to be treated as such.

Comments from supporters who experienced Tuesday nights activities agreed that the Police's response was a complete overreaction. There have been indications that the operation was a run-through of crowd-management techniques for the Olympics -- a fair situation had supporters perhaps have been informed of the decision.

A sincere apology might also have made the issue a little less contentious. However, the distinct lack of respect shown to Palace fans in the aftermath of the decision, with a tertiary statement from Chief Superintendent Adrian Roberts doing little other than to justify the heavy-handed approach, has left many supporters disappointed and disillusioned.

The Football Supporter's Federation, an organisation representing supporters throughout the UK, have indicated that they have received a record-breaking number of complaints and statements from supporters. The club have asked for an urgent meeting with the Police to discuss the matter and the FSF have offered to provide representation on behalf of those who have made complaints.

Being a football supporter is not a crime. The majority of football fans are not violent. The majority of football fans just want to get home from an evening game. The majority of football fans on Tuesday night were treated with the kind of contempt reserved for people who have actually committed acts of criminality.

A personal note...

I'm a desperate Palace fan. I spend every Saturday morning tweeting Palace's latest action. I sit and wait for the highlights to show up the next day and marvel at the 40-second clip that the BBC show every week; I read the BBS and Holmesdale on a daily basis and spend much of my day keeping up to date with the latest snippets of news. I do so because I moved to the US to live with my wife. I do so because, no matter how hard I try, its a habit I just cannot break.

It is with this desperation in mind that I announce with great excitement that I'll get to see Palace on the last day of the season in our home fixture against Cardiff City. It'll be the first time I step into Selhurst Park since the last home game of the 2006/7 season. It'll be a once-in-five-year luxury that I can't wait to sample. It is a luxury many of you could and should sample whenever you get the chance.

Clearly there are financial restrictions that everyone is living by, but with the owners working so very tirelessly to try and improve the club's standing on and off the pitch, their reward should be your attendance at their games. Now, obviously the football hasn't been as entertaining as it might have been a little earlier in the season but Palace are a work in progress -- as they have been for their entire existence. However with these owners in charge, people who have established successes in business and are passionate about the club and how it is run, you have the ability to support something progressing with remarkable pace.

Look at what Palace have achieved so far this season and compare that to the position we were in at this time last year. You can be a part of making things even better. I'm not saying that you have to buy a season ticket; I'm just saying that you could be part of something. Something that a number of us fans don't get to experience every weekend. By being there and doing your bit, you truly represent those of us who truly can't be there every week.

I can't wait to see you all at Selhurst in April.

Agree with Rob's opinion? Disagree? Want to get in touch? You can follow or tweet Rob on twitter. You can also follow us @FYPFanzine.