Selhurst Park, April 19, 1969

The sixties were a pivotal time for the ol' human race; man stepped foot on the moon as exploration broke the barriers of just earth; music actually started becoming good, advances in technology whirred into action, there were more wars than you can shake a tank at, while students and politically active people started to make their voices heard. Oh and a little know team from south London called Crystal Palace were promoted to the top flight for the first time in their history.

Yep, the times they were definitely a-changin' and it means football fans up and down the country would be seeing a lot more of that sexy claret and light blue pin stripe kit, and the likes of Stevie Kember, Gerry Queen, David Payne and John Jackson.

The latter was one of the main reasons Bert Head's assembly of young local lads and aging Scottish pros managed to achieve promotion; goalkeeper Jackson (nicknamed 'Stonewall') was regularly Man of the Match for the Glaziers with some unfathomable saves and commanding performances between the sticks.

Head had only been in charge a couple of years, but had managed to blend youth and experience - like a fine wine - into a formidable team that at the back end of the 1968/69 season went on a 16-game unbeaten run. That extended into the next season - in the Old First Division - for two more games making a club record 18-game unblemished record.

But back to the Second Division and after a 0-0 draw up at league leaders Middlesbrough on Good Friday where Palace had in fact scored five (yes FIVE) goals that were all ruled out for offside, promotion suddenly looked on the cards. A 3-1 win over Portsmouth 24 hours later and the Glaziers were making their point. Two goalless draws against Huddersfield and Preston means that a win at home to Fulham on the penultimate day of the season would see Palace up.

Palace fan Bob Hodgkins remembers: "I was 13 at the time and this was probably only about the 10th game I went to with my new Palace supporting class mate Tommy Meyer. What a great time to actually start going to Selhurst.

"We set up inside Selhurst at our usual spot, which was kind of low down at the under construction Arthur Wait corner of The Holmesdale Road end, almost in line with the goal line. As was to happen 10 years later against Burnley, we were playing a team already relegate but even at the age I knew that was a banana skin, and also the fact that a Palace hero in Johnny Byrne was playing out his days for Fulham.

"There was that sense of inevitability when Fulham, kicking towards The Holmesdale, not only went 1-0, but 2-0 by half-time with Byrne getting one of them. Typical!

"I don’t recall my emotions at that time, but it’s hard to think many people there that day felt confident. I believe a lose and other results would have seen us probably miss out on promotion and to Charlton to boot. So I guess what happened in the second half was what makes Palacethe team we all love, and sucks you in just when you think all is lost.

"To the best of my memory, it was those stalwarts, Cliff Jackson, Steve Kember and Mark  Lazarus who pulled us through with their second half goals – the crowd invaded the pitch at the final whistle and we watched from our terrace spot as the team came out in the directors box to do their now famous and well photographed victory salute (above).

"I wonder where Tommy Meyer is now? He sort of stopped going after a couple of seasons, and we lost contact when we left school. I found other mates to go with, and we got cars so the journey got easier (if not the parking), and trains, coaches and cars took us all over the country to see Palace play."

Are you out there Tommy? Get in contact if so! No.9 in our countdown will be here tomorrow!