Roy Hodgson, CBE. A lifelong Palace fan, one of the game's most recognisable faces, and the man who achieved the dreams of so many by both playing for and managing the club he supported.
With a playing career spanning eleven years followed by an incredible forty-eight years in professional management and being fluent in five different languages, there are very few figures in the game as well-respected as Hodgson.
In September 2017, Hodgson was appointed manager of his boyhood club, Crystal Palace, replacing the notorious Frank De Boer and turning a record-worst start to a season into a successful 11th-place finish at the end of his first term in charge at the club.
2018–19 saw Hodgson lead the team to a club record of 49 points in the Premier League, breaking Sir Bobby Robson’s record as the oldest man to manage a Premier League side.
On May 18th, 2021, Hodgson announced he would be stepping down from his managerial position after maintaining the club’s top-flight status for four consecutive seasons, bowing away from Selhurst as a hero.
Two years later, a call from Palace Chairman Steve Parish resulted in Hodgson’s return to a club in desperate need of a saviour after Patrick Vieira’s tenure tailed out into a relegation battle. He spearheaded the club to an 11th-place finish, winning five and drawing three of the final ten games of the season while playing an expansive style of play that hadn’t been synonymous with his name before.
A true football fairytale, Hodgson looked set to face the final curtain at the club he loved the most.
However, failure at board level meant a replacement was not found in the summer ahead of the 2023–24 season, and Parish turned once more to a now-76-year-old Hodgson. A one-year contract was offered, and, in as true fashion as ever, Hodgson accepted.
The months that followed were some of the most frustrating in the club’s recent history: an injury crisis, struggling for results, and ultimately finding themselves well and truly fighting off relegation. It was announced in February 2024 that Roy Hodgson had stepped down from his role as manager following two visits to the hospital this season.
While this term has been a disappointment, dotted with questionable comments to the media and apologies to fans, there is no doubt that Roy Hodgson will be held in the highest of regards by Palace fans for years to come. And, if it was not for his work across the six seasons he spent at Selhurst, Palace could well be playing in a different division as we speak.
The word legacy is thrown around a lot in football these days, but there are few examples of players or managers genuinely having a long-lasting impact on the club they worked for. Hodgson is, without question, worthy of this description.
A Croydon-born, lifelong fan of the club, Hodgson understood wholeheartedly what it meant to be Palace.
Each win was the highlight of his week, and each defeat hit him as hard as it did anyone in the stands. He understood the importance of the fans at a club known for its connection to the local community, commending that support time and time again.
Hodgson will be remembered for the club’s record Premier League victory, a 5-0 thrashing of Leicester. The incredible 3-2 win away to Manchester City, a game that was won by arguably the club’s greatest ever goal scored by Andros Townsend.
A last-minute winner at Old Trafford, a smash-and-grab victory against Brighton in their own backyard, and an unlikely friendship with the club’s greatest ever player, Wilfried Zaha.
Hodgson returned to rescue the club last season, playing a free-flowing style of football that saw incredible results, including the 5-1 demolition of Leeds at Elland Road as well as the 2-1 win against Leicester, which saw Jean-Phillipe Mateta fired into cult-hero status with a last-minute winner.
Promoting youth players and handing the first Premier League starts to youngsters, including David Ozoh, while calling many academy players up to train with the first team will set the precedent for years to come.
While results may have been poor this season and there could be valid criticism for certain decisions and a lack of focus on the cup tournaments throughout his tenure, Hodgson succeeded in keeping the club up time and time again, which will set Palace up for success in the future.
Above all, Roy Hodgson is a good man. He led the club by example, stood up for his players, and steadied the ship when the tide got rough. His work ethic, personality, and passion embodied Crystal Palace Football Club, and he earned the right to decide when he should step aside.
Roy Hodgson, forever and always, one of our own.