The Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway will be coming up against Brighton and Hove Albion for the first time as the Crystal Palace manager. He has expressed his surprise at the way the two clubs have been involved in a rivalry that stretches back almost 50 years. The rivalry between the two clubs surprises Ian Holloway because of the fact that there is no geographical link between the two clubs. This is a rivalry that started in the 1970s, as both the clubs were fighting out for promotion. They have also had managers Terry Venables and Alan Mullerly at the peak of their animosity between each of the.
Even though the two teams have met each other only on six occasions in the last decade, the rivalry is still intact amongst the two sets of fans according to Holloway. Hence, he is preparing for an atmosphere that will rival most derbies across England. He said that he does not have any doubts that his players will rise up to this challenge, for he has also praised the way Brighton have played this season. Crystal Palace are eying for the top spot in the Championship this season, while Brighton are close to entering into the top six.
“It’s not one the rest of football knows about. Even the geography doesn’t really make sense. It’s a bit weird but whatever fans think, you have to appreciate that and give a performance the fans are proud of. I’ve got no doubts we can do that. You’ve got to try and remember what gets you results and focus on being brave enough in that environment to produce the processes,” said Holloway ahead of this match. Holloway has said that the match will be a test of both defences because both the sides are extremely attacking in nature.