I was standing right in front of the incident in the Holmesdale Morg. Didn't realise how horrific it was until they showed it the following Saturday morning on Saint & Greavsie. He'd gone up for a header in the Leeds penalty box and when he landed on his standing leg his knee literally bent out sideways. It's one of those incidents that makes you want to bulk when you see it.

Coppell went beserk at ITV for showing it -in glorious slow mo too - without warning just prior to our away game at Sheff Wednesday. The players were sat watching it and he felt it effected them psychologically. We lost 4-1.

That previous summer Salako slightly hurt that very knee when he collided with a goalpost while on England duty. I always wondered whether that was a crucial factor in weakening it. Who knows?

Anyway, that period was quite a depressing time to be a Palace fan. Within a space of 10 days we'd lost Wright to Arsenal and Salako to a (very) long term injury. It was the beginning of the end of an unbelievable chapter in the clubs history.

Even though Salad returned after a few false starts, he never really was the same player again. After years of frustrating us by not appearing to reach his potential, he suddenly exploded in our Cup Final year, then went on to have a brilliant season when we finished 3rd, culminating in a well deserved England call-up. The injury was very cruel timing for him and the club really.

Edited by Bubbs (01 Oct 2011 2.37pm)

'Better stop dreaming of the quiet life 'cos it's the one we'll never know'

Interesting stuff. I didn't know about the Saint and Greavsie involvement. I've got this image of Ian St John rocking his head back and laughing as he sees Salako's ligaments being ruptured, though I'm sure that didn't happen

If Coppell got the hump about them showing that injury again in slow-motion, no wonder he has little time for the modern game. It must do his f*cking head in.

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''careful Penny - we don't know what we're dealing with here''

You jest Kerm - i hope! - but they were still heady days to be an Eagle. Thomas, Wright, Gray, Salako & Martyn, all in the England squad.

That would be something for the likes of Liverpool, Man U, Chelsea and Arse, but Palace?????

And if you forget the fact we had to buy Gray back, 4 of those 5 cost us well less than 100 grand.

That recurring dream that different managers/chairman used to spout over the years about Palace becoming one of the 'big' clubs in the country actually nearly happened. Why it didn't is another story and thread though.

'Better stop dreaming of the quiet life 'cos it's the one we'll never know'