Crystal Palace’s FA Cup triumph in May 2025 was a day fans had dreamed of forever; the club’s first major trophy, unforgettable celebrations, emotions high all across Wembley and South London. As the celebrations were happening the realisation hit that Palace were in Europe! FA Cup winners and automatic qualification into the Europa League – a moment that felt almost unreal.
But while supporters sang “We’re all going on a European tour!” the club’s owners knew there could be trouble behind the scenes. Multi-club ownership rules were about to crash the party.
Months later, after chairman Steve Parish presented Palace’s case and co-owner John Textor stepped away to help matters – UEFA delivered the blow. Palace were demoted into the Europa Conference League. Fans were furious, transfers stalled, and the high of May suddenly felt a mile away.
When emotions finally levelled, manager Oliver Glasner brought the focus back with his push for positivity for the club and fans. The dream was still alive; Europe awaited, and Palace were ready for it. The club and supporters regrouped. The European adventure was on!
First stop was Fredrikstad, the Norwegian club awaiting Palace in the qualifying round, strange, given that Palace had earned automatic Europa League entry by lifting the FA Cup. Instead, they now had to win the qualifier just to reach the competition.
Gatwick felt less like an airport and more like a Palace takeover. Everywhere you turned, fans were swapping their FA Cup final stories, the tears, the disbelief, the joy, each version told with the pride of someone who’d lived through a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Flights to Gothenburg and Oslo, supporters were scattering across Scandinavia, all heading for the same unlikely destination – Fredrikstad.
You could feel the buzz the moment you arrived. Hotels booked up, taxis overwhelmed, and a small Norwegian town about to be washed in red and blue. Fans helped one another with rides, directions, and recommendations, a travelling community built on shared joy and the words everyone kept repeating, “I can’t believe we’re actually here.”
One supporter even teared up when recalling the FA Cup triumph, and he wasn’t alone!
Fredrikstad embraced it, creating a dedicated fan zone labelled – “Palace Party.” And that’s exactly what it became – a lively build-up to the game just five minutes from their riverside stadium. Inside the ground, around 2,000 Palace fans generated one of the club’s best-ever away atmospheres. When the UEFA anthem hit, their feelings were made very clear. The football? Forgettable at best, however, the singing never stopped including Fredrikstad’s supporters who bounced relentlessly!
The match finished a scrappy 0–0, but Palace’s first-leg win meant everything – Crystal Palace were now officially in Europe, Conference League or not!
The next away stop on Palace’s European tour was a meeting with Dynamo Kyiv, although the Ukrainian side now play their home fixtures in Lublin, Poland, due to the ongoing war. Once again, the airports were a sea of red and blue. On planes, fans swapped stories, shared laughs, and proudly showed off their Palace colours. Some flew into Kraków, others into Warsaw and a lucky few landed directly into Lublin.
A brief stay in Kraków proved unforgettable. Locals and tourists alike asked about Palace’s journey and wished the club well. An encounter with a group of Plymouth fans over a selection of Polish vodkas turned into a lively football chat, with promises they’d be tuning in to support Palace.
Just recently in Lublin, Russian drones had been spotted and shot down over the town which is only 60 miles from the Ukrainian border. This away day carried a deeper sense of respect and solidarity.
Pre-match, Palace’s team hotel, believe it or not was a local Holiday Inn! Fans staying in the same hotel couldn’t believe their luck of sharing the same accommodation but many could not check into their rooms because the players, club staff and a large police presence had taken over! The hotel was clearly overwhelmed, but the atmosphere stayed upbeat. Supporters mingled with players and staff, grabbing photos, sharing moments, and even giving a receptive and ever-friendly Oliver Glasner a few emotional hugs. A police escort eventually led the team to the stadium.
In Lublin’s Old Town, the build-up was electric. The main square overflowed with Palace supporters in loud voice, flags draped from windows, and songs echoing through the narrow cobbled streets, a vibrant burst of colour and noise in the heart of the city.
Inside the stadium, it was an extraordinary experience. Lublin Arena holds over 15,000; however the attendance was only 6,800 with more than half of them Palace supporters. The absence of Kyiv’s home crowd was a striking reminder of the reality Ukrainians are living through. Football, understandably, isn’t front of mind during a war, but being unable to watch your own club must be a heartbreak of its own. A small pocket of enthusiastic Ukrainian fans were present, a few hundred at most, joined by Palace supporters and curious locals filling the rest of the seats.
Despite the ground being barely full the atmosphere from the travelling fans was electric. Palace chants echoed around the ground, including one about being 18 games unbeaten. A professional and dominant 0–2 away win stretched that to 19, and the words of the song shifted accordingly.
19 games undefeated including an FA Cup, and a Community Shield during that period, it felt like the most golden spell in the club’s modern history.
After the final whistle, supporters poured back into Lublin’s Old Town, celebrating with Polish dumplings and local beer. One fan even claimed it was the best away day of his life.
Next up – Strasbourg, France. Game three of the tour, and by far the most unique. Families, partners, and friends joined this trip, many lured by one particular attraction – Strasbourg’s world-famous Christmas markets! Known as the Christmas Capital of Europe, it absolutely lived up to its name.
This leg didn’t start at Gatwick. It began with a road trip across France, complete with a cheeky detour through the Champagne region! A bucket list moment for many. At every service station, every rest stop, Palace fans appeared. Flags hung from car windows, scarves waved out of sunroofs. Even those flying in took creative routes – Luxembourg, Basel, Stuttgart, you name it. Strasbourg had transformed into a football hub.
@forfitnesssake Strasbourg Away! #strasbourg #cpfc #fyp #football #awaydays ♬ I Run – HAVEN.
Thousands of fans were unable to get into the stadium for this one, tickets sold out instantly. Instead, pubs and bars across the city became Palace fan zones, packed wall to wall with red and blue. In the ground the away allocation was full, very different though as the fans were behind a cage!
Dotted around the stadium though, many Palace fans appeared in the home stands. There was absolutely no trouble and the Strasbourg fans didn’t seem to mind! Sitting down next to a Strasbourg fan wearing the club’s scarf, the man leaned over cheerfully saying “Bonsoir” receiving a very English “Hi” in return complete with raised eyebrows! There was a pause before he chuckled and said, “So … you’re one of us!” Laughing the response back was ‘’What’s with the scarf then?” With a straight face, he replied: “It’s my disguise!’’
@forfitnesssake Palace take over Strasbourg in the home & away end! 🇫🇷🦅 #cpfc #strasbourg #uefa #fyp #awaydays ♬ Get Ready – Steve Aoki Vocal Radio Edit – 2 Unlimited
Palace delivered an impressive first-half performance, capped by a well-taken opener that sent the away end crazy, plus cheers from small clusters of Palace fans dotted discreetly around the stadium, some celebrating more bravely than others.
But it truly was a game of two halves. After the break, Strasbourg took control, outplaying Palace and turning the match on its head. The visitors missed several big chances, while the home side made theirs count, securing a deserved 2–1 victory. In the end, it was Strasbourg who had the last laugh.
Dublin marked the final away stop of the league stage and what a way to finish. The city was awash with Palace colours, and not just from fans travelling over from London.
The level of Irish support was a genuine surprise. One family even revealed they make the trip from Dublin to Selhurst Park for every home game.
In Temple Bar, the love for Palace was impossible to miss. One local summed it up perfectly in fitting Palace Bar:
“Crystal Palace are very Irish. Very Irish and we love that. Everyone here wants Palace to win. I was at a communion during the FA Cup run and stopped it halfway through to tell everyone Palace had scored!” He laughed before adding, “Palace fans are easily one of our favourite fanbases in the league.”
The music spilled out of every bar and Palace supporters happily put their own spin on the Irish classics, turning Temple Bar into one giant, bouncing sing-along. For many, this was their first European away day, Dublin’s accessibility opening the door to a whole new experience and the atmosphere reflected it.
@forfitnesssake Palace fans im Temple Bar, Dublin #cpfc #dublin #fyp #awaydays #palace ♬ Swear By It – Chris Alan Lee
A comfortable 3-0 win over last season’s Irish champions Shelbourne, only added fuel to the night. Pubs filled up fast, red and blue everywhere, with one venue even playing Glad All Over every half hour, a small touch that meant everything.
What stood out most was the togetherness. Strangers became friends within minutes, united by nothing more than a shared love for Crystal Palace. That’s the magic of European nights.
The league stage concludes under the Selhurst lights against KuPS Kuopio, before the knockout rounds come into view. Where this European adventure goes next remains anyone’s guess.
After several Guinnesses, one fan summed it up best: “Fourth in the Premier League. FA Cup winners. Community Shield holders. And now we’re in Europe. Is this the pinnacle?”
Let’s hope this remarkable Crystal Palace story is only just getting started and that Oliver Glasner has plenty more chapters left to write.