Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterIt is standard fare for a recently appointed manager to praise their new club's supporters, but the detail in Pierre Sages answer suggested he really meant it.First of all, its about the league, to be really honest, the Frenchman said last month when asked why he had chosen to join Crystal Palace. "And after that it is a special club. It is the only club [in the Premier League] with ultras, and as I said, I like to play for the fans.Unfortunately for Sage, he never got the chance to experience the atmosphere he signed up for. Palaces ultras group, the Holmesdale Fanatics, disbanded on the eve of the new season. It has not taken long for their absence to be felt."The flat atmosphere was a topic of discussion after both matches"The Fanatics were founded in 2005 by a group of Palace season-ticket holders in Block B of the Holmesdale Road stand. By the end of that decade they were earning widespread praise for the colour, creativity and vibrancy they brought to the then-Championship clubs support, with flares and flags at the forefront and a drum setting the tempo for their European-style songs.The Fanatics went from strength to strength following Palaces promotion to the Premier League in 2013. Their entirely fan-funded tifos graced not only Selhurst Park, but Wembley and Leipzigs Red Bull Arena, too. In 2019 the group moved from Block B near the corner flag to Block E directly behind the goal in the Holmesdale Road end, establishing itself as a vocal hub at the heart of Palaces home support. You may like Are Crystal Palace making a huge mistake this summer? 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Long-standing proponents of a grassroots, bottom-up approach to football fandom, the Fanatics have grown frustrated by the clubs increasingly top-down approach, exemplified by pre-match light shows and music blasted at a deafening volume immediately after the final whistle.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.That culture clash over how best to generate an atmosphere formed part of their decision to step away.We have repeatedly warned the club that likeminded fans cannot congregate at Palace in the numbers required to sustain a growing active supporter culture, a statement released in August said.There needs to be a drastic shift at Palace towards younger fans and a move away from a culture in which people attend the ground expecting to be entertained, towards a culture of supporters turning up to play an active role in influencing the result." What to read next The sooner Millwall are in the Premier League, the better. Everyone needs to experience The Den Why Newcastle, Everton, Crystal Palace and others must be wary Exclusive: Tony Gale explains why West Ham struggle with the 'smell' of the London Stadium The statement also aired the Fanatics grievances with the broader state of the sport in England.Increasingly driven out by sky-high ticket prices, needless restrictions that are designed to strip away the dignity of supporters, and relentless harassment and legal action, many young people are choosing to opt out of a game that seems determined to push them away.While many Palace fans have mourned their departure from the scene, others have been less sympathetic. The move from Block B to Block E displaced many long-standing season-ticket holders, fuelling resentment. Some supporters were displeased when the Fanatics appeared to have a section of away ends reserved for them in last years Conference League campaign amid suspicions they had not accrued enough loyalty points to qualify. Inevitably, their forthright political stances divided the fan base, delighting some and dismaying others.Yet overall the Holmesdale Fanatics were a force for good at Palace, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone who thinks the atmosphere at Selhurst Park is better for their absence.Despite Selhursts reputation for being a difficult place to go, Palace have had a curiously mediocre record in front of their own fans for much of their current 13-year spell in the top flight. In nine of those seasons, the Eagles have finished higher in the Premier Leagues away table than the home equivalent.The situation is unlikely to improve now Selhurst Park has lost its beating heart. Right now, home is where the hurt is for Crystal Palace.TOPICSCrystal PalacePremier LeagueGreg LeaSocial Links NavigationGreg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).
