Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterCrystal Palaces run to the 1990 FA Cup final remains one of the most memorable chapters in the clubs history.Former Eagles midfielder Alan Pardew was right in the thick of it, with his extra-time winner against Liverpool in a classic semi-final encounter at Villa Park settling the tie and booking the clubs place at the Wembley showpiece.Remarkably, the 4-3 victory came just months after the Reds had humbled Palace 9-0 at Anfield.Pardew on Palaces FA Cup runFor Pardew, the contrast between these two matches perfectly captured the character of this Palace side, who refused to dwell on that seasons heavy defeat.I played in that not-so-iconic 9-0 league defeat against Liverpool a few months earlier, Pardew recalls to FourFourTwo. The scale and manner of this defeat and subsequent low point would eventually provide the narrative behind one of the greatest moments of his career. You may like "Liverpool humiliated us 9-0, but we got our own back" Theo Paphitis discusses breaking protocol before Millwall's 2004 FA Cup Final against Manchester United Steve Coppell on his management sliding doors moment at Crystal Palace But I suppose thats what made the cup win so remarkable, he adds. Humiliation one moment, sheer elation the next.Indeed it was the response of the group to such a thrashing that defined Palace as a team that season.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.It was testimony to the resilience we had within the group, he continues, before turning to the part he played in the victory, specifically his 109th-minute winner.That goal shot me into the spotlight for probably the first time in my career, he recalls. Suddenly, every newspaper, radio station and TV channel wanted to talk to me.This exposure was something new for Pardew and his team-mates, not least because of the way that football culture was beginning to move into the mainstream of popular culture, following the dark days of the 1980s.I think the two semi-finals that season were the first live on television back-to-back, he says, before recalling how close the Eagles were to meeting another unfacied side under the Twin Towers."I remember us watching the other one afterwards praying that Oldham could beat Manchester United.They almost did and it was so nearly a Palace v Oldham Cup final which would have been a bit weird.TOPICSCrystal PalaceFA CupJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromIan Murtagh
