During the 2005–06 English football season, Crystal Palace F.C. competed in the Football League Championship, following relegation from the FA Premier League the previous season.

Season summary Crystal Palace had been boosted by the decision by the Premiership's top English goalscorer of the previous season, Andrew Johnson, to remain with the Londoners to fire their bid for a return to the top flight. Although Johnson was less prolific this season, scoring only 15 goals, Palace reached the play-offs in sixth place – the position they had finished in the promotion season of 2004. Palace faced third-placed Watford in the semi-finals – they were comprehensively beaten 3–0 in the first leg, and were only able to draw the second leg 0–0, consigning Palace to another season in the Championship. Manager Iain Dowie was soon on his way out, leaving by mutual consent on 22 May. Dowie claimed he wanted to be closer to his family in the north; he would take up the vacancy at London rivals Charlton Athletic a mere eight days later. He was followed out of Selhurst Park by Johnson, who snubbed Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers to join Everton for £8.6 million.

In June, Palace appointed Hull City manager (and former Palace winger) Peter Taylor as Dowie's successor.

Kit Italian company Diadora remained Palace's kit manufacturers, and introduced a new home kit for the season. Unlike the previous season's kit, which was mainly red, the new kit was predominantly blue, complemented by a single thick red stripe down the centre of the shirt. For the club's centenary the club wore a commemorative kit on 27 July, 27 September and 22 October: the kit recalled one worn by the club in the 1970s, which featured white shorts and socks and a white shirt with two stripes of sky blue and claret (the club's original colours) in the centre.

Churchill Insurance remained kit sponsors for the sixth consecutive season.

Final league table

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

Players with no appearances not included in the list

|colspan="14"|Players left the club during the season:

Source:

Results Crystal Palace's score comes first

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League Championship DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 6 August 2005 Luton TownH1–221,166Johnson 9 August 2005 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–224,745McAnuff 13 August 2005 Norwich CityA1–125,102Johnson 20 August 2005 Plymouth ArgyleH1–018,781Ward 27 August 2005 Stoke CityH2–017,637Johnson (2) 10 September 2005 Hull CityH2–018,630Morrison, Johnson 13 September 2005 ReadingA2–317,562Johnson, Morrison 17 September 2005 Cardiff CityA0–111,647 24 September 2005 Preston North EndH1–117,291Morrison 27 September 2005 Sheffield WednesdayH2–017,413Morrison, Whelan (own goal) 3 October 2005 Queens Park RangersA3–113,433Reich (2), Soares 15 October 2005 Coventry CityA4–124,438Ward, Morrison, Watson, Macken 18 October 2005 Brighton & Hove AlbionH0–122,400 22 October 2005 BurnleyH2–020,127Morrison, Freedman 29 October 2005 Crewe AlexandraA2–26,766Freedman, Morrison 5 November 2005 Sheffield UnitedH2–320,344Hughes, Freedman (pen) 20 November 2005 Brighton & Hove AlbionA3–27,067Freedman (2), McAnuff 22 November 2005 Coventry CityH2–017,343Andrews, Boyce 26 November 2005 Luton TownA0–210,248 3 December 2005 MillwallH1–119,571Watson 10 December 2005 Wolverhampton WanderersH1–119,385Johnson 17 December 2005 Plymouth ArgyleA0–214,582 26 December 2005 Ipswich TownA2–027,392Macken, Hughes 28 December 2005 Derby CountyH2–018,978Morrison, Ward 31 December 2005 WatfordA2–115,856Ward, Johnson (pen) 2 January 2006 Leicester CityH2–020,089McAnuff, Johnson 14 January 2006 Hull CityA2–118,886Ward, Cort (own goal) 20 January 2006 ReadingH1–119,888Johnson (pen) 25 January 2006 SouthamptonA0–024,651 31 January 2006 Preston North EndA0–213,867 4 February 2006 Cardiff CityH1–017,962Riihilahti 11 February 2006 Sheffield WednesdayA0–024,784 14 February 2006 Queens Park RangersH2–117,550Morrison, McAnuff 18 February 2006 MillwallA1–112,296Watson 25 February 2006 Norwich CityH4–119,066Johnson, Watson, Morrison, Hall 4 March 2006 Leeds UnitedH1–223,843McAnuff 13 March 2006 Stoke CityA3–110,121Sidibe (own goal), McAnuff, Johnson 18 March 2006 Ipswich TownH2–222,076Riihilahti, Morrison 21 March 2006 Leeds UnitedA1–024,507McAnuff 25 March 2006 Derby CountyA1–224,857Morrison 31 March 2006 WatfordH3–118,619Freedman, Stewart (own goal), DeMerit (own goal) 7 April 2006 Leicester CityA0–223,211 15 April 2006 Crewe AlexandraH2–218,358Johnson (2) 17 April 2006 BurnleyA0–011,449 22 April 2006 SouthamptonH2–120,995Johnson, Morrison 30 April 2006 Sheffield UnitedA0–127,120

Championship play-offs +RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersSF 1st Leg6 May 2006 WatfordH0–322,880SF 2nd Leg9 May 2006 WatfordA0–0 (lost 0–3 on agg)19,041

FA Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR37 January 2006 Northampton TownH4–110,391Hughes, McAnuff, Johnson (pen), Freedman (pen)R428 January 2006 Preston North EndA1–19,489JohnsonR4R7 February 2006 Preston North EndH1–27,356Ward

League Cup

+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR123 August 2005 WalsallH3–05,508Popovic (pen), Granville, HughesR220 September 2005 Coventry CityH1–05,341ReichR325 October 2005 LiverpoolH2–119,673Freedman, ReichR430 November 2005 MiddlesbroughA1–210,791Queudrue (own goal)

First-team squad

Left club during season

Transfers In Jobi McAnuff – Cardiff City, £600,000, 31 May 2005 Darren Ward – Millwall, £1,100,000, Jonathan Macken – Manchester City Marco Reich – Derby County

Out Wayne Routledge – Tottenham Hotspur Darren Powell - Southampton, free, 1 July 2005 Sándor Torghelle – Panathinaikos, season loan

References

Notes