Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has insisted the Eagles must make the most of their positive start to the season.
Palace currently sit sixth in the Premier League following impressive recent wins against Manchester United and West Ham, both away from home. After eight games, Palace sit on 14 points, and chairman Parish says they hope to avoid yet another 'missed opportunity.'
Progress will be evident both on and off the pitch though, as an announcement is expected before Christmas regarding the club's plans for the academy.
As well as this, plans to develop the main stand at Selhurst Park are in place, meaning that the whole infrastructure of the club looks set to be developed.
Speaking at a premiere of BT Sport's film about Crystal Palace, Team of the Eighties, Parish said as quoted by Football London: “When you see 52,000 in Selhurst, you know what this club is capable of, and what we could set fire to. That’s what I am trying to bring back, and I think we have had moments, we really have, and hopefully we are still on that path.
“I don’t want this to be another missed opportunity, and I have been saying this for ten years.
“I don’t want us to lose this opportunity with the time we have got now. The academy, we have been talking to relevant people about the plans we have got for it, and they will be announced before Christmas in a big way.
“The stadium we are moving forward as well, and the team we have to try and be smart about the things that we do, while we build the club in other ways."
Despite the comparisons to Palace teams of the 1980s, Parish vowed not to get over-excited and promised to make the most of the opportunity in front of Palace.
He added: “So far it is going ok, but we are not deluded. We know that so far we are doing better this season than some of the starts we have had.
“We are not getting carried away. We have got five clubs above us and no-one at this club is getting carried away internally.
“But this team has got a lot of spirit, the fans have got a lot of spirit, and we have got a bit of quality as well, and I really do hope that we can build on what the team and the manager is doing, off the pitch. That is what is going to accelerate us on the pitch.
“That doesn’t mean we aren’t going to have bad times or difficult moments this season, because we know how it works.
“But if we can carry on building on what we are doing, and build the infrastructure of this club, maybe we won’t miss this opportunity.
“We will absolutely, with this group of people, give absolutely everything to make sure we don’t miss this opportunity, like we did in the 1980s, and let’s hope we can do it.”
Palace's next five games are key, with the south Londoners playing all five teams above them in the Premier League table.
Source : 90min