Error spells trouble for Palace

By Chhris Chharles

That's another fine mess...

Never mind surviving relegation from the Premiership, Crystal Palace are having trouble spelling their own name.

The Eagles find themselves rooted to the bottom of the literacy league after selling official shirts with the club's name shown incorrectly.

The blue and red striped tops bear the legend 'Chrystal Palace' under one of the crests, an error repeated on blue and white away shirts and grey goalkeeping tops.

And there's us thinking you were supposed to DROP your aitches in south London.

It makes us look like a total bunch of clowns Palace fan Joe Cusworth

But not everyone has seen the funny side.

Palace fan Joe Cusworth, of Tooting, London, told BBC Sport he feared it was a sign of things to come this season.

"We could do without getting embarrassed off the pitch as we've got a good chance of getting embarrassed on it.

"It makes us look like a total bunch of clowns."

Another Palace fan, Dom Cummins from Sutton, could see the funny side, joking: "I'm surprised anybody noticed.

"Footballers aren't exactly renowned for their spelling.

"We ought to keep the extra letter - we should take anything we can get!"

The replica shirts, which cost £39.99 each, were made in Romania for sports manufacturers Diadora.

An explanation on the official club website read: "On delivery of our first batch of shirts, we have noticed a discrepancy on the spelling of the club's name.

"We have subsequently contacted the manufacturers to enact a recall policy if required."

The other King of Spain

The offending crest is at the bottom of the shirts - amazingly the main badge on the left breast is correct.

The blunder comes a day after it was revealed Warwickshire Cricket Club are selling Ashley Giles tribute mugs branding him the 'King of Spain' - after makers put an extra 'a' in by mistake.

And while Crystal Palace have gained an 'h', David Beckam - sorry, Beckham - lost one off the back of his shirt in the Charity Shield a couple of years ago.

One thing's for sure, if the Eagles start performing badly, expect a new chant to ring around the terraces this season -"We're shirt and we know we are".