How to get involved with Palace for Life's matchday takeover at Selhurst Park

Foundation

18 Apr 2025

At Crystal Palace’s fixture against Bournemouth on Saturday, Palace for Life Foundation, the club's official charity, are hosting a 'takeover' of Selhurst Park to raise awareness of their vital work across the South London community.

The Foundation are asking Palace fans to get involved in activities across the stadium and donate to support their remarkable mission.

What's going on?

You might usually see the Palace for Life stall in the Fanzone pre-match, with lots of people testing their skills in a penalty shootout.

However, for their special takeover against Bournemouth, the Foundation are doing a full takeover pre-match.

Inside Selhurst Park:

There will be a silent auction taking place. Don’t miss your chance to win exclusive Palace prizes, from a signed Ebere Eze shirt, to signed boots from Chris Richards! You can find out more via this link.
Players will be warming-up in ‘Palace for Life’ t-shirts, to help raise awareness of the campaign; you can find out more about it here.
Fans might also notice some Palace for Life flags being waved pitch-side before kick-off – make sure you keep an eye out for those!
At half-time, there will be special lap of honour around the pitch from the incredible ‘Bike From Bournemouth’ riders. Please give them a round of applause as they make their way round – they will have just completed a 120-mile round cycle from Bournemouth for the annual cycling challenge! You can find out more about, and donate to, the riders here.
Keep an eye on the big screen for a special ‘Glad All Over’ video too! The DS Eagles have released a special cover of ‘Glad All Over’.
Try and catch your own Palace for Life t-shirt! The Foundation will be giving these away to the crowd at half-time.

Or before you head inside, here what’s happening in the Fanzone (open from 12:00 BST):

Raffle – Head to the Fanzone in time to catch the raffle and have a chance to win special Palace prizes.
Penalty shootout – You can still test your skills in the penalty shootout pop-up!
Find out more about Palace for Life – speak to our dedicated fundraisers about our work in the community.
Live music – listen to tunes from DJ Jay Knox to get in the mood for Palace’s push for Europe!
Tap to donate station – You can easily support the Foundation's work by visiting our donate stations and giving to help continue their work in the community. Or you can donate online.

Donate here

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Why support the takeover?

Palace for Life are taking over Selhurst Park to raise awareness of their vital work across the South London community.

You will notice a Glad All Over theme throughout the activities as, earlier this week, a cover was released of the club’s iconic walk-out anthem, performed by our Down’s Syndrome football team, the DS Eagles, and Crystal Palace players Chris Richards, Aimee Everett, Fliss Gibbons and Shanade Hopcroft, alongside Palace for Life coaches.

The song aims to challenge stereotypes around Down’s Syndrome and employment, and raise funds for the charity’s work.

This cover of the 1963 hit by The Dave Clark Five marks the culmination of DS GAME ON, a year-long Palace for Life programme designed to help people with Down’s Syndrome develop skills and confidence for employment.

Combining two of the charity’s most successful initiatives – DS Eagles, which provides sports sessions for people with Down’s Syndrome; and GAME ON, its flagship employment programme, partly funded by the Premier League and Professional Footballers Association (PLPFA) – the project gives participants hands-on experience in a range of job roles.

Croydon is one of 32 London Boroughs with the highest number of 16-17-year-olds not in education, training, or employment. Many young people face obstacles like limited experience, lack of confidence, and restricted access to support.

For those with disabilities, like Down’s Syndrome, the barriers can be even greater, ranging from prejudice to low expectations about what they can achieve.

While there is no specific data on how many people with Down’s Syndrome are in work, but disability charity Mencap estimates that 65% of people with learning disabilities, Down’s Syndrome included, want to work, yet fewer than 20% are employed. Here’s where Glad All Over comes in.

It is hoped Glad All Over will raise awareness, challenge outdated assumptions, and generate funds to support its employment programmes for young people across South London.

Find out more

Donate here

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