Steve Kember’s enduring connection with Crystal Palace entered a new chapter on 24 October 1978, when he officially returned to the club from Leicester City. The midfielder had first joined Palace in 1963 and became a popular figure during the team’s historic campaign to win the club’s first promotion to the top flight.
Kember had left south London for spells with Chelsea and Leicester, but his return reignited a relationship with Palace that would extend far beyond his playing career. A Croydon-born graduate of the club’s Academy, he spent only eight years away from south London during a 16-year professional playing career.
After a season in Canada, Kember moved into coaching with Palace’s youth team in 1981. He later served the club in a variety of roles, including leading the youth sides, managing the Reserves and scouting, before returning to first-team coaching duties.
His managerial experience at Selhurst Park also became a defining part of his Palace story. In 2001, Kember was asked to take temporary charge alongside Terry Bullivant for the final two matches of the season. Palace beat Portsmouth and Stockport County, with a late Dougie Freedman goal against Stockport helping secure the points needed to avoid relegation.
Kember eventually became Palace’s permanent manager during the 2003/04 campaign after several caretaker spells. Although that tenure ended during the season, he remained proud of the team that later won promotion to the Premier League under Iain Dowie, describing it as a side he had helped assemble. More than four decades after his return from Leicester, Kember remains a cherished Palace figure for his contributions as both a player and a manager.
