Crystal Palace’s only competitive European trip in July before this year came in 1998, when the relegated Eagles entered the Intertoto Cup and were drawn against Samsunspor. Academy graduate Jimmy Hibburt later recalled an intimidating visit to Samsun, while defender Dean Austin took a more positive view of the noisy Turkish atmosphere.
Palace’s place in the tournament had been secured through an application rather than league position. The Intertoto Cup offered clubs outside the Champions League, UEFA Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup a route into European competition, and had become a pathway to the UEFA Cup in 1995. After English clubs were absent in 1996 and 1997, Palace became the country’s representative in 1998.
Terry Venables used the two-legged tie to assess several younger and newer players. Austin, Hayden Mullins and Steven Thomson made their Palace debuts in the first match at Selhurst Park, but the hosts lost 2-0 in sweltering conditions. Six days later, the squad travelled to Samsun with only two weeks of pre-season behind them.
The heat made preparation especially difficult. Rather than complete a full training session, Venables took his players into the shade to work through tactics, with temperatures reported at around 43C. Austin remembered Samsunspor as a fitter side and described the match as a demanding test in front of a crowd of roughly 9,000, with flares and constant noise around the ground.
Palace were beaten by another 2-0 scoreline, with Serkan Aykut scoring twice to complete a 4-0 aggregate victory for Samsunspor. Hibburt’s account focused on the hostility of the trip, while Austin recalled being advised not to leave the hotel in Palace clothing because of the surrounding area. The short European adventure ended there, with Venables’ squad returning home to continue preparations for their Division One promotion campaign.
