Crystal Palace fans raised more than £13k to turn the stands of Wembley Stadium into a sea of red and blue during yesterday's FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa. The display - created using hundreds of paper boards - included the phrase 'Take my hand, take my whole life too' and a photo of a young boy clutching a club strip - but why?
Well, the story begins in Croydon many years ago, when decades-long Palace fan Mr Sithole-Sadler bought his grandson Ethan his first season ticket at just three years old. Soon, trips to Selhurst Park become a ritual for the pair.
Ethan's Grandma Jane said: "His grandad took him, even though he was a gentleman who was born here in Croydon. He was white. But that colour never showed. He was Grandad to Ethan from the day he was born, and they had a very strong bond.”
Soon Ethan was the Palace-obsessed boy that his Grandad had always longed for. He and his wife had taken on their then 5-year-old grandson full-time after Ethan's mother struggled to cope.
The youngster was often sent to school late, unbathed and hungry, moving his grandparents to apply for guardianship. Sadly, Grandad died from lung cancer before the application was approved.
During his final days, the South Londoner thought of the child who had come to see him as a father figure. Grandma Jane told Crystal Palace FC during an interview: "When he was dying, he asked me: ‘Can you continue to take Ethan to the football?’
The family have kept their promise and continue to buy season tickets every year, occupying the same seats Mr Sithole-Sadler first landed 56 years before his death. It was here former Palace player Andros Townsend spotted the football-loving youngster in the crowd during the famous 2019 match against Manchester City.
At full-time, still celebrating his winning strike, Townsend handed Ethan his top. The televised moment - showing Ethan clutching it in disbelief - quickly went viral and has become a symbol of what Crystal Palace means to fans. Grandma Jane added: “It’s lovely, it just fulfils. I’m sure wherever my husband is he’s very happy to see that.”
And so, with the FA Cup semi-final looming, long-running fan club Holmesdale Fanatics got to work putting together a special project honouring the iconic photo and it's heart-warming meaning. One successful fundraiser later and the impressive display was seen by football fans around the world last night.
They're now attempting to "finish what they started" during the final at Wembley Stadium on May 17. You can donate to the final fan display on GoFundMe.
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