Ian Holloway lavished praise on former club president Peter Morley CBE, who passed away earlier this week, calling him Mr Crystal Palace, who was blue and red through and through.

Mr Morley, who for the past 12 years has been Crystal Palace’s club president, passed away in his sleep on Saturday night at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Bromley.

The 84-year-old was appointed chairman during the club's administration in the late nineties and in 2000 he accepted the role as club president.

Holloway said: “Crystal Palace is a clan that has a family ethos behind it and no-one summed that up better than Peter Morley.

“When I first came here he made me feel so welcome – he is Crystal Palace through and through.

“I am so privileged to have known him, he was always so positive and always smiling.”

He added: “He knew what Palace was all about.

“I was delighted to see our fans jumping up and down when we conceded against Sunderland, but that is what the Palace family is all about and no-one summed it up better than Peter.”

Palace have announced there will be a minute’s applause on Sunday before their game against Swansea and they are looking into making sure there is a memorial at Selhurst Park in memory of the former chairman.