A lifelong Crystal Palace fan, Steven Kettle hadn't seen his team play up close and personal in nearly four decades.

He used to watch the Eagles play every week with his grandfather in the 1970s, although the views weren't as good as they are now.

"My pop was a copper and when he retired they let him in for free," Mr Kettle said.

"So when I was old enough he took me with him.

"I was about three feet tall, so all I really saw was bums though."

That all stopped 38 years ago. Mr Kettle stopped going to games and now lives in the USA.

He's come back home once or twice a year since, but has never managed to snag tickets. That was up until last week when the Eagles took on Chelsea.

With just a two week gap before he returned to the USA, he pleaded with his sister Tina to get him tickets to a game, any game.

"She said 'you know they're playing the champions Chelsea right'," Mr Kettle said.

"I didn't care what game it was, I just wanted to go.

"It was a miracle she got tickets."

So to the game he went.

"I didn't think I'd see much of a result really," he said.

"But what I saw was magic, the people, the atmosphere, It’s something that I’ll never forget."

Much to his - and the thousands of Eagles supporters - Palace beat the odds and got the victory, the club's first of the season.

"It wasn't just a match, it was one of those magical moment that will stick with you forever," Mr Kettle said.

"I even got to meet a few of the players and staff afterwards - Steve Parish, Julian Speroni, who I thought was man of the match as well.

"It was a dream come true."