“I’m not sure what y’all’s smallest unit of measurement is over here, but that’s how much I know about football.”
~Ted Lasso, Series 1, Episode 2("Biscuits")
For a century, Crystal Palace knew all about small measurements, close calls, narrow defeats, and the faint applause of gallant failure. Always the underdog, rarely the victor. Then came Wembley, 2025. And for once, the smallest unit of football measurement, a single goal, was enough to make history.
On Saturday, life caught up with art.
Crystal Palace, the South London club that inspired Ted Lasso ’s fictional AFC Richmond , lifted their first-ever major trophy by beating Pep Guardiola ’s Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final . A moment 119 years in the making. For the club, the fans, and anyone who’s ever rooted for the underdog, it was nothing short of catharsis.
From Selhurst Park to Nelson Road, and back again
For years, Palace have carried the weight of being nearly men, a club rich in character, poor in silverware. Known for their loyal fanbase, boisterous Selhurst Park atmosphere, and flashes of brilliance, they’ve always hovered around the edges of English football’s elite. But not quite in the centre.
Then came Ted Lasso. The Emmy-winning series filmed at Palace’s home ground, borrowing not just the stadium but the soul of the club. AFC Richmond, the fictional team managed by the endlessly optimistic Coach Lasso, mirrored Palace in almost every way: blue and red kits, underdog energy, and the relentless hope that something beautiful might happen if they just kept going.
On May 17, that hope became real.
They weren’t supposed to win. Not against City. Not against the team with Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland, and a bench thatcould buy your borough. And yet, in a match that demanded resolve, wit, and just a dash of madness, Palace became Richmond. Or rather, Richmond became Palace all along.
Eze does It
The winning goal wasn’t just a moment. It was a motif.
Sixteen minutes in, Jean-Philippe Mateta , all flair and chaos, cut through City’s famously rigid high line like it was tissue. Daniel Muñoz, making the kind of run that gets freeze-framed in folklore, squared it calmly to Eberechi Eze , who took one touch and then rolled it past Ederson like he was closing a door. Cool, clean, clinical.
No panic. No second thoughts.
Just Palace, ahead, and the blue shirts stunned.
The rest of the match became a siege. Haaland loomed. Kevin De Bruyne probed. A penalty was given. Omar Marmoush stepped up. Dean Henderson dove. Save. Cue limbs.
Later, the Palace keeper flirted with disaster, a potential handball outside the box, but VAR, in its infinite mystery, waved it away. City fumed. Rooney, on commentary, seethed. But Henderson stood tall.
After the final whistle, Glasner said simply:
“We had no history. So we wrote our own.”
The kind of line that sounds like it came from a screenwriter. It didn’t. It came from the man who just led Crystal Palace to footballing immortality.
From Kansas to Croydon, this one was for everyone
The cultural crossover was instant. Fans flooded social media with comparisons to Ted Lasso, calling it a “Richmond moment come true.” Actor Brett Goldstein ,Roy Kent himself ,was spotted in the crowd, clad in a Palace scarf, celebrating like a true Eagle, probably calling someone a “f***ing legend” as Palace lifted the trophy.
The parallels wrote themselves.
the moment felt straight out of a scriptwriters’ room. Football, fiction, and folklore collided under Wembley’s lights. In an age where football often feels algorithmic and industrial, this was heart over hardware.
Belief, with a South London accent
This wasn’t just a victory over Manchester City, a team built on dominance, data, and oil money. It was a win for patience. For culture. For character. Palace did it not with superstar budgets, but with a squad full of fight and a coach with vision.
They became the first team since Wigan in 2013 to beat Manchester City in a domestic cup final. They won the FA Cup with a team that cost less than Jack Grealish’s haircut budget. And they did it not as replicas of a TV show, but as the origin story itself.
It’s tempting to say they became AFC Richmond. But that’s not quite right.
Ted Lasso was always inspired by Palace. What happened at Wembley wasn’t Palace becoming Richmond, it was Richmond coming home.
So here’s to belief. Here’s to the long wait. And here’s to the club that’s always had heart, finally getting their hands on something real to show for it.
Because as it turns out, sometimes the best football stories aren’t written in writers’ rooms. They’re written at Wembley.
~Ted Lasso, Series 1, Episode 2("Biscuits")
For a century, Crystal Palace knew all about small measurements, close calls, narrow defeats, and the faint applause of gallant failure. Always the underdog, rarely the victor. Then came Wembley, 2025. And for once, the smallest unit of football measurement, a single goal, was enough to make history.
Wonderful build up for the Palace goal, MATETA AND EZE >>>> pic.twitter.com/JqybJJmSyr
— 🇨🇩🇸🇱 (@8Flavs) May 17, 2025
On Saturday, life caught up with art.
Crystal Palace, the South London club that inspired Ted Lasso ’s fictional AFC Richmond , lifted their first-ever major trophy by beating Pep Guardiola ’s Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final . A moment 119 years in the making. For the club, the fans, and anyone who’s ever rooted for the underdog, it was nothing short of catharsis.
Crystal Palace are the @EmiratesFACup 2025 CHAMPIONS 🏆 #CPFC pic.twitter.com/BbIwgasmTW
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 17, 2025
From Selhurst Park to Nelson Road, and back again
For years, Palace have carried the weight of being nearly men, a club rich in character, poor in silverware. Known for their loyal fanbase, boisterous Selhurst Park atmosphere, and flashes of brilliance, they’ve always hovered around the edges of English football’s elite. But not quite in the centre.
Then came Ted Lasso. The Emmy-winning series filmed at Palace’s home ground, borrowing not just the stadium but the soul of the club. AFC Richmond, the fictional team managed by the endlessly optimistic Coach Lasso, mirrored Palace in almost every way: blue and red kits, underdog energy, and the relentless hope that something beautiful might happen if they just kept going.
On May 17, that hope became real.
They weren’t supposed to win. Not against City. Not against the team with Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland, and a bench thatcould buy your borough. And yet, in a match that demanded resolve, wit, and just a dash of madness, Palace became Richmond. Or rather, Richmond became Palace all along.
Eze does It
The winning goal wasn’t just a moment. It was a motif.
Sixteen minutes in, Jean-Philippe Mateta , all flair and chaos, cut through City’s famously rigid high line like it was tissue. Daniel Muñoz, making the kind of run that gets freeze-framed in folklore, squared it calmly to Eberechi Eze , who took one touch and then rolled it past Ederson like he was closing a door. Cool, clean, clinical.
No panic. No second thoughts.
Just Palace, ahead, and the blue shirts stunned.
The rest of the match became a siege. Haaland loomed. Kevin De Bruyne probed. A penalty was given. Omar Marmoush stepped up. Dean Henderson dove. Save. Cue limbs.
Later, the Palace keeper flirted with disaster, a potential handball outside the box, but VAR, in its infinite mystery, waved it away. City fumed. Rooney, on commentary, seethed. But Henderson stood tall.
After the final whistle, Glasner said simply:
“We had no history. So we wrote our own.”
The kind of line that sounds like it came from a screenwriter. It didn’t. It came from the man who just led Crystal Palace to footballing immortality.
From Kansas to Croydon, this one was for everyone
The cultural crossover was instant. Fans flooded social media with comparisons to Ted Lasso, calling it a “Richmond moment come true.” Actor Brett Goldstein ,Roy Kent himself ,was spotted in the crowd, clad in a Palace scarf, celebrating like a true Eagle, probably calling someone a “f***ing legend” as Palace lifted the trophy.
The parallels wrote themselves.
the moment felt straight out of a scriptwriters’ room. Football, fiction, and folklore collided under Wembley’s lights. In an age where football often feels algorithmic and industrial, this was heart over hardware.
Belief, with a South London accent
This wasn’t just a victory over Manchester City, a team built on dominance, data, and oil money. It was a win for patience. For culture. For character. Palace did it not with superstar budgets, but with a squad full of fight and a coach with vision.
They became the first team since Wigan in 2013 to beat Manchester City in a domestic cup final. They won the FA Cup with a team that cost less than Jack Grealish’s haircut budget. And they did it not as replicas of a TV show, but as the origin story itself.
It’s tempting to say they became AFC Richmond. But that’s not quite right.
Ted Lasso was always inspired by Palace. What happened at Wembley wasn’t Palace becoming Richmond, it was Richmond coming home.
So here’s to belief. Here’s to the long wait. And here’s to the club that’s always had heart, finally getting their hands on something real to show for it.
Because as it turns out, sometimes the best football stories aren’t written in writers’ rooms. They’re written at Wembley.
You may also like
17 killed in a huge fire near Hyderabad's Charminar (Lead)
Marathi series 'Andhar Maya' talks about a homecoming gone wrong
"There's anger against terrorism": Union Minister Bhagirath Choudhary amid calls for boycott of trade relations with Turkey, Azerbaijan
Who Is Ehsan-ur-Rahim? Pakistani Diplomat Linked To YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra Arrested For Alleged Espionage
Why the 'IIT tag' might not land you a global tech job: London techie's bold post sparks viral debate
