Former Crystal Palace chairman Ron Noades has passed away at the age of 76 following a battle with lung cancer. Noades guided Palace to the most successful spell in their history before departing the club after 17 years following the controversial sale to Mark Goldberg in 1998.
He will be mainly remembered for his role as Palace chairman, overseeing an extended period of success under Steve Coppell's management.
The Eagles won promotion to the old Division One in 1989 and reached the FA Cup final the following season only to be beaten by Manchester United after a replay.
Coppell then guided the team to third place in Division One the following season, although they were denied a place in Europe due to the UEFA ban on English clubs at the time.
They did at least lift some silverware when they won the Zenith Data Systems Cup after beating Everton at Wembley, and they finished 10th in the 1991/92 season to ensure a place in the inaugural Premier League.
Palace were relegated despite accumulating 49 points, but they bounced straight back to win the First Division title the following season under new manager Alan Smith.
Noades was at the helm for one further relegation and promotion before parting with the club after their disastrous 1997/98 campaign, which ended with Noades as caretaker-manager.
