Retro Crystal Palace Gifts: Red and Blue Christmas Picks

Red and blue stripes, a packed Holmesdale end and that unmistakable south London noise on a cold winter afternoon. If there is a Palace fan on your Christmas list, this guide brings together five festive retro gifts in their colours, plus tips on choosing, personalising and ordering in good time.

A Quick Trip Through Palace Kit History

Every fan has a kit that takes them straight back to a particular season, and Palace supporters have a richer choice than most. In the club's earliest years the colours were claret and light blue, a look older fans and kit historians still love. The switch to the now-famous red and blue came later, and the 1970s brought one of the most talked-about designs of the era: a white shirt with a bold red and blue sash running across the chest. It is still one of the shirts people mention first when they talk about stand-out 70s kits.

The late 1970s side carried the "Team of the Eighties" tag, and the 1990 FA Cup final run gave a whole generation of fans memories they still bring up at every family get-together. Through the shiny sponsor-era shirts of the 90s and beyond, the vertical red and blue stripes have become the look most people picture when they think of the Eagles. Before that nickname took hold, the club was known as the Glaziers, a nod to the original Crystal Palace glass building, and you will still hear older fans use it.

Our designs are inspired by those colours and eras, rather than copying any one shirt, so they feel familiar to Palace fans without pretending to be something they are not. You can see everything we make for Eagles fans in our Personalised Crystal Palace Gifts collection.

5 Retro Crystal Palace Gifts for Christmas

1. Santa is a Palace Fan Santa Sack

What it is: A 53cm x 74cm Santa sack in a soft-touch, suede-like material, printed on both sides with Santa himself in Palace colours, and finished with an elasticated top and hanging string. See the Santa is a Palace Fan Santa Sack (£12.99).

Perfect for: Young Eagles fans, families who make a big deal of Christmas Eve, and anyone who has decided that, yes, Father Christmas definitely follows Palace.

Why it works: It is a gift and a tradition in one. Bring it out every December and it becomes part of the family's Christmas. It is a fun alternative to a stocking, with plenty of room for presents. Browse more styles in our Santa sacks collection.

Make it personal: Fill it with a few smaller Palace bits and a printed fixture list for the second half of the season.

2. Santa is a Palace Fan Christmas Stocking

What it is: A matching Christmas stocking, around 37cm x 58cm, printed on both sides with an elasticated top and a string for hanging. Find it here: Santa is a Palace Fan Christmas Stocking (£9.99).

Perfect for: Hanging above the mantelpiece or on the bedroom door, and for Secret Santa when you know your colleague is red and blue through and through.

Why it works: At under £10 it is one of the easiest ways to bring a bit of Selhurst Park into the house for Christmas morning. Pair it with the Santa sack for a matching set. There are more designs in our Christmas stockings collection.

Make it personal: Buy one for each Palace fan in the family and line them up along the fireplace.

3. Santa is a Palace Fan Luxury Fleece Blanket

What it is: A festive fleece printed edge to edge on plush 370gsm luxury fleece and hand-sewn in Yorkshire. It comes in two sizes: a 150cm x 150cm standard size for the sofa or bed, and a 75cm x 75cm baby size for prams, cots and pushchairs. See the Santa is a Palace Fan Luxury Fleece Blanket (£19.99 to £34.99).

Perfect for: Christmas films, Boxing Day football on the telly, and a new arrival's first Christmas in Palace colours.

Why it works: It gets used all winter long and doubles as a picnic blanket in summer. The baby size makes a lovely gift for new parents who are already planning their little one's first trip to the match. See our wider fleece blanket range.

Personalisation idea: If you add a name, try the little one's name and their birth year as the number, so it becomes a keepsake.

4. Crystal Palace Christmas Stadium Cushion

What it is: A soft faux suede cushion featuring a festive, snow-covered stadium scene, available in 45cm x 45cm or 61cm x 61cm, with a zip closure and a removable inner made in-house. Find it here: Crystal Palace Christmas Stadium Cushion (£17.99 to £21.99).

Perfect for: The season ticket holder who would rather be at the ground than anywhere else, and anyone who decorates the whole living room for Christmas.

Why it works: It captures that magical feeling of a winter fixture under the floodlights, and it will look great on the sofa every December for years to come.

Make it personal: Wrap it with a card recalling their first ever trip to Selhurst Park.

5. The Eagles Holmesdale Headrest Covers

What it is: A pair of stretch polyester car headrest covers, printed on both sides with an elasticated bottom for a snug fit on most standard headrests. You can personalise them with a name and number. See The Eagles Holmesdale Headrest Cover (£15.99).

Perfect for: The fan who drives to every home game, or the family taxi driver doing the matchday run.

Why it works: It is a bit different from the usual Christmas gifts and it gets seen every single day. Machine washable too, which matters after a few muddy away days. More designs are in our headrest covers collection.

Personalisation idea: Add their name and the number of the season they first went to the match, for example 89 for 1989.

Tips for Choosing a Palace Gift

• Pick the era: Older fans may love anything that reminds them of the claret and blue or sash years, while younger fans often connect most with the classic red and blue stripes.
• Choosing a number: A birth year, the year they got their first season ticket, or the number they wore for their Sunday league side all work well.
• Build a bundle: The Santa sack and stocking pair nicely, and the fleece and cushion make a great sofa set for the season ticket holder.
• Need more ideas? Our Boxing Day football gifts guide and football Secret Santa picks are packed with options.

Things to Consider

• Who it might not suit: These are festive designs, so if you are after something they can use all year round, browse the rest of the Palace collection, which includes beach towels, door mats and snoods.
• Sizes: The fleece and cushion come in two sizes each, so choose the size you want before adding to your basket.
• Spelling: Double-check the spelling of any names. Emojis are not supported in personalisation.
• Timing: Everything is made to order in Yorkshire, so allow time for production and check the delivery information on our site for current timings before Christmas.

Have a Red and Blue Christmas

Whether they have been going since the sash days or have just fallen for the stripes, there is something here for every Eagles fan. Browse the full Personalised Crystal Palace Gifts collection or the wider retro football Christmas gifts range. Got a cricket fan to buy for as well? Try our cricket gifts for Christmas guide.

All club, league, competition and brand names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used for descriptive purposes only. Retro Sports Factory is an independent, family-run business. Our products are original designs inspired by classic kit styles and are not official or licensed merchandise, nor affiliated with or endorsed by any club, league or brand.