Christian Benteke is, at long last, Crystal Palace-bound.
The Belgium international striker will reportedly join the club from Liverpool for an initial £27m fee, with Palace putting the Yannick Bolasie money to good use after their winger moved to Everton earlier in the week.
Palace fans seem delighted, for the most part, but it’s not too long ago that things were very, very different.
Back in March, when the 25-year-old won and converted a controversial late winning penalty at Selhurst Park, some fans didn’t take things well at all.
A petition was set up, with the aim of docking Jurgen Klopp’s team six points, amid claims that Benteke ‘DIVED to con the refereeing officials’ (their caps).
More than 3,000 signed the petition, including – we imagine – quite a few Palace supporters.
A statement from Adam Greeves, who set up the petition, reads as follows:
‘We, fans of Crystal Palace, demand that the FA look into this decision and if found that Christian Benteke did simulate contact he should be banned for a number of games and Liverpool Football Club “LFC” to be fined 6 points at a minimum.’
In addition, Palace boss Alan Pardew pulled no punches in his assessment of the Belgian’s actions, saying at the time “That touch doesn’t warrant that dive…If that touch warrants a collapse like that, then wow.”
The Eagles had been a goal and a man up at one point in the game before a mistake from goalkeeper Alex McCarthy let the visitors back into the game.
On the latest episode of the GAA Hour Hurling Show Wooly and the lads reflect on a monumental weekend of action. Listen below or subscribe here on iTunes
