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Palace Chairman Spokes explains Women’s Academy system

Crystal Palace Women's Chairman Richard Spokes has been at the helm of the club for almost a decade.

Since Spokes took on the role of Chairman for his daughter's side in 2009, Palace Women have enjoyed a meteoric rise to success, climbing up the pyramid to sit in the second tier of English football.

The club has also transformed from playing on "ripped-up, muddy fields at the back end of a Sunday," to competing against Champions League sides such as Chelsea, hosting crowds of 1,000 or more and partaking in the landmark FA Women’s Weekend next Sunday.