Julian Gray Returns to Palace
Cheerio!
By Chris O'Brien
December 9 2003
Julian Gray has returned to Crystal Palace after a 2-month loan at Ninian Park. The left winger was offered to the Bluebirds for £500,000 by Palace, who refused to let him stay on another month on loan terns, but with only 6 months left on Gray's contract, City decided to let him return to London.
| Gray Returns to Palace |
| Crystal Palace have refused
to allow Julian Gray to extend his loan contract at Ninian Park by another
month, and the left winger has returned to London for training with the
struggling First Division outfit. Gray has spent two months on loan with the Bluebirds, and although he has had a few mixed performances, Gray has shown sides of being a talented left winger. After spending his first month at the Welsh capital regaining his match fitness after being frozen out of the Palace side, Lennie Lawrence kept him on for another month, in which Gray broke into the first-team. However, Palace have denied Gray a third month at Cardiff City, with the London club only offering Gray as a permanent signing to Lawrence with a fee of £500,000 wanted by chairman Simon Jordan. With only six months left on his contract, City were unprepared to spend it on Gray, but may show interest when his deal expires at the end of the season. Whether or not Gray will get much first-team action at Palace is debatable. The winger had a huge argument with Simon Jordan, who said the player might never wear the club colours again. Since then, Palace have installed a new manager, Welsh international Kit Symons, who may bring Gray into his plans. |