Paul Hinshelwood RIP

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

With heavy heart I must inform you all that Paul Hinshelwood, Palace's right back in their run of 2 promotions in 3 seasons in the late 70's, has died aged just 65. I say just 65 as he's the same age as me. We did infact play against each other at school once or twice, but I wasn't very good, and he was on Palace's books as a centre forward so our association didn't last very long.

For some reason, he was known as Doris on the Palace terraces, and everywhere else, but it probably came about as he ran about a lot without achieving much up front when he made his debut in September 1973, then switched to midfield in about 1975 again without much success, but finally dropped back further to right back in November 76 and made that position his own for 6 seasons.

He played 319 times in all for Palace, netting 29 times, and won the club's Player of the Year at least once in 1979/80 and probably in another season too. One of his goals was famously from about 35 yards past Ray Clemence in the FA Cup tie v Liverpool, Jan 1977. He also became a quite successful penalty taker, adding that to his repertoire of sliding tackles and marauding down the right wing.

He joined Oxford in summer 1983 (45 games), then moved to Millwall a year later (61 games, 2 goals) and finally Colchester in 1986/7 (81 games, 6 goals) before going into non-league at Dartford.

Lately he's been a postman on the South Coast. His older brother Martin had to retire early from playing but has had a long career in management and coaching, while their father, Wally, played in the 50's for Fulham, Chelsea, Reading, Bristol City and Newport. And I once played cricket with him!

This has come as a shock as Paul is fondly remembered by all at Selhurst, he was truly one of our own and became a real legend after a very tricky start. And 65 is no age, is it?

RIP Dor.... Paul.

[Ronsaunders]

Bizarrely enough, I remember that it was him who scored for Palace against Villa in our championship season of 80/81.

Such a shame.

[pafcprogs]

Scored the third Palace goal in my first ever away game...a 3-3 draw in 74/5

He and Swindlehurst were a handful as well as a mouthful...

Also scored in the 2-1 defeat in the Cup at Home Park when the dying swan of Alan Whittle bought a last minute pen that Jim Furnell then saved....

Scary when you start to see the players you watched and who were not much older than you start dropping like flies....
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