Long read: When Puskas came to Selhurst Park

It’s 18th April, 1962, and rain hammers down under Selhurst Park’s newly installed floodlights. Illuminated by the fresh, electric glare buzzing over a heavy, near-saturated and typically muddy 1960s pitch is a footballer whose name has remained synonymous with the sport over half a century later.

In a stadium of 25,000, a single diminutive figure wouldn’t typically stand out. But as Ferenc Puskas’ stubby metal studs made their maiden voyage into the viscous south London turf, the squat Hungarian had all eyes on him.

Real Madrid had come to Selhurst Park as arguably the club’s most eminent opponent in history and with them came the 20th Century’s highest-scoring footballer.

In light of Andros…