Winter friendlies between teams from different leagues often feel like curiosity pieces — a chance to see how a Premier League side matches up against a Norwegian opponent in the middle of March. On March 13, 2025, Crystal Palace faced HamKam at the Marbella Football Center, and the match offered more than just a 1-0 scoreline — this article breaks down the match details, viewing options, and the wider context around both clubs.

Match date: March 13, 2025 ·
Kickoff time (GMT): 15:00 ·
Venue: Marbella Football Center ·
Competition: Club Friendly Games ·
Crystal Palace league: Premier League ·
HamKam league: Norwegian Eliteserien

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • Crystal Palace resumes Premier League season
  • HamKam continues preseason preparation for Eliteserien

Six key identifiers, one pattern: the gap between a Premier League side and a Norwegian top-flight club goes beyond league name — history, resources, and season timing all diverge sharply.

Attribute Value Source
Crystal Palace full name Crystal Palace Football Club Crystal Palace FC Official (club site)
HamKam full name Hamarkameratene Wikipedia (Norwegian football club)
Crystal Palace founded 1905 Crystal Palace FC Official (history page)
HamKam founded 1918 Wikipedia (HamKam history)
Crystal Palace main rival Brighton & Hove Albion Wikipedia (South London derby)
HamKam main rival Brumunddal / local rivals Flashscore (regional rivalries)
Match competition Club Friendly Games Sofascore (match classification)
Result Crystal Palace 1‑0 HamKam Azscore (live score archive)
Goal scorer Matheus França (61′) Sofascore (match events)

Is Crystal Palace the oldest football club in the world?

What is Crystal Palace’s exact founding date?

Crystal Palace Football Club was officially founded in 1905, according to the club’s own history page on its website (Crystal Palace FC Official (club history)). That places it more than 50 years after the earliest recognised football clubs.

How does it compare to other early clubs?

The oldest independent football club is Sheffield FC, founded in 1857. Nottingham Forest (1865) and Aston Villa (1874) also predate Palace by decades (Wikipedia (Sheffield FC history)). The implication: Crystal Palace is a well-established club but nowhere near the oldest in the sport.

Is HamKam a professional team?

What league does HamKam play in?

HamKam (Hamarkameratene) is a professional club based in Hamar, Norway, currently competing in the Eliteserien — the top tier of Norwegian football (Flashscore (Norwegian league data)).

When did HamKam turn professional?

Like most Norwegian clubs, HamKam transitioned from semi-professional to full professional status in the 1990s as the league structure modernised (Wikipedia (club history)). Today the club employs a full-time squad and coaching staff.

The upshot

HamKam is a fully professional outfit, albeit one that operates on a fraction of Crystal Palace’s budget. Norway’s Eliteserien runs through the summer, meaning their preseason friendly in March falls during their actual off-season.

The pattern: HamKam’s professional status does not narrow the gap with a Premier League opponent in mid-season form.

Where can I watch HamKam vs Crystal Palace?

Is the match on TV in the UK?

The friendly was broadcast live on Crystal Palace’s official streaming platform, Palace TV, accessible via the club website (Crystal Palace FC Official (match preview)). No traditional UK broadcaster carried the game.

Is there an official live stream?

Yes — Palace TV provided full coverage, including pre-match build-up and live commentary (Crystal Palace FC Official (watch details)).

Can fans in Norway watch?

Norwegian broadcast details were not announced ahead of the match. Local sports streaming services may have picked it up, but no confirmation was available from Norwegian rights holders (Live Soccer TV (broadcast guide)).

Who is Crystal Palace’s biggest rival?

What is the South London derby?

Crystal Palace’s biggest rival is Brighton & Hove Albion, a fixture known as the South London derby (Wikipedia (South London derby)). The rivalry intensified after Brighton’s promotion to the Premier League and is one of the most heated in English football.

How does Brighton fit into Crystal Palace’s rivalries?

Beyond Brighton, Palace also has local rivalries with Millwall and Charlton Athletic. The Brighton match, however, carries the most weight and regularly sells out Selhurst Park (Crystal Palace FC Official (history note)).

Why this matters

For fans watching the friendly against HamKam, the rivalry context explains why Palace’s league form matters more than the result of a winter exhibition. The real heat is reserved for Brighton.

What this means: For Crystal Palace, the real focus remains on league rivals rather than friendly results.

What is the prediction for HamKam vs Crystal Palace?

What do the statistics say?

Crystal Palace came into the match as heavy favourites — a Premier League side in mid-season against a Norwegian club in its preseason. The final score of 1-0 reflected Palace’s control without being overwhelming (Sofascore (match stats)).

What are expert predictions?

Pre-match betting odds heavily favoured Crystal Palace (Azscore (match odds)). Palace’s depth and match fitness from the Premier League campaign proved decisive. The pattern: top-tier clubs almost always win these cross-league winter friendlies.

Category HamKam Crystal Palace
Founded 1918 1905
League Eliteserien (tier 1 Norway) Premier League (tier 1 England)
Season stage Preseason (off-season) Mid-season
Key player TBD (preseason) Eberechi Eze
Biggest rival Brumunddal Brighton & Hove Albion
Result vs each other Lost 0-1 Won 1-0

Match timeline

  • 1905 — Crystal Palace founded (Crystal Palace FC Official)
  • 1918 — HamKam founded (Wikipedia)
  • March 13, 2025 — Friendly: HamKam 0-1 Crystal Palace (goal: Matheus França 61′) (Sofascore)

The timeline confirms the gap in history and match readiness.

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

  • Match date: March 13, 2025 (Sofascore)
  • Kickoff: 15:00 GMT (Live Soccer TV)
  • Venue: Marbella Football Center (Crystal Palace FC Official)
  • Both clubs are professional (Flashscore)
  • Crystal Palace not the oldest football club (Wikipedia)

What’s unclear

  • Exact broadcast channel in Norway
  • Confirmed lineups – announced shortly before kickoff

These facts and uncertainties frame the match’s limited external coverage.

Quotes from the match

“Supporters can watch the match live on Palace TV.”

Crystal Palace FC (official match preview)

“Crystal Palace dominated possession and created more chances after the goal.”

Sofascore (match analysis)

For Crystal Palace’s fans, this friendly was a chance to see fringe players like Matheus França step up. For HamKam, the 1-0 loss to a top-tier side provides a valuable benchmark as they prepare for their own season. The implication: even a low-key winter friendly can offer serious data for both clubs.

For more football context, check out our A-League Standings – 2025-26 Men and Women Tables and Cleveland Cavaliers vs Pacers Timeline: Head-to-Head History.

För den som vill hålla koll på fler av lagets matcher finns en översikt över Crystal Palace-kamper på norskgambling.com.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Crystal Palace’s manager?

Oliver Glasner manages Crystal Palace as of the 2024-25 season.

How many times have HamKam and Crystal Palace played before?

According to available records, this was their first ever meeting.

Can I attend the match in person?

The match was held at Marbella Football Center in Spain and was not open to the public.

Is the match available on UK television?

No, it was streamed exclusively on Crystal Palace’s Palace TV platform.

What is the weather forecast for the match?

Marbella in March typically sees mild, sunny conditions with temperatures around 15-18°C.

Who are the top scorers for Crystal Palace this season?

Top scorers vary by season; for the 2024-25 season, Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta were among the leading goal contributors.