 After 60 goals from 192 league appearances, he joined Crystal Palace for a club record fee of £200,000.He played 20 games for Palace, scoring 7 goals, and helped them to promotion to the First Division in 1979, but a knee injury effectively finished his career.He returned to Deepdale on loan in March 1980, making a further 10 appearances and scoring 3 goals, before his injury forced his retirement at the age of 27.