Crystal Palace this week banned the Advertiser from speaking to players and management at the club following our coverage of the debate surrounding next season's kits.

Chairman Simon Jordan reacted angrily when he learned many fans were unhappy with designs put forward, and barred us from speaking to any of his staff and players.

A text message sent to this newspaper from the club's PR department on Saturday said: "Simon and Dominic Jordan are not happy with kit coverage.

"SJ doesn't want the Advertiser doing interviews with players or going to the training ground."

Palace chief executive Phil Alexander backed the ban, complaining the Advertiser should have used the space we dedicated to fans' views to promote May's Player of the Year event instead.

The gagging order meant that Neil Warnock was told not to write his weekly column following Palace's 3-1 win at Plymouth.

The move has been dubbed "petty" by supporters, who fear the decision will turn the club into a laughing stock.

And the Football Supporters' Federation has described the decision as "bizarre" and called on chairman Simon Jordan to rethink the move.

This newspaper was left unable to speak to Warnock or his players before or after last Tuesday's away clash against Plymouth, although our reporter did attend the post-match press conference.

The decision follows a report in last week's paper, when we showed alternative shirt designs put forward by fans who were less than keen on the official options issued by the club.

Then, last Friday, the club announced it had signed a three-year deal with Nike to produce its kits, starting in June.

And the club said in the light of a "mixed response" to its away shirt designs it had negotiated another option to vote on.

The ban has been dubbed "petty" by supporters, who fear the decision will turn the club into a laughing stock while the Football Supporters' Federation has described it as "bizarre".

One of the supporters who raised the controversy with the Advertiser last week was Jack Laws, 24.

After the ban, he said: "I think it's a major over-reaction.

"It's just going to give people another reason to criticise Palace by saying they're throwing their toys out of the pram because a certain section of people don't agree with them.

"All the Croydon Advertiser was doing was telling the fans' point of view."

Another supporter stunned by the move was season-ticket holder Nigel Moran, 38, who was heavily involved in a campaign to reinstate the sash which appears on the club's current shirt.

He said: "You're the local paper, and it smacks of short-termism which is endemic of the current regime.

"It's like they don't want to listen to anyone."

Moran, who started an online petition two years ago to bring back the sash, urged the club to set the record straight.

He said: "If it's the case that they've got no say and it's the manufacturer who's come up with the designs, they should just say so.

"People feel they're being lumbered with something they don't necessarily want.

"From what I understand, the club has had very little say on it.

"If that's the case, let's just represent the situation as it is and save the club getting all the flak it is."

Another fan, Chester Stern, 64, agreed. Stern, who has followed the Eagles for more than half a century, said: "It's like cutting off the club's nose to spite its face. Any football club's lifeblood is its supporters, and the main contact with the supporters is through the local newspaper.

"For as long as many people can remember, the Croydon Advertiser has given the principle coverage to Crystal Palace. I think it's very petty."

Former fan of the year Andy Carey, 41, said: "It sounds like [Simon] Jordan throwing his toys out of the pram.

"It seems ridiculous, if you hated everything people wrote you'd end up suing people left right and centre. The local paper is the one place you need to work with.

"In terms of the kit itself, I've got no real issues with it. I've always said I don't care if they run out naked, so long as they give 100 per cent for the team."

And Peter Culver, 32, said: "I think this is an over-reaction, as the original voting options were extremely amateurish and there isn't much choice between stripes and stripes, especially so soon after reverting to the sash."

Another fan, 22-year-old Jonny Dixon, from Caterham, said: "I think there's no need for them to ban the press.

"It's only going to worsen attitudes towards the club."

And it wasn't just Palace supporters who were baffled by the move.

Michael Brunskill, spokesman from the Football Supporters' Association, which represents fans across the country, said: "It seems a bizarre decision from Palace, especially as the Croydon Advertiser was only reflecting what fans' opinions were anyway.

"For a lot of clubs, the local paper is the main place where they can get promotion, so it seems like they're cutting off their nose to spite their face.

"It's a strange decision."

And he continued: "It seems like a really strange decision, it's not a big issue and the press are just reflecting what fans think anyway.

"The club are a bit foolish not to listen to fans."

Another budding shirt designer is 21-year-old Rob Lightbody.

The University of Sheffield student said that he relies on the Advertiser's online coverage to keep up to date with the Eagles news, and was shocked to hear of the ban.

He said: "I'm not up in arms about these kits, but just for doing a fun story about people making their own designs, I can't believe they're so angry about it.

"Reading the stuff you guys put out is a bit of a lifeline for me, it's a real shame they've done this."

And he quipped: "I hope they let you guys back in, we don't want you to start reporting on Charlton instead."

With a bit of time on his hands between lectures, he tried out designing kits that reflect Palace's rich history.

"I think the away options are a bit generic. It would be nice to see them change the away option, but I don't know what the contractual situation is with Nike," he said.