Saturday 2 December 2017 20:52, UK
Roy Hodgson revealed Crystal Palace's build-up to the West Brom draw was ruined by a five-hour train delay and a noisy wedding.
But he hailed his players for not letting it get the better of them before a goalless stalemate at the Hawthorns.
Palace also lost centre-back Scott Dann to a virus overnight before goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was injured in the warm-up.
Hodgson said: "Basically, anything that could go wrong, did go wrong.
"Probably the worst thing to happen to us was leaving Euston Station in the sunshine, and congratulating ourselves on going by train with only an hour and quarter's journey in front of us, but we eventually took five and a half hours.
"Three and a half of that was spent in a cold, black situation on the train with no electricity, lights, toilet facilities - nothing at all. Instead of being there at 4.45pm, we arrived at 9.30pm.
"Then the hotel we booked was the venue for an Indian wedding, so there was plenty of noise until 2am. Overnight, we lose Scott Dann to a virus infection, and then in the warm-up we lose Wayne Hennessey.
"With the disastrous journey we had, the players were provided with a lot of excuses to not provide the right type of performance but they didn't take them. We got a deserved draw."
Hodgson - making his first return to the Hawthorns since leaving the club to become England boss in 2012 - watched his side move off the foot of the table for the first time this season.
And he said: "It's a nice moment. I don't want to be too clever about it. If someone said before the game we'd be off the bottom at the end of it I would be very happy.
"But I'm not exactly carried away by it. If we can keep doing what we've done there's a good chance we can get
ourselves out of trouble."
