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Graham Tutt

mattaddickmattaddick
in General Charlton
Older Addicks will know him. Keeper of great potential from the 70s whose career was cut short after a horrific injury at Sunderland in 1976. Now lives in the States and I had the pleasure to interview him about his time at Charlton and his subsequent life. He's a great bloke and wanted me to wish all fellow Addicks well, hence this post. Interview appears in latest edition of Backpass (www.backpassmagazine.co.uk) which can be found in WH Smith's. I do my best to get regular Charlton articles in there (I've done Killer and the Huddersfield 7-6 game so far) and - even without the Charlton references, I have to say it is a great mag for anyone who pines after football from yesteryear.
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    MiserableoldgitMiserableoldgit
    Top fella (even though he grew up supporting the spanners).
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    AddickedAthleticAddickedAthletic
    Remember him well, met him at a Valley open day when i was a kid sat talking to me in the old mainstand, seemed like a nice fella real shame his career was cut short.
    Out of interest what is he doing now?
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    LuckyRedsLuckyReds
    Sounds like an awful injury; I just looked him up. For those young 'uns like me - this is about it..
    The Implication of injury were profound for Graham Tutt, the Charlton Athletic goalkeeper who was forced to retire after a kick in the face at the age of 20:

    “It’s impossible to erase from my memory the moment of impact and pain when the boot of…made contact with my face at full force. The physical and mental scars of the accident will be with me for the rest if my life…I reached the ball at the split second that…was poised to strike it. His boot whacked me in the face…I couldn’t hear anything. Everything was hazy and strange.

    ‘He’s kicked my eye out’ was the immediate thought that ran through my mind. There was also a great deal of blood spurting from my nose and more blood coming from my cheek. My eyelid was split as well. But the most frightening thought was that I had lost an eye”. (Harris and Varney, 1977, 78 ff.)

    In a long and detailed account of the post-trauma events, Tutt did not indicate that his psychological ‘scars’ were appreciated by those involved in the treatment. In fact, when Tutt reached the dressing room, the manager’s reaction was hardly sensitive:

    ” By this time both my eyes were closed and I was coughing blood, as he said to me,’Can you go on?” (Harris and Vareny, 1977).
    Extract from Science and Soccer, also on this website about goalkeepers.
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    Covered EndCovered End
    I still think Finney kicked him on purpose, he certainly didn't back out in any way. Disgraceful, I remember it vividly.
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    HandGHandG
    I nearly bought his nephew's house a few years ago and, at that time (2005), he and his dad, who I think was Graham Tutt's brother, were season ticket holders.
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    guinnessaddickguinnessaddick
    HandG said:

    I nearly bought his nephew's house a few years ago and, at that time (2005), he and his dad, who I think was Graham Tutt's brother, were season ticket holders.

    Big bloke ? John, played alot of cricket( batting), or his brother Alan (bowling).

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    sillav nitramsillav nitram
    did it happen at the valley? because i have a memory of him laying on the ground with loads of people around him? maybe it was just a dream? it was though, a terrible loss, he had a good future ahead of him had that not happened?
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    CharltonPeteCharltonPete
    There was a benefit match against Sunderland for him at the valley and Malcolm McDonald guested for charlton that night and he was immense despite it only being a friendly game
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    Off_itOff_it
    Covered End said:

    I still think Finney kicked him on purpose, he certainly didn't back out in any way. Disgraceful, I remember it vividly.

    I remember Derek Hales telling a story about the next time Finney played against us was a reserve game and Hales volunteered to play in midfield so he could sort him out. No idea if that's entirely true, but I wouldn't bet against it!
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    LenGloverLenGlover
    sillav nitram said:

    did it happen at the valley? because i have a memory of him laying on the ground with loads of people around him? maybe it was just a dream? it was though, a terrible loss, he had a good future ahead of him had that not happened?

    Sunderland away
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    guinnessaddickguinnessaddick
    I'm sure it was on the big match or match of the day, I do remember seeing it on TV. I was at his nphew's birtday party the day it happened.
    Off_it said:

    Covered End said:

    I still think Finney kicked him on purpose, he certainly didn't back out in any way. Disgraceful, I remember it vividly.

    I remember Derek Hales telling a story about the next time Finney played against us was a reserve game and Hales volunteered to play in midfield so he could sort him out. No idea if that's entirely true, but I wouldn't bet against it!
    I think many of the first team played in the reserve game so they could sort him out.
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    KillarahalesKillarahales
    Killer went in goal, I think. Did we end up losing 4-1? I also think it was on Match of the Day, but the memory is very hazy!
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    CyrilDaviesCyrilDavies
    I was at that game...Still rememember that awful thud.....sickening.......
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    March51March51
    It was a deliberate kick but the ref took no action and we didn't even get a free kick let alone Finney being sent off as he should have been. It was described graphically on Sports Report and then shown on The Big Match on the Sunday. I also remember that on her show that night Cilla Black did one of her surprise vists to a street somewhere to meet 'ordinary' people and of course she went to bloody Sunderland. A load of kids came out and started football chants and took great delight in telling her about beating us that afternoon. I got quite angry thinking of what Graham Tutt was going through that night whilst this was being shown live on TV.
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    LincsaddickLincsaddick
    http://keeper-skool.com/goalkeeping-the-school-of-hard-knocks

    Has a vivid account of the incident
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    Off_itOff_it
    Do keep up Lincs - Lucky Reds posted that earlier.

    Must be all that fresh air getting to you!
    ;o)
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    LincsaddickLincsaddick
    edited December 2012
    ^^ my version is longer and not from science & Football or whatever Red found .. and fresh air ? .. it's a diamond blue sky (or was) today and -2 outside, I'm staying inside where it's warm ..

    btw Hales was sent off against the Mackems at the valley one time, year after they did leeds in the cup final .. we don't get on with them very well do we
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    GranpaGranpa
    I can't understand why so many of you are saying it happened at an away game. I have never been to Sunderland. I remember it like it was yesterday, and in my opinion it was a deliberate kick which need not of happened. He was a great prospect.
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    Off_itOff_it
    Granpa said:

    I can't understand why so many of you are saying it happened at an away game. I have never been to Sunderland. I remember it like it was yesterday, and in my opinion it was a deliberate kick which need not of happened. He was a great prospect.

    I think it WAS Sunderland away. Maybe you just remember it being shown on the TV Granps?
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    Covered EndCovered End
    Granpa said:

    I can't understand why so many of you are saying it happened at an away game. I have never been to Sunderland. I remember it like it was yesterday, and in my opinion it was a deliberate kick which need not of happened. He was a great prospect.

    It was at Roker Park Sunderland 100%.
    It was on MOTD, which was where you & I saw it.
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    HandGHandG
    guinnessaddick said:

    HandG said:

    I nearly bought his nephew's house a few years ago and, at that time (2005), he and his dad, who I think was Graham Tutt's brother, were season ticket holders.

    Big bloke ? John, played alot of cricket( batting), or his brother Alan (bowling).

    I don't remember him being particularly big and I know he was more of bowler-played for Kent once or twice? I think his name was Andrew? Very nice bloke he was....
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    guinnessaddickguinnessaddick
    HandG said:

    guinnessaddick said:

    HandG said:

    I nearly bought his nephew's house a few years ago and, at that time (2005), he and his dad, who I think was Graham Tutt's brother, were season ticket holders.

    Big bloke ? John, played alot of cricket( batting), or his brother Alan (bowling).

    I don't remember him being particularly big and I know he was more of bowler-played for Kent once or twice? I think his name was Andrew? Very nice bloke he was....
    That's it, Andrew, getting too old for remembering name of lads at primary school.
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    Darty ValiantDarty Valiant
    I remember the incident. Although it was away and I was not there, I also recall seeing some tv footage of the incident at the time (unless I'm losing my marbles). Who came on as sub goalie? Was it jeff wood?
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    guinnessaddickguinnessaddick
    Darty Valiant said:

    I remember the incident. Although it was away and I was not there, I also recall seeing some tv footage of the incident at the time (unless I'm losing my marbles). Who came on as sub goalie? Was it jeff wood?

    Only one sub, in them days, never a keeper. Killer went in goal.
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    LenGloverLenGlover
    Darty Valiant said:

    I remember the incident. Although it was away and I was not there, I also recall seeing some tv footage of the incident at the time (unless I'm losing my marbles). Who came on as sub goalie? Was it jeff wood?

    Killer filled in for the rest of that match and we signed Jeff Wood from Harlow Town (I think) as a replacement very quickly after the incident.
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    01322charlton01322charlton
    Graham was a goalkeeper with great potential. He had the potential to play 4 England big big shame one of the best I've seen at the valley in the 35/36 years I've been going
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    charltonnickcharltonnick
    I remember the game well , it was my first away trip outside of London. Went by coach which pulled into some services somewhere in north Yorkshire. The place was full of Newcastle supporters , we thought this could be dodgy but they were great and wished us luck. I stood in a terraced paddock , right next to the tunnel and got a close up view of Graham as he came off on the stretcher. His face was a mess , blood everywhere. Richie Bowman had given us the lead but after the incident Sunderland went on to win 4-1 with Killer being in goal.
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    RedChaserRedChaser
    edited January 2021
    charltonnick said:
    I remember the game well , it was my first away trip outside of London. Went by coach which pulled into some services somewhere in north Yorkshire. The place was full of Newcastle supporters , we thought this could be dodgy but they were great and wished us luck. I stood in a terraced paddock , right next to the tunnel and got a close up view of Graham as he came off on the stretcher. His face was a mess , blood everywhere. Richie Bowman had given us the lead but after the incident Sunderland went on to win 4-1 with Killer being in goal.


    A bloke called Finney done him IIRC. Didn’t  Killer give him some pay back in that or a subsequent game or is my memory playing tricks🤔.
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