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Easter 1977

Seems strange no football (or at least no Charlton) over the Easter weekend. In the light of that, can't help but cast my mind back to 1977 when the team played 3 times in 4 days over the Easter break - and I saw them all! Sadly, 40 years later (I really am getting old!) don't remember too much about the games.

Started on Good Friday with one of our all too rare victories over Millwall (an Easter miracle?). Remember being 3-1 up and coasting to victory when Millwall scored a latish goal and we ended up hanging on for a 3-2 victory. Remember Millwall took the Covered End as normal but no real trouble from them.

On the Saturday, an away trip to Orient ended in a 0-0 draw. Vague recollection it was a blooming awful game and one where Jeff Wood (who I always thought was a very underrated keeper) made a few good saves to earn us a point.

On then on Easter Monday. an amazing 4-0 victory over Chelsea. Now that game does stand out in the memory! A brilliant hat-trick from Mike Flanagan and the Chelsea fans then trying to burn down the Covered End before wrecking the turnstiles and the Valley Club. Remember it made the front page of the London evening papers next day! Crowd was reported as 25,000 but just remember the whole place being rammed and the old East Terrace absolutely packed. Can only think it was one of those games where the real attendance wasn't published and it would certainly be fascinating to know what the real attendance actually was.

Anyone else do all 3 games and any other memories?

(PS Imagine our current lot being asked to play 3 times in 4 days - we'd be lining up the youth team up in the 3rd game as our injury prone, poor darlings fall by the wayside with exhaustion!)





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Comments

  • Also did all three, great times
  • Was the Chelsea game the one in which Mark Penfold had his leg broken?
  • Chizz said:

    Was the Chelsea game the one in which Mark Penfold had his leg broken?

    No, that was the Tottenham home game the following season.

    Another one that stands out in the momory!
  • Chizz said:

    Was the Chelsea game the one in which Mark Penfold had his leg broken?

    Wasn't that against Tottenham the following season? Don McAllister broke his leg. That was 4-1 and Flanagan got a hat trick.
  • Think the attendance given for the Millwall game was around 16,000. Think Terry Brisley scored one of theirs. We later went on to sign him. Keith Peacock got one of ours I think. I seem to recall that from the Millwall game on the Good Friday we then went unbeaten to the end of the season.
  • I was at all three...happy days!
  • Also at all three,was it Hugh Mcauley who was the other Charlton scorer in the Chelsea/Spurs matches ?
  • Just did the Chelsea game. One never to forget
  • I was at all 3 games, the Chelsea game was fantastic.
  • I was at all three. I had been attending matches at Charlton and Chelsea that season and I knew we would wallop them.
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  • Yep and it was typical that it was the school holidays and couldn't go to school the following day and pretend to be Mike Flanagan during the lunchtime kickabout!
  • I didn't go to all 3 games.
    But that was the year I started supporting Charlton. I made a strange vow with a mate that if Liverpool won the European cup (I like most young kids at the time followed them) I would turn my attention to my local club.
    It's interesting to get insights into these matches though. Some of you have great memories!
  • I was at all 3. I thought the Chelsea attendance was 30,000.
  • No need to put international friendly fixtures at the weekend. BARMY.
  • Was there for the Chelsea game, remember it well
  • E-cafc said:

    Think the attendance given for the Millwall game was around 16,000. Think Terry Brisley scored one of theirs. We later went on to sign him. Keith Peacock got one of ours I think. I seem to recall that from the Millwall game on the Good Friday we then went unbeaten to the end of the season.

    Terry Brisley. About three years ago he was the local nutter in Braintree. You know the type, pissed by 9am, shouts at buses and would smoke discarded fag buts.
    I wonder if he is still around.
    Blimey, he certainly went downhill. Must have been playing for Millwall that did that!
  • Yes I saw all three of those games. Had my scarf nicked by a numpty Millwall fan on the way home from the first one. Went to Orient (always enjoyed going there) and who could forget that Chelsea game. We totally outplayed them and because they were always bad losers they burned down The Valley Club where I used to have my Birthday Parties.
  • E-cafc said:

    Think the attendance given for the Millwall game was around 16,000. Think Terry Brisley scored one of theirs. We later went on to sign him. Keith Peacock got one of ours I think. I seem to recall that from the Millwall game on the Good Friday we then went unbeaten to the end of the season.

    Terry Brisley. About three years ago he was the local nutter in Braintree. You know the type, pissed by 9am, shouts at buses and would smoke discarded fag buts.
    I wonder if he is still around.
    Sad to hear. Brisley was a class act with a great shot on him. Remember about 30 Millwall turning up to cheer his name on his Charlton debut. He was never going to be Valley favourite after that.
  • He did score the winner in a 1.0 win against Palace at The Valley. Maybe that was an Easter fixture too.
  • Went to the Chelsea game. It was a 7:30 pm kick off. Can remember being in the old covered end before being chased out to the East stand . Then being thrashed , Chelsea starting fires in the covered end After the game the area around the ground being swamped with police
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  • My first Easter!
  • Did 2 of the 3. Chelsea was surreal. Played a blinder that day. Also remember Millwall fans showing up to support him after he signed for us. Weird.
  • I did 2 of the 3 too. I didn't see too much of the Chelsea game as I got chased all over the East Terrace by a bunch of Chelsea fans after being separated from my mates after getting chased out of the Covered End. One was waving around a bayonet.

    I ruined my leather jacket climbing the Sam Bartram gates to escape, got caught on the barbed wire at the top. A good mate of mine was attacked outside the Woolwich Covered market on the way home. Good result though, shame I missed a lot of it.
  • Chizz said:

    Was the Chelsea game the one in which Mark Penfold had his leg broken?

    Wasn't that against Tottenham the following season? Don McAllister broke his leg. That was 4-1 and Flanagan got a hat trick.

    Chizz said:

    Was the Chelsea game the one in which Mark Penfold had his leg broken?

    Wasn't that against Tottenham the following season? Don McAllister broke his leg. That was 4-1 and Flanagan got a hat trick.
    Thought Terry Naylor broke Penfolds leg, he later signed for us...?
  • Remember after getting indoors after the game loads of Chelsea fans came up Victoria Way singing "Eddie Mccreadie's blue and white army". I was listening to the match report on LBC and couldn't help laughing about it.
  • TEL said:

    I did 2 of the 3 too. I didn't see too much of the Chelsea game as I got chased all over the East Terrace by a bunch of Chelsea fans after being separated from my mates after getting chased out of the Covered End. One was waving around a bayonet.

    I ruined my leather jacket climbing the Sam Bartram gates to escape, got caught on the barbed wire at the top. A good mate of mine was attacked outside the Woolwich Covered market on the way home. Good result though, shame I missed a lot of it.

    That was one thing about The Valley in those days. At least you could have a run around and climb various gates and fences to escape lol
  • vffvff
    edited March 2016
    Remember the Chelsea game. I was just a kid and was in the Covered 'Shed' end just to the left of the goal behind the goal. One of the few games that we went about 8 minutes early as Chelsea supporters had started a fire and it was looking troublesome. Leaving early was a good move considering the trouble after the game.

    Mike Flannagan was starting to come into his own as a great striker. Derek Hales also scored Big Match goal of the season in a hatrick against Hull City 3-1. Hales moved to Derby midway through the season (edit thanks @AshBurton). Derek Hales leaving did give a chance for Mike Flannagan to shine set up by superb wing play from Colin Powell.

    http://www.statto.com/football/teams/charlton-athletic/1976-1977

    It was an enjoyable season, despite the occassional trouble in the ground. As a kid, I was not really affected by it, though I do remember the Chelsea supporters threatening to get onto the pitch to get the match abandoned. A big line of police game out and lined the pitch (with the strongest line at the Covered 'Shed' end as Chelsea had taken the end- that slowed the momentum and they set a fire and decided to smash the ground and outside up after).

    Charlton had a great home record that season with some crackers of games. Some excellent Night games - 5-2 Burnley, 6-2 Southampton, 4-3 Luton. Only 1 home defeat all season. Charlton finished finished 7th. From the statto table, too many drawn away games.
  • Only did the Chelsea game and didn't see too much of it either. I went with some older mates who were right up for it. I ended up down the far end of the East terrace watching smoke coming out of the back of the Covered End. If I remember rightly this was the game Suggs (he of Madness fame) was talking about in his book "That Close". He and his mates were part of the group involved. He said they enjoyed away days at the Valley, no wonder!
  • vff said:

    Remember the Chelsea game. I was just a kid and was in the Covered 'Shed' end just to the left of the goal behind the goal. One of the few games that we went about 8 minutes early as Chelsea supporters had started a fire and it was looking troublesome. Leaving early was a good move considering the trouble after the game.

    Mike Flannagan was starting to come into his own as a great striker alongside Derek Hales. Derek Hales also scored Big Match goal of the season in a hatrick against Hull City 3-1. Hales got 28 goals that season before moving to Derby.

    http://www.statto.com/football/teams/charlton-athletic/1976-1977

    Charlton had a great home record that season with some crackers of games. Some excellent Night games - 5-2 Burnley, 6-2 Southampton, 4-3 Luton. Only 1 home defeat all season. Charlton finished finished 7th. From the statto table, too many drawn away games. It was an enjoyable season, despite the occassional bits of trouble in the ground.

    Loved that season, always exciting watching Charlton in those days. The Chelsea experience was seriously scary but what a result! Not quite right about Killer though - his 28 goal season was the one before and he'd already left for Derby half way through the 76/77 season. IIRC Flanagan got stronger when he had to step up in Hales' absence.
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