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Memories of our time ground sharing at Upton Park in 91 and 92.

Thinking back to 25 years ago, it also marks the end of our 7 years of being football nomads. While this was a terrible time for the club, I will always have a soft spot for our spell at Upton Park, a much better ground than Selhurst, especially as this was when I became a regular, even if attendances were terrible. Standing on the North Bank, sitting in both tiers of the old main stand, standing on the South Bank when we were away to West Ham, I'm gutted I never stood on the chicken run to complete a full set of stands watching Charlton!

The 91/92 team is one of my favourite Charlton sides, a small squad but one full of great characters and excellent players, and led brilliantly by Steve and Alan! Was gutted when we had to sell Robert Lee at the start of the next season.

Picking a few "highlights"

1) The Anthony Barness own goal (from 1:50 onwards) still one of the best I've ever seen at a match. A 3-1 midweek defeat to Grimsby Town in front of 3,658

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4CjIkrSqHY&feature=related

2) The 2-0 win over Leicester, when they brought so many fans down, some were escorted across the pitch to use the chicken run stand. Great goal by David Whyte (RIP)

3) Our final game there against Newcastle, a slightly forgotten landmark game in our history. A 3-1 defeat, with Robert Lee now playing for Newcastle, and Gavin Peacock scoring twice for them. Also memorable for the complete lack of segregation in the Main Stand which was full of Newcastle fans, probably more than Charlton fans in fact!

What other memories do people have?
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Comments

  • What about Webster turning on the supporters at the final whistle after one really poor performance (can't remember the game). As he walked off, he turned around and really gave us some verbal!
  • Webster goal @ 40/1.

    Six of us had over a ton on it. Don't think we got home that night.
  • The Leicester game was by far my best memory, closely followed by playing Newcastle I think in an early kick off and meeting up with some Geordies who had travelled through the night.
  • Leicester fans turning up en masse.
  • A Marco Gabbiadini hat-trick midweek in a defeat to Sunderland, had my name read out on the tannoy to meet my friend outside, I felt like a grown up and a first day of the season victory over Newcastle stands out as well
  • Have a lot of great memories of those two seasons, sort of my coming of age as a football supporter. At Selhurst I sat in the family area in the main stand, but at Upton Park I stood on the north bank with the same groups, going to more away games, and feeling more like a proper football fan.

  • cafckev said:

    What about Webster turning on the supporters at the final whistle after one really poor performance (can't remember the game). As he walked off, he turned around and really gave us some verbal!

    Bury, League Cup, October 1992
  • Beating Millwall 1-0 , John Hendry.....one only of 2 victories I have seen against them.
    Simon Websters late volley to beat Bristol City
    1st game against Newcastle , who I think were quite fancied , beat them 2-1 on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Curbs and Gritts 1st game as joint managers.
    As well as Leicester.
  • Leicester fans arriving on masse giving it the large en and we beat them, was it 2-0? I enjoyed the fans social club there. I also remember arriving late once with a friend for a 3 'o' clock kick off on a Saturday afternoon and realising that we wern't the only ones. It was about 2pm lo and behold Stuart Balmer and Colin Walsh were sitting in their car on the ferry and chatting to fans.
  • i really enjoyed going to Upton Park when we played there after being at shithurst was a breath of fresh air and made it seem like we were nearly home
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  • Really enjoyed Upton park. Was 15-16 at the time and coincided with me going to football with mates, getting in pubs etc.

    Looking back, the North Bank and its echo after the open end of the Holmesdale was fantastic, and the back of that stand saw the formation of many groups, friendships etc that last until today.

  • The Blackwall Tunnel is what I remember most.
  • John Hendrie's winner against Millwall
  • Oh Christ yeah. John Hendrie. Our record was so bad against Millwall (was.. still is), and it took an on loan player to do it. I think Hendrie was on loan from Spurs??
  • John Hendry didn't do much in the rest of his career, I wonder if he realises how significant that goal was!
  • It was a nice change to actually feel welcome when we used to drink in that club right by the ground.
    Also remember being in Edinburgh when we beat West Ham 1-0 with pardew scoring if I remember correctly.
  • Beating Millwall 1-0, I cant remember the name of who scored, some bloke on loan from somewhere.

    Cambridge United, the only game I have ever left early. After eighty minutes of John Beck's antifootball my younger brother and I left to go back to the pub, my older brother remained and saw Paul Gorman's consolation goal, which in my mind I have built up to be a wonder goal that he bullet headed in from twenty-five yards. Please someone confirm that it was just a bundled tap in off his backside from a yard out so that it can stop haunting me.
  • edited December 2017
    Bristol City 2-1 with the Webster goal was my best memory. One of those moments at football where you can't believe your eyes.
    Leicester 2-0 was also brilliant.
  • Sitting on my larry in the Boleyn on an evening game having come straight from work waiting for Dad & Bruv. Usually reading a Stephen King hardback with a pint of ale.
    Being in the 'away' end when we played them. Felt really weird lol
    I loved it there.
    I'm actually so glad we didn't go there first, don't think we would ever got back to the Valley.
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  • Sitting on my larry in the Boleyn on an evening game having come straight from work waiting for Dad & Bruv. Usually reading a Stephen King hardback with a pint of ale.
    Being in the 'away' end when we played them. Felt really weird lol
    I loved it there.
    I'm actually so glad we didn't go there first, don't think we would ever got back to the Valley.

    I remember when Robert Lee was substituted, people wondering if it was to sign a contract with West Ham...
  • Getting the ferry over, leaving the car in the queue, popping in the Mitre with @TelMc32 for a beer while waiting for the ferry.
  • Beating Southend 3.1at Upton park.
    Two West ham mates came with me to the game.
    I spent most of the journey to the match telling them how useless leaburn was only for him to score two quality goals.
    My memory might be playing tricks on me but I think Stan collymore and Jason Lee were playing for Southend
  • edited December 2017
    I enjoyed Upton Park for a few reasons:-
    - It was part of the process of going home (Selhurst was part of the process of leaving).
    - It was a nice old school ground that, even with a sparse crowd, had a bit of an atmosphere.
    - It wasn't Selhurst, which was, is, and always will be, a shithole.

    In terms of memories:-
    - Leaburn seemed to come good at Upton Park - moved on from assisting to actually scoring.
    - Simon Webster's two late goals against Bristol City
    - Beating Millwall (I think the only time I have seen us do so)
    - Leicester's invasion
    - Robert Lee playing against us for Newcastle in the last "home game" of our exile.
  • There was a midweek game against Leicester that I remember, we won 2-0, but there was a fireworks display going on somewhere that we could see over the roof of the south bank and the crowd (what few of us there were) were all going 'ooooh!' and 'aaaaah!' as the fireworks went off.

    Bob Bolder practically chucking the ball in to his own net to lose 1-0 to Bury in the League Cup (some things never change!) in front of the tiniest crowd.

    Having to watch Robert Lee in black and white stripes wasn't much fun.
  • edited December 2017
    1-0 win over Millwall
    1-0 win over West Ham, us as away team

    Both spring to mind.

    And as others have said, really enjoyed the North Bank.
  • It was a nice change to actually feel welcome when we used to drink in that club right by the ground.
    Also remember being in Edinburgh when we beat West Ham 1-0 with pardew scoring if I remember correctly.

    Manhattans i think
  • Charlenes ?
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