Your memories of the 'old Valley'

AFKABartram

I presume there are many on here that won't have experienced the old Valley before we left for Selhurst. I had only been once in 1984, i know it was against Newcastle and we lost, but i can remember very little about the ground other than i was sitting in the main stand.

Would be very good if those who remember the old ground could pen down their memories for the rest of us.

How the ground changed over time ? Where you used to stand / sit, the nutty old programme / peanut seller etc.

StanmoreAddick

Huge is how i remember it especially when i was about 10-

I was always in the east terrace so probably didn't get the views- Talk about nowadays being instant communications- always remember the numbers being put up on the west stand to let us know the other half time scores- no tannoy, no text messages, no big (ish) screen. And, as i remember it- very few of the fairer sex.

Oh, and theres a great picture if you put your cursor over my username.

kigelia

I have no direct memory of the pre 1985 Valley, but I was the cause of my mother getting stuck in the turnstiles in 1974 not long before i was born.

DaveStorry

Been going since 69.

Used to stand behind South goal with dad and about 6 uncles / cousins. (Even Man at Milletts was young then)
Walking up muddy bank behind sth turnstiles, usually had a quick kickabout before the game.

Remember the low railings around the pitch and the cindertrack.

The roasted peanut seller walking round " tenpence a bag '

Chatting to Charlie Wright.

Whole ground especially East Stand was huge, but sparsely filled .

Big crowds I recall were QPR and Spurs.

Open air bogs, or piddling up a wall if it got too busy.

Covered end always seemed cramped packed and noisy.

Was allowed to go covered end when abt 14, the thirill of being involved at last and getting to know the songs. Was in there when it was being " taken by Chelsea" the night they burnt down the old supporter club.

The scores going up at half time on the west stand wall.

giant floodlights in each corner.

Disappointment at fences and segregation when they came in

The " Posh" West stand and it's wooden seats, sat there once, crap view.

Having to move "our spot" around as they made the South the away end, so went on to the east terrace, then that closed so went to the small bit in North west corner.

Running on the pitch at the end of each season

Will add more as I think of them

Charlton Dan

As a 10 year old (I think) so about 1983. Playing a Welsh team (think it was Wrexham), 2/3 down at HT, bored so me and the other kids decided to have a game of hide and seek on the East Terrace........

Some things never change ;-)

Shag

I remember quite a bit as my old man took me from the age of about 5 . First game was 1978 v Bristol Rovers and I stood at the front of the covered end . Them days there was the bar at the back , that my Dad and his mates used to run sometimes . I remember being able to walk round to the south stand via the massive east terrace , the old hut of a club shop behind the main stand , the big grassy mound thing where the floodlight was . Millwall turning up and it all kicking off behind the covered end , probably more than once . Then when they put seats in the covered end we used to stand on the north west bank of terracing , only small and people used to regularly jump on the pitch for a laugh . Used to go in the players bar after as well and walk round annoying players getting autographs . Fantastic days as a kid ,the whole place was magic .

letthegoodtimesroll

The roasted peanut seller walking round " tenpence a bag '
????

it was still a tanner a bag in 1969 (thats sixpence in real money or 2.5 new pence)

Foreverred

The bar behind the covered end and then drink it on the terrace.

raddickle

Although I'd been to the Valley with my Dad during the sixties I didn't start standing in the covered end till 1970. I used to just love evening games in those days. I remember that at half time half the covered end would walk round the ground to stand behind the away fans in the south terrace. Most the time nothing ever came of it , just a bit of 'come on then!' and then we'd return to the covered end. Still we had to do it.

Ketman

Some random memories include :-

The toilets behind the old covered end being a wall, it always used to rain about 20 minutes before kick off which affected the walk up crowd, 3pm Saturday KO's remember them? Used to stand halfway up East Terrace level with Half way line, remember that because on rare occasions we had to move as 'The Big Match' gantry was there instead & I saw Brian Moore a few times. Think I used to pay £1.60 as a junior to get in.

henrythecat

i didn't join the charlton ranks until late in my life when i moved to london. as a child i went to see dover play every week. now if you want a miserable experience week in week out, with little hope of it getting better, you should try that.

charltonkeston

First game I attended was against Peterborough 1974 in the league cup we won 4-0. I stood on the East terrace with my dad and uncle. There just over 4000 in that evening in a ground that held 66,000.

After that when ever I went to another ground I always felt a bit claustrophobic.

lancashire lad

My first match at the Valley was when they lost to Blackburn in their first season in the 2nd Div, with a draw enough for promotion. It was a huge ground which I didn't realise until I went to an away match. When we were in the 2nd & 3rd Divisions you'd see kids riding their bikes around the terracing - there was so much room. Climbing over the pitchside railings and running on the pitch when we got promoted back up to the 2nd Division - no one minded, it was part of the celebration. A group of us used to stand on the east terrace near the half way line and Ken's mum always brought a thermos of tea. For a number of years, before segregation, a family of Notts County supporters would meet us and we would share tea and buns at half time. Could go on for pages but won't but will finish with the memory of our goalie Willie Duff punching the Everton centre forward (striker), laying him out flat, then taking his green jersey off, throwing it in the goal and walking off even before the ref sent him off!

AFKABartram

have heard the Willie Duff story from the great man himself RIP.

Come back and post other bits when you have a bit more time.

LenGlover

I vividly remember my first impression as a small boy was the sheer vastness of the place, looking down from the top of the East Terrace the players looked like red and white insects. I remember being transfixed by the halftime scoreboard as the scores gradually appeared. Each game covered had a letter and they would post the scoes as they got them. A key to the games was included in the programme which was also a tanner at that time (1963) I think. I also recall the old bloke in his white coat wandering around the terraces "peanuts tanner a bag!"

As has been posted elsewhere the pitch was surrounded by a red shale/cinder track. My dad told me that the players would train on the track and I remember thinking how narrow it was in comparison to the track in Charlton Park where my dad and I would sometimes train.

Other miscellaneous memories: Dick Neve (I think that was his name) on the tannoy, Harry Gregory jumping onto the wall with the little fence that surrounded the track to celebrate scoring, being told by my mother that swearing wasn't clever only to then see Brian Ord lying injured on the track and hear him say to the trainer "it's my f***ing knee." She wasn't at all impressed when I came home and smugly told her that footballers swear so why can't I? Les Berry and Peter Shaw competing to see who could boot the ball highest over the gable roofed West Stand in between seeing who could give Nicky Johns the most horrendous back pass.....I could go on.

I loved the Old Valley. That doesn't mean I don't love the New Valley too.

LargeAddick

pisshing on my feet in the semi-dark in the Lansdowne Mews bogs. Those were the dayz !

AFKABartram

dragged this up from the archives, a few would not of seen.

have a read and add your views / memories of the 'old ground'

Charlton Dan

God this is so last week....

AFKABartram

[cite]Posted By: CharltonDan[/cite]God this is so last week....

with you being a bit backward, should be ideal :-)

Charlton Dan

[cite]Posted By: AFKA Bartram[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: CharltonDan[/cite]God this is so last week....

with you being a bit backward, should be ideal :-)

Are you bored by any chance?

buckshee

always used to go in the covered end for the first half with strict instructions to be back with me Dad and his mates halfway up the east for me half time bovril.

Remember sitting in the south not long after it became seated and me dad had to have a word with some ipswich fans that were effin and jeffin next to us.

AFKABartram

[cite]Posted By: Oracle[/cite]1. The view from the back of the East Terrace was amazing....

I bet its a very different view now...

Ledge

1st memory was how f****** big that East Stand was and kept asking my mum to take me up the top and getting told to piss off cos it was so high and be happy I've brought you here at all.
Those daft little corner terraces connecting the west stand with North and South.

My 2ND memory was Arsenal coming down for Les Berry's testimonial and it absolutely kicked off in the covered end with Arseanl getting battered and my dad's mate who took me told me to stand down the front and siad he'd be back in a minute. I secretly watched where he went - lo and behold straight in to the row windmilling like a maniac.

Back 5 minutes later then moved us round to the East.

Tavern

Yes that Arsenal game!Pompey to was always interesting,they once came to the Oak at about 11.30am one Sat in the early 80s over 150 of them well up for it,small group of us kept them at bay though,during the game it was mad.

AFKABartram

what about the Valley Club ?

Tavern

Yes AFKA!load of stories re that place.We use to all use it on a match day became a bit of aCharlton strong hold.I use to go to alot of comedy events there too.Use to be a room at the back that looked out onto the old coverd end,once we were all in there and Man Cities firm all came into the ground early and walked around to our end!we were all having a bit of banter with them from inside the Valley Club and their chaps were at the front of the window and one of them was Liam Gallagher Oasis he had a England cricket hat on.One of my saddest memories was that of former Charlton player nice lad Barry Little who went onto play for Fisher,lovely lad and he would always play pool with the chaps!never really broke into the first team more the reserves!he died of leukemia i think! was a lovely guy and always had time for us.A lot of the young uns amongst us use to bunk into the ground from there to.Loved that place.

Riscardo

Blimey, never knew that AFKA ....

I remember having a season ticket for the seats behind the goal in the late 80's and it was a sit wherever you want jobby. I always sat in the same seat.

Tavern

Was a great shame they knocked the place down!very happy memories

Oggy Red

What before or after the Chelsea set fire to it?.....just we done them 4-0 that night.

Remember being in there the night we beat Preston to clinch promotion 1975, you know when 'Arry Cripps wnt off with a banged head and Peter Hunt come on at half time and changed the game. Bobby Charlton played for Preston, the only time I saw him play.

Anyway, back in the Valley Club, we were all mixing with the players and Killer was getting really legless, that was a laugh. In those days I played right wing in the Woolwich League, and I can remember discussing wing play with Paddy Powell and asking him why he didn't accelerate after beating a defender - and he told me he hadn't thought of it. He probably thought I was an arrogant tosser.......

.

Tavern

Another time we thrashed Chelsea think it was 5-1 early 80s!we were chased back to the Valley club and made a stand at the doors!my mate had his ear slashed by them horrible lot

Oggy Red

[cite]Posted By: Riscardo[/cite]Blimey, never knew that AFKA ....

I remember having a season ticket for the seats behind the goal in the late 80's and it was a sit wherever you want jobby. I always sat in the same seat.

Blimey, Riscardo, no wonder you could sit where you liked.....in the late 80's you would have been the only one there! :-)

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