The steam from the toilets, Pompey fans going accross the east terrace to get to the north, Mark Huliers speed boat, Derek Hales Killer sweatshirts, Simonson, Liverpool friendly, starting on the little terrace next to the west stand, moving around to the bottom of the east terrace then climbing up to top of the East terrace to see me cousins and uncle. The 1st junior reds xmas party lol
Living in SE7, my friends and i were quite taken aback when Mr Killer's wife was robbed by a couple of youths (after the saturday game). In hot persuit , we chased the youths towards Charlton station, only to be passed by Mr Killer. Some time later Mr Killer apperared at the top of the steps leading from the London bound platform with a large grin on his face, and the criminals head bouncing on each step, as he grew nearer. Killer.Killer.Killer.
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.[/quote]
I'm glad to see there's somebody else posting who is old enough to to have been there on that dreadful day when we lost to Blackburn. We didn't "bounce back" straight after relegation.
Anybody else old enough to have seen Sam Bartram play? The thing I remember most about about those days was my Dad standing me right down behind the wall and railings at the bottom of the East terrace. The crowds were often large enough so that the air was squeezed out of me a few times on the way out of the ground. I thought that was great laugh at the time. Not so sure now.
Bit Of A PROBELM for me as i had 2 uncles 1 supported Millwall And 1 supported cafc, i was very young and got top treatment from my 1st uncle(cafc) who was a regular supporter from the 40's so i was hooked, 1st went in the 63/64 season, always remember such a huge ground,and the peanut/horse chesnutt seller.Also went when we had a 3-day working week and played on sunday(power/national strike),also went to games and bought a programme ,this was admission to the game,now people complain about 2 much footy,when i was 14/15 i was doing a paper round to fund away matches,2/3 games inside 10days.a flask and sandwiches,some players i remember LEN GLOVER,MATT TEES,PAUL WENT,KEITH PEACOCK,EDDIE FIRMANI/BRIAN KINSEY,RAY TRACEY,FLASH/HALES/HUNT/most underated was Horsfield deadly supplier for hales AND flash and loads more .
Like most I started on the East Terrace, when you're a kid you can't believe how big it was - I think Europe's biggest football terrace. I used to stand at the front near the covered end floodlight.
Bunking in by jumping over the wall and into the toilets at the top of the East terrace and spraining both ankles and then hiding in the cubicle as a policeman had come in looking for me as he had seen me and finally coming out and trying to walk past him normally when my ankles were killing me!
Remember My Uncle Taking Me To Charlton Vs Derby County 1968/69 Season,Stood By The Corner Flag Jimmy seed end, Went to the toilet, horrible experience,got lost found a policeman who took my to the dug out and had an anoucement put out over the loud speaker,stayed with mr plod untill my uncle collected me at the end of the game, charlton won, nice experience,the manager at the time was 1 of my favourite players Eddie Firmani.
I remember the game you mentioned at the top when newcastle brought bundles down for kevin keegans last game in london, i think they were pushing for promotion, waddle and beardsley in that side as well think we lost 1-3...
last game at the valley against stoke when there was a pitch invasion at half time myself and threadkiller were itching to get on the pitch but were too scared cos of old bill etc and when we plucked up the courage to get on there everyone else turned and run off, nice timing!
remember there always being a good atmosphere, despite the small crowds, in the covered end for the night games , plenty of banter had with the away teams keepers (anyone remember nigel batch?)
and as youngster being really impressed with some of the away turnouts the like of pompey and brighton would bring when football wasn't as well attended in those days
Me and my mate running up and down the huge east terrace when we were cold or bored. Trying to remember how much it cost to go in. When i first went the prog was an old shilling. Must have been about 5 years before I knew our real nickname was the addicks, it was not used as much then, as I recall, I think because the valiant badge was relatively recent and the nickname of valiants was bandied about a bit instead for a while I think? Did not have a clue what addick meant as a kid, I imagined it was sort of a crane thing you would find at the docks! Now, of course, I know the REAL story of how the addicks got their name as we ALL do on here ;)
When I first started going a kid we used to go on the open south terrace and often got in for free by climbing over the wall at the back via the Heights - no tower blocks in those days!
Always used to take a football with us and at halftime play a game on the open area to the left of the south terrace.
As we got older it was inevitable that we drifted to the Covered End although it was sometimes just as exciting watching from the other end as the big gaps used to suddenly appear during the chanting and you would see someone thrown into the middle of the circle.
The Covered End was my home for many years and it can never be the same as it was then due to seating etc.
Fantastic memories such as the Preston promotion game and many others. Quite a few not so good ones, West Ham taking over the covered end one night for a friendly and getting kicked down the steps, Chelsea all over the ground, trying to set light to the covered end, and then trashing the Valley Club after.
Sheffield wednesday was also one to remember as I know a few on here will recall.
Seems strange now but we could walk all around the ground and stand anywhere we liked - the disadvantage being that so could others, such as Millwall - caused a few 'collisions' on the East terrace occasionally.
When you entered from Floyd Road, over on the left in the car park was the Valley Shop ... well it was just a hut really but they used to do good programme deals in those days, pay a few pence and get a bundle of programmes from around the country.
Toilets behind the covered end used to leave a lot to be desired as they got soaked during the winter ... although it was a convenient place to bunk in occasionally.
The 'new' Valley is impressive and something to be proud of, but we had a lot of fun in the old one!
[cite]Posted By: Charlton Dan[/cite]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 ;-)
Hide and Seek thats what me and Ging done in 75 i think boring cup game it was LOL
[quote][cite]Posted By: stonemuse[/cite] Always used to take a football with us and at halftime play a game on the open area to the left of the south terrace. [/quote]
I think there was a set of goalposts in that area behind the south terrace/stand at one time wasn't there?
I remember going in a portakabin type toilet round the back of the old North Stand when we were losing and seeing some bloke punching the crap out of the wall in his frustration - as child I didn't quite get what was bothering him so much... I also recall getting moved on from certain crush barriers as it was a particular person's "spot" - a spot amongst the near empty 300 square kilometres that was the old East Terrace! Needless to say that I have acquired such feelings of frustration and superstition over the years so that the following generations can look upon me as a nutter now.
Great thread! here goes:- 73/74 season was first time at the Valley dad + grandad took me, met dads mates at the Stones club (the old training ground). They all got on the lash then we went into the ground at 2.55...35p to get in I think, it was bloody huge I felt intimidated by the size of the place, but it kinda felt right, you know what I mean? Not a massive crowd but all together it seemed. Remember the steam from the open top khazi, also my old grandad used to take ages to get round there + always missed the goals so if we were losing the running gag would be to send him to the loo!! Running on the pitch at the end of the season when promoted V Preston. Losing games and it all kicking off in the covered end and we watched this more than the footy with the old man shouting 'get stuck into them lads', adding 'dont tell you mother'. Then old enough to go into the holy grail that was the covered end. Got nicked (for swearing, they used to do that then) taken to the holding cell under the main stand, just me and about 10 Plymouth fans in one cell, nice! The old man and a few 'pals' turn up causing a row and gets me released. The peanut man, the half-time score man, scarves on wrists, the old sratched recording of Red Red Robin and Keith Peacock leading the team out the tunnel while jogging and doing keepy-ups until he got to the edge of the six yard box then slamming the ball in the net...and sometimes missing!!! I could go on with more, especially antics at the Stones club but thats for another thread. The Valley old or new? However you remember it, its special!!!!!!
[cite]Posted By: stonemuse[/cite] Always used to take a football with us and at halftime play a game on the open area to the left of the south terrace.
I think there was a set of goalposts in that area behind the south terrace/stand at one time wasn't there?
Yes there was but they got bashed up a bit so didn't last too long
First game for me was in 64....I was just 4 years old, cant remember who we played, but sat on My uncles shoulders as we walked from O'Gilvt Street Woolwich to the ground. First real memories are from the 68/69 season. Drew 2-2 with Palace in the 3rd round FA cup. My first away game was the return at Sellout, we won 2-0 and either Alan Campbell or Ray Treacy got the goals. Then off to Highbury in the 4th round, the tube broke down between stations, which was scary, my feet not touching the ground as we walked up to the ground...the seemingly huge crowd in the stadium, sadly we lost...think it was 2-0. I still have the programmes after all these years along with a few from that season.
I remember playing Derby that same year winning 2-1 in front of my then biggest Valley crowd of 29,000. We narrowly missed out on promotion to the Nigels by 2 pts and Derby went up as Champions. We never recovered from that and we went down a couple of seasons later. I remember getting thumped 5-1 at home by Leicester around 70/71 as they went up as champions...think we may have gotten relegated the same season. I remember my earliest memory of fisty cuffs in the covered end....the police put the QPR fans into the the left side of the covered end...they werent there for long though.
When I was about 13 I went to my first away match without any adults, walked into the Watford end adorned in scarves (remember having one wrapped around each wrist?) a copper then came over to me and my mate Lee and said we had better get out....he walked us around the pitch just after KO and we got a round of applause from the Charlton fans as we got bundled back in with our own. I remember a game against Preston, my mate Lee bought a Charlton mug he had saved up for, and one of the leaders....tubby bloke with black curly hair asked Lee if he could borrow the mug and then went and promptly smacked a Preston Hooly over the head with it. In about 74 we had Pompey up and they bought big numbers, we had about 22,000 in the ground and I got nicked about 2.15 for falling into a copper as the crowd was doing knees up mother brown....I got dragged out and the copper was giving me dead legs all the way to the medicine hut behind the West stand. He chucked me in there with it being half full of Pompey fans and one of the coppers delighted himself by throwing medicine balls at us in turns. We all got ejected about 3.20 and waited until half time to get back in for nothing.
Another Preston game was that famous promotion year in 75, an evening game about 25,000 inside the ground and winning 3-1 I think. I was there too when Wednesday took the covered end at 2pm when there was no Charlton fans in there....they spent the whole of the first half trying to get back in, and it all kicked off again after the match by the station. Cardiff at home in 77 was a bit of a tag match too and it all went off under the tunnel after the game.
Biggest crowd I seem to remember was around 76, we played West Ham and the attendance was something like 36,000. I also remember when the south end was the same height as the East Terrace, the place was collosal in those days.
We had Tranmere down in about 74 when the power strikes were on. It was a Sunday morning kick off in front of about 3,000 and Ron Yeates played for Tranmere, we lost 1-0. Like many of you I remember the Chelsea game when they set light to the turnstiles....I didnt see much of the game as someone tried to stab me on the east terrace and I fled for my life jumping over the gates on the Bartram entrance tearing my leather jacket in the process. Some fun and games were to be had in those days for sure....
I went to Hereford and went for a beer with my mate before the game and asked for a Light & Bitter and just got stared at by the barmaid who didnt know what on earth we were talking about. I seem to remember in the early seventies paying about 2 bob to get in, and many have mentioned the "peanuts" man and one or two of you remember the chestnuts sellers too. I was on the centre circle at half time in that dreadful day in 85 too...what was it? 9,000 fans against Stoke? I was down at the Valley on the clean up day too, still have all the papers and I appear in a couple of them. Was at Woolwich town hall on the night of the big announcement as well. I remember more vividly the walk from Woolwich Town Hall to the ground on the day of the return....just thinking about that gives me goose bumps...I was so proud of us that day...anyway I could ramble on forever here....time to shut up....
that goal that has been mentioned being behind the South where kids had a kick around, I think it was in the South West Corner on a bit of gravel that must of been used once by players for training.
Another memory I have is of the old wooden supporters club bar outside the ground behind the covered end. used to get packed in there most games.
Loads of happy memories!my first game at the Valley was in 1977 against spuds!we won 4-1.I stood on the east terrace and just was hooked on watching the coverd end surging with all the rucking that was going on.Over 30000 that day! We played a few friday night games that season.From that moment i was hooked on Charlton. I could go on all day about the happy times of the old Valley!I remember having my first pint when i was about 15 and trying to act like the geezers who use to stand in the right side and trying to sing with a deep voice!well hard!lol During that era i hooked up with a lot of new mates that are still pals to this day! I can honestly say i have met and socialise with some great characters whom i have met from the old Valley! Dont get me wrong i love the place now!but them days will always be with me
Always stood on the east terrace as a kid with my dad and brother. The ground always seemed huge except for the main stand which always looked tiny in comparison. Still shout peeeeeanutssss! to my kids, never forget that bloke. We used to park up by Charlton House never much of a problem. Crowds were thin my dad always telling me how he'd go to games there with 60,000 thousand odd...not sure if he was telling the truth mind!
Rememeber watching us play Ipswich town in the FA Cup. I think we were 1-0 up and my dad said lets go and beat the traffic, got in the car we'd lost 2-1...something like that anyway, never left a game early since. Remember being at the game Hales scored that volley think it won goal of the season against Hull? Also went to see the game billed as Simonson V Keegan 2 former Euro footballers of the year when he was at Newcastle. He pulled out though before the game through injury. Also Simonsens great goal from outside the box can't remember who that was against.
Comments
Some time later Mr Killer apperared at the top of the steps leading from the London bound platform with a large grin on his face, and the criminals head bouncing on each step, as he grew nearer.
Killer.Killer.Killer.
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.[/quote]
Anybody else old enough to have seen Sam Bartram play? The thing I remember most about about those days was my Dad standing me right down behind the wall and railings at the bottom of the East terrace. The crowds were often large enough so that the air was squeezed out of me a few times on the way out of the ground. I thought that was great laugh at the time. Not so sure now.
King Arthur..yep very under-rated player.
Like most I started on the East Terrace, when you're a kid you can't believe how big it was - I think Europe's biggest football terrace. I used to stand at the front near the covered end floodlight.
Charlton 4 Mansfield 3 (night game)great goal from Arthur horsefield,Flash & Bobby hunt & Vincent o'kane.
Sarnys & Bovril.
Bunking in by jumping over the wall and into the toilets at the top of the East terrace and spraining both ankles and then hiding in the cubicle as a policeman had come in looking for me as he had seen me and finally coming out and trying to walk past him normally when my ankles were killing me!
The new scoreboard (where the old bill control room is now) that never got past the framework stage.
Peanuts.
when ever there was a collection people walked around the pitch holding a blanket that you had to throw coins into.
last game at the valley against stoke when there was a pitch invasion at half time myself and threadkiller were itching to get on the pitch but were too scared cos of old bill etc and when we plucked up the courage to get on there everyone else turned and run off, nice timing!
remember there always being a good atmosphere, despite the small crowds, in the covered end for the night games , plenty of banter had with the away teams keepers (anyone remember nigel batch?)
and as youngster being really impressed with some of the away turnouts the like of pompey and brighton would bring when football wasn't as well attended in those days
Trying to remember how much it cost to go in. When i first went the prog was an old shilling.
Must have been about 5 years before I knew our real nickname was the addicks, it was not used as much then, as I recall, I think because the valiant badge was relatively recent and the nickname of valiants was bandied about a bit instead for a while I think? Did not have a clue what addick meant as a kid, I imagined it was sort of a crane thing you would find at the docks!
Now, of course, I know the REAL story of how the addicks got their name as we ALL do on here ;)
Always used to take a football with us and at halftime play a game on the open area to the left of the south terrace.
As we got older it was inevitable that we drifted to the Covered End although it was sometimes just as exciting watching from the other end as the big gaps used to suddenly appear during the chanting and you would see someone thrown into the middle of the circle.
The Covered End was my home for many years and it can never be the same as it was then due to seating etc.
Fantastic memories such as the Preston promotion game and many others. Quite a few not so good ones, West Ham taking over the covered end one night for a friendly and getting kicked down the steps, Chelsea all over the ground, trying to set light to the covered end, and then trashing the Valley Club after.
Sheffield wednesday was also one to remember as I know a few on here will recall.
Seems strange now but we could walk all around the ground and stand anywhere we liked - the disadvantage being that so could others, such as Millwall - caused a few 'collisions' on the East terrace occasionally.
When you entered from Floyd Road, over on the left in the car park was the Valley Shop ... well it was just a hut really but they used to do good programme deals in those days, pay a few pence and get a bundle of programmes from around the country.
Toilets behind the covered end used to leave a lot to be desired as they got soaked during the winter ... although it was a convenient place to bunk in occasionally.
The 'new' Valley is impressive and something to be proud of, but we had a lot of fun in the old one!
Hide and Seek thats what me and Ging done in 75 i think boring cup game it was LOL
[/quote]
I think there was a set of goalposts in that area behind the south terrace/stand at one time wasn't there?
.... can pay you back on Tuesday - if you're going?
Thanks!
Oh dear!
Yes there was but they got bashed up a bit so didn't last too long
First game for me was in 64....I was just 4 years old, cant remember who we played, but sat on My uncles shoulders as we walked from O'Gilvt Street Woolwich to the ground. First real memories are from the 68/69 season. Drew 2-2 with Palace in the 3rd round FA cup.
My first away game was the return at Sellout, we won 2-0 and either Alan Campbell or Ray Treacy got the goals. Then off to Highbury in the 4th round, the tube broke down between stations, which was scary, my feet not touching the ground as we walked up to the ground...the seemingly huge crowd in the stadium, sadly we lost...think it was 2-0. I still have the programmes after all these years along with a few from that season.
I remember playing Derby that same year winning 2-1 in front of my then biggest Valley crowd of 29,000. We narrowly missed out on promotion to the Nigels by 2 pts and Derby went up as Champions. We never recovered from that and we went down a couple of seasons later. I remember getting thumped 5-1 at home by Leicester around 70/71 as they went up as champions...think we may have gotten relegated the same season. I remember my earliest memory of fisty cuffs in the covered end....the police put the QPR fans into the the left side of the covered end...they werent there for long though.
When I was about 13 I went to my first away match without any adults, walked into the Watford end adorned in scarves (remember having one wrapped around each wrist?) a copper then came over to me and my mate Lee and said we had better get out....he walked us around the pitch just after KO and we got a round of applause from the Charlton fans as we got bundled back in with our own.
I remember a game against Preston, my mate Lee bought a Charlton mug he had saved up for, and one of the leaders....tubby bloke with black curly hair asked Lee if he could borrow the mug and then went and promptly smacked a Preston Hooly over the head with it. In about 74 we had Pompey up and they bought big numbers, we had about 22,000 in the ground and I got nicked about 2.15 for falling into a copper as the crowd was doing knees up mother brown....I got dragged out and the copper was giving me dead legs all the way to the medicine hut behind the West stand. He chucked me in there with it being half full of Pompey fans and one of the coppers delighted himself by throwing medicine balls at us in turns. We all got ejected about 3.20 and waited until half time to get back in for nothing.
Another Preston game was that famous promotion year in 75, an evening game about 25,000 inside the ground and winning 3-1 I think. I was there too when Wednesday took the covered end at 2pm when there was no Charlton fans in there....they spent the whole of the first half trying to get back in, and it all kicked off again after the match by the station. Cardiff at home in 77 was a bit of a tag match too and it all went off under the tunnel after the game.
Biggest crowd I seem to remember was around 76, we played West Ham and the attendance was something like 36,000. I also remember when the south end was the same height as the East Terrace, the place was collosal in those days.
We had Tranmere down in about 74 when the power strikes were on. It was a Sunday morning kick off in front of about 3,000 and Ron Yeates played for Tranmere, we lost 1-0. Like many of you I remember the Chelsea game when they set light to the turnstiles....I didnt see much of the game as someone tried to stab me on the east terrace and I fled for my life jumping over the gates on the Bartram entrance tearing my leather jacket in the process. Some fun and games were to be had in those days for sure....
I went to Hereford and went for a beer with my mate before the game and asked for a Light & Bitter and just got stared at by the barmaid who didnt know what on earth we were talking about. I seem to remember in the early seventies paying about 2 bob to get in, and many have mentioned the "peanuts" man and one or two of you remember the chestnuts sellers too. I was on the centre circle at half time in that dreadful day in 85 too...what was it? 9,000 fans against Stoke? I was down at the Valley on the clean up day too, still have all the papers and I appear in a couple of them. Was at Woolwich town hall on the night of the big announcement as well.
I remember more vividly the walk from Woolwich Town Hall to the ground on the day of the return....just thinking about that gives me goose bumps...I was so proud of us that day...anyway I could ramble on forever here....time to shut up....
Tel
"Gitcher 'alf times.......read awl abaht it. Gitcher 'alf times...."
Evening News/Standard with the printed half time scores and team line ups.
After the match, down the paper shop about 6pm to buy the 'Classified'.
All the scores and match reports of the day's games, hot off the press.
Both the Evening News and the Evening Standard ran up to date Sports editions on a Saturday night in those days.
Another memory I have is of the old wooden supporters club bar outside the ground behind the covered end. used to get packed in there most games.
We played a few friday night games that season.From that moment i was hooked on Charlton.
I could go on all day about the happy times of the old Valley!I remember having my first pint when i was about 15 and trying to act like the geezers who use to stand in the right side and trying to sing with a deep voice!well hard!lol
During that era i hooked up with a lot of new mates that are still pals to this day!
I can honestly say i have met and socialise with some great characters whom i have met from the old Valley!
Dont get me wrong i love the place now!but them days will always be with me
I was only a kid and had little interest in it all to be honest - didn't understand what was going on.
I remember seeing Simonsen, Flash Flanagan, Killer et al
Remember us stuffing Chelsea 5-2 once aswell
I was there for the Stoke game and couldn't understand the people swinging on the crossbar at half time - I was also there for the 1st game back.
We've been through a lot with this club haven't we!!
Rememeber watching us play Ipswich town in the FA Cup. I think we were 1-0 up and my dad said lets go and beat the traffic, got in the car we'd lost 2-1...something like that anyway, never left a game early since. Remember being at the game Hales scored that volley think it won goal of the season against Hull? Also went to see the game billed as Simonson V Keegan 2 former Euro footballers of the year when he was at Newcastle. He pulled out though before the game through injury. Also Simonsens great goal from outside the box can't remember who that was against.